White Sheep
by Coeur Al'Aran
Summary: Every family has its odd member, the one that doesn't fit. Jaune was just that, the black sheep. He had always wanted to be the hero, to be a Huntsman. But when your name is Jaune Salem Arc - Prince of the Grimm - and your mother is understandably against the idea, what is a young man to do? Why, run away to attend Beacon in pursuit of a dream, of course. What could go wrong?
1. Chapter 1

**So here we are, surprise. Merry Christmas and all that. I said there would be something for Christmas but not what it would be. This is going to come out early as a Christmas surprise, with all the joy I hope it brings. So... how this is going to work. Updates will be every 14 days - making it similar to Professor Arc and other fics in terms of schedule. It will update on a Sunday, the date of which will be included at the bottom of each chapter as usual.**

 **Thanks to Kegi, we already have some cover art for this, which has been included here. :)**

 **And also thank you to College Fool who, as always, has been a massive help and a great friend.**

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 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 1 – A Sheep's Dream**

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The Beowolf's body drove him down to the ground, its teeth gnashing at his head. He pushed it back frantically, one arm held across his face as it snapped and snarled above him. Crimson eyes bore into his, the dark promise of a creature born to destroy all human life. Jaune grunted as it bit down, taking his arm in its powerful jaws and jerking him wildly from left to right. With a cry he was let loose, sliding across the dark ground to come to a defeated heap, face-down as the monstrous Grimm approached with a growl. Through one sapphire eye he watched it pad towards him. Watched it rear up, great gouts of steamy breath coming from its fang-filled maw as it brought its weight down atop him.

"Jaune!" a voice called, "Dinner time!"

"Coming mom!" Jaune shouted as he rolled over onto his back. The Beowolf's snout flashed down and instantly smothered him. Its huge head licked and nuzzled his face. "Get off," he laughed as he tried to push it away, "Come on. Quit it… mom's going to be angry if I'm late." That did the trick, as he'd known it would. The Beowolf whined and leaned back, sitting on its haunches as it waited for him. It wasn't the only one.

Other Grimm watched, their red eyes glowing in the darkness as the young man carefully picked his way past jagged rocks and steaming terrain. The Grimmlands was neither a kind nor beautiful place, unless you liked the colours purple and red, in which case it was fantastic. Jaune was more into greens and oranges himself, however. They were colours he'd only really seen on his scroll or in the books he read. No trees grew in this desolate place. The soil was as dead as everything else… a creeping miasma that threatened to kill any who entered.

Except for him, of course.

"There you are," his mother said as he entered the dark tower. Her pale face was etched with some unrecognisable expression, as it often was. Her red eyes softened when she saw him, the angry veins about her face receding just a little. "Look at you," she sighed, "You're covered in soot and grime. What _have_ you been doing?" To his horror she drew forth a small scrap of cloth, spitting onto it and using the disgusting fabric to wipe his face.

"Mom…" he complained, though he knew better than to argue, "I was playing outside with Mannie."

"Playing?" the dread Queen of the Grimm asked, one brow raised high. Jaune swallowed but nodded, knowing that a lie would just land him in more trouble. "You should have been studying," she sighed. Jaune winced, but relaxed a moment later when a hand settled atop his blond hair. "But I will let it go this time. Come… we're going to have dinner together."

"Is dad back?" Jaune's head perked up, eyes shining, only to sigh as the woman shook her head.

"Your father's out hunting as usual… you know how he is."

"I know." He wasn't angry… not when he looked up to his father for just that, but at the same time there was a hint of disappointment. Nicholas was his only avenue to the outside world. The only person who would sit down and tell him grand stories of distant cities and incredible landscapes – of waterfalls and forests, filled with small Nevermore-like creatures that would actually sing beautiful melodies. It sounded incredible. It sounded unbelievable.

"Your sisters are all busy too," Salem Juniper Arc sighed, rubbing his head. "It's going to be me, you, your uncles and Cinder."

"Big sis?"

His mother cringed. "I really wish you wouldn't call her that. She's only a few years older than you, and not at all related. You know, the two of you might get on with one another really well. You used to say you'd grow up and marry her when you were younger. It was all I ever heard from you."

" _Mooommmm_ …" Did she have to say things like that? She always embarrassed him, whether it was tales of his actions as a little child or with her random suggestions that he hook up with her minion. "You know Cinder's like a big sister to me."

"You already have seven," Salem pointed out insistently, "Cinder is absolutely on the market should your hormones start kicking in." Jaune tuned her out, including the grumbles about him being seventeen and as horny as a dead fish. It was an age old thing. She wanted grand babies and he wanted… something more.

Jaune picked at the thread of his hoodie as he followed her through the serpentine hallways of the tower, past Grimm and strange people he rarely interacted with. Few met his eyes, nor the eyes of the Beowolf that loped easily behind him. They never did interact with him… too afraid of his mother. Or maybe it was him they were afraid of? Jaune slumped slightly as he walked, feeling Mannie's ferocious snout bump comfortingly against his hand.

"Keep your head up," Salem said as they came close to a set of tall doors, "Remember, a woman likes a man who walks with stature. You shouldn't be looking at the floor all the time."

"Yes mom," he said, lifting his head. She sighed and knelt down opposite him, reaching over to adjust his clothing slightly.

"Come now, sweetie," she cooed, "Remember what your father says, `all you need is a little confidence`."

"Kay." He smiled for her, not only because of the kind words but also so she didn't fret over him. His mother had enough to worry about without his doldrums dragging her down. Dad always was going on about confidence and why Jaune needed it. He supposed the man had the right to as well, since he'd gone and married the personification of all evil – or so mom liked to refer to herself as. Nicholas Arc liked to boast about that, like _all the time._

"Greetings," Salem intoned as she walked into the room, nodding to each of the four people who had risen to stand upon her entrance. Jaune followed in her shadow, trying his best to avoid attention. As his mother took her place at the head of the table, Jaune sat down to her left, coincidentally next to Cinder Fall.

She nodded once to him, her golden eyes drifting to his mother soon after.

"Thank you all for coming," Salem began, motioning for the hooded servers to come and place a series of plates before them. Meats, vegetables and more; Jaune reached for a knife and fork – even as Uncle Tyrian drew forth a dagger and stabbed it into his food. "Though I realise such occasions are rare, it's pleasing to see everyone in one place. We have _interesting_ times ahead. How are things going on your end, Cinder?"

"Very well, mistress," the beautiful woman replied, "I've managed to recruit two agents who I believe will serve us well. Our attack on the Fall Maiden was thwarted, but we've managed to track down where she is being held and are preparing for our next move."

"Good, good," Salem nodded, "And I trust things are going well for you Watts?"

"Naturally," the moustached man nodded, "There have been no complications and I've even stationed a few… trusted individuals to ensure the situation doesn't change."

Jaune sighed and slumped in his seat as they continued to discuss their evil plans. He knew it was important. He knew he was supposed to listen and learn… he wasn't going to be the prince of the Grimm forever. One day he would be King, or so his mother often reminded him. It was just that... this wasn't what he wanted. Not from here and not from life. His sisters could get into it, they always could. In a sense, they took to such matters like a Nevermore to the sky. He struggled... always falling behind, always less useful.

"Jaune!" Salem snapped, making him jump. He retracted his hand from beneath the table quickly, though the slavering Beowolf on the other end came with it, head poking into his lap. "What have I told you about feeding the Beowolves at the table?"

"Not to," he mumbled, withdrawing his hand from the Grimm's mouth. Mannie looked guilty as well, though he did lick his lips after tasting the soft meat. His mother pointed to the wall, the six-foot tall monster slinking off sadly to lay there.

"Exactly," she sighed, "Grimm do not _need_ to eat. You do."

"Grimm only eat humans," Tyrian giggled happily, his legs crossed beneath him as he knelt on the stone seat. "Eat and tear and rip and _rend_."

Jaune's face twisted unhappily.

"Tyrian!" Salem glared at him until he sat down properly, "Not at the table and not in front of my son. You know how sensitive he is."

The man surrendered quickly, looking afraid as he sat back down, eyes not meeting the terrifying orbs of his mother. She could have killed the man in an instant. There was not a person at the table that posed a threat, so powerful was she.

"Now Jaune," Salem crooned softly, "You're officially seventeen now. That's an age where many reach adulthood in the Kingdoms. Have you decided what you want to do with your life?"

Jaune sighed and kept his eyes fixed on the plate before him. He loved his family… from his mother to his father, right down to his seven sisters – eight including Cinder. He even loved his uncles, though that often changed depending on what mood Tyrian was in. He also respected their drive, their desires and goals – especially how far they were willing to go for them.

But that wasn't him.

Every family had its black sheep. There was nothing unusual in that; it was never anything personal. His sisters likes to play with the minds and hearts of others, his mother wanted to bring the world to heel beneath her. But Jaune…? He'd taken after his father more than anyone might have expected. Well, apart from the confidence part.

He looked up to them with a deep breath, knowing that each and every set of eyes was fixed on him, waiting for his answer.

"I want to be a Huntsman."

Tyrian burst into hysterical laughter.

"Sweetie," Salem sighed as Jaune sunk further into his seat under the incredulous stares of those around him, "I thought we talked about this. You are the Prince of the Grimm, my heir and only son. I know your father's an odd case but to become a Huntsman?"

"That's what I want," Jaune repeated, face set.

"Letting him read all day in the library was a mistake," Hazel grunted, eyeing Cinder across the table.

"He was a curious child," the younger woman crossed her arms defensively. "Leaving him with books was a good way to occupy his time."

"A fine excuse," Watts joined, "But correct me if I'm wrong, my dear. Didn't you leave him there because it was _easier_ for you? Despite that our lady trusted her son to you? How _very_ unbecoming."

Jaune could hear his big sister's teeth grinding together.

"Cinder did a fine job with my son," Salem stepped in before violence could erupt, "I'm sure she did not expect to find her spare time occupied by babysitting. I believe my little Grimmling came out just fine."

"Thank you my lady," Cinder nodded, while Jaune could only squirm at the unfortunate pet name his mother used. He wasn't even technically a Grimm… why did she always have to embarrass him so?

"You've still read too many fairy tales," Hazel growled. "The world's not like what you've read, Jaune. I thought I'd taught you better." Jaune flinched at that, not meeting the stern man's eyes. Disappointment from Hazel always hurt. He was used to it... all he did was disappoint people. Not evil enough, not strong enough, too different from his family.

"Now, now," Watts laughed, coming to his aid as the man leaned across the table. "There's nothing wrong with being well-read. An intelligent mind has its own strength. Still, my boy, why not forget about becoming a huntsman and come work with me?" The moustached man smiled widely, spreading his arms. "Politics and science, my boy, that's where true power lays."

Jaune shuffled in his seat, trying not to meet Watts' proud gaze. How was he supposed to say this in a way that wouldn't sound insulting?

"He finds those things boring," his big sister said for him, her smug smile visible to all, "And who would blame him?"

"Well maybe he _wouldn't_ ," Watts growled, "If a certain _someone_ hadn't poisoned his mind against the idea. Don't listen to her my boy," Watts turned back to look at him, all traces of irritation gone. "Politics isn't boring. I can teach you how to change the world!"

"Forget that noise," Tyrian laughed, slamming a hand down on the table and then doing it again probably because he just liked the noise it made. "Your Uncle Tyrian will teach you everything you need to know. I… uh… I can teach you politics, how to change the world and stuff."

Watts' expression was deadpan, but not nearly as much as Jaune's. "Uncle Tyrian," he said slowly, "You kill people…"

"I kill important people," the wiry man defended, looking hurt for a moment, "That's politics. It still counts!"

Salem held a hand out to silence the man, her eyes still locking onto Jaune's. "Sweetie… becoming a Huntsman, really? You know that your father's an anomaly and only because he was already a huntsman before meeting me, but you want to spend your time _killing_ Grimm?"

Mannie whined from behind him, a fact which made him wince.

"Not killing Grimm," he said, despite knowing how hypocritical that was, "At least, not the intelligent ones. But I want to be a hero – to be a Knigh-"

"Fairy tales," Watts echoed Hazel's statement, "The world has no need for heroes, my boy."

"Why not something else?" Salem suggested with a smile, "I mean, you're seventeen now – Cinder is only three or four years older and has a fantastic figure. Have you considered being a house husband or something?"

"M-Mistress…" the woman in question groaned, even as Jaune's face went red. His mother really had no shame. And worse – judging from big sis' expression, this wasn't a new conversation for _her_ either. How embarrassing!

"Mom!" he whimpered, "Please stop saying things like that."

"She is very beautiful though, my son, not to mention a strong pair of hips. Not only could she bear many children, but they would look _adorable_." Jaune tried to imagine other things, even as he heard Cinder grind her teeth together. "Where did I go wrong," Salem sighed, "I thought all boys lusted after their babysitters?"

"Wait," Cinder's eyes widened, "Was that why you took me in!?"

"But of course." His mother's easy proclamation left the woman speechless, "Why? Did you think I'd leave my son's safety to _Tyrian_?" There was a pause as everyone looked to the man. He stabbed his knife into the armrest of his chair, giggling slightly. "Besides, my dear, aren't you always saying you want more power? I can't think of a better route than marrying into it."

Cinder mumbled something beneath her breath. From the fierce look she was sending him it wasn't a list of his best features. She looked like she wanted to strangle him. It wasn't _his_ fault his mom was like this! It was just that… after so long without family or love, she had apparently become a little… well, let's just say his dad had shown her _new_ things and all of a sudden she was very interested in having a large family. That was probably a good thing considering what he'd heard she had been like before, but that didn't make it any less humiliating for him!

"I'm not going to marry Cinder," Jaune slammed a hand down on the table. It didn't shake like he wanted it to and his hand hurt, which probably detracted from the image. "Mom, I want to be a Huntsman, a hero! I want-"

" _Enough!"_ Salem snapped. Jaune's eyes widened, body going stiff as a miasma of shadows appeared behind her. He'd seen his mother angry… of course he had. But never at _him_ and never like this. Her eyes seemed to glow. "You are my son, the Prince of the Grimm and _not_ a huntsman. You are not a hero and you are _not_ going to be a student at one of those foolish schools. You are going to stay here and that, young man, is _final_. Am I understood?"

It wasn't fair…

"I said; am I understood?"

"Yes mother."

"Good. Now if all you're going to do is sulk and stare at your plate, then I suppose you might as well go to your room." Jaune didn't argue. No one else spoke either as he climbed to his feet, nodding to her and walking to the door. Mannie appeared at his side, a warm presence that lifted the burden upon him just a little. Jaune let his fingers linger on that bone mask, seeking what little comfort he could.

All families had their little problems. His were just more complicated, more troubling... for he was a white sheep among a family of black.

/-/

"It's just not fair," Jaune groaned into the Beowolf's flank. The muscled and thick hide rose and fell beneath him with each breath the beast took, providing a warm comfort he had clung to since he'd been a small child. A long, wet tongue came out to lick his arm, his faithful companion whimpering slightly. "Not you," Jaune rushed to say, "I mean mom… I mean my dreams."

" **I told you it was a bad idea."** A voice inside his head whispered. Jaune sighed and looked away from Mannie and down to his arm. The flesh there bulged, a black shape wriggling beneath. With a miniature roar his skin broke – a black, carapaced creature bursting forth with sharp mandibles extended. It hissed lightly, swaying back and forth like some kind of terrible monster erupting from within his body.

Jaune sighed. "Do you have to be so dramatic?"

" **Well _excuse_ me,"** the Grimm parasite within him mumbled, pausing to stare at him. Contrary to how it might have looked there was no pain from its appearance, for his skin had not truly split. Living within him, like the ones in his big sis and uncles, they had become one with their hosts. **"I'm not the one who shouted that he was going to become a huntsman at a table filled with most evil people in Remnant."**

"Remy," Jaune sighed, flicking the creature in the face. "I had to say it… it's my dream, it's been my dream for so long. You know that!"

Remy burrowed back into his arm, wriggling up the limb and onto Jaune's shoulder where he came out once more, head peeking from the collar of Jaune's hoodie. **"It's a bad idea, Jaune. You know that. Your dad's a special case."**

"I can be special too," Jaune said, ignoring Remy's not so kind response about just how `special` he was. "I don't care what you say. I have to do this."

 **"Are you aware of just how dangerous this is?"**

Was he aware? Panic gripped his heart and there was nausea in his stomach, so yes - he was more than aware of what he was doing. Or rather, the consequences of it. No one had ever betrayed his mother, at least not that he knew about. Would she hate him for doing this - for turning his back on her and his family? Would she ever forgive him? And what of his uncles and Cinder? Would they hate him?

Would he have to fight against them?

The mere thought of it almost left him paralysed. Just because he disagreed with everything they did and stood for, that didn't mean he hated them... that he didn't love them dearly. Even if they were fine with it, even if he had their permission... it wasn't like the people outside would welcome him either. Jaune Salem Arc, Prince of the Grimm and son of Salem Arc herself. They would hunt him to the ends of Remnant if they knew... they would imprison him, or maybe just kill him outright. It was a terrible risk and frightening prospect... but if he didn't leave then nothing would ever change.

"I can't stay here." he sighed, "I can't spend the rest of my life pretending to be something I'm not."

He wasn't his mother... he wasn't like his sisters and his uncles.

" **I feel the need to repeat. This is a _bad_ idea."**

"Your counsel is valuable and will be considered," Jaune said, repeating a favourite phrase of his mother's whenever someone said something she didn't care to deign with an answer. "I've read enough stories to know how this has to go. Nothing's going to change if I just sit here, Remy, I need to go out there and experience the world. Save people, become a Huntsman – fight the bad guys!"

" **Fight your mother?"**

"Not mom," Jaune deflated, "Other bad guys; criminals, terrible mobsters and evil Kings."

" **You'll still be fighting for the people opposed to your own family,"** Remy warned, clicking his mandibles at Jaune's face, **"You _do_ realise that, right?"**

"I do."

But it didn't matter. That was a bridge he could burn when he got to it. There was too much out there to not see, too much to do, that he'd never have the opportunity to experience if he remained in the Grimmlands. _I know my mom just wants the best for me, but she's too protective. I can look out for myself. I can fight for myself!_

"I'm going to do this anyway," he said. The Beowolf nudged its snout against Jaune's hand, begging for attention. "You'll have to stay here Mannie," Jaune whispered sadly, "I can't take you into the Kingdoms. They'd try and kill you."

The Beowolf whined but nodded, intelligent enough to know Jaune spoke the truth. It still reared up to lick his face, however, covering him in a thin sheen of drool.

"Hey now," Jaune laughed, patting him down, "It's not like I'll be gone forever. Once mom's calmed down I'll even come back to visit when I can – and you're immortal so don't sulk." The Grimm slumped and after a second Jaune hugged its spiked carapace, "I'll miss you too boy," he whispered. "Be strong… for both of us."

" **I'm going to get in so much trouble for this…"** Remy groaned, slumping against Jaune's skin. Jaune reached up to push him down, the worm-like creature disappearing into his body once more. He could still feel him, however. Hear him too. **"This is going to backfire,"** Remy spoke directly into his mind, **"Mark my words, Jaune Salem Arc."**

"It'll be fine," Jaune said, packing his backpack. How could it even go wrong? Sure, he'd spent most of his life – okay, _all of his life_ – cooped up in a black tower in the middle of the Grimmlands, but how hard could living with normal folk be? Normal people did it all the time. His dad went and worked as a Huntsman among them. If he could do it, so could Jaune.

He also had all those stories to draw inspiration from, the ones he'd spent so much of his childhood reading in the library while big sis Cinder had been babysitting him. He could just emulate the people from those, who were all meant to be normal guys from the four Kingdoms anyway. He didn't even look like his mother, with the whole veiny, albino thing. His skin was pale, but not overly so, his hair a rich golden blond. Sure, when he got angry the whites of his eyes turned black and his eyes glowed, but that wasn't so unusual, right? The people in the story books, their eyes were always glowing. Sometimes with anger, sometimes with love or justice… apparently glowing eyes was just a thing.

Reaching beneath his bed, Jaune drew forth the tattered and old magazine he'd found scrunched up amongst the books in the library. A newspaper from Vale, one of the four main Kingdoms, it was old and half-destroyed, from a time before Jaune had even been born, but the words were still clear. "Beacon Academy," Jaune read, eyes sparkling.

Families had their problems… his was no different. But it was time to put that aside, to prove to his mother once and for all that he could be his own man. That he could make her proud in his own way. It hurt, to turn his back on everything he knew and loved, but at the same time it was exciting. _I can always come back if I want to. Mom would never turn me away._ She just wasn't that kind of person, angry as she could sometimes get.

"I've left a note for mom," Jaune whispered to Mannie, giving the Beowolf one final hug, "Make sure she gets it but try and stall for me, okay? I'll try and bring you back some treats, boy, so wait for me!"

The backpack tightened, his sword and sheathe strapped to his hip, Jaune stood at the window of his room. He only had a short amount of time to act… if his mother found out then she'd make sure he couldn't do this. Bringing his fingers to his mouth he let off a sharp whistle, a great, winged monstrosity launching itself from a nearby crag. The Nevermore's claws gripped the window's edge, long and deadly. Jaune stroked one lightly, feeling the sharp beak nip at his chest.

"Take me to the outskirts of Vale," he whispered to the monster, climbing onto its back. "Fly quickly and be safe. Return here afterwards and don't stick around. Someone might think you're evil or something."

" **Or something,"** Remy griped.

Jaune Salem Arc ignored him. He was an advisor, nothing more. This was his destiny, his chance… his dream. Sometimes a sheep had to leave the flock for a while, just to forge their own. It didn't mean they were no longer family, nor did it mean they were leaving their own behind. "Beacon, here I come," the Prince of the Grimm whispered, holding on as the Nevermore launched. The grin on his face soon fell when his stomach gurgled. _Huh... I've never travelled like this before. I wonder if this feeling is a good thing._

It could have been. It could have been a rush of excitement or the butterflies before a great change. It could have been an omen of the times to come.

The waterfall of vomit that spewed from his lips said otherwise, however.

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 **Merry Christmas to all and a happy new year! So yes, there will be questions, I know. Much will be answered in coming chapters and as we move forwards. Consider this early reveal a Christmas present from me to you all. As for the appearance of Remy... well, technically he's canon xD - It's the thing that comes out of Cinder's hand, except that Jaune has one too. He is important as a way to pass information about Jaune's past to the reader without it seeming out of place for Jaune to mention it.**

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 **Next Chapter: 8th January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey all! Thank you for all the reviews last chapter, it was great to see the fic being taken well. I'm confident in this one and truly do hope to make it as enjoyable a read as Professor Arc, hopefully even more so.**

 **For the cover art, this site is a bit temperamental at times, which is why some of you might not have been able to see it. Hopefully it works now, but it's honestly 50-50. You can always Google Kegi and see it on his DA.**

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 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 2 – A Sheep's Stand**

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"Wow…" Jaune gasped and pushed his way through the crowd into Vale proper. Tall buildings sprung up on either side of him and some reached almost as high as his mother's tower. They came in myriad colours, ones he'd never thought he might see; greys, whites, blues… it was enough to take his breath away. And the _people_ – there were so many of them! At least… well there'd been at least _fifty_ in the queue to get through the main gatehouse, a number which was already unfathomable to him. But now that he got to see the streets themselves? "There's so many of them," he whispered as his eyes traced over the huge swarms of people that pushed left and right. Men and women shouted, children cried or laughed and strange, coloured vehicles buzzed by.

The sheer noise of it all was enough to make him feel dizzy and he staggered backwards. Luckily, something caught him.

"Oi, watch it." The man he'd bumped into growled and pushed him aside, "Don't stand in front of the gates, you idiot!"

Jaune blinked, he wondered who the man was talking to, only to realise a second later that it was himself. "Ah," he gasped, "I'm sorry. Was there somewhere you would prefer me to stand?"

"Sarcastic piece of shit," the man scoffed and glared at him before walking away. Jaune blinked. Wait, but the man hadn't told him where he should stand…

" **Perhaps somewhere where you won't be run over,"** Remy whispered into his mind.

" _Oh, I see… maybe against the wall?"_ Jaune looked towards the wall in question, which seemed to be part of the defensive structure of Vale. The Nevermore had dropped him off some distance away from it, leaving them to trek the rest of the way. It might have been a difficult journey for most, but luckily there'd been plenty of friendly Grimm around. He was lucky mom and dad had thought to have ID cards made for him and his sisters – all labelled as just being of the Arc family, of course. _"Are you seeing all of this Remy?"_ Jaune asked within his mind, _"This place is so alive!"_

" **Yeah… great."** the parasite sighed, **"I am literally** ** _wracked_** **with paroxysms of cheer."**

" _Me too,"_ Jaune grinned, _"This is amazing!"_

" **Ugh… forget it."**

Vale was incredible, but also a little daunting. Faced now with the reality of it, he wasn't actually sure what he was supposed to do. It felt like he was a Beowolf just discovering that he was in the middle of a village, now faced with the impossible choice of where to start his spree. He'd read about cinemas before, big buildings where they showed movies to an audience. Uncle Watts had brought home a movie for him to watch on his scroll once, a documentary on the great political leaders of Atlas or something. It had been pretty boring but the idea that more could exist, some with stories like his books, was pretty cool.

And speaking of books – he could check out a book store, or even a library! The one back home had contained a few fairy tales and stories, but it was old-fashioned and mostly stocked with books on topics like history, strategy, warfare and other things. Not to mention a few forbidden tomes, or so big sis had told him with a hungry gleam in her eyes. She always asked him to look for some but he'd never managed to find any. Then again, if they were forbidden then surely his mom had hidden them.

Oh – oh, but what about meeting new people too? Maybe he could go and talk to some of the people on the street and get to know them. Maybe… no, well… was it possible?

He might even be able to make a friend too!

" **Jaune,"** Remy sighed, wriggling around beneath his skin, **"Why don't you keep your eyes on the goal, hm? Didn't you want to become a huntsman?"**

 _Right!_ He nodded and steeled himself as best he could. Excitement could wait. He'd be in Vale for all of four years or so if this worked. The main thing was to focus on what was important; getting accepted into Beacon Academy. With that in mind… well, the first thing was to probably try and _find_ the academy. The news clipping he'd seen it from hadn't been too specific on that part, seeming to act like everyone just knew where it was. _How ridiculous. How would anyone know where a place is if they didn't have directions?_

"Excuse me," Jaune called to a random person passing by. The woman ignored him entirely. Perhaps she hadn't heard him. "Hello there," Jaune tried again - and this time he held his hand up as well. The man he asked had strange animal ears on his head. "Could you hel-" Despite the ears, it didn't seem like he'd heard him either.

Wow… did all the noise from the city make them go deaf?

He'd have to find help elsewhere it seemed. All he needed to do was have a little confidence; that was what his dad always said. Checking to make sure Crocea Mors was still secured at his hip, Jaune tacked onto the end of one of the crowds, following them for no other reason than to have somewhere to go. The roads started to slim as cars gave way to wider areas for people to walk on, with brightly coloured buildings on either side. Crowds milled outside those windows, staring in as they carried bright, plastic bags. _This must be shopping,_ Jaune thought as he watched a small child look at something their parent had bought. He fingered the lien in his own pocket, currency his mom had given him for good behaviour. Where he was supposed to spend it he had no idea, but occasionally he could ask his dad to pick something up, and once or twice Watts or Hazel had done the same too, buying books on his behalf.

He'd also made the mistake of asking Uncle Tyrian once as well, but when the man had come back without a book and tried to give Jaune a dead bird instead? Yeah… he didn't bother asking him anymore.

" _Who should I ask for directions?"_

" **Why not just walk up to someone eating?"** Remy scoffed, **"At least that way they can't ignore you."** Jaune nodded, seeing the logic behind it as he made his way towards a group of tables arranged outside a windowed building that smelled of food. **"I wasn't being serious!"** Remy howled.

Why not? It sounded like a good idea.

"Hi there," Jaune waved at a rather pretty girl sat with a spoonful of dessert balanced before her lips. She had blonde hair and purple eyes, almost reminding him of some of his sisters. He pulled out the seat opposite her and sat down.

"Hi?" the girl responded, looking around and behind her for some reason. "You're talking to me?"

"Yep. The name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls of the tongue – the ladies love it."

"Oh, _do_ _they_?" she laughed and leaned back a little, licking some chocolate off the spoon.

"Well, that's what my mom always says," he said. There weren't many other women to get the opinion of, not unless he dared to ask his big sis. His actual sisters didn't count, of course. They would say whatever they thought would make him feel better. Well, unless they were in the mood to tease him... it was about 50-50 really.

"Aww," the girl cooed, "You're a mommy's boy?"

Jaune blinked, "I guess?" He _was_ his mother's boy, as in her son. Did she mean if he belonged to her? Well, yeah, sort of – but most people belonged to his mother if her claims were to be believed. "Aren't you going to introduce yourself?" he asked.

"Since you asked so nicely," the girl laid her spoon down on the plate and grinned widely. "The name's Yang Xiao-Long. Long and unwieldy, but I don't need a name to make all the boys fall for me."

"I can see why," Jaune nodded, "You're very pretty."

The girl's mouth fell open for a second, before she caught herself and burst out laughing. Had he done something wrong? He was just being honest and speaking his mind, and big sis Cinder always did react well when he lavished her with compliments. Those were the only times he could actually get her to do something nice like read him a story or play a game with him.

"You're pretty blunt, aren't you?"

"Am I?" he asked, "I thought I was just being honest."

"Geez, you're going to make me blush, lover boy. Is that why you came to talk to me? Can't say I've ever met a guy as forward as you."

Oh, right! "Actually, no," he said, making the girl blink, "I was hoping you would be able to give me some directions."

"Directions?" She sounded surprised, though he couldn't understand why. Didn't people normally ask each other for directions? Crap, was he messing up again? _Whatever you do, do it with confidence!_

"I'm looking for Beacon," he handed over his news clipping in case she hadn't heard of the place. "I want to enrol there as a huntsman. Do you know where it is?"

"I know where it is," Yang said, "But I think you're a little late to sign up… the initiation ceremony starts, like, tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Great, I'll enrol today then. Can you tell me where?"

"You... don't get what I'm saying, do you?" Jaune blinked and looked at her. The blonde sighed. "Never mind, if you want to sign up then you need to send your transcripts there, along with a reference from your previous combat school. The headmaster then decides whether he wants to accept your or not and sends a letter back by post."

Yang looked at him as she said that, tilting her head as though waiting for him to catch on to something. _"What's post?"_

" **Some kind of wooden stick, I think."**

"Okay Yang," he said, "Thanks for your help. Do you know where I can send some posts from?"

"Yeah… tell you what; I'll give you their scroll address. At least that'll be instant for you. You got your scroll on hand?" Ah, sending a message by scroll. That he could do! Jaune passed his across the table to her. "Whoah," she gasped, "This is like... this is a _really_ advanced model. I didn't even think this was going to be released for a couple of months!"

"It is? My Uncle got it for me a while back." Uncle Watts that was, and he'd proudly talked about how he'd used his connections to get the newest and best model for Jaune's birthday. At the time the man had seemed to be waiting for a response, though Jaune hadn't been sure what. He'd thanked his Uncle and accepted it though. It was a good scroll.

"It's amazing," she said, tapping on it. "It's not even on the market yet. Ah, here you go, I've added the school's address. Just attach your stuff to it, write a message and if you're lucky they might get back to you."

From the tone of her voice she didn't seem to think that was very likely. The heavy sensation in his gut echoed that sentiment, despite the smile he struggled to keep on his face. Transcripts, a past combat school, references!? Did a reference from Salem Arc, Queen of the Grimm, count? Somehow he had the suspicion it wouldn't. "Thanks a lot Yang," he said and stood up, "You're a really nice person."

Her cheeks actually went a little red at that. The girl coughed and glanced away – though she might have muttered something about him being strange. Uh-oh, maybe it was time to relocate before he blew his cover. Luckily she didn't follow after him.

" **Can we go home now?"** Remy asked, **"No transcripts means no Beacon. That's the end of it, right?"**

"Not necessarily," Jaune said out loud. Remy seemed to be waiting for him to expand on that but he kept quiet. It wasn't because he wanted it to be a surprise, however. It was because he had no idea whatsoever. _Dad never said anything about this, though I guess I never asked him how he got started. What am I going to do? I've never been to a combat school before!_

He could fight… Uncle Hazel had made sure of that; would that be enough for Beacon? Maybe there was some kind of test, something he could do in order to prove his worth. There had to be _something_ he could do!

Maybe a walk around Vale would give him some inspiration? Help clear his mind.

/-/

By the time night rolled around, Vale had lost much of its splendour in his eyes. The streets were still packed and lively, but the people were so rude! Some had knocked him around as he tried to slowly walk down the streets; others had insulted him and shouted for him to move faster. He didn't know where he was going though, so how could he get there faster?

" **If these idiots knew who you truly were, they wouldn't dare be so rude."**

" _They don't know, Remy,"_ Jaune sighed, _"Besides, they can't know, remember? I can't exactly become a huntsman if everyone knows who my mother is."_

That didn't really excuse them. Remy was right, the people here were very rude, but at least it wasn't personal. The people in his books had been a lot nicer, but maybe that was because they'd been talking to the hero of the story. He might be able to rely on that if he got into Beacon and became a super-cool huntsman.

" **You still have no idea how to get around your transcripts, do you?"**

" _Actually,"_ Jaune thought, _"I've got a great idea."_

" **Oh dear… I'd say I daren't ask, but since my life is intrinsically tied to yours, I'm sort of forced to."**

" _My not having transcripts is a problem, sure, but you have to remember that in all the stories, the hero doesn't always have everything available at the start either."_

" **Need I remind you of the differences between real life and fiction?"**

" _Stories can be based on real life too. What I'm saying is that sometimes you can go through the normal channels, but what if I got myself `invited` into Beacon some other way?"_

" **Invited, how?"**

" _Beacon is a school for huntsman and heroes,"_ he said, smiling widely, _"If I show them all that I have what it takes, they've got to take me in. Instead of applying the normal way I'll win my place with a feat of strength!"_

The thought had struck in a moment of inspiration as he thought back on how the hero of one of his stories had fared when faced with a Princess that didn't realise he was a true knight. He'd had to go slay a dragon to prove it beyond a doubt. It would be the same here, except he wasn't going to go and hurt Kevin like that.

" **Against all odds that isn't a terrible idea,"** Remy sounded amazed. **"It should be pretty safe too if you go and slay a bunch of Grimm. Do it on the school's borders and they're bound to notice and want you in Beacon."**

"Whoah," Jaune said out loud, startling some passers-by before he realised. _"I'm not going to start killing Grimm!"_ Jaune hissed inside his head, _"Why would I do that!?"_

"… **You're kidding me…"** Remy sighed. **"Jaune, you** ** _do_** **realise that most of the Grimm outside your mother's lands are absolutely mindless. They don't feel pain or even really** ** _think_** **. Also, what do you think a huntsman does?"**

" _A huntsman stops the Grimm,"_ he thought, _"That doesn't necessarily mean I need to kill them – and it doesn't now either. Huntsman fight against more than just Grimm, remember. Dad always says some of the evillest people in the world look sweet and kind on the surface."_

" **He was probably referring to your** ** _mother_** **!"**

" _Details,"_ Jaune rolled his eyes, _"Anyway, all we need to do is stop some terrible criminal or baddie – that way I won't have to kill Grimm and I can prove my worth to everyone."_

" **And what?"** Remy scoffed, **"You think a `bad guy` is just going to come flying out into the street?"**

A nearby window smashed as a figure was sent careening through it to slump at Jaune's feet. The man groaned and looked up at him for a moment, before he collapsed with a grunt and lay still.

" **That doesn't count."**

It totally did.

"Time to be the hero." Jaune grinned and reached for his sword, only to pause. Sure, he could run in, sword-drawn and ready for heroism… but his swordplay wasn't the best. In fact, when it came to using Crocea Mors, he was pretty much garbage. His father had given it to him as a gift and tried to train him in it… Hazel had tried too, but the forms just didn't come easily. He needed to make an _impression_ here… one that would get him invited into Beacon. There was no way he was going to manage that if he made a fool of himself. He ducked into a nearby alleyway and closed his eyes.

The change came swiftly. Blood seemed to drain from his face as his skin turned snow white. The blonde in his hair slipped back, as though being washed away as his locks changed to the colour of freshly fallen snow. With a noticeable twinge, the veins on his face darkened and turned almost black. His eyes snapped open to reveal crimson orbs surrounded by a sclera of darkest black.

"Perfect," Jaune whispered, his voice a little deeper as he clenched and unclenched one fist. The transformation made him stronger and faster, hopefully enough so to make up for his lack of skill. And if all else went wrong… well, there were other benefits.

The streets had emptied by the time he came out, people no doubt running away from the danger. His mother would have told him to do the same if she were here, but right now he had to prove himself, to prove that he was someone worthy of becoming a huntsman. He stepped over the downed body on the floor as shadows coalesced around his body. It was a dust shop from what he could see; there were rows and rows of the substance on the shelves. The bell over the door jingled as he entered, not that anyone inside heard him.

Another man crashed into a pillar to his left, sliding down it with a groan. Others were laid out in similar situations, some clutching their heads or other injuries, groaning and moaning. In the middle of them all stood two people, a tall man in a white jacket, and opposite him – a short girl in red, wielding a huge scythe.

Jaune realised what was happening in an instant. Men unconscious and hurt across the floor, a tall man in a similar suit – albeit opposite colours – backing away in worry. A girl with a scythe pointed towards him. She smiled as she stood among the downed men?

It was a robbery.

Which meant it was time for Jaune Salem Arc to become the hero. "Stop!" he shouted, stepping forward with one hand raised. The two figures turned to look at him, eyes widening as they saw his pale face.

"Not more of you," the man with the orange hair groaned. "Where do they all keep coming from?" He coughed and turned so that he had an arm facing each of them, "What's say we resolve this without violence, eh? We can talk like adults."

"No need," Jaune said, "For daring to commit a crime and place the people of Vale at risk, I will bring you in, villain."

"Tch."

"Yeah!"

Jaune's eyes narrowed as he stepped forwards to face his foe.

"Wait, _her_!?"

"Eh!?" the girl blinked.

The poor man sounded amazed. No doubt he'd expected everyone to leave him in the hands of this villainess and save their own skins. She, meanwhile, looked behind her as though to check he wasn't addressing someone else. Was she trying to confuse him? How ridiculous... she had come into this store and attacked these businessmen, who no doubt were here on some important task. To draw a weapon on an unarmed man too, one that had to use a walking stick to get around?

That was unforgivable.

Jaune pointed one hand towards her. "Don't think you can hide your crime, you villainous fiend."

"Her crim-? I mean yeah, boo - get that evil fiend!"

"What? I'm not a villain!" The violent girl twirled her weapon around and pointed it straight at him. Didn't she get the memo? All the evil people wielded scythes… it was like _the_ weapon of a baddie. "If you're with him then I'll stop both of you."

"You can try," Jaune crossed his arms, smiling down on her. _Oh yeah, I bet that sounded so cool._ All the good huntsmen and heroes needed some kickass catchphrase. That could be hi- "Whoah!" Jaune dodged back as the girl's weapon slammed into the floor. "Attacking while I was distracted," he growled, "How devious."

"N-No it's not," she looked horrified as she stared at him, "I'm not devious! You're working with Roman Torchwick; that makes _you_ evil!"

Jaune's pale brow furrowed as he tried to understand what she meant. She had come in here and attacked a bunch of shoppers. She'd even launched some out of the window, which had to be pretty dangerous. What if they'd been badly hurt?

"Don't listen to her," the well-dressed man called from behind, "She's trying to trick you!"

Tch, as though he'd fall for something like that. Okay, maybe he'd already fallen for her first trick since she attacked after she distracted him but this- ah… she was doing it again! "Nice try," he smirked and ignored the girl's confused expression, "I'm not going to fall for it."

"Fall for what!? I didn't _do_ anything!"

"Exactly," Jaune nodded. She hadn't done anything because he'd seen through her plan.

Silver eyes blinked owlishly, and there was something about those which made him feel uncomfortable, but they were soon hidden as she scrunched up her face, shook her head and readied her weapon. "Ugh... I don't really know what's going on, so I'm just going to stop you now, kay?"

"Careful," Jaune's new ally warned and readied his cane, "She's pretty damn fast."

Resolve surged within him as he nodded and waved for the man to step back. There was no way this guy could be the criminal here, not when he was prepared to stand up against this girl to protect his friends, even if he was disabled in some way and needed a walking stick. "Stay back," Jaune said, "Allow me to handle this. Do you have some method of escape?"

"I've called a Bullhead. It'll be here in five minutes if you can hold her off."

Jaune hummed but nodded. It sounded pretty inefficient to him, especially since from what he'd read, cows were pretty sedate creatures. Maybe bulls were faster, and hey, he was the tourist here. If the people of Vale wanted to ride around on the back of cattle, who was he to stop them? "I understand," Jaune lied, "Leave this to me."

The girl before them had clearly had enough of their conversation and lunged forwards at speeds he could barely keep track off. Red blurred with silver eyes and a weapon that swished through the air towards his neck.

Intense heat pooled in his hand as the air around him began to smell of ozone. Sweat beaded on his brow but he focused on the task ahead and slashed his arm before him. The tendrils of fire that had sprung to life there blazed towards the girl. _Heh, I'd better thank big sis for getting bored and teaching me that._

The girl gasped and dodged back, twisting and twirling through the air as the flames chased her. She slashed at one, only for the fire to coil like a snake towards her. It wasn't until she retreated behind the injured men that the flames stopped. Not a single one of them was harmed. Her eyes narrowed as she fell into a crouch and pulled back on a lever.

Pain blossomed across Jaune's shoulder as startled cry tore itself from his throat. He staggered back and clutched at his chest, but his thick aura had prevented any damage. "It will take more than that to strike me low, scum." Jaune shouted. He hoped some people outside had heard, since at the end of the day this was only going to work if Beacon heard of his heroism. Maybe the theatrics were a _bit_ much, but he only had the one shot. "You've brought another enemy here? Face me, coward."

"Actually, the brat's weapon is a sniper rifle," his orange-haired friend whispered. "There isn't anyone else."

"I knew that…"

The man didn't look fully convinced but clearly decided not to argue. "Whatever, you must have some serious aura to take that without feeling winded. Not to mention the flames… those look oddly familiar."

Jaune cracked his neck but didn't answer. His aura was incredible, a testament to his parents. Nicholas was a prime huntsman, as powerful as they came – and his mother? Yeah… let's just say there were some good genetics there.

"We have to get to the rooftops," the man beside him whispered.

"Why?" Jaune almost pouted, "I can take her."

The girl was tough for sure, but eventually he'd be able to wear her down. He had been trained by Hazel himself, not to mention his mother, big sis and the others on occasion. It would be a cold day in the Grimmlands before some little girl could beat him at full power.

"Something like this is bound to draw reinforcements for her."

"What about the police?"

"Them?" the man scoffed, "They're usele- I mean, if the police arrive then she'll just hurt them too, y'know? Do you want to see innocent men torn from their families because they tried to tangle with her?"

Frustration bubbled beneath the surface but Jaune nodded. This guy knew more than he did around here and surely someone this strong would be well known. _Not everyone's going to be as strong as me. I can take her, but can normal people?_ "Okay," Jaune sighed, "You're right." He held an arm out and started to back away, herding the unarmed businessman behind him as he went.

"I won't let you escape!" The reaper in red cried. In some ridiculously complex manoeuvre she turned and fired her weapon backwards, using the force of it to launch herself towards them. With how fast she was there would be no escape if they tried to run. She could run them down forever.

He couldn't afford to waste time like that. Red eyes glowed as he slashed an arm across his body and summoned a tentacle of pure, black power. It lashed forward to catch the girl by her ankle and hoist her upwards as she cried out in shock. Out of politeness he averted his eyes as her skirt fell down, before – a little less politely – he tossed her back into a shelving unit.

"What the hell was that!?" the man gasped, but Jaune simply shook his head, pushing him out the door. _That_ was something he didn't really want or care to explain.

"Semblance," he said, as best an explanation as he could give. It was and it wasn't, though the actual explanation would be too difficult to explain. Most of it boiled down to his genetics, who he was and the fact that he had Remy inside of him. Summoning tentacles made of Grimm material wasn't exactly a _normal person_ kind of thing, however, so the less people knew, the better.

"Right, fine," the man shook his head, gripping onto his bowler hat. "Clearly I've entered the crazy zone but beggars can't be choosers. We'll need to get up onto a rooftop. Come on, there's a ladder over there."

Jaune nodded and rushed after the man, climbing up behind him. He heard the girl shout after them by the time they'd reached the top, red cloak billowing as she came crashing out of the store front. Damn but she was persistent. He guessed the super villains always were, that was how they became super, after all.

"Looks like our ride is here!" The man reached down to help Jaune up and the two rushed off towards a strange vehicle that was definitely more machine than bovine. Travel by Nevermore had already been rougher than he'd ever imagined. How bad would this great, metal monstrosity be? With the girl shooting her way up the stairs, he didn't have the time to waste.

"I'm in," Jaune said as he clambered inside and nodded a friendly greeting to the man's allies. They watched him warily but he ignored it. They were probably just in awe of how heroic he looked with his red eyes and veined face.

"Stop!" the girl screamed, firing a couple of shots. They pinged off the metal around them, making the guy duck.

"Damn brat," his friend yelled, "If that's how you want to play it then try this on for size." Jaune watched as he pulled his cane back, loading something into it. So it _was_ a weapon. Either way, self-defence was useful. The man clicked it shut, taking aim with a wide grin. The impact flew towards the girl, her face twisting in panic at the last second, before a huge explosion engulfed the rooftop. "How about that?"

The metal Nevermore lurched.

"Is that normal?" Jaune asked, already feeling his stomach coming up. It shook again to the side, seeming to descend against its will. "I'm not an expert but this feels very non-normal."

"Damn it," the suited man cursed, looking back towards the rooftop. "And here comes _her_ cavalry."

Atop the rooftop a blonde woman with glasses stood before their enemy. A strange, eldritch sigil floated in the air before her, fire and dust from the earlier attack sliding down it. She pulled her hand back and the Nevermore seemed to shift towards her.

"Where's the boss lady? We could really use her here!"

"She isn't coming," another man called back, "She called to say there'd been some kind of emergency on her end and she had to sort it out. She wouldn't say more!"

"Damn it," the orange-haired man cursed and turned to Jaune, "Hey, kid, I don't who you are or what you can do, but if you can't pull a miracle out of your ass then we're toast!"

A miracle? A heavy weight settled deep within his stomach as he stared leadenly out at the two criminals. The dust on his clothing was spent, so big sis' fire was out of the question. His tentacles could reach maybe six or seven feet at best and the sword on his hip was decorative. Still, there was one option… as much as he hated the thought of it. "There's something I can do," Jaune sighed. "You have to promise not to tell anyone, though."

"If you can fix this I'll do anything. Just get it done!"

Jaune nodded and stepped forward, into the sight of the enemies below. He glared at them for a moment, before he slowly brought his hand up to his mouth and bit down. Sharp teeth cut through the flesh with ease, aura giving way beneath his intent to cause damage. Blood pooled in his palm and turned a thick, black as the powers granted to him by his mother's line tool hold. _"Distraction only,"_ he whispered inside his mind.

" **Got it,"** Remy sent back. **"This is risky, though… everything else can be explained away. You sure this is worth it?"**

He didn't answer with words but instead stared down into the blonde woman's eyes. The girl behind her seemed slack jawed as she stared up at them. "Let us go in peace," he called. He saw those emerald eyes widen as she finally took in the heroic sight of him. "If you do not," he warned, "Then I'll be forced to make you."

"Who... _what_ are you?"

There was no answer he could give to that. With a sigh he drew his hand back over one shoulder, only to swing it back a second later. Blood flew from his palm to splatter on the concrete rooftop between the two groups. It hissed against the stone.

"Not for nothing kid," his friend sighed, "But I'm not sure wh- holy crap!" The man's gasp was well-warranted as the blood began to bubble and grow. Like tar it reared up of its own power to take the shape of three small Beowolves. They lifted their heads and howled into the night's sky. Did the poor man think him a monster, now? Jaune hoped not… He would prove to them that he could be a hero.

"These should be enough to keep you busy," he called down to the startled women. He felt a small twinge of sympathy… they were evil, but he wasn't. He sighed and scratched his cheek… it was a bit soft of him, not to mention it ruined the heroic image a bit, but he didn't like to see two girls look afraid. "Worry not," he called out in what he hoped wasn't _too_ comforting of a voice, "Accept your fate and they shall be merciful."

"You won't get away with this," the blonde snarled, though she proved herself wrong a second later when she let go of the vehicle and turned to face the Grimm. "Someone with the power to create Grimm is an enemy of all mankind," she stared directly into his eyes, "We will hunt you down, monster. There will be nowhere you can hide from us!"

Hmph... as though someone like her could break into a place as famous as Beacon.

"She's let go," the man hissed to his companion, "Get us out of here!"

The door slammed shut as the metal Nevermore lurched to the side and caused Jaune's stomach to do the same. Buildings and towers passed them by with incredible speed. **"The Grimm died,"** Remy said. The little Grimm sounded exhausted. **"Neither of the women were hurt."**

" _Thank you, Remy."_ Jaune stroked his arm where the parasite was burrowed. _"Get some sleep. You've earned it."_

"Who the hell are you?" The white-suited man regarded him with some wary fear, as Jaune had known he would.

"My name is Jaune Salem Arc," he said, releasing his powers and letting his skin turn back to a normal colour and his hair to blond. He smiled at the man, as best he could. He thought about adding the short and sweet line, but the poor man looked pretty stressed. "You don't need to worry sir. I'm just an aspiring huntsman doing his bit to stop a crime taking place."

"Just a huntsman doing his bit," The man pulled forth a cigar and lit it as he shook his head. "I kinda hate to tell you this kid… but do you know who I am?"

"There wasn't a chance to ask. Not with that crazy girl attacking you."

"Crazy girl... Yeah, not to mention the huntress helping her. Anyway, the name's Roman Torchwick, not that I think that means anything to you."

He didn't recognise the name, but then again he wasn't native to Vale. And wait a minute…

"Did you say huntress?" Jaune asked, suddenly nervous.

"Oh boy..." Roman grinned, "You might want to sit down before I tell you this, kid."

* * *

 **Oh my, Jaune… well, to be fair what was he supposed to do? There's a girl swinging around a scythe and hurting all those well-dressed businessmen! Then she attacks a person walking with a cane? That's despicable!**

 **And oh, there were oh so many people wondering how I would manage his power. With his heritage, there's just no way he could be weak – and some feared I'd ignore that and have him be useless. On the other hand, if he's too strong then he could have been OP for Beacon. Well, hopefully this has answered some of that, lol.**

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 **Next Chapter: 22** **nd** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, a new chapter here and I hope you enjoy. A few people expressed concern for Remy, and mostly that he is the straight man to Jaune's idiot. That's not actually his place in the story, and he wasn't added because I "wanted" to add someone, but because I needed to. I was going to leave it at that, but added an excerpt at the bottom of this chapter if you want to know more. It's not necessary to read it and it tells you nothing that might be a spoiler, but explains his purpose for those who seemed confused. Many people liked him, more than those who disliked them, but I figured it couldn't hurt to explain just why.  
**

 **It's not a rant, just a meta explanation for him. So people can see `why` I felt he had to be included.**

 **P.s. Long chapter; usual will be 5k or so, I reckon...**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 3 – A New Flock**

* * *

"Thank you Cyril, and in recent news the unknown figure that attacked two huntresses in downtown Vale is considered on the loose and dangerous. Any citizens are warned not to approach but to contact the authorities immediately."

"Is that the guy you fought?" Yang asked.

Ruby hummed as she looked at the crooked picture on the screen. It wasn't an actual photo, since apparently the shopkeeper didn't have any CCTV. Instead, she and Miss Goodwitch had been asked to provide a description as best they could. It had been dark and she'd been in the middle of a fight, so she wasn't sure she'd gotten it down perfectly, but the image did have the white hair, red eyes and crazy veins - and that was pretty distinctive.

Enough so that the police officer taking down the details had looked at her like she was high on sugar and hallucinating. The scary huntress beside her had soon silenced their doubts, however. None of the terrifying things he'd done had been mentioned on the news report… she'd been asked to keep it to herself as well, just to avoid any panic among the population. As far as everyone was concerned, he was just a typical criminal, albeit a dangerous one.

Naturally she'd told her father, uncle and sister – but that didn't count, right?

"I wouldn't say fight," Ruby said. "I shot and attacked once or twice… but I never really got into danger and didn't even scratch him."

"I'm sure dad would disagree on the danger part," Yang growled at the screen, only for it to blink away and be replaced by an image of the scary-hunter-lady welcoming them to Beacon. "Still," her sister laughed, "You got to come to Beacon two years early, so I guess it paid off."

"Yeah, I guess."

"And now you're probably the youngest person to get into Beacon. My sister's so special, the bee's knees."

That was an unwelcome thought and sent butterflies straight to her stomach. "I'm not special," she quickly said, "and I don't want to be the bee's knees. I want to be a normal person with normal knees."

"Oh, it'll be fine," Yang wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gave her a hug. "Don't stress about it. You'll do fine… and stop worrying about that guy too. You didn't stop him, but look at how tough he was. Like dad said, it was a victory that you got out in one piece, and you saved that old man."

She wasn't so sure herself, but she smiled for her big sister anyway – and somehow doing that helped her to feel better too. Yang was right. What did it matter if she'd technically not managed to beat that guy? He could summon Grimm – which was absolutely terrifying – and sure, he'd called her a villain, which was kinda weird. But still, it wasn't like she had been expected to do any better. She'd saved the shopkeeper's life, and who could tell what cruel Grimm ritual that monster wanted him for? And Ozpin had even recognized her awesomeness and invited her to Beacon.

"Yeah, you're right," Ruby nodded, a little more certain this time. "I can't wait to get to lessons and show people what I'm made of!"

"And to make friends, right?"

"Erk…" Oh Gods, she'd been so excited about Beacon that she'd totally forgotten! She didn't have any friends here and the ones she'd relied on to be there at Beacon with her were not stuck back at Signal. "Eh… heh heh, well I was thinking that with you and me…"

Yang frowned at her stutters, but luckily she was cut off before the situation could get any worse. Lucky was, of course, a relative term – since a blond guy rushed past them and towards a window, which he opened – only to spew vomit from the flying vehicle. Yang winced and backed away, while everyone around him found some reason to be elsewhere.

Well… at least it distracted Yang from the whole `force Ruby to make friends` thing.

Still, was it just her, or did that guy look a little familiar?

/-/

"I hate those things," Jaune groaned as he continued to hurl chunks of food into a conveniently placed trash can. Each time he thought it was over and tried to stand, his stomach would retch once more and have him bent double. But hey, at least he knew what they were called now. They were Bullheads, and as far as he was concerned they were the most telling evidence of humanity's evil.

" **Can you stop that please?"**

"You have no idea how bad this is," he groaned aloud.

" **Actually, I live inside you.** _ **You**_ **have no idea how bad things are in here right now!"**

Jaune's response was to lean forward, close his eyes, and remove every last ounce of breakfast from within his body. Fortunately, it seemed to be all that was left to vomit, for he heaved a few more times but eventually managed to get his body under control. "Welcome to Beacon," he whispered blearily.

Honestly, he was lucky to even be here. The shock and horror he'd felt last night came back to him, followed by a wave of humiliated shame as he buried his face into his hands and smothered a scream. He'd only gone and fought against the good guys, helping a criminal to not only escape – but get away with some stolen goods too. And now, in some stupid way, he was complicit in that crime as well. Could things have actually gone any worse?

He was just lucky the Roman guy had been able to change Beacon's lists to include Jaune's name. In fact, he was lucky the guy had been willing to at all.

" **You realise he was getting rid of you, right? He just didn't want to deal with you any more than he had to."**

" _I know,"_ Jaune sighed and staggered to his feet. _"Still, it's better than nothing. We're here now… I just need to keep my cover and avoid drawing attention to myself. They're looking for a white-haired, red-eyed, Grimm-summoning person."_

It was a bit of a setback, since all the things he'd done had been his best and strongest abilities, but it wasn't like he had intended to use all of them anyway. Summoning Grimm while he attended an academy for huntsman seemed like a poor idea, and he was only a little naïve – not stupid. The loss of his transformation was bad news, however, since part of him thought he could have explained that away.

His hand fell to Crocea Mors at his hip, and his eyes traced down to it a second later. Well… this _was_ a school, right? It wasn't like he was _expected_ to be skilled at a place that taught you how to _be_ skilled, was it?

" **This is going to be a disaster,"** Remy groused.

Jaune couldn't bring himself to disagree.

And as if that wasn't bad enough, it looked like everyone had left him while he'd been sick on the floor. That seemed a little harsh… wasn't it common courtesy to go up and help someone if they were in trouble?

A rather large explosion sounded a short distance away, and after the din had receded, there seemed to be angry shouting too.

Well, at least he'd found where everyone had gone. With one final wipe to remove any traces of vomit from his chin, Jaune headed over towards where he'd heard the sound from. All he had to do was find the students he'd travelled with, and then follow them to wherever it was they were supposed to go. On the Bullhead, there had been a few people he'd overheard taking about an initiation of some kind. He wasn't sure what to think of that.

The trees gave way to grassy gardens and white, marble pathways. There wasn't a large group of people like he'd expected, but rather three other girls. One had black hair and a bow on her head. She looked pretty, but also unapproachable as she said something and walked away. The other caught his eye immediately, and an embarrassed flush made its way onto his cheeks. She was very pretty… she had white hair, almost as beautiful as his mother's – but her eyes were much paler and blue.

Fear took hold of him, however, when he saw the last one, who lay flat on the floor. He flinched back before he could stop himself. His hands pressed against bark as he hid behind a tree.

" **Oh dear…"** Remy sighed. **"This doesn't look good."**

That was one way of putting it! Jaune didn't dare move as he pushed his face against the cold bark and stared out at her. The same girl he'd fought against the other day, who he'd declared a villain and tried to stop. It was bad enough that he'd been wrong, worse that he'd tried to actually hurt an innocent girl… but that she was also _here_ as well!?

What were the odds of that? Seriously, she looked too young to even attend somewhere like Beacon. Hadn't the newspaper said this was for seventeen year-olds? It would be best if he avoided her, and he stepped back and made to do just that.

The girl sighed and slumped onto her back. "What a way to start my first day at Beacon…" she mumbled. She sounded sad…

Jaune's fingers crinkled against the bark as he watched her. She looked upset and lonely, like she didn't belong. Her clothing continued that image, the tattered red cloak against white stone made her look out of place and alone.

" **Jaune, what are you doing?"** Remy asked worriedly, **"We should leave. What if she recognises you? What if she gets you into trouble?"**

" _Don't you think she looks lonely?"_

" **Lone-? No… oh no. Jaune, no… No, no, no, no, no! You can't do this, please. Whatever your bleeding heart feels,** _ **kill**_ **it! Please, for the love of Salem, ignore it!"**

She wasn't his enemy. He already felt terrible for having fought her. And hey, maybe this would be a chance to fix that. The mistake he had made was big, but it hadn't killed or injured anyone, so surely there was still a chance for him to make things better. He ignored Remy's frustrated howl and pushed his way out from the trees and slowly over to the girl.

Up close, she looked much smaller than he remembered. That gave him the courage he needed to stand beside her and extend a hand. "Hi there," he smiled, "You look like you could use some help."

The girl blinked and looked towards him.

Jaune's muscles locked into stone as he met those silver eyes. _Flee, run, get away!_ Something visceral burned deep inside him as he felt an overpowering urge to either run or kill her instantly. Sweat beaded on his brow but he forced it away and kept his hand out. Inside him, Remy squirmed in agitation.

The girl laughed awkwardly and reached out to him. "Heh… um, yes please…" She patted her skirt down once she was back on her feet, but kept her eyes on the floor. She was so small and slight, with an outfit of purest crimson. "So uh… can we ignore the part where you found me lying on the floor like that?"

"Sure." Maybe they could also forget the part where he picked her up using a tentacle and threw her into a shelving unit. Then again, since she hadn't run away or attacked him, it looked like she didn't recognise him after all. _Thank everything for that… I guess the physical differences are enough to throw suspicion off. I'll just need to act totally normal – and not use my heroic voice or poses._

It was a shame, since if he didn't act like a hero, how would anyone realise he was one? Still, he had to act _perfectly normal_.

"So…" the girl fidgeted slightly, "My name's Ruby, Ruby Rose."

"Jaune Arc," he shook her hand but flinched when her silver eyes met his. "Um… your eyes… are those normal?"

Ruby frowned as she let go of his hands and touched her own face. "They're normal," she whispered. "I've always had eyes like this. My mom did too." If anything, she looked a little defensive. "Is… is there something wrong with that?"

" **Yes!"**

"O-Of course not," he lied, "I just thought they… looked..." his words broke off as he looked into them. His mother had always warned him about people with eyes like that, but this girl didn't look deadly or dangerous. At least, she didn't look like she wanted to be either of those things to him. In fact, with how they were blinking - and how her face was steadily turning red as he stared at her, he dared say they looked "- pretty."

Ruby pulled her hood up over her head and looked away from him, but there was a small, almost shy, smile on her crimson face now. "So… uh…" she coughed awkwardly and fidgeted with her fingers, "Do you always walk up to random people lying on the floor to make friends?"

Jaune's eyes widened as he wondered what he was supposed to say. "No, of course not." He didn't normally do _anything_ to random people, since there were no random people in the Grimmlands. "But, you know," he said, "It's just… my mother always says that strangers are just friends you haven't met yet."

"Really?"

He coughed and nodded, even as he felt a little guilty for the fib. His mom _did_ say that, but it wasn't the full saying. `Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet or people you need to quickly capture and put in the torture chambers until you know them better` was the full quote. It also included an addendum about throwing them to the Beowolves afterwards, but he was fairly sure Ruby wouldn't have appreciated that.

"Wow, she must be really friendly," Ruby said.

"Yeah… well, she uh… definitely likes to meet new people." He _really_ had to change the subject before he said something wrong. "So, how about you?" he asked, "You look young. Are you really seventeen?"

She looked as young as his littlest sister.

"I'm fifteen," Ruby said, "I got into a fight with a dangerous criminal and the headmaster invited me to Beacon early."

Erk – talk about a poor choice of conversation. Jaune's arms locked up as he laughed and tried to keep his legs from shaking. "Oh wow," he said, "That's really amazing. You must be pretty strong."

"Ah, no… I'm not special in any way. I'm just a normal person."

"How convenient," he latched onto her words, "Me too. I'm a totally normal person as well."

"Y-Yeah," Ruby looked away and laughed. "Neither of us are the bee's knees."

 _Bee's what?_ Whatever, he didn't have the time to think on it. "No bee's knees here," he nodded, "Only the most normal of them. Say, you don't happen to know where we're supposed to be headed, do you?"

Ruby looked at him with wide, silver eyes.

"But I was following you…"

/-/

Eventually, the two of them managed to find their way to the main auditorium, though it was more by process of elimination than anything else. Along the way they'd talked about their weapons – his was perfectly normal, which he'd made sure to repeat a few times, just in case she started to think otherwise. Hers… well, he was already acquainted with it, but it was still impressive. It looked like they'd come in at the tail end of the headmaster's speech. Was that a bad thing? Would they be in trouble? Jaune wasn't sure, but since no one was telling them off, he figured it was okay.

"Hey, Ruby!" someone yelled out. The girl beside him turned to look around, and quickly spotted a blonde girl waving.

"Yang!" Ruby shouted, half-pleased and half-upset. She turned to Jaune with a wry smile. "That's my sister," she said, "She pretty much abandoned me earlier but I'd better go see what she wants. I'll see you later, okay?"

" **Please no."**

"I'd love to." Remy groaned but said nothing as the girl's face turned red and she ran away into the crowd. _"She wasn't so bad,"_ Jaune whispered to his faithful companion.

" **You're joking, right? Jaune, she's one of those silver-eyed warriors your mom warned you about. Don't you remember her stories?"**

" _Of course I do. She doesn't seem as cruel as those people, though. She looked lonely… kind of like me."_

" **Oh for the love of… Jaune, please, you can't befriend every little thing you see."**

 _"Why not?"_

 **"B-Because you're meant to become a huntsman, remember? What if she recognised you?"**

" _Then wouldn't it have been better to find out straight away? Now I know she hasn't, so we're pretty much safe."_

Remy couldn't argue with that, not that the fact stopped him grumbling. Ruby still made him feel a little awkward, not least of all because of the fact he felt guilty for attacking her – but also because those eyes really _did_ frighten him. It wasn't just because of his mother's warnings, however. There was a part of him, deep inside, which instinctively wanted to back away.

But she'd been so _nice_! More than that, she was the first person he'd really spoken to – as in a proper conversation. That pretty blonde girl had been for directions and Roman was a bad person he'd accidentally helped. Ruby was the first _real_ stranger he'd met and talked with, which meant by his mother's own logic, she was his first friend.

And taking that logic a little further, didn't that make her his _best_ friend? It sort of had to. Well, apart from Mannie and Remy, of course – but they were different.

A commotion on one side of the room revealed various students filing into some side rooms. Those that left did so in their sleepwear, and he noticed that the ones waiting carried small bags with them. Judging by the various sleeping bags being arranged across the floor, they were supposed to spend the night there.

That was pretty cool. Jaune grinned in excitement as he lifted up his own bag and headed to join the back of the queue. He avoided the women's side, since from a mistake he'd made when he was younger, he knew better than to walk in on a girl getting changed. Big sis Cinder had demanded _months_ of attentive service, massage and praise before she forgave him. Though come to think of it, that was probably because of how excited his mother had gotten when she found out, and for the resultant mood when Jaune explained that yes, it was an accident and no, there weren't any grandbabies on the way.

Salem was not a person used to being denied, and even less used to being unable, or unwilling, to crush or intimidate the person doing the denying. He could still remember her dazed expression, not to mention the way her mood flickered wildly over the next few days.

A few people mumbled and whispered between themselves as he stepped back out of the changing rooms. They didn't say anything to him, nor did they meet his eyes when he looked their way.

His brow furrowed as he looked down on himself. He was wearing his onesie, which wasn't anything unusual. What were they all acting so strange for?

"Jaune!" Ruby's voice cut across the crowd. She was stood beside the blonde girl, her sister, but this time she waved for him.

He waved back and wondered what she wanted.

"Uh… come over here!" Ruby called again. She looked a little flustered to be shouting out over the hall, but with nothing better to do, he shrugged and made his way over. "Hey," she whispered shyly when he was closer. "You looked a little… well… everyone was staring at you so I thought calling you over might help."

A strange, warm sensation settled in his stomach at those words, and it didn't feel like indigestion. He grinned and forced back that wary feeling at the sight of her eyes. It had already begun to fade, though the trepidation was still there. "Thanks Ruby," he said. "I'm not sure why everyone kept staring at me but you're right, it was starting to feel a little uncomfortable."

"That might have something to do with your pyjamas," Ruby's sister said.

Jaune blinked and looked down at himself. "It's my onesie," he said. "What's wrong with it? It's really comfortable."

Ruby fidgeted on the spot, "Um… it's… well…"

"I think it's the subject material," the blonde girl leaned on one leg and grinned. "Though personally, I think it looks pretty badass. Well… for a onesie."

The subject material? Jaune lifted his arm up and studied the black fabric. It was thick and warm, even if it was just made of cotton and some other synthetic fibre. He reached up to scratch the back of his head, only to pause when he felt the plastic there. Idly, he pushed the Beowolf head back. The hood slipped down his back. The huge, Grimm-like claws on the ends of his mittens were great at getting that itch. "I don't get it," he shrugged, "It's just my pyjamas.

"Some people get wound up easily," the blonde said, "Especially when you're basically in the most realistic Beowolf costume I've ever seen. Anyway, the name's Yang Xiao-Long. I'm Ruby's sister."

"I know," Jaune said. "We met before."

"We did?" She blinked twice as she looked him up and down, while Ruby whispered her sister's name in mortification. "Oh~" Yang grinned, "I remember now. You were the guy asking for directions to Beacon yesterday."

"Nice to see you again," he smiled. "Thanks for your help, by the way."

"Hey, no problem. Nice to see y-" She opened her mouth to say more, only for it to click shut as her eyes widened. "Wait a minute," she whispered, "Yesterday you didn't even know where Beacon was, let alone how to enroll. You mean to tell me you actually got in, even when you sent your application a day before initiation!?"

"Well…uh… yeah." he shrugged.

She studied him carefully, suddenly serious. "Damn," she whispered, "You must be a lot tougher than you look if you managed that. Are you some kind of prodigy huntsman who lives out in the wilds?"

That wasn't quite as incorrect a statement as she no doubt thought it was. Either way, there was no way he was going to be able to keep that kind of impression with his sword skills, so he made sure to shake his head and smile. "Nope… I'm just a normal guy."

"Who convinced the headmaster to take him in, even though the deadline for applications was months ago."

"That's me. Besides, didn't Ruby say she got in yesterday too?"

Yang looked to her younger sister, while Jaune smirked and congratulated himself on a brilliant ruse. There was no way she could get the wrong impression now, especially since he wasn't even the only one to get in on sudden notice.

"I guess you're like my little sis then," she grinned, "More normal knees?"

There was that strange saying again. Maybe it was some kind of Valean proverb? "I have normal knees," he confirmed and hoped that was the correct response. "I… uh… I like your knees?"

Honestly, his sisters normally like it when he complimented their hair, eyes or clothing – but to each their own. If the people of Vale liked to be complimented on their kneecaps, then he needed to try and fit in.

"Oh really?" she laughed and struck a pose that accentuated her figure, "I guess I can't blame you for looking, lover boy. Hey Rubes, did I tell you how he came up to me and started flirting with me while I was eating?"

Ruby eeped and pressed her hands to her cheeks at that titbit.

"I was just asking her for directions," Jaune said.

"But what was it you said?" Yang teased. "Oh yeah, you called me pretty and said it was little wonder all the guys were interested in me, right?"

"Well yeah," he said, "You are very beautiful."

The blonde's cheeks darkened for a second but she managed to keep her smile light and breezy. "Sheesh," she said, "You're going to cause some damage if you keep talking like that. Just so you know, though. I'm not going to be so forgiving if you try and take advantage of my little sister."

"Yang!"

"I wouldn't do that," he said.

"Oh?" Yang appeared behind her sister and pinched the smaller girl's cheeks between her fingers. Ruby squirmed and kicked angrily, but didn't seem to be in any pain. He'd have made a move to help her, but to be honest the move was reminiscent of what his sisters did to him – _all the time_. "Are you saying my little sister isn't just the cutest thing ever? _Doesn't she have pretty eyes?_ " The last bit was added in a teasing tone that made Ruby's cheeks flush crimson, but Jaune wasn't sure what she meant by it.

Cute? Jaune looked towards his first and best friend and hummed as he considered it. She had a small face, round and soft with wide eyes and rosy lips. Her face was quickly going red too, though whether that was from his stares or Yang's pinching, he didn't know. "She _is_ very cute," he said with a nod, however.

Ruby started to stammer.

"Oooooh," Yang leaned on her sister, arms over her shoulders and smiled at Jaune. "Cute, eh? See something you like?"

"Well, yeah, obviously."

Ruby's eyes were wide as she stared at him, open-mouthed.

Was she okay? He just said he saw something he liked. He liked Ruby, even if she had silver eyes. She seemed like a good kind of person.

"W-Well," Yang coughed, "Okay… that's… wow. I knew you were blunt, but okay. Just so you know, I'm going to be keeping an eye on you now. I mean, you've pretty much said you want to get to know my sister a little closer-"

"I do."

"Eh-eh-eh-eh-eh," Ruby tried to speak but seemed unable to.

"Whoah, whoah," Yang waved a hand between them, "Not so damn fast, buddy! Teasing is all well and good but I'm thinking I need to draw a line here before you try and sleep with my sister or something."

"That's a shame," Jaune sighed. "I really would have liked to sleep with Ruby."

The only sound he could hear was Ruby's frantic breathing, though he half-thought he could hear a few people nearby not breathing at all.

"I wouldn't have minded sleeping with you either," he idly said to Yang.

Her jaw fell open.

"After all, I've never been to a real sleepover before."

Ruby slumped to the ground as Yang let go of her, "Sleepover," the little girl mumbled, "Right, of course… he just meant a sleepover." She let out a long breath as her shoulders seemed to relax at last.

Her reaction to his words seemed odd, but not quite as odd as Yang's. The blonde girl looked at him for a moment, her face red and mouth open, before she snorted. That turned into a chuckle, which soon erupted into wild laughter as she held her stomach and bent over. All around, people looked towards the small group.

"Oh my _god_ ," she howled, "You had me. You actually had me - Yang Xiao-Long! That was amazing, sleepover, oh gods…" she staggered forward to wrap an arm around his shoulder. Her eyes peered into his as she grinned. " _You_ , I like," she said. "That was so good."

Jaune cheered internally and smiled back. She liked him. That was good! Normal people made normal friends, so if he did that then he'd be normal too. Besides, from what he'd seen so far, she was a pretty friendly person. "I like you too," he said back, just because it felt like the right thing to say.

"Still though, that wit… you're more dangerous than you look."

His earlier cheer turned to panic in an instant. Dangerous was bad, dangerous was something that might remind Ruby of what she'd seen in the dust shop. "I-I'm not dangerous," he said as he slipped out from under Yang's arm. "I'm just a normal guy. Oh – uh, wow, look at that wall! I'm going to go check it out. I'll see you both later, okay? Goodnight. Bye!"

The last thing he saw before he fled was Yang's confused expression as she turned to her sister. The smaller girl shrugged back, but by that time he was already stood face-to-face with a wall. There was a girl sat beside it, with black hair, a bow and a book. She regarded him with a wary and suspicious expression. Oh come on, _she_ thought he was acting weird too? He'd hadn't even said anything to her!

"Hey," he went with, just because it sounded innocuous enough.

She didn't look impressed. "Hey..."

"This is a really nice wall," he said conversationally. "I can see why you chose to sit by it."

She blinked golden eyes towards him. "Sure…" she said, in a soft voice. "It's… a very nice wall."

Oh gods, what was he talking about? He wanted to take that `nice wall` and bang his head against it until he fell unconscious and forget the night had ever happened. "Please ignore me," he sighed, "I'm just a normal person having a normal breakdown."

"O...kay..."

"The name's Jaune."

"Blake..." She regarded him over the top of her book, and despite his friendly introduction she still looked less than enamored with his presence. "That's an... interesting costume."

And apparently Yang had been right about his pyjamas. "It's just a onesie."

"It has claws."

"They're good for scratching itches." He proved the point by reaching behind him to scratch an itch on his back.

"..."

"It's a joke from my family," he lied, "Seriously, it's just a set of pyjamas and there's nothing unusual about them. I mean, I'm as normal as you. It's not like you've got some dark, dangerous secret or something that you're trying to hide just because you're hiding away from everyone over here, right?"

"R-Right." she said, and for some reason her eyes almost looked a little fearful. "A dangerous criminal? Of course not. I'm just a normal hu- I mean, a normal girl."

Dangerous criminal? He didn't remember saying that. And strange stutter too. Maybe that was why she was hiding over here? Oh well- he wouldn't judge.

"Exactly," he nodded instead. "Same here." She looked at him- a bit below his face- and he realized his mistake. "Well, not a girl, but normal. Normal knees at least. Like yours. Has anyone complimented your knees before?"

The silence that opened up between them felt awkward, especially as Blake looked away from him and down at her creamy, white, and smooth legs on full display, and when someone as socially incompetent as he could see that, then it was probably bad enough to grow tentacles and smother someone. He coughed, and the sound of it seemed to attract the eyes of other people.

"Um... no?" she eventually said, with golden eyes and an expression that reminded him a bit of Big Sis when he'd done something that completely baffled her, like give her a wreath made of flowers. Maybe that gave him the confidence to go on. Or at least remember what Ruby and Yang taught him about the people of Vale.

"Well, they should have. Very normal. Very nice. Good thing to rest over hear against this wall rather than stand against it all night. They might lose their charm if you did, you know? Goodnight, Blake."

"Good...night, I guess?"

 _Why did I mention the wall again!? Arghhh!_

Fitting in was hard.

And as he left, he could feel her golden eyes boring into his spine.

/-/

Pyrrha wasn't sure what she expected when she'd decided to come to Beacon, but there had certainly been a lot she'd hoped for. Against all odds, she had hoped to have a new start where people wouldn't recognise her name. Vale was distant enough from Mistral and the culture that she figured she might be able to make some normal friends; meet people who could see her for who she was and not what she represented.

"And I was thinking that the two of us might make a wonderful team," Weiss Schnee said. "With your skill and experience, not to mention my resources and talent, we could take Beacon by storm. What do you think?"

Whatever it was she'd desired, whatever new experience Pyrrha had been in search of, this _…_ this was not what she'd hoped for. A familiar, polite smile slipped across her features before she could stop it and the ingrained responses she'd been taught by her agent came to mind, "That sounds grand," she said.

The heiress smiled and began to laugh, somehow not having sensed the hesitation in her voice.

A sigh escaped Pyrrha as she looked for some escape, but it seemed like no one dared approach them. A few met her eyes, but they looked away and began to whisper to their friends. The stares and the pointing came back in force… it was nothing she wasn't used to.

She just hated it. The only saving grace was that they didn't yet know how teams were going to be formed. Whatever method Beacon used, she could make sure she didn't end up on Weiss Schnee's team. It wasn't anything personal. She just wanted to make a new friend, and that meant someone who wasn't as famous as she.

The white-haired girl made to say something else, only to fall over as someone bumped into her. The figure, tall and with blond hair, seemed to be counting out loud when he walked into the girl. "Oh, I'm sorry!" he gasped and held a hand out.

Weiss slapped it aside as she pushed herself up. "Mind where you're going, you moron!" she snapped and dusted her skirt down.

"I didn't mean to," the young man said.

Pyrrha took a second to inspect him. He had messy blond hair and blue eyes, and the way he mumbled and rubbed the back of his head suggested he wasn't a very confident person. Then again, that might have been because of the evil look on Weiss' face. Lesser people would have quailed beneath it.

"That doesn't excuse you," Weiss said, "You should watch where you're going and not cause trouble for your betters."

"My betters?" he blinked and looked at each of them. "My mom says no one is my better."

" _My mom says,"_ Weiss parroted. "Do you have any idea who I am!?"

"Now, Weiss," Pyrrha warned as she stepped forward to stop a fight breaking out, "I'm sure his mother meant that everyone is equal, and she would be right."

"I'm fairly sure that's not what she meant…" he mumbled.

"Either way," Pyrrha pushed on, "There's no need for anger here, is there? We're all going to be huntresses and huntsmen together, after all."

Weiss glared, and for a moment it looked like she might refute that claim, but eventually she sighed and let it go. "I suppose so," she said, "Well then, I suppose you will apologise for knocking me over…?"

"I'm sorry," he said, "My name's Jaune Arc and I was looking for my locker… I was sure I didn't put my stuff in one so far away from the main room. Um…" he fidgeted for a moment as he looked at Weiss. She, in turn, crossed her arms and glared back.

"Is there any reason you're staring at me like a buffoon?"

"I was just wondering…" his cheeks went red and he glanced away. Oh my, was he going to ask the heiress out on a date after just meeting her? "Are you called Weiss Arc, by any chance?"

Pyrrha almost fell over from the shock of such a question, but even then, her response was better than Weiss'.

The girl's pale eyes were wide, while her mouth had fallen open. "Excuse me?" she asked.

"It's just that your hair is really pretty and white, and my mom's hair looks the same… except she's a little paler than you and her eyes are different. But even so, I've never seen someone with hair so similar to what my family has."

"I-I am not Weiss Arc!" she snapped. "Now will I ever _be_! My name is Weiss Schnee." She waited for some response, but the blond teen only blinked and stared at her. "Of the Schnee Dust Corporation!"

"Oh."

Pyrrha watched as Weiss nodded proudly, but it was the following words that shattered that smug smile.

"So you're just a normal girl, then?"

"N-Normal," Weiss' eyes were wide and her hands held before her. It honestly looked like she'd suffered the most devastating blow. "I am not _normal_ ," she hissed, "I am Weiss Schnee - A Schnee is anything but ordinary!"

"A Schnee...?"

"You… have no idea what that is, do you? Surely you know of the SDC. What the Schnee Dust Corporation is!?"

He poked his chin with a single finger and smiled.

"Is it a dust shop in Vale?"

Pyrrha struggled to contain her laughter as she watched the proud heiress tear the poor boy a new one. She wanted to help, but the look on Weiss' face had been too much for her. She wiped a tear away from her eye as the rant came to an end. Jaune, as strange as he was, looked like he'd suffered whiplash and didn't know which way to look.

"And that is why we're one of the largest dust manufacturers in the four Kingdoms," Weiss snarled as she finished her diatribe. "We are _not_ a mere `dust shop in Vale`, nor are we _normal_. Understood?"

"I-I understand… I'm new to Vale so I didn't kno-"

"That's no excuse! We're the SDC, _every_ Kingdom knows about us!"

Pyrrha personally thought the way he blushed and looked away was quite cute, but that sentiment turned to ash when Weiss turned to point towards her. Oh dear, now came her own introduction.

"Well surely you know of Pyrrha Nikos, at least?" Weiss asked.

She fought back a grimace and waved at him. "Hello," she greeted and hoped – against all odds – that he'd somehow not know her. Or that even if he did, he would be polite and not treat her like she existed on some kind of pedestal. It wasn't much... she just wanted someone to be polite about it, to not bring it up at every point.

"Pyrrha…?"

"You have to know her," Weiss sighed, " _Everyone_ knows her."

"Well of course I know her."

Pyrrha sighed and tried to hide her disappointment. Of course... what had she expected?

"I mean, who doesn't? Everyone knows her so I totally know her too. You'd have to be some complete weirdo to not know her, right? Ha, don't know her, sheesh. What do you take me for?"

Pyrrha blinked and tilted her head to the side as he went on. A small spark of something like hope came to life as she watched him stammer and go on. Despite herself, she started to giggle – and had to hide it as Weiss looked her way. Could it be? Did she dare actually hope?

He started to sweat and wasn't meeting their eyes. His hands fidgeted, and when they weren't, he had one buried in his golden hair. He looked left, then right and then up towards the ceiling as he stammered and blustered about how he totally knew who Pyrrha Nikos was.

Weiss seemed less enamoured with the display. "I don't believe this," she said. "I cannot believe the people at this school… You have _no_ idea, do you?"

"I do!" he protested. His brows furrowed together as he took a deep breath. "She's in that movie everyone's watching."

She couldn't help it. In one fell motion Pyrrha's control broke and she bent double as she joyfully laughed.

"You _idiot_ ," Weiss roared.

"I meant she's a famous writer."

She kept on laughing.

"Singer?"

"Rargh!" Weiss threw her hands into the air. "Forget it. Clearly, you live in some backwater hole in the middle of nowher-"

"It's really more of a tower."

"Are you…?" Weiss shook her head, "Do you think you're being funny? Is this some attempt at riling me up?"

"Of course not!"

"I don't have to stand here and listen to this. Pyrrha, I shall see you in initiation, but I won't stay here and be insulted like this." She stormed away before anyone could respond, not that Pyrrha could have as she wiped her eyes.

"I didn't mean to insult her…"

She recovered as best she could, though there was no keeping away the wide smile she wore. "I'm sure it's fine, Jaune," she said. "The two of you simply got off to a bad start."

He sighed and scratched his head. He might have also mumbled something about `messing up again` but she didn't fully catch it. "So," he said as he turned to her, "Who are you, anyway?"

"I'm Pyrrha," she said and waved, "Hello."

Jaune blinked but smiled and waved back. The action was so casual, so easy and simple that she made her decision almost immediately. "I'm Jaune," he repeated, even if he didn't need to. "I'm not anyone special or dangerous though, I'm just a normal guy."

It was music to her ears.

Though... did he mumble something about her knees? She shook it off and smiled.

"Me too. I'm just a normal, ordinary girl."

And she'd just found her partner. Now all that was left was to make it happen.

/-/

"You shall make your way to the ruins in the center of the forest and collect for yourselves a relic," the headmaster said as he faced them. "En route, you will be expected to deal with any threat that would impede your path."

Yang felt nervous energy shoot through her as she steeled her mind and body. She almost hoped some Grimm did get in her way, just so she could show them what she was made of. Her eyes trailed towards the left, where she could see Ruby stood on one of the platforms. The plan had been to let Ruby make some friends of her own, but now that push came to shove, Yang wasn't sure if she was willing to trust her little sister's safety to some random stranger.

There was always Jaune... but she wasn't sure there, either. He was funny, witty and... a little odd, but she'd _seen_ the way Ruby flushed and fidgeted before him. She'd also dealt with Ruby subtly trying to ask what it meant when a guy complimented your eyes or kept staring at you, and what she was supposed to do if she thought a guy liked her.

Hypothetically, of course. In that Ruby had a friend who knew a friend who maybe thought someone might like her, and desperately needed advice only Yang could give.

Ignoring the fact Ruby literally _had_ no other friends at Beacon...

Yeah, she'd caught onto that one soon enough. He seemed like a good guy, but this was _not_ what yang had expected upon coming to Beacon. _Right, mind made up - I'm finding Rubes, if only to act as her chaperone for the next four years._

"As for the matter of partners, this is an important decision which will affect the next four years of your life – and perhaps beyond."

Exactly, which was why she was putting so much thought into Ruby's. It wasn't that there was anything _wrong_ with her sister having an admirer... and besides, it wasn't like Jaune was some psychopathic, half-Grimm, baby-killing monster, right?

"With that in mind, the first person you make eye contact with will become your partner."

"WHAT!?" It was Ruby, of course, who looked like she'd been told cookies had gone extinct.

Yang caught her eye and made a show of drawing out some sunglasses, which earned a nervous laugh from her little sister but nothing more. Okay, plan updated - now she had to try and land by her sister too. That shouldn't be too hard.

The headmaster turned back to the stern, blonde woman at his side. She nodded to some instruction unheard by the masses and pushed a button.

There was a mighty thud as one of the plates propelled its passenger into the air. Yang's eyes traced him, for it was Jaune himself who had been launched. She watched as he flipped and spiraled through the air, in a series of maneuvers that looked like it would have made anyone else sick. _Nice moves,_ she thought with a smirk.

She watched as he reached the top of his arc and began his descent.

She watched as a black shape burst from the canopy of the Emerald Forest… as great, black wings beat the air and deadly talons reached up to _snatch_ Ruby's newest friend out of the sky.

She watched as the Nevermore let out a great and angry `caw`, before it dove and vanished into the trees once more - its doomed prey in hand…

Ruby whimpered from beside her.

The silence that engulfed the cliff side was deafening. Yang's wide eyes remained locked on the terrible tableau, and she doubted there was a single person who could say otherwise. Jaune... but they'd just been talking the day before. He'd been... she just couldn't believe it.

The headmaster watched too. The esteemed and respected figure who ruled Beacon Academy stood with his back to them, face unreadable. Beside him, his deputy was much the same – albeit her shoulders were stiffened and her mouth hung open.

Ozpin took a long sip of coffee, and then – when that didn't seem to be enough – took another three sips in quick succession. He turned to them, face utterly calm and lacking any emotion.

"So," he said, "Who wants to go next?"

/-/

Roman Torchwick leaned back on his couch and thrust his legs atop the table before it. The scroll held before him continued to ring, and it took far longer than it normally did for the woman on the other end to answer. "Roman," she said the very second she appeared, "I hope you have a good reason for wasting my time. I am dealing with something of an emergency."

What a bitch. Roman forced down his almost immediate sneer in favour of a charismatic smile. "Well you did tell me to call you if anything happened, Cindy. I seem to recall you said I'd be in deep trouble if I _didn't_ give you a status report this week."

Cinder Fall blinked, and against all odds it seemed like she'd forgotten entirely. "I see," she said, "I have been… busy with affairs on my end. You may provide your report, but make it quick."

Busy with things on her end? He was curious, but not just about that. Cinder was the kind of woman who _never_ forgot something she said. She was too cautious for that, too clever. For her to forget that she'd ordered him to report in…? Well, that was very unlike her.

"The operation is coming along okay," he said with a small nod towards Neo who sat nearby. "There was a small incident the other night at a dust store, but it was nothing serious."

"You were seen?"

"There's not a person in Vale doesn't think this is my fault anyway, so I don't think it's a big deal. Either way, I managed to get out alive and with enough dust to make the trip worthwhile. I really could have used you though; it got a bit hairy come the end."

Cinder huffed, clearly unimpressed, "And yet you are still in one piece. Whatever it was, I'm sure it wasn't worth my time."

"Oh?" he rolled a cigar between his teeth and smiled, "Well then, you won't care that I got challenged by Glynda Goodwitch herself, then?" He didn't mention the little girl, because really – what self-respecting criminal mentioned that they'd been stopped by a child?

"Beacon got involved?" Cinder's eyes widened, "You don't appear to be calling me from a cell."

"Oh Cindy, you're a regular comedian. Actually, you'd be damn well gathering your dust yourself if it wasn't for someone giving me a hand. They were able to ward off the huntress while we escaped."

He still shuddered a little when he remembered that, and even with his reputation, he wasn't afraid to admit his fear. Those crimson veins, the white skin and inhuman eyes the colour of spilled blood. The thought of blood brought back what he'd done, and Roman flinched. He hid his fear well, however. As he always had.

"Someone helped you?" Cinder asked. "They must have been quite powerful, perhaps even valuable to our cause. Are you able to put me in contact with them?"

"Afraid the guy's not around anymore," he shrugged, "I didn't want to press the issue and make him stay."

Cinder sighed and massages her brow with one hand. "Someone strong enough to face a professor of Beacon could have been invaluable to our plans, Roman. Why on Remnant would you have simply let them go?"

Roman scowled as he flicked his legs forward and sat up. "Because I couldn't keep him here even if I'd wanted to," he said. "You don't get this one, Cindy. He wasn't just strong in the usual high-aura, crazy weapon, kind of way. This guy was a monster. I work with _men_. I'm not going to go around trying to manipulate someone like this, just to have them turn around and tear my head off in response."

Not when the kid clearly didn't want to be on his side, either. Sure, he could probably run the idiot along for a little bit… but that was the thing about strong idiots. It was a damn sight quicker for someone to wise up than it was for them to gain immense power. One moment you thought you had them under control, the next you'd been removed and replaced. He hadn't gotten so far in life by taking risks like that.

"Roman, Roman," Cinder shook her head, "You truly have no ambition. Never mind. I'm sure the matter won't come up. Regardless, should you ever see him again – do try and extend a hand of friendship."

Roman felt a pang of fear, but supressed it with practiced ease. "Sure," he sighed, "Here's to hoping the bastard doesn't summon some Grimm to eat me when I do."

"Summon Grimm...?"

"Ha, the kid just cut his hand open and threw some blood out," Roman ranted, "Then poof – instant Beowolves, right in the middle of the damned city! Not to mention crazy-ass tentacles and the ability to throw fire, so yeah – you'll forgive me if I'm less than willing to stick my neck out to find him again. I was lucky he didn't _eviscerate_ me when he realised how I'd tricked him."

He hadn't even dared to sic Neo on him, such was the danger presented. If Neo had tried and failed, then the kid could have likely killed them both.

"Wait, wait, wait," Cinder's eyes were wide as she pushed her face against the screen. "This person… did they have blonde hair and blue eyes, perhaps around seventeen years or so?"

"When they weren't white and red, yeah," Roman wiped his brow at the recollection of that transformation. The guy had looked so innocent afterwards… that so terrifying a monster could hide in plain sight like that. "It doesn't matter anyway," he said, "The guy wanted to get into Beacon, and since I knew better than to do anything to piss him off I changed some records to get him in. If some Grimm-human monster wants to make the hunter's job easier by walking right up to them, then more power to him."

Cinder was silent for the longest time, and it was the fact that she hadn't interrupted his rant with some caustic comment that made him pay attention. The woman's yellow eyes were wide, her face white and mouth open. There was a clatter as the scroll slipped from her nerveless fingers. The screen flashed up, down and then up again – before it crashed against something and went black. Roman blinked and turned to Neo.

The ice-cream eating girl shrugged.

Eh, it probably wasn't anything important.

* * *

 **We're all totally normal! While I was writing this it almost became an eye-opening moment when I noticed that quite a few characters are chasing after normality in one way or another.**

 **I just wanted to acknowledge some people here who are worried that the entire story will be idiot Jaune bumbling his way through the plot. I hear and understand your concern, because even to me, that would be boring. All I'll say is worry not. Yes, he's made mistakes - but he is absolutely new to all of this and is struggling to learn. He will learn too, but it's going to take time and experience for him to do so. He will be growing, and these early "idiot" mistakes will fade as he quickly picks up what is what. (Probably still make some mistakes, but they'll be subtle).**

 **And hey, if you think some of these things he's said are bad, you should have seen me on my first proper date. You cannot even DESCRIBE the level of idiocy I showed.**

* * *

 **Remy - Explanation**

 **Remy isn't here as the straight man to Jaune (since he's just as unfamiliar with the world as Jaune). He is included as a way to pass on Grimm-related or past-related information to the reader without me having to use continuous and exhaustive flashbacks that would kill the pacing. He also provides a way for Jaune's concerns and risks to be explained with a single line of dialogue, where Jaune would require a monologue or to start randomly telling his secret to everyone.**

 **For example; Jaune isn't going to explain to himself how it is that he can do Grimm things (since he already knows, so why would he?), and if no one is explaining these things, then the reader won't ever know either. In most stories Jaune could reveal it by explaining it to another character (e.g. with Pyrrha's "My Semblance is polarity" etc...), but his obvious need to keep this secret prevents that. He can't tell someone else, and he wouldn't tell himself ("Hey me, did you know I...") So it could go on for 60,000 words, never being explained. Unless... you have a long flashback where Jaune learns it from Salem - which _works_ , but cuts into the pacing, because we're here to read the `now` and not the distant past.**

 **E.G. In this chapter Remy brings up Roman "getting rid" of Jaune - which meant I could save Roman's comment until the end, and didn't have to have a big monologue section where Jaune thinks back on it. Or to have the chapter start with Roman, then time skip to the bullhead, then go back to Roman at the end. Remy also explains some silver eyes lore, and how Salem taught them about it. This saves Jaune from having to, and again removed the need for a monologue or flashback.  
**

 **The above example is a small one, but nothing compared to some of the future things that are planned, which would require flashback after flashback after flashback. He helps the story flow, and does so even further in the future.**

 **I wanted to include this as an explanation, not an excuse. Remy is here and he stays because I made the decision that he was necessary, but it doesn't hurt for me to show why - in a non-spoiler manner. If you want an "in-universe" explanation as well, then there's the option of why Salem `wouldn't` give him a parasite. It comes with a raft of benefits to his survival and safety. There's no reason why she would not want her son to have that, along with the benefit of an advisor and second opinion, etc...  
**

 **Some people seemed really bothered over his perceived "straight man" to Jaune's "idiot", so I wanted to explain. He was added due to necessity, not because I have a parasite fetish of believe that RWBY (of all things) needs yet _more_ characters.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 5** **th** **February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	4. Chapter 4

**So, here's another chapter, and I have some good news for people as well. My P a treon has reached the next level, which comes with some benefits and also some new horror. Basically, the update schedule has changed, and will continue to remain at this** _ **new**_ **level, so long as the target we've hit is maintained. If it goes back down, we'll go back to what it was before.**

 **This means White Sheep will now be WEEKLY. More than that, it will also be every Wednesday… which means that you'll see the next chapter of this in just three days. More details at the bottom. In a sense, this chapter was split in two, with the second part coming this Wednesday. Then again, as a single chapter it was a bit too long anyway at like 13,000 words.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 4 - The Lost Lamb**

* * *

Pyrrha had no idea what to do. Frustrated tears were whipped from her face by the wind that rushed by her and she bit down on an angry scream as the forest canopy approached. Jaune, the person she'd been determined to make her partner; the boy who had made her laugh like she never had before... he was gone. Just like that. It could have been any of them, and that knowledge hurt, but not as much as what her imagination provided as his fate.

Death was a companion that walked with every hunter, or so she had been told. She'd thought herself prepared for that risk, that eventuality, but never had she thought it might occur so soon.

Her fingers tightened around her shield as the treetops came ever closer, and her emerald eyes narrowed as she locked onto a branch that might slow her fall. She wouldn't leave it like this… she wouldn't abandon him to his fate so callously. She had seen the Nevermore rise once more from the forest, had seen it carry its prey towards the lone, great peak that sprung from the Emerald Forest like the fang of some giant beast.

She would make her way there, she would find her partner, and if anything dared to get in her way…

Well, she wouldn't be held responsible for what happened to them.

"Stay strong Jaune," she whispered, "I'm coming."

And if he had already fallen... she would avenge him. She would kill that murderous and evil monster.

/-/

Jaune sighed as he felt the Nevermore's sharp beak catch the back of his collar and drag him back once more. His back slammed into its chest, which trembled as the great creature crooned in pleasure and brought its chin down to rest against his breastplate. It warbled, and he felt the vibrations through his back.

"Okay," he said, "I love you too – and thank you for the rescue." He brought up one hand to stroke its rough head, and the deadly beak clacked once or twice in pleasure. He shimmied his way out from underneath it. "I need to get down and finish initiation, though. I'm sorry but I can't stay here."

It didn't understand him, of course. This wasn't a particularly old or intelligent Grimm, not at all like the ones back home or the Nevermore that had transported him to Vale. This one felt like it was only twenty or thirty years old; not that age equated to their growth. Either way, it didn't really get the meaning behind his words, and showered him with affection only because its instincts said to do so. That was all well and good when it meant saving him from striking the forest floor and becoming a smear, but not so useful when it plucked him up by the ankle, dangled him in front of it – and quickly squashed him beneath its stomach as it decided incubation was the best way to keep him safe and warm.

Jaune coughed and hacked for breath as he was smothered beneath the razor-sharp feathers. "I'm not an egg," he groaned, reaching out with one hand to grab a sharp piece of wood and drag his body to freedom. "I can't stay here!"

The Grimm raised its head to the sky and let out a loud, happy caw.

Ugh… he wasn't getting through to it.

" **You know your mother can't make all Grimm intelligent,"** Remy said, **"It takes time, and so far from the Grimmlands the energy required would be too much."**

He knew, but that didn't make the current situation any easier. A talon slammed down before his face, and two more on either side of him as the Grimm pinned him to the nest. The beak came down and missed his face by a few inches, only to move higher and rustle through his hair. It scratched against his scalp a few times, in jerky movements that had him wincing. It warbled once more, and pressed the top of its head into his chest.

His eyes caught something as it did, and with both hands he reached up and under the feathers atop its head. The Nevermore made a soft, clucking sound as he felt a hard, waxy substance poking from the crown of its head. "You want me to preen you?" he asked, and although it couldn't understand his words, the sound of contentment it made when he rubbed the pinfeather was evident. "You sure are demanding..."

The Grimm stepped off him as he pulled some feathers aside to check the growing pin feathers. Some weren't ready, and blood could be seen within them, but others had black, waxy sheathes that must have been itchy and hard to reach. He drew Crocea Mors and held it between two hands as he used the edge to scrape away at them.

The Nevermore cooed as the flaky substance gave way and started to rain down around him. The pinfeather fluffed out a few seconds later, but the creature kept its head pressed to him.

"Alright, alright," he said and pulled himself onto his feet. It settled down in the large nest as he started to check each feather one by one, and to break open the sheathes on those which were ready. "I guess it was getting itchy, eh? No wonder you're so emotional. Don't you have a partner to do this for you?"

" **Probably not many others this size so close to Beacon… it's a wonder it's survived this long as it is."**

Hm… that was probably true. Maybe it had a partner once upon a time, or a flock of its own, but it had either outgrown or outlived both. The nest itself was only really big enough for one, and there didn't seem to be any evidence of another.

As he worked, and as the base of the nest started to fill with dried skin, the creature's croons began to soften and quieten as its beautiful red eyes closed. He kept going, for what must have been a good fifteen minutes, but stopped with a quick smile when the creature fell asleep.

"Good boy," he patted its head and stepped carefully away. There was no point waking it, not when he finally had a chance to slip out before the over-protective thing snagged him again. With cautious steps, he made his way to the edge of the nest and looked out over it.

His stomach dropped and swam around his feet as he saw the long, perilous drop.

" **I'm thinking that's a no…"** Remy said uselessly, and it sounded like the parasite was queasy too.

He turned around and crept past the Grimm once more, this time to the other side of the nest, which luckily had some rock for him to stand on. It looked like he was on a tall mountain that overlooked the forest, and it wasn't too far from Beacon either, since he could see the tower poking above the ocean of trees. The nest itself was constructed from dried wood and twig, and balanced on an outcropping of grey rock that jutted from somewhere about three-quarters of the way up the mountain. It was a relatively flat outcrop, and as he stepped out onto it, there weren't any ominous cracks or groans to make him pause.

The prospect of the descent did enough of that.

"That's a long way down," Jaune whispered as he crouched on hands and knees and peered down the mountainside. It wasn't quite as jagged and ominous as the mountains in the Grimmlands, but those often poked at odd angles and were sharp enough to cut through to bone. It was still a mountain, though, and that meant a good portion of sheer drops and dangerous looking overhangs.

" **It's my responsibility to mention we don't know how to mountain climb,"** Remy gulped.

" _And how else do you propose I get down?"_

" **I didn't say I had a solution…"**

" _Then stop whining and let me focus."_ Jaune winced as he turned himself around and lowered a foot out and into the abyss. It waved and wobbled in the air as he blindly tried to find purchase. With his hands still on the outcrop and his feet dangling over the edge, he couldn't even see what he was doing and the panic that induced was nauseating. Was he supposed to go down head first so he could see what he was doing? That sounded even more frightening.

In the end, his feet struck rock, and after a quick test to make sure it was okay, he took the plunge and started to lower himself down. The going was slow at first, torturous even, but as the mountain started to even out it got a little easier. "Hey," he said, "This isn't too hard."

He should have known better, really… Uncle Hazel would have slapped a hand into his forehead.

The rock beneath him, which had felt solid and firm when he'd tested it with his foot, cracked and gave way when he settled his weight onto it. The sudden loss of footing tugged him down, and with the weight of his body and armour, his grip on the ledge above gave way. With a startled cry he fell back and down.

" **Jaune!"**

His hand reached out to catch himself, but it slammed painfully against a nearby rock instead, and his body flipped backwards as his back and head banged against another. He crashed onto a slope, and gravel and stone dug into his body as he skittered and slid down it. Both hands scrabbled for purchase, but the slope was more gravel and silt than anything else and all he achieved was digging furrows into it as he slipped down and off the edge once more.

A weightless sensation took him, and in that moment which must have been a second but felt like an eternity, his eyes looked down at the long and deadly fall below.

Power surged through him as he grit his teeth and bit down hard. He felt the change come on around the exact moment his body started its race towards terminal velocity. Blond hair receded, and his eyes flashed black and red as his heritage took control. His eyes spied the rock face a good four feet away, and with a sharp cry he reached out one hand towards it. It wasn't even close – but then again, it didn't have to be. Black tentacles speared out from his sleeves and pierced into solid rock with a sickening sound. His fall halted suddenly, and with the momentum shifted, he swung forward to smash against solid rock.

"Ow," Jaune grumbled, as the stone imprinted into his face and scratched his already battered skin. Above him he heard the rock crack, but three more tentacles quickly flowed from beneath his trouser legs and his other sleeve to dig into the cliff and suspend him against it.

" **O-Okay,"** Remy stammered, **"T-That was close… good save."**

Even with the rock pushed against his face he couldn't stop the relieved giggle that escaped him. Close was one way to put it… any longer and he'd have been a stain on the forest floor. With a silent thanks to his mom for her gifts, he pulled out the tentacles above him and jammed them back into the rock a little further down.

Bit by bit, and with casual vandalism to the mountain's face, he slowly began his descent down towards the forest floor.

/-/

For Ruby, the plan had been simple. Land safely, using her beloved baby to slow her fall, then find her sister or Jaune to partner with before she ended up with someone she didn't know and had to be – gasp – social. Her dad had always said no plan survived contact with the enemy (or Qrow), but she hadn't always understood what that meant… the enemy part that was, Uncle Qrow made perfect sense.

Now she did…

Her feet propelled her across the grass as she ignored small pockets of Grimm that she would normally have stopped to fight. In the distance, her eyes remained locked onto the only thing that mattered – the mountain where her first and best friend at Beacon had been taken. Her hands shook, and her fingers tightened around the haft of Crescent Rose as she remembered the thick, cloying feeling of gut-wrenching fear that had overtaken her when she'd watched him be taken.

Summer had been taken away too, but she'd been too young to stop it back then… this time she was older, stronger and faster.

And the thought of that _still_ not being enough was too much to bear.

She was the hero, she was a huntress now, and she'd _sworn_ she wouldn't let anyone else be taken away like that again – that she would protect and save people. It couldn't end like this. Not with her being powerless yet again. She resisted the urge to cry. She had the power of speed – that was her Semblance – and what was the point of it if not to get to people on time? She weaved beneath a low branch, leapt across a small crevasse – and even heard a loud, familiar, voice cry out in anger as she swept by. She didn't stop for it, nor did she make eye contact. There was no time for that – not when her friend was in trouble!

The Grimm too went ignored, even if a few of them strangely did the same in regard to her. They seemed to all face towards the mountain she was headed to, as though they'd seen what had happened and were intrigued by it.

 _Mind on the game,_ Ruby rebuked herself. _Grimm are mindless beasts. They're not interested in anything other than killing people._

Unbidden, her mind brought back the image of the red-eyed, white-haired man who had stood before her, the way he'd stared down on them from the Bullhead. He'd talked of mercy when he sent Beowolves towards them, and although she'd been more than able to fight them off – especially with Miss Goodwitch there – the thought of his mercy still had her eyes narrowing.

The mountain grew before her as she covered the distance in a span of time few others could have matched. Her chest burned and her body heaved, but she'd made it. She came to a stop with a few harsh pants somewhere near the base of it and fought to regain her breathing. She had a speed semblance and runner's legs, but that didn't mean crossing a forest like that was an easy task. With a short sigh, she wiped some sweat away from her face and looked up towards the peak.

"Now what…?" she asked as she considered the treacherous climb. It wasn't like she could just angle her legs a little differently and run up a huge mountain like that.

Something struck the ground behind her, and Crescent Rose whirred and clicked into place as she spun on the spot and slammed it into the dirt.

"Friend," the girl with red hair quickly said, arms outstretched. "Friendly…"

Ruby retracted the weapon with a quick mutter of apology and a flush of colour to her cheeks. "Sorry," she said, "I'm… a little jumpy."

"Not a problem and it's understandable." The other girl had her weapons drawn too, and while normally Ruby would have been more interested in those, at the moment she only cared to note they were a sword and shield. "Have you seen a young man around here?" the taller girl asked. "Blond hair, blue eyes an-"

"Jaune!" Ruby gasped – and the girl froze.

"You know him? Have you seen him? Is he okay!?"

"N-No. I'm here to try and find him – to try and save him. The Nevermore brought him here. I'm sure of it."

"It did," the girl nodded, "and it seems we have the same objective. My name is Pyrrha Nikos. I'm here to try and help him too."

Relief poured into her body at those words. She slumped against her weapon and gasped for more breath, still winded. "Ruby Rose. I thought… it's silly, but I don't want to give up."

"Me neither," Pyrrha smiled. "Have you been able to find anything?"

"No… I…I only just arrived. I was trying to think of a way up the mountain when you appeared. I uh… I don't suppose you have some kind of mountain-climbing semblance, do you?"

"Life would be too easy if I did," Pyrrha sighed. "We'll have to do this on foot, assuming you're still up for it?" Ruby nodded frantically, and the girl smiled. "Good. We'll circle around a little… try to find a sloped side or something a little easier. I'm sure with the two of us we'll be able to find him in no time." Ruby nodded and pushed herself back onto her feet. At this point she'd have agreed to anything, so long as it meant trying to rescue him.

The two of them jogged quickly along the mountain's edge, their eyes peaked upwards as they tried to find some surface they might be able to scale. It looked like there'd been some kind of landslide recently, however, and much of it was in broken and cracked debris along the bottom.

As the minutes ticked on, Ruby's hope waned, and for a moment she feared they'd have to give up… something she wasn't sure she could honestly do. Eventually, however, they came to a large, dark opening with strange pictures and scrawling on the rock's surface.

"It's a cave…" Pyrrha whispered.

"Definitely is," Ruby said, and then immediately flushed as she realised how useless that sounded. "Um… what do you think those pictures on the side mean?" She ran her fingers over them and the carvings felt old and worn beneath her fingertips. The images seemed to depict a group of stick figures fighting a scorpion the same size as they… maybe a Deathstalker.

"It certainly looks like something made a long time ago. I can only imagine how terrifying the Grimm must have been to people without our level of technology."

That was a scary thought… though those people had obviously survived, since Vale was still around. Maybe they'd been stronger back then, or knew ancient martial-arts special techniques. That sounded cool. "Why make these markings near a cave, though?"

"It could be a warning," Pyrrha shrugged. "If there was a Deathstalker nearby, this could be to let passers-by know."

"Maybe this cave was the people's home?"

The taller girl hummed and held her hand before her mouth in thought. "It's possible," she said after a few moments. "If these paintings are hundreds of years old, then this entrance would have been a lot smaller back then. Erosion would have widened it and this could have been a sanctuary of sorts. Maybe the message is less warning and more invitation – there's Grimm out there, if you're in danger you can hide in here." Pyrrha stepped back a few paces and looked up towards the mountain. "And of course, in a forest infested with Grimm, it would make sense to settle in the safest place you could."

Excitement pooled in Ruby's stomach and she hopped in place. "On the mountain?" she asked, and received a nod from her new companion. "Then this might be a tunnel that leads up it!"

"Perhaps this was a riverbed once," Pyrrha nodded, "And a river could have carved this tunnel. If the people repurposed it into an entranceway, then it would explain why they painted on the walls and how they survived for so long. Only the smallest Grimm could have entered." She stepped closer to the cave and held a hand out. "There's warm air coming from inside too."

"Meaning?"

"It means there must be something to create that air," Pyrrha said, "Like an exit or another cave further up the mountain."

And if it was further up the mountain, then that meant they'd just found their route to saving Jaune. "We going in?" Ruby asked, her body trembling with nervous anticipation.

Beside her, the redhead gripped her sword and smiled grimly. "Let's go, Ruby," she said. "We've got a friend to save."

/-/

On the other side of the mountain Jaune let out a sigh of relief as he hopped down the final distance and onto solid ground once more. One of his tentacles coiled before his face, and he rubbed the end with a wince. His aura protected him, but driving them into solid rock over and over again was _not_ a pleasant experience. It was pretty much the same as slamming your hand into it, except that he'd also had to suspend his weight by them.

Well… it was the closest metaphor he could think of, since they weren't actually extra limbs since he could retract them back into his body, and he'd grown up with them all his life anyway.

"At least we made it to the bottom," he said, as his red and black eyes looked back up the mountain. It was a damn sight bigger looking up it than it had looking down. "Wow…"

" **I don't want to ever do that again,"** Remy groaned. Jaune patted his left shoulder sympathetically, where he could feel the parasite dwelling. Since he lived inside his body, the little guy could technically feel most of what he did – which included his aching muscles.

 _My clothes are pretty much ruined too,_ he thought as he looked down on himself. His armour was dented in places, but that was nothing compared to the rips and tears in his jeans and hoodie – all thanks to sharp rock digging into the fabric when he'd fallen down the mountainside. Beneath that, his skin was red and sore – made all the more obvious for how his tone had gone ashen white with the transformation.

A nearby bush rustled, and his eyes widened in panic as he hid his face and prayed the person somehow wouldn't notice the white hair, white skin, angry veins and red eyes.

A gruff snort came from the Ursa that nosed its way into the clearing. A number of others followed, their red eyes to the floor as they sniffed the grass – only for each to perk and raise their heads towards him.

"Just some Grimm," Jaune sighed and lowered his arms. "Thank Salem…"

The Grimm in question seemed relieved as well, though maybe excited would have been the better term. Mindless as they were, a part of them knew or at least understood what he was. They covered the ground in great bounds and their snouts buffeted against his arms and shoulders. They took great breaths in, no doubt trying to place his scent and not fully understanding why they found it so important.

"Calm down, calm down," he laughed and patted the head of one, while pushing another's snout away from his crotch. "I swear you guys are worse than Mannie." A quick glance told him they'd surrounded him entirely, though that wasn't a real problem.

Some were taller than he and others smaller, but each and every one seemed determined to have a good sniff of him, and being exhausted anyway he was happy to allow it. _I've got to get to this ruin the headmaster spoke of_. _He didn't say there was a time limit or anything, but what if there are no relics when I arrive because they've all been taken?_

He coughed to clear his throat. "I'm looking for a ruined temple… have you seen it?"

The Ursa paused at his voice, and their heads all swung to face his. There was no response, however.

"A temple," Jaune repeated – then realized what the problem might be. "Uh… a structure made by men… probably stone. You… ugh… you probably don't know what _stone_ is either, do you?"

One tilted its large head.

"A thing," he said and winced, "made of things… which is bigger than you… very grey… maybe… I mean it could be white, or brick-coloured or even covered in moss and green."

" **Jaune…"** Remy sighed.

" _Give me a break. This is hard!"_ How did you explain to animals what a temple ruin was, especially when he didn't even know what it looked like, either?

He sighed, shook his head and regarded them once more. "Where are the nearest humans?" he asked, in what he hoped was a firm voice. "I command you to direct me to the nearest humans."

This, the creatures seemed to understand, and they pawed the ground and let out a long growl. As one they turned, still surrounding him, to point at the trees only a short distance away. Was that the direction to the temple?

/-/

Yang's decision to check out the mountain wasn't one born of a desire to save the guy she'd met before, even if that sounded horrible and she totally would have helped him if she thought she could. It had already been a good fifteen or twenty minutes since he'd been snatched, which meant he had survived and gotten away, or – much more likely – been killed. She hated the thought of that, but knew there was nothing she could have done.

Ruby, however, wasn't quite the same.

She'd known her little sister for every moment of her life, and it didn't take a genius to know what spurred the brave, little girl on. Jaune had been her first friend at Beacon and he'd been taken, just like that. No doubt Ruby would have hightailed it straight here to try and pry his body from the Nevermore herself.

Which meant _she_ had to be here as well… either to stop Ruby, or help her.

That had been the plan anyway, and she'd even ignored a pair of Ursa en route, just to make sure she got there faster. Ruby would be so much quicker after all, but she had a feeling she'd landed closer. Either way, she'd gotten there as best she could and set about looking – and listening – for her little sister.

Investigating the sounds of conversation was an easy enough choice. Grimm didn't talk, people did – easy decision.

Bad decision, apparently.

Yang cursed silently as she pushed herself down into the bush and did her best to neither move, nor make a sound. An entire pack of Ursa congregated in the clearing, and from the sounds of it they'd surrounded someone. Her hands clenched into fists as she prepared to move, only to pause – and then freeze in horror – when she saw just _what_ they'd cornered.

White hair and red eyes… that was all she could make out. The rest of the figure was obscured by the Grimm that surrounded him, but the colouration was enough to realise who it was. _What's he doing here? Oh crap, oh crap… if this guy was strong enough to beat Ruby and Miss Goodwitch, then what chance do I have?_

There was no way she'd come out of a fight with that monster in one piece, especially not when he had like _ten_ Ursa with him. Her thoughts raced. Why was he here? What was he after? Why was he by the mountain?

Sickening doubt crept up her spine, and as her eyes widened a terrifying thought gripped her. Whatever his reason for being here, he was near the mountain and that was where Ruby was probably headed. What if he saw her and took the opportunity for revenge? Ruby had seen him and been directly responsible for leaking his image to the public… what if he decided to get his own back?

He spoke, and despite what she might have expected, his voice sounded almost normal. It _was_ a little hard to hear, however, mostly because of the constant snuffles and growls from the Ursa. "- the nearest humans?" he asked the Ursa, and to her shock – they all seemed to listen.

 _He can control and talk to Grimm!?_

And oh Gods, he wasn't after Ruby but _was_ after other people… humans, any humans – was he trying to stop the initiation?

"-command you… direct… nearest humans."

Yang's blood turned to ice. He was asking them to find the nearest humans, but that was… she was… Her eyes widened as the Grimm sniffed the air, and then, with a lack of haste that made it all the worse, began to turn in her direction.

She didn't wait for them to finish. If Ruby were to come here she'd be killed, but if she stayed herself then it would be her who would die. If he wanted to chase her, he would, and if she could lead him away from the mountain… away from Ruby?

It was a risk... but between her and Ruby, she figured she would have the better chance of surviving an encounter with the guy.

Her heart hammered in her chest as she forced herself to wait until he looked in her direction - until the Ursa had located her. Only then did she dash away, too afraid to look behind her. The beat of her heart echoed her feet and she didn't think she had ever pushed herself so hard before... not since _that_ time. A forest, Grimm, the threat of death… she was older now and skilled enough to fight, but the comparisons to that night she'd almost lost Ruby robbed her of all sense of self or time. She dashed past trees and through bushes, jumped over logs and swore angrily when she tripped, only to drag herself back up and keep moving on.

She couldn't hear anything behind her, and a quick glance revealed... nothing?

Had she lost them – had she really managed to outpace that monster, and his pack of unrelenting Grimm?

She crashed into something, and her heart leapt into her throat as the monster dragged her to the floor. She screamed in fear and flipped it over. One fist reared back and she _slammed_ it into the monster's face before he could say anything. He cried out and held its face, but the details weren't quite right. Yang panted as the haze of fear slowly drifted away, to leave her kneeling above a groaning figure that clutched his left eye.

"You're not a Grimm," she whispered.

The pink-eyed, black-haired boy groaned in response.

* * *

 **Oh my, events have started to change thanks to our young lord Salem. I hope you enjoyed. For those who might wonder, I'll just head it off here. Yang clearly states it but just in case, no – she hasn't and didn't recognise Jaune. His clothing was obscured by the Grimm surrounding him, and his face is too different when transformed.**

 **Also, while I was writing it, the explanation for the cave paintings started to really make sense to me... like, it started to make me think that if I were in their shoes, I wouldn't have automatically assumed a monster was in there, either.**

 **I mean... if there was one in there... how would they have had the time to patiently carve or paint those things on the wall? "Ug, HELP US!" "Sorry Gruff, I'm painting. Just hold it off for a second; I think this one is going to be my masterpiece."**

 **Anyway, Wednesday's chapter will finish initiation off, and likely contain a lot more than this. I couldn't really write two full-size chapters that were going to be released within three days of one another.**

* * *

 **Onto the new schedule… I'll just list it here, and likely on each fic I update (so by now, you may even know this already). Even so, if you're ever in doubt, I do include a "Next Chapter" date at the bottom, which you can always rely on.**

 **Monday:** Forged Destiny

 **Tuesday:** The Entertainer

 **Wednesday:** White Sheep

 **Thursday:** Nothing

 **Friday:** Nothing

 **Saturday:** Not this Time, Fate

 **Sunday:** Professor Arc

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 8** **th** **February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, so, here's the rest of the initiation chapter. As you can see, it's somewhat too long to have really been paired with the last chapter.  
**

 **Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 5 – A Sheep's Mercy**

* * *

"Don't!" Jaune's shout rang out right as the Ursa were about to give chase after their prey. The Grimm froze in place, and some appeared to strain against their natural desire to hunt and kill. He wouldn't allow it, though, not when it was just another student. "Don't chase them. Don't harm any students. Someone's bound to get hurt if you do," he sighed, then after a moment's thought added, "most likely you guys."

Remy hummed in approval in his mind, no doubt glad to see him using his head and not causing any more disasters for once. He hadn't really had the chance to get a good look at the person, but since he'd been surrounded by Grimm and in his transformed state, the chance they'd seen any of his clothing was pretty low. So long as they didn't end up dead, he'd probably be okay.

Still, it wasn't a risk he really wanted to continue. "I'd best change back," he whispered. "Hmm… Ursa – point me in the direction of the closest source of humans."

They sniffed the air and pawed at the ground for a moment, even if the senses they used to hunt humans didn't truly involve either of those. Eventually, however, they pointed toward the mountain itself.

 _They must mean there's someone on the other side_. It couldn't be this side, since he was already beside the mountain's face and would have been able to see them. Either way, that gave him the safety net he needed to transform without being spotted. With a quiet sigh, he slowly released the power he had hold of.

A feminine scream split the air.

The power slammed back into him as he gasped and looked around. Had someone seen him? No… there was no one, but the scream – it sounded like it had come from the mountain itself.

" **Someone's in trouble,"** Remy mumbled, utterly bored.

"We have to help them!"

" **What? No, we really don't… Isn't this a test to get rid of the weak? Think about it, if we help them, then we're only enabling them to become hunters and they'll die in the field! Better they die now, right? That's probably the whole point of the test."  
**

The parasite went on and on, but Jaune wouldn't accept it. He was going to be a huntsman and a hero, and the hero _never_ left someone behind to suffer. They wouldn't be heroes if they did. "Hold on!" he called and rushed around the mountain to where he'd heard the noise.

Remy might have let out a long groan, but he'd gotten used to ignoring those years ago.

/-/

Really, as far as Pyrrha was concerned, the whole day had been a complete bust. She should have known it would be, frankly, especially after the horrific events of the launch. Now, she and her new partner were trapped in a pitch-black tunnel, unable to properly see where they were going, but nevertheless fleeing the glowing stinger of some giant Grimm. Also, if she lived and anyone asked, she was going to claim her scream had been from frustration and not panic.

"Pyrrha!" Ruby called in the dark, and she sought to find the girl. A brief flicker of light came from ahead, followed by a painfully dull ray of light from her partner's scroll.

"Good idea," she said, drawing her own and flicking it on. It wasn't much to go by, but it would at least let them see the ground ahead of them. The last thing they needed was to twist an ankle at this stage. "It looked like a Deathstalker."

"What's a Deathstalker doing in here? How did it even _fit_ in here?"

She had no idea. The entrance had been far too small and if the Deathstalker had been trapped or sealed away, then why would anyone have even painted a warning at the entrance? If this was its lair… who had the time to sit outside and finger-paint literally outside of a murderous Grimm's cave!?

"It must have been smaller back then," she said. "Look, even now it's struggling to move in the limited space. This is our chance to escape."

"Shouldn't we try and kill it?" Ruby asked.

"There's not enough light. We're as likely to kill ourselves falling into a crevasse or hitting one another. Just run!"

Thankfully, her partner listened, and it turned out that running was a skill Ruby Rose had in spades, for she flickered through the air and out of the tunnel they'd come through almost too fast to follow. _Well, at least she actually took my suggestion,_ Pyrrha thought as she chased after the younger girl. Jaune _definitely_ wasn't in this cave, or at least she hoped he wasn't. Right now, she had bigger problems anyway.

A rock bit into her leg and another scraped her thigh as she pushed past it. The light from the scroll was so little and with the Deathstalker going crazy like that, there was a good chance it would bring the entire cave down on their heads. Haste over care was the name of the game.

Up ahead of her, there was a startled cry from her partner.

"Damn it," Pyrrha hissed and increased her pace. Ruby was small and slight so if she'd fallen it wouldn't be too much to carry her out. At least, she hoped not. With renewed fervour she rounded the corner.

And crashed straight into a monster…

It staggered back but stayed standing, while she bounced off and collapsed to the floor with a startled yelp. Her scroll struck rock and cracked, pitching the entire cave into darkness – except for a thin beam of light that came from Ruby's scroll.

It illuminated a deathly pale face with crimson eyes.

"Let go of me!" Ruby thrashed wildly, and as the light skimmed away from his visage, Pyrrha saw two black tentacles that bulged across the floor. One had Ruby by her ankles, having locked them together and lifted her into the air. "Argh, n-not again," Ruby howled. Her skirt fell down over her, and Pyrrha watched in shock as the creature's other tentacle touched it.

It pushed upwards.

"H-Hey," the girl yelped and squirmed, "W-What are you doing? Stop that!"

Maybe it was the surprise and shock that caused her senses to desert her, but upon hearing her partner's cry and seeing the monster do _that_ , Pyrrha leapt into action. "Let her go!" she roared. Milo twirled in the air as she cut towards one of the black tentacles before it could defile her comrade.

The steel bit deep and the monster recoiled in pain.

She paid no attention to it. With a furious scowl she danced close to the other, the one holding Ruby, and struck at that too. The blow wasn't powerful enough to sever the thick limb, but he must have felt it for it spasmed and twisted to the side.

"Gah! What the hell!?" the creature cried and stumbled back. The tentacle flicked and tossed Ruby backwards, and the girl – still half-wrapped up in her own cloak – slammed into a rock wall with a gasp.

She fell to the base and didn't move.

"Whoops," the evil creature spoke. "That wasn't my fault."

"Ruby!" Pyrrha whispered in horror. She transformed Milo into a rifle and squeezed a shot off at where she could see red eyes in the dark. They were obscured, the shot probably blocked by one of those prehensile limbs, but it still gave her the time she needed to crouch down and lift the small girl up over one shoulder. She glanced back, and felt like she might freeze when she met those evil eyes in the dark.

A flicker of light illuminated her, but left the monster in pitch black. "Don't you want your scroll back?" it taunted.

A scroll could be replaced. A life could not. Pyrrha turned and fled. The small form of her partner bounced up and down on her back, Milo sheathed – but Ruby's weapon clasped in her other hand. She had no idea if he chased after her, but dared not look. _Keep running,_ she told herself. She had to escape, not only for herself, but also for the girl in her arms.

Ahead of her a speck of light slowly appeared. "The exit," she gasped and increased her pace. If she was caught then they would both be fed to that Deathstalker for whatever purpose that creature had. Human-like with white skin and red eyes… she remembered well the news reports. Hadn't it been this very girl it had attacked?

Had it come for revenge?

That didn't matter. What mattered was that she wouldn't let him take Ruby. The girl was unconscious but alive and groaned slightly every few steps to let her know. If she could get her to the ruins and get their relic, she would be safe. Jaune… she would have to trust in him. She couldn't risk Ruby's life too. Dark gave way to light suddenly, the bright sunlight filling her vision as she sprinted out of the cave - and straight into the furry chest of an Ursa.

She bounced off it like she had the monster only a moment ago, except that this time her weapon, Ruby's weapon and the girl herself all scattered onto the floor. Pyrrha's eyes widened as she stared up and into the monstrous maw of a huge Ursa. _This really isn't my day,_ she thought, and then instantly wished her final thoughts could have been more meaningful.

The Ursa growled down at her.

And then… looked away?

 _What!?_ She crawled back, one hand reaching for her weapon as she pushed herself up onto her feet and staggered over to Ruby. Her fingers clenched around Milo when one of the Ursa reached down to sniff the girl, but her grip went slack when it too sat down on its haunches and didn't attack.

What the hell was going on here? It almost looked like they were waiting. She traced their gaze, and blanched when she realised they all stared towards the cave she'd just left. "They're waiting for him," she whispered, "He commands the Grimm!"

The headmaster, no, _Vale_ had to be told. They had to know. Pyrrha knelt down to pick Ruby up once more, carefully watching the Grimm as she did. They regarded her, and she could see the hatred in their eyes, but not a one made a move to harm them. She didn't wait to see if that would change when the monster she'd wounded caught up with them.

She fled into the forest, partner in her arms.

/-/

"I guess she doesn't want her scroll," Jaune mumbled awkwardly, stood in the dark with the cracked device in one hand and his tentacles lazily oozing blood onto the floor. It had been Ruby and Pyrrha, against all odds, but the meeting hadn't quite gone as well as he'd expected. And to think, he'd tried to be really gentle too.

He'd lifted Ruby up so she wouldn't hurt herself on all the rocks, and then pushed her skirt up when it fell down. He didn't want her to get the wrong idea, after all, and she'd looked pretty uncomfortable trying to hold her skirt up with one hand. He'd lent her a hand... or a tentacle, same thing, right?

Pyrrha hadn't seemed to think so...

" **And that's why humans can't be trusted,"** Remy grumbled. **"I mean seriously, you help them out and they just stick a sword in your tentacle – how's that for rude!?"**

"Remy, you don't exactly have the biggest pool to draw experience from. The only humans you know is big sis, my uncles and dad."

" **Yeah, well… I'm just saying… and besides, you can't say Tyrian isn't another perfect example."  
**

"You can't judge humanity based on Uncle Tyrian. You can't judge _anything_ based on him." Jaune rolled his eyes and retracted his tentacles. They would heal in his body quickly enough and it wasn't like he needed them. _In fact, maybe it's time to do away with these problems altogether._ He closed his eyes and fully released his power this time, allowing it to wash away and leave him blue eyed and blonde haired.

Really, it had been necessary to get down the mountain in one piece, but right now it was just inviting disaster. The cave was as good a place as any to do it, since it was dark enough that he knew no one would have been able to see him.

 _I'll need to do something nice for Ruby and Pyrrha later though… I hope Ruby wasn't hurt when I dropped her._

A loud cracking noise from ahead caught his attention. A dull glow emanated from deeper within the cave, and he could hear constant scratching and clawing as something worked to dig itself out.

Hm, was there something there? With a little shrug he brought out his own scroll for light and started to move closer. The forest was Grimm-infested and probably the mountain too, so it was probably fairly safe. Hell, Vale was more dangerous than this area was. The scrabbling intensified, and the rock around him started to rumble and shake as a glowing carapace emerged from within the dark. It hissed and clacked at him, red eyes beady and mandibles covered in vicious razor-like claws.

It was adorable.

"Hey there," Jaune greeted the cute thing. It was pretty big, though nothing compared to the ones back home. "Oh wow, is this your home? It… it doesn't look well-suited to you, to be honest."

" **Jaune, something's not right,"** Remy warned.

"Huh? What do you- whoah!" He dodged back as a pincer snapped for him. The Deathstalker screeched in fury and reached out once more but Jaune fled back. "Stop that," he ordered. "Bad Deathstalker, bad!"

It didn't react as he expected it to, and instead it dragged itself further forward. The very rock tunnel around them began to crack and splinter. The Deathstalker's eyes were red with hatred and fury. Both of those emotions seemed to be aimed at _him_ of all people.

"What the hell?" Jaune moved further back and reached for his sword. "What's wrong with you? Don't you recognise me? Calm down or you'll bury us both!" It didn't stop, and he scowled and pulled out the big guns. "In the name of Salem, I command thee – halt!"

A pincer slammed into the ground where he'd once stood.

" **It's gone mad,"** Remy gasped. **"It's gained intelligence, but used that intelligence to lose its mind!"**

"What?" Jaune leapt back as the pincer tried to impale him once more. "Is that even possible? How can you just gain and lose intelligence!?"

" **It didn't lose it. It must have gotten trapped inside of this cave back when it didn't have sentience. Then, several hundred years later, it becomes aware – only to find itself forever trapped and alone, unable to hunt or move. The isolation must have driven it insane."**

"And now it's trying to kill me," Jaune said, backing away with his hands held before him. "Okay… good Deathstalker… be a good boy and stay there."

The creature screeched and began to trash from left to right. It was too much for the cave to take, and the walls began to crumble as the beast's frantic movements dislodged stone and rock. A cloud of dust rained down to the floor, but it was nothing compared to the stalactites that slammed down on either side of him.

It was going to kill them both! Panic gripped him as he turned and fled. There wasn't the time to transform, not as stone and rock rained down atop his head. Instead he kept his legs pumping as Remy wailed out for him to `keep running`. Rocks exploded on either side of him, chips striking against his breastplate as he covered his face with both arms and kept on going. The cave entrance appeared ahead, and he dived through it with a cry of relief.

Behind him, clouds of dust and rock poured fourth, obscuring the entrance from view. Only when they'd cleared and he'd finished coughing and hacking was the damage revealed.

"And now it's sealed away again," Jaune said. The fate seemed almost too cruel…

" **There's nothing you can do for it now, Jaune. Not every story has a happy ending."**

He knew that… he knew it.

But wasn't it the hero's job to try and make one? Somehow, leaving this poor creature behind seemed like a poor end to its tortured life. He sighed and turned to the Ursa, who watched patiently. "Show me to more humans," he said, heart heavy, "I've got an initiation to finish."

/-/

Ruby came to in time to see her sister's worried face above her. "Yang," she whispered groggily. A second later, her face was squashed into the older girl's cleavage and she wasn't able to whisper anything at all, let alone breathe. _This is how I die!_

"Oh gods Ruby, I was so worried!"

"Y-Yang!" She tried to push her sister aside, but that only made her hug tighter and tighter. Her vision dimmed for a second and she thought she might collapse, but luckily Pyrrha appeared behind the girl and helped to pry her off. "What happened?" Ruby asked her… well, she supposed it was her partner now.

"I was able to cut you free from that monster," Pyrrha said, "but you hit your head when you fell. I carried you away and well… we found our way here. We have one of these by the way." She held up a small chess piece shaped like a horse.

All fatigue was lost in an instant as Ruby pushed herself up. "Is that one of the relics!?" she asked – and whooped when she received a pleased nod from the redhead. "We did it," she gasped, "we actually did it!"

"Hey now sis," Yang laughed, "Cool your jets a little. Oh right, this is my partner, Ren. Say hi."

The boy dragged unceremoniously before her looked resigned at best. He had black hair with a single streak of pink, and his eyes were the same colour, except for a single abnormality. "What happened to his eye?" Ruby asked. The skin around it was swollen and discoloured. It looked like he'd been hit really hard.

"A Grimm." Yang said, _far_ too quickly.

"A yellow Grimm," the boy sighed.

"But enough about that," Yang laughed nervously and helped Ruby to stand. "The orange-haired girl is Nora, the black-haired one is her partner Blake."

Nora waved happily at her, but Ruby couldn't help but think the other one looked almost aggrieved at her choice of partner. Well, she supposed some people were going to end up with partners they weren't keen on, but wasn't it a little too soon for this Blake person to judge her? It wasn't like this Nora girl was insane or anything, right?

"And then there's Pyrrha, your partner… and currently lacking a partner – your best friend from before initiation!"

Her best friend? Wait, did she mean Jau- Ruby's heart fell as she turned to look at the white-haired girl, who looked equally unimpressed.

"We are hardly friends," Weiss Schnee snapped, arms crossed.

Ruby couldn't find it in herself to disagree.

"Has anyone-" she paused and took a deep breath, "Is Jaune here?"

Yang's face fell. She looked aside and tried to catch herself, but that simple reaction was enough to make Ruby's stomach drop. So he hadn't made it then...

"Excuse me! Can anyone provide directions to some ruins!?"

The voice called out over the clearing, and it was enough to make Ruby's head snap up. Yang, stood before her, stared over her shoulder in shock – and she heard Pyrrha whisper a name she didn't dare believe to be true.

She turned around and begged her mother's memory to not let it be a lie.

"Oh hey," Jaune Arc said. He waved one arm, "Hi Ruby. You holding up okay?"

Holding up okay!? Was _she_ holding up okay? Her-? She tried to form an answer but the words clogged her throat. A moment later she'd crossed the distance between them and slammed into his chest. "I thought you were dead!" she wailed, arms wrapped around her best - and still very much alive - friend.

"Huh? I-"

She pushed him back and her eyes scanned up and down his form, just to make sure he was still there. Oh gosh, his clothing was ripped in so many places, and it looked like scrapes and bruises littered every bit of skin she could see underneath. He smelled of blood too and it was clear he'd been in a fight. "Are you okay?" she gasped, "Does it hurt? Somebody bring medicine!"

"Hey Ruby," her sister called, "You might want to let him go before someone gets the wrong idea. Or is it the _right_ idea?"

Huh? What did Yang mean? Ruby looked down at herself, only to gasp and step back when she realised just how close she was, and how her hands had started to touch one of his bruises beneath his shirt. She also recalled their first meeting, how he'd stared into her eyes, called her pretty and how he maybe – "Ah-I-uh- I didn't mean," she stammered and backed away, cheeks crimson.

Yang, the big meanie, burst out laughing. "Ah, too precious," she wiped a tear from her eye. "Good to see you in one piece lover-boy. I thought the worst when you got snatched by that Nevermore."

Ruby hid behind Pyrrha in embarrassment, but still poked her head around to listen to her friend's answer. How _had_ he managed to survive that?

"Ah well, it was no big deal," he shrugged.

"No big-?" Yang shook her head. "Did it drop you by accident? Is that why you're clothing's ruined?"

"No. It took me to its nest," he shrugged. "I think my hoodie got ripped when it pinned me down with its beak. That thing was sharp."

Ruby gasped and felt her heart constrict. _He's alive_ , she reminded herself – but it still didn't get rid of all her fear. "But you got away," she had to know. "You escaped, right?"

"Yeah," he laughed and scratched the back of his head. "For a minute I thought it wouldn't let go of me but I managed to make it fall asleep."

"Fall asleep?" Yang asked. "How did you manage that?"

"Eh, with my sword," Jaune hefted the thing, and there was an impressed silence. "Not the best tool for the job but it wasn't like I had much else to hand."

" _Damn_." Yang grinned. "Just you and your sword, atop a mountain and in its very nest?"

"It wasn't _that_ hard. Honestly, I got most of these injuries when I fell."

Ruby gasped.

"You fell down the mountain?" Blake asked with wide eyes.

"Yeah," Jaune sighed and shook his head, as though somehow disappointed with himself. "I mean, it got me down quicker, so result, I suppose. I tried to climb but slipped. I'm… not exactly one for mountain climbing." He looked embarrassed when he admitted that. "I did catch myself, though. The last bit was controlled, so it came out okay."

"What about the rest of the Grimm?" Weiss asked, pushing forward to address him. "The entire area was crawling in them when we arrived. How were you able to get through it all on your own?"

"Grimm?" He cocked his head to one side. "Well, I mean, they're just Grimm… what are they going to do?"

Weiss gaped like a fish.

Just Grimm… Ruby shook her head in awe. Was he so strong, so skilled and powerful that he didn't even fear them? Was it even arrogance when he'd single-handedly killed the Nevermore that picked him out of the sky, climbed down a mountain and covered a Grimm-infested forest, all in about the same time it had taken them?

"G-Geez," Yang laughed, though it was clear even she was surprised. "You sure don't mess around, do you? I guess I can see why you got into Beacon by just applying the day before. You some kind of super-trained prodigy?"

"W-What?" he asked, suddenly nervous, "No. I'm just a normal guy."

"Normal…" Ruby heard her partner whisper. It sounded like the word meant something to Pyrrha, for she straightened up.

"Pyrrha?" Ruby whispered.

"Ah, Ruby, nothing… don't mind me." The redhead smiled down at her before she turned back to the others. "So, if Jaune is here and everyone else already has partners…" she trailed off. The crowd turned as one to look at Weiss.

"No." The white-haired girl crossed her arms. "I refuse to be partnered with that… that ignoramus."

"I'll volunteer to partner with hi-hrk!" The black-haired girl's offer was cut off as Nora's arms wrapped around her throat and pulled her back into a hug.

"Oh silly, Blakey," she laughed, "You already have a partner, remember? We'll be besites. Well, not bestie-besties, since I already have Ren, but you can be second-bestie. Bestie-in-chief. First mate Bestie. My very own bestie-kick. You're so quiet but I'll soon show you how to spread your little voice's wings and fly free! Be free little Blakerfly!"

Ruby watched the display for a few seconds, head tilted to one side as the unfortunate girl struggled to escape the grasp of her partner and self-proclaimed `new bestie`. Okay, well, at least she was friendly, right?

"She seems excitable." Jaune sounded as confused as she felt.

"Oh, that's Nora for you," Yang laughed. Much like she had with Ruby earlier, she introduced him to the assembled people. He nodded at each one, waving at them in turn. "You should have seen her entrance though. She came in riding on the back of an Ursa. Blake looked like she was going to pass out when it stopped. It was crazy."

"Riding an Ursa?"

"Yep!" Nora appeared between them with a smile, and Ruby caught sight of Blake coughing for air on her hands and knees. It looked like Yang's partner had gone over to speak to her, the boy's face curiously sympathetic. "Mr Mittens was our faithful steed," Nora went on, "He carried us here though Grimm and forest and delivered us unto this ruin like a true hero."

Okay, Ruby hadn't seen that, but it sounded bizarre. Was this girl for real?

"I _knew_ I should have ridden an Ursa here," Jaune grumbled. "And he said it would look weird…" He seemed to notice everyone was watching him and coughed into his fist. "So," he said, "what happened to Mr Mittens? Where is he?"

"He... died." Nora looked down at the ground, one shaking hand held before her lips.

"Oh I'm… sorry. Did he… was it an accident?"

"It was, please believe me! I didn't realise how tired he was and he collapsed after bringing us here. If only I'd known, I would have let him rest. I'm the worst kind of person..."

Jaune sighed and shook his head. "Look, Nora… I'm sure it's okay. It was an honest mistake and… and I'm sure Mr Mittens would forgive you. I will, in his place."

"Really?"

Ruby's face kept turning to look at each as they spoke, and as their faces became more and more serious, she wasn't sure she could keep up with the conversation. She wasn't the only one, apparently, since the high-strung girl nearby growled into her hands.

"This!" she howled, and pointed at Jaune. "This is why I can't be his partner. He's clearly insane, damaged in the head or just… just… plain stupid!"

"He's also a certified badass," Yang said, crossing her hands behind her head. "I mean, look at him… a Nevermore just caught him out of the sky and his reaction is to murder it. That's like... hell, you don't even see that in movies."

"I wouldn't say _murder_ ," Jaune cut in.

"Put it to sleep, then," Yang grinned. "Either way, you said you wanted someone strong, right? He fits the bill."

"I think it would be a wonderful choice," Pyrrha said. Ruby looked up at her in confusion, but the redhead simply flashed her the horse piece in her hand. Ruby looked towards Weiss and saw the same one in hers.

 _If Jaune's her partner, then he's on our team!_ She realised.

Wait… he would be on her team. Did... did she want that? Her cheeks flushed and she hid herself back behind Pyrrha as she tried to think of an answer. He was her best friend, true, and even if she'd only known him for a day, he was funny and not just in a way that teased others. He didn't just focus on Yang, but instead felt like someone who could be _her_ friend too.

But he also said things that made her feel funny and she had _no_ idea what to do if her suspicions were true. She was fifteen, she wasn't ready for someone to have those kinds of feelings for her. Dad had said she wouldn't be until she was thirty-five at least.

She'd asked Yang and she said _fifty_!

 _Okay, it's fine… I just need to think about this. Jaune can still be my best friend if he's on Yang's team, and I can figure out what to do in the meantime. All I need to do is convince Weiss not to-_

"Oh, fine," Weiss scowled, "But if you dare call my family _normal_ again, there will be trouble."

Wait, what!? Ruby's face fell as she realised she'd spent so long panicking and trying to come up with a plan that the others had already convinced Weiss to let it go. Jaune walked up to the white-haired girl with an awkward smile. Along the way he spotted her and waved.

"Ruby?" Pyrrha whispered when she pressed her face into the taller girl's back.

"Nothing," she mumbled. Her cheeks were still red. "I just… has anyone ever mentioned how comfortable your back is?"

"Um… no?"

 _Someone shoot me…_

/-/

Well, out of all the people he'd expected to end up with, he hadn't thought it would be the one person who seemed to really hate him. _"Aw man, why couldn't it have been Ruby, Yang or Pyrrha? They all got on with me… or Nora. I mean, did you hear that, a human who understands the values of co-existence and co-operation with Grimm?"_

" **She rode a Grimm to death, Jaune. I wouldn't call that co-existence and** _ **certainly**_ **not co-operation."**

Well, true… but she seemed awfully beat up about it. That kind of grief couldn't be faked and as far as he was concerned, she could be the first step in Grimm and humankind living in harmony. _Er… the second step. I guess the first would be to convince mom not to make them all with a mindless desire to kill all humanity._

Still, it was progress!

But no, despite the wide array of people he _could_ have been partnered with, he now had Weiss Schnee – the girl who looked as beautiful as his mother, but had so few of her redeeming features. Salem was kind and sweet, soft and loving… this girl was just pure evil!

"What are you looking at?" the evil witch scowled.

"N-Nothing!" The girl scowled and stomped away. Jaune looked at Yang. "She's scary…"

"Hah, the guy who kicked a Nevermore's ass thinks a girl half his size is scary. That's rich."

He wasn't sure why she kept saying that. He hadn't kicked its ass, or even kicked it at all. Didn't she know you never kicked a sleeping Nevermore? Besides, that would have been a poor way to repay it for catching him before he splattered onto the forest. He made to follow after Weiss, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"I'm glad to see you're okay Jaune," Pyrrha said, a wide smile on her lips.

He was glad to see she and Ruby were okay too. He hadn't meant to scare them in the tunnels but it had been dark and well, now that he thought about it, even if it had been bright they'd have probably have still been scared.

"Ruby and I tried to find you upon entering the forest," she went on, pushing the girl behind her in front. Ruby's silver eyes were wide (and scary), but her cheeks were bright red. Had he hurt her when he knocked her against the wall? She didn't look injured, but her face was so red. Could someone get a fever from banging into something?

Wait... they'd tried to find him?

"You did?" he asked, "Why?"

"W-We wanted to help you," Ruby said, eyes on the floor. "We thought you were hurt. I- we thought you might die."

They thought that-? Jaune's eyes widened as he looked down at the girl. No, his friend. Without really thinking about it he knelt down and drew her into a hug. She stiffened in his arms but didn't pull away. "I'm sorry," he said, releasing her and offering Pyrrha one as well. "I didn't mean to worry you all. I'm fine, though. I was more worried about you."

"About us?" Pyrrha shook her head with a small smile. "I can't believe you'd worry about someone else in that kind of situation. You really must be skilled."

"Nah, I'm just a normal guy."

The answer seemed to please her.

A great crash from the nearby forest had them all scrambling for cover, however. Weiss shouted a warning, but the effort was wasted, for at that very moment, a familiar shape barrelled through trees and bushes alike. Two, giant claws pinched at the air, and steam poured from its furious maw.

" **I think it escaped."**

" _Such insight, Remy... you've outdone yourself."_

"Did it follow?" Pyrrha gasped. "No… he must have sent it after us."

He? Who was she talking about? Was there some kind of sick and evil person torturing Grimm and releasing them into the wild? He didn't have the time to ask, for the Grimm tore across the clearing at the three of them and slammed a pincer down into the soft ground. Dirt and rock pelted against the arms he'd crossed over his face, and he landed a good five feet back with a wince.

The Deathstalker screeched and went after him. It ignored Pyrrha and Ruby on either side of it, and even seemed uncaring of all the others arranged around.

" _It's just going for me. What do I do?"_

" **Kill it!"**

Jaune nodded and drew his sword. He couldn't transform… not with everyone watching. Instead, it was all he could do to fight it like any other human would.

" **Oh,"** Remy deadpanned, **"Now I see the problem."**

With a roar of his own, Jaune slammed the blade his father had given him into the Grimm. The sound it made echoed across the clearing, but that was the only thing it really did. He bounced away from the armoured carapace, arms vibrating.

" **You know, sometimes it's easy to forget how you're basically useless with a sword."**

"Could you actually _help_ , please?" Jaune growled as he ducked under a claw that would have torn his head off.

"R-Right," Ruby nodded, having overheard and apparently mistaken him as talking to her. She cut across the clearing with her scythe deployed, but her attack was about as effective as his. With her smaller frame, she was flung back to land in the grass – and it was to his horror that he saw the monster turn to her.

"Ruby!" He dashed forward, eyes already shifting as he prepared to transform. Screw his disguise and screw what the others would say – he'd save her.

White flickered past him, and the decision was taken out of his hands.

"Don't just charge right in," Weiss rebuked as she blocked the Deathstalker's pincers with a wall of ice. "Seriously, I know you're just a child but have you even _heard_ of strategy?"

"I-I just wanted to help Jaune!" Ruby cried.

"I know," the older girl sighed, "I can't fault you for helping my partner. Just… be careful and work as a group. You don't need to prove yourself to me."

"Ruby," Jaune gasped as he reached her. He pulled her up and inspected her for injuries, but apart from looking a little embarrassed and shuffling her feet beneath his gaze, she seemed uninjured. "Thank you Weiss, thank you."

"W-Well, I was hardly going to allow her to be killed."

"Less talk, more fight," Nora yelled as she slammed a hammer down atop the Deathstalker's skull. The back of weapon ignited and an explosion rocked the Grimm's shell. That did little to stop it, however, and as the three of them rushed back to stand with the others he saw it continue to flail and hiss.

"It's huge," Blake whispered, "I've never seen so large a Grimm."

"I have," he whispered without thinking. "Ah, it was a while ago," he added when he noticed her shocked expression. "S-Shouldn't we focus on putting this one out of its misery first?"

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Yang grinned. "Let's go pound it."

She was yanked back by her partner, who shook his head. "It's well-armoured and protected but only has its tail and claws to attack," Ren said. "We should split up and attack it from both sides, looking for weaknesses."

Weiss nodded to the plan. "Jaune, Ruby, Pyrrha and I shall take the left flank. The rest of you take the right."

" _Remy?"_

" **Might as well go along with it,"** the parasite said, **"They know more about fighting as a human than you do."**

That was true, and with a mental shrug he chased after his partner as she dashed to the left of the Grimm. Her height looked so small compared to it, and yet her speed was enough to lift her away from its claws when it turned to her.

He readied Crocea Mors in his hand, his shield in the other. He didn't think he could actually swing at it… it was sick, not evil. It felt too cruel. _But if it tries to hurt my friends, I'll have no choice._ From the flash of fire he saw from the other side, it looked like the rest had already gotten involved.

"Jaune, keep its attention," Weiss called, "Pyrrha try to hit the tail, Ruby – you're the fastest so go for any weak points you can but _be careful_."

"Got it," the two girls said and leapt into action.

Jaune… was less sure. Distract it? How was he supposed to do that? He jogged forwards but came to a slow stop a little out of its reach. "Hey," he called, feeling more than a little useless, "Look at me."

It did. With a twist so sudden he thought he might have imagined it, its eyes seemed to shift over to him – before its entire bulk followed. Weiss cursed at the sudden change and dodged back, but it gave the girl with the black bow a chance to cut a shallow line in its stinger. Orange liquid oozed out, but the Deathstalker hardly seemed to register it.

It was focused wholly on him.

 _It… recognises me?_ It seemed too strange to be true, and yet there was that spark of intellect in its gaze. It knew who he was, and yet in direct contrast to every other Grimm, it felt no desire to be subservient. It didn't bow or wait, but rather sought to rip and tear the flesh from his bones. He hefted the shield before him and prepared for its attack.

The blow struck him like a hammer. The force of it had his bones rattling, yet his unique physiology, so similar, but just a little tougher, than a human's, had him able to grit his teeth and bear through it. The stinger didn't puncture the steel and instead slammed into the ground beside him.

"I've got it!" Ruby yelled. She streaked over his head like a red comet, and there was a flash of silver as the Grimm's tail was severed in one, wicked slice. It screeched in pain, and the pure agony in that sound was enough to make his eyes water.

 _It has to be this way!_ Weiss locked two legs down with ice as the Grimm tried to chase Ruby, and the moment's distraction was all that was necessary for Lie Ren to dash in and fire a shot into one of its eyes. The organ popped and disappeared as another roar sounded. _I'm sorry!_

"HA!" Yang yelled and slammed a fist into another leg. A blast of fire and air came from her fists, and the limb shattered with a horrific crack.

 _I didn't mean for this to happen._

The hunters plucked and plucked until the threat was destroyed, like so many smaller insects crawling over a wounded predator. One leg after another was disabled, and with its stinger already transfixed into the ground, the beast fell down with a mighty heave. It tried to rise, but it had lost too much and collapsed with a sigh.

Jaune stepped forward.

"Are you mad?" Weiss grabbed his sleeve. "It's unable to move and dying. There's no need to risk ourselves any further."

His breath hitched. "Look at it," he growled, and glared at her. "It's in agony. I'm not going to let it end like that. I'm going to put it out of its misery."

"It's a Grimm," Blake pointed out.

"It still feels pain… or did you not hear the way it screamed?"

Her eyes widened, and she looked away with a conflicted expression. It didn't matter, and no one tried to stop him as he strode forward, Crocea Mors in hand.

" **This is what you want to be,"** Remy whispered, **"You can't act out like that if you want to avoid suspicion."**

" _I know…"_

He knew. It was just so hard.

The Deathstalker's lone eye followed him as he approached, and this time it made no real effort to attack him. It breathed out once, a long, rattling hiss. To his surprise, its claws remained on the grass, and its red eye didn't seem angry at all. It didn't seem mad, either. It looked tired.

Relieved…

"You wanted this," Jaune whispered, "didn't you?"

Its carapace heaved.

"That's why you attacked me… because you knew I could end it. You followed us because you wanted the pain to stop."

Its lone, red eye closed, and it lowered its face down onto the grass.

Something angry burned behind his eyes, but he took a deep breath and settled his sword point on the middle of its head. It hadn't asked for this. It hadn't wanted to be trapped in a mountain all its life. It hadn't wanted to learn to live and feel, only to perceive its tiny, lonely cage. He wrapped both hands around the hilt and thrust it down.

The Deathstalker sighed.

Jaune sighed too, and turned back to the others as he slowly sheathed the blade. They watched him. No weapons were drawn, however, so at least they weren't about to attack. In fact, they seemed more shocked than anything... wide eyes and curious gazes as he walked back to them with a weak smile.

"That was a kind gesture," Pyrrha said.

"Kinder than it would have shown any human." Ren added.

He shook his head and tried to banish his fatigue. "That doesn't make it okay for us to do the same. If I can show mercy, I will."

"And if it had attacked you?" Weiss asked. "What if it had killed you?"

"It wouldn't have been able to."

The heiress' eyes narrowed. "What on Remnant are you?" she asked.

"Me?" Jaune said, with a tired smile. "I'm just a normal guy."

/-/

Pyrrha looked to her new teammate once more, now back at Beacon but still just as concerned as she had been before. The look on his face, what he'd said and the actions he'd taken… she couldn't fault him. She didn't think any of them could. Phrased like he had, and with how the Grimm had looked, killing it had been a mercy it perhaps didn't deserve. But he felt it did… and that was all that mattered.

He stood with them now, and his expression seemed easier than it had before, somehow more relaxed. Ruby whispered something to him and he laughed in response and nudged her back. Those two were close, even if Ruby had a strange tendency to suddenly blush and stammer around him at random moments.

Perhaps she could come to know him better too. The thought pleased her, since she'd thought that avenue lost when she took Ruby as a partner.

But the headmaster called them up together, which meant that much like the others before them, along with the newly named Team RYBN, or Ribbon, led by Ren, they were going to be a team of four themselves.

" _Me? I'm just a normal guy."_

The way he'd said it, so exhausted and soft - like he had barely expected them to believe it... the words had stuck with her. He was anything but normal. The fact he'd survived the Nevermore said as much, and she could see people in the crowd gasp and whisper as they realised just who he was. Some pointed, others whispered, and he ignored it all with ease, eyes focused on the headmaster. It wasn't just the Nevermore, though. The way he'd taken the Deathstalker's stinger with ease, or the complete lack of fear he'd shown when he approached the injured – but still very dangerous creature.

He wasn't normal.

He was compassionate, sweet - and so very powerful. He had to be, to have had so little trouble with the initiation. She didn't even think she could have fought off a Nevermore once it had her in its claws. It was a surprise she hadn't heard of him before, perhaps in the tournament circles. Someone so skilled must have been as famous as she wa-...

Her heart skipped a beat. Could he be… was he…?

 _"I'm just normal."_

 _"There's nothing unusual about me."_

 _"I'm an ordinary guy."_

And her own response…

" _I'm a normal girl too."_ She hadn't said that because she was... but because it was what she desperately wished to be. And he'd smiled when she'd said it, as though enjoying some secret joke. Was he the same as her? Had he come to Beacon hoping for a new start, to avoid the fame and expectations of his past? Was that the difference between them, that where she had simply attempted to fade into the background, devoid of any hope of it actually succeeding, he had gone out of his way to appear unassuming, to appear idiotic and simple?

Was it all a ruse, just to try and appear like a normal person and not the prodigy he was? The thought of it made her throat go dry.

And perhaps he had known her too, for it certainly seemed unusual that he'd failed to recognise either Weiss _or_ her by name, suspiciously convenient, now that she thought about it. Weiss had been right - the SDC were known everywhere. You couldn't _not_ know them. But Jaune, in his compassion, having realised what _she_ was trying to do… had pretended not to know her. Because he understood what it felt like to want to be a normal person.

Had he done all of that, just for her?

Yes… that had to be it. His strength, his skill and his ability to survive the Grimm all spoke of advanced training, but for some reason he wanted to hide it. He wanted to be normal. For that, and for how he'd offered her the same courtesy, she would keep his secret. She would keep it... but she would get to know him better too. Perhaps they could share stories. Perhaps she'd finally found someone who understood.

"And for collecting the knight pieces," Ozpin orated, "We have Weiss Schnee, Jaune Arc, Ruby Rose and Pyrrha Nikos. Henceforth you shall be known as Team WJRP – or Team Whirlpool, led by Weiss Schnee."

Team whirlpool… it was a creative use of their names, but not one Pyrrha found herself too displeased with. At least they hadn't been called Team wrapping paper or something similar. The headmaster finished with an explanation of their dorms and lessons, ending with congratulating them on their success and wishing them well. Weiss preened through it all, clearly pleased with having been selected to lead them.

 _Well... I suppose the team isn't as bad as I first feared.  
_

"Hey," Jaune grinned and turned to them. "We're sharing a room, then? I guess I get to sleep with you after all, Ruby."

Pyrrha blinked as she felt Ruby disappear behind her once more.

* * *

 **Poor Rubaby. She isn't ready for this, even if it's not this and neither of them truly know what `this` is. I had fun messing up the teams here, though I do know a lot of people were commenting or suggesting Nora for his partner. It would be easy for me to say "Nah, I chose Weiss," but I thought I could take a second to explain it too - just so everyone can understand why. It's spoiler free and might be useful advice for other writers.  
**

 **Mini-lesson, or "Why Weiss" **

Believe it or not, but comedy comes from conflict and it's necessary that there be conflict in order for comedy to exist. For instance, Mr Bean is comedic because we see a strange and oblivious man in very serious and normal situations. Kingsman is also comedic because the main character is a chav in a posh world (again, conflict of character).

If we were to see (or read) about an idiot character going through normal life while people laugh at them, that would be quite an upsetting story - but take that same character and make them Prime Minister, and then have them somehow save the world through their idiocy and prove everyone wrong - and that's comedy.

In this story, it's perhaps obvious why Ruby and Pyrrha are on his team, so that only leaves one person left. Nora is the easy and obvious choice for more comic relief, but that leaves the team without a normalizing agent, something for Jaune's awkwardness to clash and conflict with. In a sense, Nora would encourage and enable Jaune to be a bit of an idiot and wouldn't give him the chance to learn or improve in any way. The team would also face the same issue, with no one to act as the rock which grounds the team in reality. A lot of the comedy in this story comes from Jaune (the outsider) reacting and learning what it means to be normal, but if the team blindly accepts all of his faults without comment (as Nora would), then that conflict is lost. Jaune does something silly and everyone laughs about it and it's forgotten.

With that in mind, Weiss was really the "only" person who could fit. Ren would surrender to Nora, Blake would be quiet and Yang might just laugh and find it funny - but Weiss is the only one controlling and disciplined enough to try and change things - to create that conflict between Jaune the outsider and the normal world. Yes, Jaune could conflict with other teams and people like Ozpin, etc, but that would still leave the comedy within his team as a little weak - basically watered down to Jaune says or does something that he thinks is normal but everyone else finds awkward but Nora leaps in and supports him with her own madness. They all accept it and move on with a laugh.

Sadly, that drains a lot of the comedy away - especially if his awkward words have no consequences.

So, the lesson in a sense is that sometimes when you're writing a story you need to think further ahead, for while Nora and Jaune would have made an amusing and explosive partnership early on, it would have complications later that leave the story dragging on.

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 15** **th** **February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	6. Chapter 6

**Some people questioned why Weiss was made the leader last chapter, and to that I really have nothing to say. In the last chapter it was she and Ren who made the decision to flank the Deathstalker. What's more, she pulled Ruby back, showed restraint and otherwise was the only one on their team to offer anything in the way of strategy. I know in the show Jaune was chosen (for whatever reason that was for), but here, I like to use a bit more common sense. Weiss was the one who showed the most leadership ability, and as such she was chosen. To those who said it's bad because she doesn't deserve it because early Weiss is a bitch… well, I don't let feelings like that get in the way of what I know will generate a better story.**

 **I don't like early Weiss, either, but that doesn't mean I need to bash on her for it. What satisfaction might be gained ultimately leads to a worse story.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 6 – To Lead the Herd**

* * *

The first day in Beacon, or the first day of lessons as it were, should have been a day of discovery and wonder, of marvel and the first step of him being the huntsman and hero his father was. Instead, Jaune Salem Arc gasped on the floor as life slowly left him.

"You idiot!" Weiss, so similar to his mother and yet so much crueller, scowled down at him. Her hands reached down to his neck and she did… something there. The tight material that had nearly killed him came loose and when she stood back up it was with it in hand. "Don't tell me you've never put on a tie before. This is ridiculous."

A tie - was that what the evil thing was called? Did humans actually bother to wear such things, and if so, why? What was the benefit to having something around your throat that could be tightened to asphyxiate you? "Do I have to wear it?"

Weiss scowled and through it at him. The light fabric briefly fluttered against his chest as he caught it. "It's part of your uniform and as team leader I won't accept you looking anything other than your best." She smiled then, almost pleasantly, as she turned to the tall redhead stood nearby. "Pyrrha, I'm sorry to be a bother but would it be possible for you to help the fool with his tie? I need to make sure that child hasn't done anything foolish to her own uniform."

"Ruby may be young but I'm confident in her maturity," Pyrrha said. Weiss harrumphed but didn't argue as she stalked into the bathroom. That left the taller girl to come up to him and take the material from his hands. She smiled and lifted up his collar, winding the clothing gently around his neck.

"Did I make her angry?" Jaune asked. "I didn't mean to."

"It's fine. Weiss is… I'm sure she will calm down in a few days. I hope she will, anyway. Perhaps for now she feels she needs to prove herself." She tightened the tie to his neck and stepped back. "There. Does that feel okay?"

It did feel better and he nodded. The two paused when they heard a commotion come from the bathroom, however. "You can't wear that," Weiss' voice came through easily, "It's not part of the uniform. Take it off!"

"No! I can't!"

"I _said_ take it off! You're a part of this team and we need to set an image. You can't just run around defying the rules. If you want to study here, you need to stop being such a child!"

Jaune glanced at Pyrrha, who sighed and shook her head. "Shouldn't we do something?" he asked.

"Weiss?" Pyrrha called, "We'll need to head off soon if we want to make it to breakfast." The reminder had his stomach growling but he cut it off as the bathroom door opened and Weiss dragged Ruby outside by her hood. It was a hood that she'd added onto her uniform, and the younger girl clung to it grimly.

"Pyrrha," Weiss sighed, "This… this _child_ wants to wear this on top of her uniform. I'm trying to tell her she can't but she won't listen."

"I have to wear it," Ruby's gasped, "I-It's… it's special to me; I can't not wear it."

"You have an image to maintain, _o_ _ur_ image – the team's image!" Weiss rolled her eyes and turned to them both. She only had eyes for Pyrrha, however, and it was clear his input was neither requested nor desired. "Tell your partner, Pyrrha. She can't just flout the rules like this."

"Pyrrha…" Ruby's eyes were wide.

Pyrrha sighed and crossed her arms. "I don't see why it's such a big deal," she said, and Jaune watched nervously as Ruby's eyes began to water and Weiss nodded. "If Ruby wants to wear it, just let her. If the teachers say anything she'll need to take it off, but otherwise, I don't see the harm."

Ruby and Weiss' expressions reversed with incredible speed, and the silver-eyed girl used the moment's distraction to tug her hood free and rush over to give her partner a hug.

"That, that is-" Weiss scowled. "Well, what do _you_ think, Arc?"

"I wasn't aware my opinion mattered," Jaune said dumbly. "It didn't before."

"Wha-I-uh…" Weiss' cheeks flushed as she stammered for words. Was she sick? He wondered why she looked so panicked.

"But, if it does, I hope she can keep it. I mean, it doesn't hurt anyone and besides…" he trailed off for a moment to look towards her. He'd been about to say it was good for covering her eyes before his sister-trained instincts kicked in and he remembered that seven out of seven sisters would have kicked his ass for saying that. What was it they liked to hear again? "She looks cute in it."

There was a muffled gasp and up went the hood – covering Ruby's face and eyes. That made it easier for him to breathe since he was still getting used to those.

Weiss looked at him, more than a little flabbergasted. "W-Well, I uh… fine. I suppose I shall let this one go, _but_! The moment a teacher tells you to take it off, you have to, understood?"

Ruby mumbled something that might have contained the word yes, but probably didn't. It seemed to be enough for Weiss, who shook her head and glowered at all three of them. Ruby stuck her tongue out while he shuffled in place. It was Pyrrha who raised an eyebrow in return, and that proved enough to have Weiss stop and storm out of the room.

"I suppose we should follow her," Pyrrha sighed. "I'm sorry Ruby, I feel like I should have done more."

"It's okay." Ruby whispered, the red of her hood reflecting off her cheeks, "You helped. Won't Weiss be mad at you, though?"

"You're my partner," Pyrrha said with a little smile.

That left Jaune to wonder, as they made their way out of the room, what his role in the affair was supposed to be. If Pyrrha stuck up for her partner, was he meant to do the same for Weiss? No answer seemed forthcoming, and as they jogged down the corridors they eventually caught up with the irate leader, who spared them a critical glance but otherwise didn't complain.

They entered the cafeteria as a full team, and Jaune marvelled at the wide array of people sat at various benches. There were so much more than he'd seen in the initiation, probably the other years coming to breakfast.

Weiss sighed and looked around. "We should find a table to oursel-"

"Hey, look!" Ruby cheered, "There's Yang and her team – come on guys!"

"W-Wait," Weiss tried to reach out to snag the girl's hood but she'd already shot off. Pyrrha chuckled and followed, leaving him to stand beside Weiss, whose arm was still outstretched. The girl straightened and grumbled to herself before she caught him watching. "What?" she snapped. "Is there something on my face?"

He tilted his head and looked at her face. Well, she looked angry but he didn't see anything out of place. "No," he eventually said, right as it looked like she might erupt. "I was just waiting for you to finish what you were going to say." She still didn't look impressed so he went for the usual escape route. "I like your knees."

"Excuse me?" The girl huffed, glared at him, and then shook her head. "Forget it. At least someone is listening to me at least," she growled as she walked off after Ruby and Pyrrha. He shrugged and followed, in time to sit down and hear Yang's comment to her little sister.

"So, how was your bed last night, Rubes? Was it soft – or maybe hard and warm?"

"YANG!" Ruby gasped, cheeks aflame as she looked at her sister and then back to him.

Was she waiting for him to respond? That seemed like a question Yang had asked her in all honesty, but if Ruby wanted him to answer then he supposed he could help her out. "It was comfortable," he said, since the bed was probably the same as his, "The pillows were really nice, though – small and soft."

Ruby started to choke on air, and it felt like all conversation died at the table. Yang, in stark contrast to how she'd acted the day before, smiled like a Beowolf. "Oh, and were you gentle with those pillows, or were you rough?"

"Huh? Well, I mean, I guess it depends from person to person. I was gentle but Ruby kept tossing and turning, then Pyrrha started to as well."

"She was there too?" Yang crooned, even as the girl in question placed one hand against her face. The others had started to snigger too, as though he'd said something particularly funny.

"Of course… I mean, we all were."

"You dolt," Weiss interrupted with a sigh, "You have no idea what you're even saying, do you? He didn't sleep with Ruby, gentle or otherwise. We would have heard."

"Unless you slept with him too," Yang pointed out.

"She did," Jaune nodded.

"I did not!" Weiss kicked him beneath the table. "Read between the lines a little, idiot. She means us sleeping in the same bed!"

"Oh," he said, realisation finally dawning. "No, we didn't sleep in the same bed."

Ruby let out a long sigh as she fanned her cheeks, all the while glaring at her wildly laughing sister. If she'd wanted to sleep in the same bed as him, he'd have let her, though. It had been a while since he'd slept with any of his sisters. His real sisters, that was. There'd been the time he had a nightmare and tried to sleep with big sis Cinder too. She'd been too tired to argue and had let him, but the resultant nightmares when his mom had caught them the next morning hadn't been worth it.

Still, Ruby seemed to get unusually flustered when he mentioned them sleeping together, so he figured he'd save it this time. _"See Remy, I'm learning and adapting."_

" **Yay…"**

"So," Yang asked, finally getting her amusement under control as she leaned her chin on her hands, "How are things on Team Water."

"Team Whirlpool," Weiss corrected, "and things are coming alone oka-"

"Eh," Ruby interrupted, "We're still getting used to things – how about you guys?"

"Oh, it's great. Ren woke us up on time for breakfast and Nora's got the most _amazing_ stories. We unpacked all our stuff last night and managed to get it sorted. I thought there wouldn't be enough room for a minute but Ren sorted it out."

"Renny is super-organised," Nora cheered. "He's like a magician, or a ninja – and my epic partner likes ninjas! I saw it on that book she tried to hide."

They all looked towards the black-haired girl, who seemed to recoil from the attention. The book she had crept up her face, so that only the tips of her eyes were visible over it. "I-it's just a book," she said.

"It's a book about _ninjas_ ," Nora clarified. "I think I should read it when you're done. It would be like team bonding! We could even have Renny act it out."

"N-No, we shouldn't," Blake seemed to become unnaturally stiff. "It's just fiction. It wouldn't be a good idea. Forget all about it."

"He's a good actor~" Nora cooed.

"No!" Blake shouted, then froze when she realised what she'd done. "I mean no, that's fine. I… I haven't finished the story yet, that's all. I wouldn't want it to be spoiled if he acted out the ending."

"Anyway," Yang laughed, "Yeah, our teams doing great. I think we're onto a real winner here."

"Lucky you," Weiss grumbled.

There was no way the blonde hadn't heard Weiss, but she didn't comment on it. Instead, the conversation turned towards classes and he listened intently. It sounded like they had Grimm Studies first, which he was quite interested in. _Mom always said they didn't know anything about the Grimm, so this will be a good chance to see what they do. I wonder if they talk about packs, habits and lifestyles… I might actually do well in that class._

"There is one thing," Yang said, "I… Well, I wanted to tell you all later. Can you guys meet us in our dorm sometime this afternoon?"

"Is it really necessary?" Weiss asked with a roll of her eyes. "We might have homework tonight and I intend for us all to work on it together. We have to set an example, after all." Ruby looked distressed at the thought of that, but Pyrrha nudged an arm into her side and she calmed down. _Ooh, I've never done homework before,_ Jaune thought. _I wonder if it's fun._

"It won't take long, I promise. It's… well, I think it's important. Just do it as a favour. If you don't want to hear what I have to say at the time, you can back out."

Weiss sighed but agreed, probably because she felt Ruby would complain if she didn't. Before long the bell for the first lesson was called, and Jaune followed after his team as they left to begin their education.

 _Grimm Studies, here I come!_

/-/

Things were not going the way Weiss would have wished. At first she'd been thrilled with her team, at least one member of it, and then to be made the leader? Winter would be so proud! The problem came soon after and started that very morning with Ruby and her stubborn refusal to fix her uniform. The girl flouted the rules like a child then had the temerity to claim she wasn't being childish when she refused to follow the dress code. Was it far that everyone else had to follow it but her? Ultimately, Ruby Rose didn't care.

That had been the first blow, made all the worse when Pyrrha agreed with her partner over the team leader.

That had been frustrating, but nothing too bad. It was early on and Winter had always said it took time to establish discipline. She'd let the silly hood thing go and if Ruby wanted to risk the ire of the teachers, well then – she'd be there to point out she only had herself to blame.

The second blow came at breakfast when Ruby cut through her own suggestions and basically dragged their team over to another without so much as asking a single one of them if they were okay with that. Sure, Weiss could sympathise with wanting to spend time with your older sister, but if it had been her and Winter, she would still have asked the rest of the team if they were okay with that. It was only polite.

Ruby wasn't polite, nor was she conscientious or mature in any way, shape or form.

It brought a strange appreciation for her own partner who, despite being undeniably odd, at least seemed to listen to her instructions for the most part. She had the suspicion he lived in some backwater settlement on the frontier, which might explain his lack of general knowledge, common sense and why he'd nearly strangled himself with a tie, but still, those things could be fixed in time. At least he listened to her and didn't cause problems like Ruby.

And at least he didn't automatically take her side like Pyrrha kept doing. _She's only trying to be a good partner to the girl,_ she kept telling herself. It was nothing personal. Except that it was, and it felt like Pyrrha was more focused on being a good partner than she was a good teammate. _I don't think my asking Ruby to follow the rules of Beacon was cruel. Everyone has to. Why did she act out so badly?_

Her thoughts were cut off as they entered the classroom and she bumped into her partner's back. "Don't just stop suddenly," she growled and rubbed her nose, only to raise an eyebrow as the taller teen stood stock still. "What's wrong? Don't tell me you forgot something."

"W-What's that!" he gasped, arm held out.

Weiss followed it and sighed when she saw a realistic depiction of a Beowolf head, kept as a trophy on the wall. It was fake, of course, since everyone knew Grimm faded away when killed. It _was_ realistic, though. "It's just a fake trophy," she sighed, "It's not a real Beowolf sticking its head through the wall if that's what you mean."

"Not that. Why is it there at all? Who would _do_ such a thing!?"

She regarded him with a roll of her eyes, though deep inside she couldn't help but agree. It was a little tacky, not to mention superfluous. A hunter was a hunter, no matter what else they did. A _real_ hunter shouldn't feel the need to take trophies and this was what rich people like the Board of Directors usually did. They liked to feel special and brave and so would purchase gaudy things like that. "I suppose it's there as a visual aid," she said, "I don't know. Now hurry up, we don't want to be late when the lesson starts."

/-/

Jaune was shaking like a leaf by the time Weiss sat him down and took a seat on his right. A small part of him noticed how she placed him between her and the other two members of their team, but for the most part he was too busy trying to calm himself. His eyes flicked to the left – a Boarbatusk's head stamped onto the wall. His eyes widened and he instead turned to the right, only to cringe as he saw a fancy painting of an Ursa being cut down by a people with spears. He tried another wall – weapons and diagrams showing weak points. Elsewhere, a fake-Beowolf hide rug.

The entire room seemed to spin around him as he became dizzy, more and more scenes and vistas of Grimm being slain, of packs being hunted down and butchered for nothing more than entertainment – of pain and blood and death!

"Jaune!" Weiss snapped. "What on Remnant is wrong with you?"

"N-Nothing," he laughed. Sweat dribbled profusely down his brow, "I'm just… wow, is it me or is it really death- I mean hot in here?"

"It's you," she deadpanned. "You look like you're about to collapse. Is it the Grimm? You didn't show any reaction to them in the forest."

"I-It's not," he swallowed and took a deep breath when she raised an eyebrow, "Okay, maybe it is… I… are you okay with this… this insanity? Look at the way this person celebrates what he does. That's not right."

" **Jaune,"** Remy warned, **"She's a huntress. She isn't going to agree with that!** **You need to be less suspici-"**

"You're right," Weiss agreed, instantly shutting Remy up. "The décor leaves something to desire, I admit, and it does seem a little distracting for a teaching environment."

"Grimm shouldn't be trophies," he whimpered.

"Exactly," Weiss nodded, for once looking pleased with him, "Our job is a responsibility and not something to be taken lightly. We do not do this because we find enjoyment in doing it or to boast of our success, but because we want to help people."

She understood – she really understood! New-found hope surged within him as he turned to the short girl, who suddenly didn't look half-as-intimidating. "A-And going out into the wild lands to just hunt down innocent Grimm is wrong, right Weiss?"

The girl blinked and tilted her head to the side. "I suppose it would be," she conceded, "After all, if you waste your time in such a manner it might mean being unable to react to a crisis somewhere else." She looked at him curiously for a moment. "Is that why you are so averse to this?"

Because the man who had set this rom up was clearly a psychopath? "YES!"

"I see… Perhaps no one was available when you needed hel-" she paused, and her eyes grew wide. "Forgive me, my words were insensitive. Jaune Arc, I understand your frustrations and want you to know that I agree with you on them."

Something unfamiliar bubbled inside his stomach. Jaune's eyes softened as he stared at the girl he'd written off so easily before. "Weiss…" he breathed.

"We appear to both be in agreement on what the duties of a huntsman are," she said, "But since this _is_ a lesson and he _is_ our teacher, I'll have to ask that you do your best to listen to him. Will you be okay with that?"

"I will," he nodded. It wasn't a total lie. In the face of such a monster, his partner's casual show of support meant more than he'd expected it to. He would be okay, so long as she stood by his side.

He could do this.

"Monsters, demons, prowlers of the night. Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names, but I…? I call them prey."

He couldn't do this.

The moment the man entered, all Jaune's attention zeroed in on him and he struggled to maintain his calm façade. The man was large, unfit-looking and boasted a huge moustache. His outfit seemed too small for him and he seemed to wobble as he made his way about the room… but Jaune knew better.

" **Be wary around him, Jaune,"** Remy hissed. The parasite sounded more serious than Jaune had ever heard him be before. **"If he finds out who you are…"**

" _I know,"_ Jaune replied. _"This… without a doubt, this is the most dangerous huntsman in Beacon."_

He wouldn't be fooled by the man's foppish attitude, nor the way he sought to distract them from the truth with his tales of his old uncle that smelled of cabbage. Uncle Watts had warned him about such people… those who sought to distract you from the truth.

"-and then I found myself lost in the Grimmlands with naught but my trousers, a bucket of water and my left shoe, and I said - `by jove, Peter, a good job for the Grimm you don't have your right!`." The man threw his arms wide. "I then took my shoe and proceeded to carve a path through the Grimmlands, the power of my soul – and my sole – enough to drive even the most hardy Beowolves to their doom."

 _By Salem,_ Jaune thought, fingers clenched onto the desk and hair dripping with sweat. Had this man gotten close to the tower? What if he'd caught one of his sisters out feeding the Nevermores or walking Kevin? _Every day I would just fool around outside, never knowing this man might have been so close. What if he caught me with his shoe!?_

What if the man caught him with his _real_ weapon?

" **Keep it together, Jaune,"** Remy urged, **"He's… I know he's terrifying, but you can do this. I believe in you."**

Jaune nodded to himself and took a deep breath

" _Don't worry, Remy. He won't catch me off-guard."_

"A-hah!" Peter Port laughed, staring directly at Jaune, "A volunteer."

 _Shit, he caught me off-guard!_

He nearly jumped out of his skin when the teacher's eyes locked onto his, but to his immense relief it was Weiss beside him that the man turned to. "Me!" she called. "I shall volunteer!"

He felt an immediate pang of fear when she rose. He didn't know what she'd just volunteered for, but if it was from Peter Port – it had to be horrible. "Will you be okay?" he asked.

Weiss seemed surprised by the sincerity. "I'll be fine," she snapped, only for her to sigh and try a smile. It didn't look very convincing. "Thank you for asking, however." She strode from the room to change into her combat gear, as the professor suggested.

" _I hope Weiss will be okay. What am I going to do if he tries to rip her apart for his own amusement?"_

" **Celebrate?"**

" _REMY!"_

Weiss came back into the room in her combat uniform and with rapier in hand. She took a position before the man and readied herself, even as the evil teacher strode over to a large steel cage and lifted his weapon.

Jaune's hands clenched on the edge of his table, prepared to intervene if that axe went anywhere near his partner. She was a bit rude to them, sure, but she didn't deserve to have her head stuck on the wall like some sick trophy. That just wasn't right.

The man brought the axe down on the cage beside him, which probably didn't deserve it either, but was still a lot better than Weiss' neck. The chain there broke, the door springing open as the man jumped back. To Jaune's shock and horror, a young Boarbatusk trotted out.

"Here's the time for you to prove yourself, my dear," the cruel man bellowed. "A mighty Grimm stands before you. Will you be a true huntress and slay it?"

Kill it, why? It hadn't done anything wrong and clearly didn't want to be in a classroom filled with hunters. The poor thing looked left and right, eyes vacant but still confused despite the lack of any true sentience. It had probably been kept in that cage on its own, starved and mistreated by this madman.

The Boarbatusk was furious, understandably so, but it chose to takes its fury out on the one thing it could see before it, his partner. His teeth clenched as it charged, and a sigh of relief escaped him as Weiss dodged to the side.

She flicked out with her rapier and scored a line down its flank. The Boarbatusk squealed in pain. He winced at it, even if it wasn't Weiss' fault. _She's acting in self-defence,_ he told himself. _She's only doing this because that madman chose to put her up against it and made it think she was responsible for it being trapped._

The fight, if one could call it that, was one-sided from the start. Free from distraction and armed to the teeth, Weiss was able to put it down three passes later, after she flipped it onto its back using some dust to coat the floor in ice. Myrtenaster thrust down into its stomach, and the poor thing squealed once as it was transfixed to the floor. It began to fade soon after.

"Ha ha," Peter Port guffawed. "I see we are in the presence of a true huntress! Bravo, my dear, bravo!"

"Good job, Weiss," Ruby congratulated as the heiress came back to her seat, still in combat attire. Weiss nodded once but didn't really seem to acknowledge Ruby in the slightest. It made the younger girl sigh.

"That was well fought," Pyrrha agreed.

Curiously, Weiss didn't seem to regard her either, a fact which clearly surprised the redhead. Instead, Weiss turned to Jaune, arms crossed expectantly. "Well?" she said. "How was that?"

"It didn't stand a chance against you," he said morosely.

The answer seemed to please Weiss, who nodded and settled down beside him. On the other side, he heard Ruby ask Pyrrha what they'd done wrong. Neither seemed to know… which left Jaune in the rather unusual situation of being the only one who did.

Maybe it was experience from being around his mom and Cinder. Maybe it was the power games Uncle Watts had told him about, or perhaps it was just easier to see because he wasn't involved personally and could watch from the side lines. It didn't matter to him if Weiss was the leader of the team… he was used to doing what white-haired women told him to. That was life in the Salem household, except that he also did what a black-haired woman told him to do as well. Not because he had to, but because one didn't just ignore one's big sis like that.

There was a political power-play going on within the team… and for once he didn't think Uncle Watt's advice would be enough to stop it.

After all, he couldn't just assassinate the three of them.

" **You** _ **could**_ **…"**

" _Not helpful, Remy."_

/-/

Jaune would be the first to say he wasn't a particularly narcissistic or arrogant person. In all fact, his sisters tended to overpower him in just about everything, which left him with his own set of ego problems and general lack of confidence. Simply put, he didn't much like talking to himself.

He liked even less being sat in a small room with seven other people all discussing him.

"That's definitely the guy," Yang said. She pointed her finger at the news article as though no one quite knew who she was referring to. It was the first thing she'd done when they all gathered in the Team Ribbon dorm as they'd promised to. "I saw him surrounded by Ursa and it was like he was telling them what to do – like he controlled them."

Okay, that wasn't _totally_ inaccurate, but he didn't see any problem there. People talked with one another all the time. Was there really anything so odd with him having a friendly conversation with some locals?

"We saw him too," Pyrrha sighed, and that fact seemed to startle Team Ribbon, or RYBN, as they were called.

"We didn't just see him," Ruby said, "We got into a fight with him."

"You did!?" Yang gasped.

"You did?" Jaune echoed. "When!?"

"It was in the tunnels," Pyrrha said. "Ruby and I entered… Well, it was when we were on our way out. A Deathstalker was sealed inside and we accidentally alerted it. On the way out Ruby ran ahead and crashed into him." The attention turned back to Ruby at that point, and Jaune felt his head swivel with the others.

"He was too fast for me to react. I banged into him but before I could do anything he had one of his tentacles wrapped around my feet."

Yang stiffened, though Jaune wasn't sure why. Ruby had been perfectly safe, and honestly, she'd have hurt herself if she tried to fight him in the dark in a rocky cave. He'd saved her a lot of trouble.

"He lifted her into the air by her legs," Pyrrha went on, "and when I came around the corner it was to see the other tentacle, it…" she flushed and looked away.

"Are you okay Pyrrha?" he asked. "You look red."

"What… did… it… do…?" Yang seethed.

"It didn't do anything," Ruby giggled. "It pushed up against my legs. It felt weird but it didn't _do_ anything. I'm fine."

"It touched her…" Pyrrha coughed and pointed down towards the skirt of her uniform. Yeah, that sounded about right, he had touched her skirt. He didn't want to be accused of peeking, after all.

Yang didn't seem quite so pleased for some reason. In fact, she fell back as though she'd been shot, only to then surge forwards with pretty red eyes. Huh, he hadn't seen those before. They made her look like one of his sisters. "That – that bastard did _what_ to my sister!?"

"Tentacles," the black-haired girl, Blake, whispered, "That sounds like something straight out of a Mistralian tentacle hentai."

Tentacle what now? Jaune turned to Ruby, who caught his questioning gaze and shrugged in return. She seemed as in the dark as he, which at least let him know he wasn't going to ask anything too suspicious. "Question," he said, arm held in the air. "What's tentacle hentai?"

Everyone went silent. As one, they all turned to Blake.

"What?" she asked.

"You said tentacle hentai," Jaune pointed out, "What is it?"

"Yeah Blake," Ruby cheered. "I've not heard of that either. What is it?"

The girl's cheeks went red. She pulled a book up before her face but that didn't seem to answer anything since it was called Ninjas of Love or something. "I-I don't know what you're talking about," she said. "I've never heard of such a thing."

Jaune wasn't convinced, and neither was Ruby judging from the look on her face. "But you said it," the younger girl mumbled, "How could you not know what it is if you're the one to say it?"

"W-Well, I've heard the term before, that's all. It's from Mistral, right? That means Pyrrha would know."

The attention quickly shifted to the resident Mistralian in the group. "You… uh…" Pyrrha looked like she wanted to answer but had some kind of fever. Her cheeks went red and she looked away with a cough. He'd have to see about getting her some medicine later – it looked like she had a cold. "I… well… that is…"

"It's not something you should ever be interested in," Weiss interrupted, thoroughly unimpressed.

"Yeah," Yang nodded, "That sounds about right. Listen to your leader, Rubes – you should _not_ know about that stuff."

Shouldn't they? It was all well and good to say that, but if he'd done some of this stuff with Ruby, he wanted to know what it was and what it meant. "How are we meant to understand what you're saying if we don't know, though?" he asked.

"W-Well just don't, then," Weiss stammered. "It's not like you have to understand."

"But we want to," Ruby whined.

"You don't!"

Ruby looked like she might argue but gave up when it was clear Yang was in full denial mode. She looked towards him, and understanding the hidden message, he nodded back. It wouldn't do to not understand everything there was about this, especially if he'd accidentally initiated it with Ruby.

" _Blake is definitely hiding something,"_ he whispered to Remy. _"_ _I need to know the full culture of this land, from its knee compliments to how they prefer tentacles to be used. I can't keep making silly mistakes. I'll corner her in private and ask more about this tentacle hentai thing."_

 **"Good idea."** Remy piped up. The parasite sounded a little intrigued himself. **"** **I didn't even realise tentacles featured in their culture**. **It'll be interesting to see what it's about."**

"Enough of this," Weiss Schnee growled. "What we know here is hardly news. This… this _person_ – if he's even real – is loose not only in Vale, but close to Beacon itself. If that's true, we should all be careful, and should probably tell the teachers too."

Jaune's eyes widened at the idea of that and he bit down on his lip as he quickly jumped into the conversation. "Should we, though?" he asked, searching for some reason to _not_ let the teachers know, "I mean, isn't it their job to teach us and not ours to teach them… about what is in their forest?"

"Arc…" Weiss sighed. "That makes absolutely zero sense."

"Doesn't it, though?"

Weiss sighed. "No. It doesn't."

"I'm just saying," he began, then paused as he tried to think about what he was `just saying`. If they told the teachers, then they'd start to look for him – and that would be bad in a hundred little ways. Then again, what were the chances of them just agreeing to forget about his transformed state?

"Yes?" Weiss drawled, "Go on…"

"I'm just saying… that maybe we should do this ourselves."

"Excuse me?"

" **What?"**

A bead of sweat ran down his brow as he heard both Weiss and Remy agree, but it was the best he could come up with. "Think about it," he said, "This guy hasn't done anything yet, or at least not anything that needs to concern the teachers. Why don't we go after him ourselves? We're hunters too, after all. Wouldn't it be amazing if we were the ones to catch this person?"

" **Jaune, what on Remnant are you doing?"**

" _The best thing I can do,"_ he argued, eyes locked on the others as they considered the point. _"If they decide to go after me on their own, then what are the chances of them actually succeeding? Remember what Uncle Watts always says – if you want to fool someone, you need to know what they're thinking. If I'm involved in the group trying to find me, then there's no way I'll be caught by surprise."_

" **That's… actually not half-bad. You intend to sabotage them, then?"**

" _Pretty much. Trust me, Remy, this plan is going to work. Just call me the mastermind."_ Okay, maybe that was a little much. As far as plans went, it probably wouldn't win any awards from his uncle or big sis, but it was the best he could think of at the moment. Either way, it would be safer having his friends search for him, then say, the entire population of Vale – or professional hunters. That was what they did after all… they hunted things down.

"It sounds dangerous," Ren pointed out, "Incredibly so. Ruby and Pyrrha fought him before but were apparently unable to achieve anything."

"Not quite true," Jaune argued, "Didn't Pyrrha say she cut him? She managed that on her own and in a dark tunnel too. I'm sure we could take him our fairly easily."

"Easy for you to say," Yang groused, "You consider a grown Nevermore child's play."

"Nah, I prefer Beowolves for that," he rattled off, then paused, eyes wide, "I mean, uh…"

"Yeah, yeah, you're a badass, we get it," Yang waved one hand. "I'm just worried that Rubes might be in trouble if she stands up to this guy. She's fought him twice now, and he hasn't hurt her. What if third time's the charm?"

"He won't hurt her," Jaune said, "I'll make sure of it."

There was a soft `eep` from the side, but when he looked it was only Ruby, eyes focused down at her knees and with cheeks red once more. Really, she needed to go see a doctor, this was getting ridiculous.

"Heh," Yang grinned and rubbed her nose with her thumb. "Must be nice to have a knight in shining armour nearby, eh sis?"

" _Yaaang_ …" Ruby pleaded. "Ugh, I think we should go for it. We're all strong enough and can-"

"Ruby…" Weiss' voice was stern and cut into the girl's speech before it could really get going. "While I… _appreciate_ your enthusiasm, I think it would be worth recalling who exactly the leader of our team is. I realise you've gotten away with a lot today, but a decision like this can't be made by just one person!"

"I-"

"I don't care for excuses, Ruby. You _cannot_ make decisions for the whole team."

"Nor can you for ours, Schnee," Blake said. The words, no matter how casually they were delivered, cut into Weiss' rant and had the girl's teeth grinding together. "You're not my team leader. I don't have to follow your orders."

"We should put it to a vote," Ren stepped in before an argument could start.

Weiss and Blake stared at one another, and Ruby looked awkwardly on. Pyrrha shuffled in place too, clearly uncertain. _The power plays are getting worse,_ Jaune winced. _Something's going to break if this continues._ He didn't know who to support, however, as the situation had never been one he'd needed to think about before. Salem was his mom, she was also the Queen of the Grimm and ruled over everyone. Cinder and his uncles had never dared disobey and to see Pyrrha and Ruby doing it so easily…? He wasn't sure what to think.

"Fine, then." Weiss hissed and sat down. She flicked a hand dismissively. "Do whatever you like."

The silence in the group felt heavy, but Ren bravely pushed on. "This is dangerous but there's no saying we have to engage him if we find anything, or that we'll ever see him again in the first place. Either way, if the worst happens, it would be wise for us all to know what our response will be – fight or flight."

"And that's why you're our team leader," Yang laughed. "I'd just rush in and punch him."

"I know. I experienced it."

"You say something, partner?"

"Not at all… Now, hands up for those who wish to engage this… person, should we ever find them."

Jaune held his hand up, eyes locked onto his team with an expression just short of pleading. Weiss crossed her arms and huffed, but Ruby held her own up – good girl. Pyrrha did the same too, after a moment's though, and somehow that seemed to frustrate Weiss even more. She shook her head and grumbled something under her breath. He doubted it was anything nice.

"That's three for them," Ren whispered, then looked back to his own team. Yang and Nora had their arms in the air, the latter looking almost eager to start fighting. "Of course," he sighed, "Well, that seems to be a consensus. We should still be careful, though… we don't know anything about this person or how strong they are."

True, but they'd never have to find out, either. The relief Jaune felt was almost palpable. He sighed and leaned back, smile wide as he chalked up a success that his big sis might even have been proud of. "So, we're agreed to do this search ourselves," he said, "without the aid of the teachers?" That was the important part, of course.

"Yep!" Nora cheered.

"For now," Ren sighed.

"Um…" Pyrrha coughed nervously into her hand. "About that… I didn't realise we were going to do this and it seemed like something important. I already talked with the headmaster about it last night and reported everything. Sorry?"

 _Oh…_ Jaune's face fell. _Well… crud._

"Meh, never mind. We can still go after him ourselves too," Ruby suggested. "We'll attack from both sides and catch him in the middle."

" **Great going, mastermind."** Remy drawled.

 _Double crud…_

/-/

Cinder's hands twitched as she knelt on the stone floor, one knee pushed to the ground and head bowed. She waited, as she always had, for permission to speak. A growl from nearby caught her attention and amber eyes flicked over to see a large, imposing Beowolf on the edge of the chamber. It was his Beowolf, and despite the loss of its master, it seemed anything but restless.

"Tell me again, my dear, what it is that my son has gone and gotten himself wrapped up in."

It would not be the first time she'd recounted the story. In fact, it was probably the third, but her mistress was calmer now and one didn't leave her waiting. "My contact in Vale reported seeing your son," she said. "The reports remain muddy at this time, but it appears that he has infiltrated the city of Vale and… and may have enrolled himself at Beacon."

She carefully made sure to refrain from mentioning that he'd come into contact with two huntresses, or that his life had been threatened. She would never lie to her master, but at the same time, some things were… best left unsaid.

There was an intake of breath, one that almost sounded like a hiss and which had Cinder's eyes clenching shut as she steadfastly stared at the floor. "I see," Salem's voice was saccharine and calm, yet dreadfully brittle. "I see… and… this contact of yours. You are confident in his words?"

Confident… of Roman? Cinder resisted the urge to snort. "He has his uses but is not the most important of individuals," she said. "On the other hand, he did describe the person in question as white of hair and skin, red of eye, with veins about the eyes and being capable of spawning Grimm with his blood."

For the longest moment all that could be heard was the pitter-patter of distant feet, and a huff from Mannie as he sat down beside Salem's great throne. "That… is a somewhat unique description," Salem eventually sighed. "So, my son has chosen to travel to Vale, without my permission, no less – and to enter himself into a school for… for huntsmen?"

Cinder cringed. "It would seem so, ma'am."

"I have only one question for you then, my dear…"

Oh Gods. Her eyes clenched shut as she prepared herself and looked up at the woman she called her master.

"Where did I go wrong?" Salem gasped. She lowered a book she'd been holding in one hand, the title of which read `parenthood for the parentally incompetent` and flicked a pair of glasses off her nose. "Was it too much discipline? Did my little Grimmling spend too much time in the naughty corner?"

"M-My mistress, Jaune spent almost _no_ time in the naughty corner…"

"Well, how could I?" Salem gasped. "Every time he did something wrong, I would call him up and demand an explanation - fully prepared to make him rue the day… but then his eyes would water and he would confess and look so guilty. I couldn't hurt my little baby like that!"

Cinder didn't bother to mention how some of Jaune's sisters were far less scrupulous about their use of tears to get out of trouble. Salem wouldn't believe it and if _they_ found out, they would make her life hell in revenge. She didn't know which was worse; that his sisters would do it to take advantage of people or that Jaune did it because he genuinely felt bad the moment he did something wrong. He was supposed to be the Prince of the Grimm!

"Still," Salem sighed, "Perhaps you are right." She stood and flung the book aside. "Clearly, I've been too lax. When I march upon Vale and tear it to the ground, I shall then bend my wayward son over my knee and show him how strict I can truly be, all atop the ruins of that disgusting nest of human scum."

Panic shot through Cinder like fire. This was _exactly_ what she'd feared and she quickly looked up. "No, my Queen, please – you needn't do that, I can-"

"No, you're right. I could not do that. Very well, Cinder, when he is reclaimed, _you_ will be the one to bend him over and spank him. Thank you for volunteering."

Cinder's face blanched and went red at the same time and she quickly waved her hands before her. "N-No, that's not what I meant. I was going to say we shouldn't invade Vale like that. We have plans in place, my Queen, they would be ruined if we marched on the city at the head of an army of Grimm."

Salem lowered herself back down into her throne. Her face morphed into a serious one, and Cinder bowed her head once more. "No. The fall of Beacon will commence immediately. If my son wishes to place himself in harm's way, then it would seem that there is only one thing that can be done. I cannot allow for my poor little baby to remain in that pit of vipers."

It was a disaster, just like she'd feared. Cinder wracked her mind for an answer, anything she could say to change her mistress' mind. "It would endanger your son," she gasped at last. "Jaune might be at risk."

Salem went still. "Explain," she ordered.

"If Jaune is in Vale then he would be expected to aid in its defence," she said. "Even if you ordered the Grimm not to harm him, there would be just as much chance a building might fall on him, or that a stray bullet might catch him. Surely that would place Jaune in incredible danger."

"And is he not in such already?" Salem asked. "He is surrounded by hunters, and I don't mean my Nicky-poo."

Cinder's face twisted in horror at the affectionate nickname. "E-Even so, Jaune's safety is assured so long as his disguise holds. None would expect to find him surrounded by his natural enemies. It's the perfect disguise."

"Hmm… you are correct," Salem sighed, and there was a note of weary relief there, "Perhaps I worry overmuch on this. While he has his father's tenacity and drive, he is still my son and shares my intellect. It is good that you remain a voice of patience, my dear."

"Exactly," Cinder sighed in pure relief. "There's no need to raze Vale to the ground to recover him. I'm sure in time, this little rebellion of his wi-"

"Wait!" Salem flung out a hand and cut Cinder's words off entirely. "Of course, it all makes sense. Man-slayer!"

The great Beowolf beside the throne, Man-Slayer – or `Mannie` as Jaune so innocently called him, bounded to life and leapt upon its prey. The great head surged from left to right as the jaws bit down, and with a happy growl he dragged the victim back to his master.

Salem took the small, purple book from his great jaws and flicked some slobber away. "Teenage rebellion," she read aloud, as she flicked through the pages. "Ah, here we go. Teenage rebellion is the act of seeking an identity and rebelling against the norms, expectations and disciplines of the parents and all familial or authoritative figures!" Salem stood up from her position, eyes ablaze. "Tell me, Cinder… can I crush this rebellion like all the others?"

"I… would say no," Cinder said with a wince. "Teenage rebellion is something many teenagers go through, or so I've heard. I don't think attacking your son with an army of Grimm would fix it."

Salem sighed and lowered herself back down. It was only when she was sat down entirely that Cinder let out a breath of relief. Her master's temper could be frightening, and despite the familial reason for it, there was still a very real chance someone could be killed if they displeased her.

"Come then, my dear," Salem sighed, "You would not dare approach without a plan. Share with me your thoughts on the matter."

Cinder nodded and looked up. "I believe this could best be handled with subtly," she explained, "If Jaune can be reclaimed with Vale none the wiser, then it would not only be safer for him, but would also allow our plans to continue unhindered." She had worked too hard for the maiden's powers to see them be tossed aside now. Still, it looked like Salem had started to calm down – which was a win in her books and wouldn't leave their plans in tatters. They still were a little damaged, but all she'd need to do was keep an eye on her idiot little brother in Vale and make sure he didn't mess things up. That could wait until the Festival, however. For now, all she needed to do was make sure Salem didn't find o-

"My Queen," that insufferable idiot, Watts, shouted as he burst through the ornate door, "One of my men in Vale brought this to my attention and I… thought you ought to see it." He presented the article to the woman, and at her nod, Cinder rose to look at it with her. Her blood turned to ice a second later.

`Rogue criminal loose in Vale – all hunters alerted` the headline read. The image was of a rather simplistic representation of a young man with red eyes, white hair, and tentacles.

Cinder winced as Salem's eyes turned to regard her, one brow raised dangerously. "Prepare the Grimm," she ordered Watts. "I shall see more spawned. Vale will fall and I shall reclaim my son."

 _Jaune, I'm going to kill you when I get hold of you._

* * *

 **Oh dear, problems both at home and at Beacon – well done, Jaune. Honestly, this chapter could have gone on and on but I had to stop it somewhere. More school time shenanigans will occur in future chapters, of course.**

 **And what of Cinder's noble goals to save Vale from Grimm invasion? Will she be able to convince Salem away from reclaiming her baby boy by force?**

 **Also yes, I** _ **know**_ **hentai is a Japanese word and so shouldn't exist in the Remnant world, but by that value – neither should `ninja`. The crossovers are rife in the show and I doubt the producers even notice.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 22** **nd** **February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	7. Chapter 7

**Another week, another chapter, this one with a controversy I'm sure will get me hung by some, sigh.  
**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 7 – Taking the ram by the horns**

* * *

Jaune knew he was still getting used to the culture. He also knew there'd be some mistakes and things he didn't understand, and that at some points he'd need to curtail his usual responses to try and fit in better. He struggled with that, however, especially when it was time for their first history lesson and he couldn't quite pull off the same boredom everyone else seemed to exhibit.

History! Honest to goodness history, stories from the past of how the world was formed. Could there be anything more exciting? He bounced in his seat, aware of the rather shocked expression Weiss sent his way. "You seem… oddly motivated," she whispered.

"How can I not be? I've never been to a history class before!"

"How can you have never studied history before?" she asked, eyes narrowed. "Did you not go to school or something?"

Ah, crap - another mistake. He looked away in shame, and tried to be as honest as he could. "Not... not really. There weren't enough children to have any, after, well..." Well, after Salem called it quits after eight children, and Big Sis Cinder refused to help carry on the line.

It wasn't like there were any other fertile, child-bearing women around either- or rather, anyone stupid enough to entertain a thought of his sisters. But that was neither here nor there.

"My mother made sure the other adults taught me what she thought I'd need, but they didn't like to talk about the past much. They always told me it was better to focus on the future instead." A glorious future, they claimed, full of the politics and economics that would allow him to manipulate and control people and governments.

He looked back up, and saw Weiss staring at him with her mouth open. Noticing him watching her, Weiss shut her mouth and looked away, though she still shot him an odd look from the corner of her eye. For some reason, it almost looked sympathetic… pitying, even.

"Well… I suppose that's understandable," she whispered. "At least you have some enthusiasm, which is more than can be said for some people," she added with a glare towards Ruby. The younger girl didn't notice, too busy showing Pyrrha a doodle from her notebook. Pyrrha laughed at it, and that only seemed to irk Weiss all the more.

 _Why did uncle Watts only ever teach me to take advantage of things like this? Why didn't he ever teach me how to peacefully resolve them?"_

" **Probably because your mom didn't want a mediator,"** Remy guessed. **"Fifty lien says your partner snaps and tries to kill the silver-eyed one."**

" _Remy, you don't even have any lien."_ Jaune paused for a second. _"At least I hope you don't in there..."  
_

He didn't take the bet, however… if only because he wasn't sure. Watts' lessons had always said that these things boiled over eventually. Power struggles were self-consuming beasts that would eat and eat until only one remained, at which point you could either manipulate that one to your goals or kill and replace them with a puppet. Jaune didn't have three puppets to hand, however, and even if he did, he wasn't sure he wanted a team of them.

Thankfully, the teacher's arrival put a stop to any murder being committed within the classroom. The man burst through the door and whizzed over to his desk with a speed that rivalled Ruby. A metal thermos slammed down onto the wood, the top pulled loose and filled with some hot beverage before the class had even stopped talking between themselves. _He's fast,_ Jaune thought with a little surprise.

"Good morning!" the green-haired man spoke, "My name is Bartholomew Oobleck, but you may call me Doctor Oobleck or sir. Welcome to this, your first of many history lessons within Beacon. Some of you may wonder why history is important for an aspiring huntsman or huntress, but we must all remember that those who do not learn from the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them."

So wise… Jaune found himself nodding along, but felt a little surprised that everyone else lacked the same excitement. A few groaned, more slouched – and he could even see a person on the other side of the classroom rest their head on the desk and fall asleep.

"We shall begin our first lesson with a topic close to the hearts of us all, that being of our role within Remnant and how the standards we are held to today have come to pass."

 _Ooh, that sounds interesting._ Jaune leaned forward as the man dove into a lecture on how early records depicted hunters as a caste of people who specialised in combat and defence, a novelty at the time since back then everyone had to learn to fight but also balance training with domestic and industrial tasks. The creation of the hunter corps (not that it had been called that at the time) enabled people to specialise in given tasks, namely fighting or whatever else they wanted to do. It vastly improved their ability to defend themselves, while also enabling those protected to become more proficient at other, more civilian occupations.

Doctor Oobleck, for he deserved the full respect that title gave, was a man who clearly held great passion for history. He got that expression Jaune had seen before, the look of excitement and awe that Uncle Watts sometimes gained whenever he talked of a particularly complicated or volatile political situation and what the consequences of it might mean. Both men clearly loved their jobs, and facial hair aside, Jaune felt they seemed not so dissimilar.

As the teacher got into it, he started to speak faster too, and it looked like some struggled to keep up. Jaune didn't have the same problem since Uncle Watts tended to do the same when he got excited. He took notes throughout it, as did Weiss beside him – albeit her handwriting had gone from neat to frantic as she tried to keep up. When Doctor Oobleck moved onto the Grimm, however, Jaune had to pause.

"Naturally, the Grimm have existed from before recorded history," the teacher orated, "Mindlessly aggressive and with a burning hatred towards all mankind, the Grimm have been an ever-present problem that threatens to wipe out humanity and could attack at any time."

"Then why haven't they?"

The class burst into murmurs as Jaune's interruption cut through the room. He felt Weiss kick her leg against his beneath the table and he moved his out of the way so she could have more room. That didn't seem to stop her kicking, however.

"Ah, Mr Arc, is it? A pleasure to have your input but in future please do raise your hand into the air."

"I'm sorry doctor," Jaune said and held his hand up.

"Not at all – it's wonderful to see someone interested in joining the discussion. Now then, could you rephrase your question for me?"

Ah, right, maybe he hadn't said it in the best way. He coughed and lowered his hand. "You said that the Grimm are mindlessly aggressive and hunt humans, and that they could attack at any time to wipe out the Kingdoms… but if that's true, then why haven't they done so already?"

"Why have they not conquered the Kingdoms?" Oobleck asked. "Well, that would be a combination of our hunter forces, but also the fortifications we use to defend our settlements. Neither would be enough without the other, but together they have allowed us to eke out a civilisation."

"But it's not like the walls could stop every Grimm. Take Nevermore, for instance, they could just fly over – so if Grimm are mindlessly aggressive and go out of their way to kill humans, why aren't the flying ones constantly swarming Vale?"

The class mumbled between themselves once more, especially as Oobleck didn't have an immediate answer. Some even looked towards Jaune with expressions akin to awe on their face. Others just looked like they didn't understand his point, which felt a little distressing. _"You're not mindlessly aggressive, are you Remy?"_

" **More like mindlessly bored,"** the parasite grumbled. **"And I'd say passive-aggressive at best."**

"An interesting point, Mr Arc," the teacher conceded, "I suppose you are correct in your analysis, though I might add that we do not know entirely how Grimm operate. It could be that their ability to sense humans is limited by distance. Those far out in the wild might struggle to find humans."

"Then how do you explain the Nevermore in initiation?" he pressed, "Or the Grimm in the Emerald Forest at all? Unless I missed it, we've not been invaded by Grimm this morning – and the whole forest is filled with them. Even if we had defences here, that Nevermore has clearly lived there for ages and hasn't attacked anyone."

"Except for you," the teacher pointed out.

"Well, yeah, but he wasn't very serious about it." More mutters from the crowd, and these were even followed up by a whistle or two. "The point I'm making is, are we _sure_ they're pure evil? I mean, it looks to me like they're just sitting out there minding their own business. At the very least, if it were true, it should mean no Grimm come anywhere near humans because they either kill the humans or the humans kill them, yet we have entire towns and villages in Grimm-infested land and they don't suffer Grimm invasions every single day."

"While that is true, Mr Arc, I would point out that these locations still _do_ experience attacks from Grimm on a regular basis. I can freely admit that the definition of Grimm as unrelenting evil might be… fanciful at times. As you say, some villages – while not co-existing with Grimm – are able to exist in locations with them, often without being wiped out. Other, on the other hand, might be wiped out entirely."

" _Jaune_!" Weiss hissed urgently. He didn't pay attention, however, and instead nodded to the professor.

"I guess that's true. It just seems odd to me that people claim Grimm are an unrelenting tide of evil."

"Evil is subjective, and that is a point we should all seek to remember. In this case, I believe the Grimm are labelled that because they lack motive for their destruction. We humans kill animals for meat, but at least we have reason for doing so. The Grimm do not eat or take sustenance from those they kill, and so such callous wastage is considered morally reprehensible."

"Maybe they have a different motive?" Jaune suggested, leaning forward. He was getting into it now and not even Remy could have stopped him. Back home, his uncles had never really indulged him in such discussions, stating that lessons were for listening and taking notes, and were therefore not open to discourse. Doctor Oobleck, however, seemed more than willing to entertain him.

In fact, the man almost seemed equally excited. "Oh?" he asked, "You are challenging Pordingher's established concept that Grimm are mindless? That is an intriguing hypothesis, Mr Arc. I hope you have some evidence to back it up."

"Well, there's always how they gain intelligence if they've been around long enough. It seems impossible to me that they can be absolutely lacking in a brain for decades, then suddenly – poof – brain and full intellect capable of reasoning thought and strategy. Something has to have existed before then, even if it's only a limited intellect."

"True, true… I might add that researchers have tried to conduct skull analysis on Grimm to see if there is a cranial cavity that might contain a brain, but as you know, the carcass does dissolve on death. Capturing one live for testing? A difficult task indeed. On the other hand, because we have no ability to test them, that means we can't rule out illogical – or even theoretically impossible – things _like_ a brain appearing from nowhere. Grimm vanish on death, is the spawning of a brain so unlikely?"

Hm, a good point and one he hadn't considered. This guy sure knew his stuff! "That's pretty clever, actually," Jaune said and received an acknowledging nod from the man. "Even so, isn't the fact that Grimm can move about, fight and actually _show_ aggression in the first place proof that they have some limited intellect?"

"Do you mean as to their ability to function at all?" Oobleck offered. "If so, then yes, I can agree – the definition of being mindless as in `having no possession of cognitive thought` is perhaps incorrect. After all, Beowolves know to dodge and an Ursa will often use its prodigious strength and bulk to attack, showing at least some awareness as to their own surroundings and physiology. That said there is perhaps a difference between sentience and animalistic instinct." The teacher removed his glasses and cleaned them with a cloth, smiling all the while. "It's important to note, and I believe the entire class could benefit to take note of this, that much of what we know of the Grimm is assumed fact, rather than established." The teacher seemed to speak much slower now, and he extended his gaze across the entire room. "We cannot test them, nor can we ask or understand them. Some of our information on them might also be considered propaganda, their `lack of a brain` one of them."

"Remember," Oobleck went on in a deliberate tone, "That the definition of the term `mindless` does not actually _mean_ something that does not have the ability to make sentient thought. I'm not sure where people get the idea it is that from, but in truth the definition is of actions made without justification or concern, or of decisions made without thinking of the consequences or having a motive. Any student here who approaches a Grimm thinking them foolish or incapable of cunning might find themselves sorely tested if they are lured into an ambush or outsmarted by a `mindless` Beowolf."

"But the Grimm _are_ mindless," someone protested, "Everyone knows that."

"Beowolves travel in packs and Nevermore attack from the sky to make use of their mobility," Oobleck pointed out. "If they were truly mindless, then what use would Grimm have of pack mentality? They have no predators and no need to improve their success in hunting prey… they do not need to eat, after all. Pack behaviour, or herds, are established for many reasons – from better success at hunting to security, social bonds or to share a workload. If Grimm were truly nothing more than bodies with violent tendencies, they would have no need – or even ability – to travel in groups."

"Then why say they're mindless at all?" Weiss called out. "Clearly, being uneducated about the capabilities of the Grimm would be a costly mistake! Why perpetuate the claim?"

"Politics, my dear," the teacher sighed. "Politics, but also necessity… the concept was spread by Doctor Pordingher, a famous researcher who lived almost two centuries ago, but if you recall my earlier statement – no research can truly be carried out on the Grimm. It was formed on estimation and hypothesis only, but what the Governments of the time saw in it was promising, if not entirely accurate. The report painted Grimm as creatures of brawn but no intellect, easily outmatched by brave, intelligent and adaptable humans… at a time where manpower was low and the danger was high, such a morale boost would make it easier to convince impressionable children to risk their lives against a most deadly threat. It was propaganda only, Miss Schnee, though after so long, many consider it fact. In truth, I would say that the Grimm are of limited intellect… violent and vicious, yes, and certainly not capable of higher thought – but mindless?" Oobleck snorted. "People called the Faunus Revolution a movement of mindless violence, and yet I am sure there are many faunus who would disagree with such a statement. _They_ had reason and motives for their actions, after all."

Weiss went silent, as did most of the class, while Jaune nodded in understanding. Propaganda made sense and was something he could understand easily thanks to Big sis Cinder and uncle Watts. They always said that the first step to controlling minds was to control the flow of information. It was one of the few things they actually agreed on.

"Tell me, Mr Arc," Doctor Oobleck spoke once more. "You seem to have read more on the Grimm than most… given your interest, what do you think a huntsman's duty is?"

"To protect people."

"Not to kill the Grimm?" Oobleck asked, curious.

"If it's to protect people, then yes," Jaune sighed. "If the Grimm attack and are threatening people then sure, it makes sense to kill them."

"An interesting answer… and I suppose you consider a more aggressive stance unethical?"

Was it too much to say that? The teacher seemed friendly and interested, and perhaps that gave him the confidence to continue. "Well… I think it would be wasteful to go and _attack_ the Grimm," he answered. "I mean, what's the point? Grimm spawn without the need for reproduction and if you're not defending a location or people's lives then all you're doing is risking your own to kill other creatures. If a Grimm attacks a child then that's a Grimm attacking an innocent… but wouldn't it be the same the other way around if a huntsman marches into the wild lands, finds a Grimm and kills it when it's not even doing anything? That's just perpetuating the problem."

"They're Grimm," a burly figure in the crowd laughed. "They're guilty of being Grimm. Kill them all, I say." A few others cheered along, but Jaune's face fell as he looked about the class. Really? Was that really the view that most people had?

To his surprise, it was Yang's partner Blake who answered. "By that logic you should kill all humans because some are criminals." Her words threw the class into silence. "Or kill all the faunus for the actions of the few."

"Tch… maybe we should."

"Mr Winchester, if you say something like that again, you shall be spending time here after class," the teacher ordered. "In fact, I believe we shall leave the class there, since it appears Mr Arc and I have taken up much of the time with our discussion."

Wait, they had? Jaune's eyes widened as he checked the clock and realised they really had been engaged in a heated debate for the last twenty minutes. _Oh god, am I going to get in trouble for that? Uncle Watts would have exploded!_

"For homework," the teacher went on, "I would like to see a thousand words on Pordingher's theorem of Grimm and how its implementation shaped the rise of hunters across Vale." The class groaned at that. "And Mr Arc, might I speak with you for a moment?"

 _Uh-oh…_

/-/

Weiss waited outside the classroom with the others. She refused to show how nervous she was and instead focused on keeping her expression calm as Jaune bowed his head and said something to the professor. In truth, she didn't know whether to be alarmed that he'd argued with the man so, or impressed at his knowledge. She'd barely been able to keep up with the discussion between the two, and not just because of the advanced topics. She'd read of Pordingher once, but only as a name.

"Jaune seems rather well-read," Pyrrha broke the silence as the other students began to leave. "I'm surprised that he was able to hold a discussion with Professor Oobleck for so long. The content was troubling, however…"

"Nothing he said was incorrect," Blake added, though Weiss wasn't sure just _why_ she seemed so insistent on that fact.

"You could keep up with that?" Yang asked, "I couldn't make heads or tails of it."

"Some of the concepts were fairly advanced," Ren sighed.

"Yeah… I wasn't talking about the concepts so much as the pacing. I'm not sure either of them even paused to breathe."

The others chuckled at the blonde's words, but Ruby of all people looked troubled. "If Grimm aren't mindless, does that mean we're killing things that can think?" Ruby asked. The girl looked worried, but Weiss only sighed.

"Not at all," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Grimm are Grimm, no matter their thought process. All the two spoke of was the misconception that Grimm are incapable of mental processing. It simply means that the Grimm have a reason for wanting to kill you and can perform limited reasoning and strategy. We already knew that, however, since it's documented that particularly ancient Grimm have a tendency to retreat if hurt and can even use tools in a limited fashion, though admittedly that often means knocking trees into hunters of toppling buildings. If anything, realising this will make us all better prepared. Underestimating an opponent is a foolish mistake that could get someone killed."

"I'm not killing animals like Zwei, then?"

She had no idea what this `Zwei` thing was, but shook her head regardless. "It would be more akin to putting down a rabid animal," she explained. "Jaune's point was simply that it should be done in order to protect people, and presumably that he doesn't believe we should actively enjoy or take pleasure in the act." In that regard, he was not unlike Winter, who often referred to the `responsibility` of hunters, and not the glory.

She could agree with that and it also explained his aversion to Professor Port, since the man seemed to glorify his combat years. Then again, those sounded like tall tales and empty boasts to her… had Jaune taken them seriously? _The man claimed to have invaded the Grimmlands with a single shoe. Don't tell me Jaune actually believed that?_

The man in question walked out of the classroom, apparently done with his meeting. On the way a burly, arrogant-looking, teen bumped into him. It wasn't an accident and Weiss nearly stormed over there. "Oops," the idiot scoffed, "Sorry, I was looking for the teacher's pet and didn't look where I was going. You haven't seen one, have you?" Other students around him tittered and laughed.

Jaune, on the other hand, blinked owlishly up at him. "Oobleck has a pet? I must have missed it. What was it?"

"Wha-?" Winchester, for she recognised his stupid face now, looked caught off-guard. The crowd did too, though one or two nor laughed _at_ the bully instead of with him.

"Maybe it's a tortoise," Jaune mused, "But no, that would seem too slow for him… hm, a dog? Is it lost? Is that why you're looking for it? Wow, you must be really eager to get on his good side if you're trying to find it for him."

 _Is he…?_ Weiss' smirk slowly grew as she watched the crowd turn on Winchester. The teen's face was red too; eyes flicking left and right as he felt control of the situation elude him. Beside her, Yang chuckled into her hand – and Weiss could see Pyrrha's eyes sparkle with amusement.

"I'll tell you what," Jaune said, "I'll keep an eye out and if I find it, I'll let you know, okay?"

"What, no – I-"

"Don't worry," the blond winked, "I'll let you be the one to bring it home. Then Doctor Oobleck will be happy with you for it." Jaune strolled past the open-mouthed teen a moment later, the casual dismissal the straw that broke the camel's back and sent the crowd into raucous laughter. Winchester, along with his team, quickly fled the scene.

"That," Yang said when Jaune reached them, "was amazing. You are, quite literally, my favourite guy in Beacon right now."

"Hey!" Nora complained.

"Ren doesn't count. He's my partner so he's automatically higher."

"Hmm…" Nora didn't look fully convinced, "I'll let it go for now Yang, but you need to show Renny more respect. If he doesn't get his daily quota of love and affection, he starts to fall to pieces." Weiss couldn't help but look at the young man, who at that moment had one hand over his face and looked rather unlikely to fall to pieces anytime soon. She pitied him… she truly did, but at that moment she had more pressing concerns.

"You didn't get detention, did you?" she asked her partner, eyes narrowed. "I can't believe you just started arguing with him in class like that!"

"Huh?" Jaune looked confused. "I didn't get a detention… Doctor Oobleck was just asking me if I wanted to discuss Pordingher's theorem in more detail this weekend. He said he's been looking for someone to talk to about some aspects of it, but most people aren't interested in discussing Grimm as anything other than monsters to kill."

Weiss' mouth fell open.

"Impressive," Pyrrha nodded to him, "You know a lot about Grimm, Jaune."

He flushed a little and shrugged. "Well, it's only natural, isn't it?"

Only natural? In theory yes, especially with them being hunters, but her partner, the idiot, knew enough about Grimm to impress a teacher to the point of being invited for a one on one discussion into the nature of Grimm history? That wasn't natural!

"Know your enemy," Ren agreed. "I'll admit, I've read a fair bit in my time, but that conversation was beyond my ability to follow… well, even if I'd been able to follow it at all."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"He means," Weiss interrupted, "That you and Doctor Oobleck spoke at about five hundred words per minute. It was almost impossible for anyone else to keep up with you and even then, only because Oobleck slowed down towards the end to involve the rest of the class."

Jaune looked embarrassed by it and mumbled something about how he and his uncle often did the same.

Still… it wasn't all bad. Jaune Arc, for all his occasional faults, appeared to be much smarter than he gave on. Weiss found herself standing a little straighter at that, not only that _her_ partner had been invited to liaise with their professor, but that he had also acquitted himself well against Winchester's little display.

"Hey Jaune," Ruby chirped up, "If you know so much about Grimm… could you help with that homework Oobleck gave us?"

"Sure," Jaune shrugged, "The two of us can have a private study session if you like?"

The younger girl's cheeks went red but she nodded regardless.

/-/

For Blake, libraries had always been a refuge. The silence imposed by many was absent in Beacon, but even so, the quiet hum of conversation was low enough as to not distract and the people there were busy at work and didn't pay any attention to her. Back when she'd been part of the White Fang, she'd often retreated to places like this in her free time. Now, no longer part of that, her haven protected her from a different fate.

 _Nora isn't really that bad,_ a kind part of her whispered. Even at its most magnanimous, however, it seemed unable to think of a reason she should spend the rest of the day with the girl.

She was just so… so _much_. That was the only adjective she could think to use. Nora was excitable, friendly and enthusiastic in everything she did. Those were all positive traits, yes, but Nora had too much of each.

For someone like her, who preferred peace and quiet, a chance to escape from it all had been too good to pass up on. _I have no idea how Ren has dealt with her for so many years. It's not even been two days and I'm already at my wits end._ By this point she wouldn't have been surprised if Ren revealed it was all because of a semblance or something – some Nora-immunity that only he possessed. _Heh, now I'm just being foolish._

All in all, Beacon was both more and less than she expected. The people here, at least those on her team, were all individuals she could respect. Ren was calm and collected, a fine choice for their leader. Yang was principled and strong, if a little dramatic at times. Her concern towards her sister spoke volumes, however, and Blake felt they might become firm friends in time. Nora? Well, Nora was Nora, which was to say Blake and she would become friends or she'd never get a peaceful chance to read Ninjas of Love ever again.

So far, the faculty had also been better than expected, with Doctor Oobleck even going so far as to hint his support towards faunus rights. The recollection of that brought her mind back to her own outburst in history class, which had her shaking her head in embarrassment. Talk about failing to keep a low profile…

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of a familiar colour. Her book came up before her face, amber eyes peeking over the top as she spied Jaune Arc of all people. The young man spoke briefly to a librarian, who seemed vaguely confused as she pointed him in the direction of some shelves.

He walked nonchalantly over to them, knelt to select a book, and then sat down to read it. He was on the other side of the library and clearly busy, so she didn't see the need to disturb him. Of course, that wasn't the real reason for her decision, but it was an acceptable enough one. Besides, she was here to read, not chat with _another_ exuberant student. One Nora was more than enough, thank you very much.

 _He as good as showed his support for the faunus too._ Well, actually, he'd shown his support just about everything really, or at least the concept of not judging an entire species by the actions of the few (or even the majority where Grimm were concerned), but still – that had to mean he treat faunus in the same way.

Didn't it?

She wasn't sure. As far as she could tell, he seemed like a nice – if odd – guy. A little naïve at times, but surprisingly well-read if his recent showing was any indication. _Strong too,_ she reminded herself with a quick thought back to initiation and the way he'd dealt with not only the Nevermore, but the Deathstalker as well.

Strong and smart, hm… If Yang or Nora could have heard her thoughts, they'd have no doubt jumped straight to the wrong conclusion, but as Blake watched him over the top of her book, her mind went a different direction. Too cautious by far, perhaps a little paranoid as well, the inconsistencies in his story leapt out at her.

 _Didn't Yang say he came out of nowhere and got into Beacon in a single day? That just doesn't add up. If he was home schooled and is as intelligent as he seems, he'd surely have no trouble getting in the normal way. Why risk everything by leaving it so late?_

And what had he shown the headmaster to convince the man to accept him? Even if he was skilled, it wasn't like Beacon had deadlines on their applications for no good reason.

No… there was something odd about him. About the whole situation!

Schnee bodyguard sent to infiltrate Beacon and protect the heiress? No… I doubt she could fake how disappointed she was to end up with him and he doesn't show any SDC mannerisms. She would know, since she and Adam had faced off against SDC security more times than she cared to remember. It would also be odd for them to assign a potential faunus sympathiser to protect someone hated by the White Fang.

Was Yang's theory possible – that he was prodigy huntsman trained in the wilds, left alone to grow up and fight for survival amongst the Grimm? That might account for his combat strength but she doubted there were many opportunities for extensive book study in the wilderness.

Then again, there was always Nora's theory that he was some kind of alien or half-Grimm…

Blake sighed and lowered her face into the pages before her. What on Remnant was she doing? _My gods, she's infected me already. I'm lost._

She considered going up to talk with him after all, if only to put her accursed curiosity to rest. Some in the know might have accused her heritage for it, but the truth was that it was all her; just one of her biggest faults – an inability to let something go until she found out the truth. Much like the saying, that curiosity had caused her to join the White Fang, and she'd regretted it ever since.

Jaune stood before she could. He nodded and appeared to speak with himself briefly, before he closed the book and walked away. He didn't even bother to put it back on the shelf, and didn't notice the librarian gesture towards him. She doubted it was meant to be rude… chances were he simply didn't notice or realise. He often seemed to lack rather simple manners like that. _Home schooling, again? If he was from a well-off family, he might have had servants to do things like that for him._

She supposed she could do him a favour this once, if only for words he'd said in class. She pushed herself up and walked over to the table and picked up the book.

"Octopi and other marine-based cephalopods…?"

What on Remnant was he reading?

/-/

Pyrrha knew it would come to a head eventually. The issue had been simmering beneath the surface and none of them bothered to do anything about it. It had started, innocently enough, with Ruby requesting to see Jaune's essay for history so that she could take ideas.

"You're not copying his homework!" Weiss said. "If you'd just listened in class, you wouldn't need to."

"But Jaune said I could!" Ruby argued, silver eyes wide.

"And I'm saying no. He said a study lesson, not you looking over his notes and then running off to play video games with your sister. This is a school and you're here to learn. What use is it going to be if you're already copying homework? This is day two!"

"It's just history… we're here to learn to fight, not write books or teach a class. Besides, it wasn't like I didn't try to listen. Doctor Oobleck spoke too fast, I couldn't keep up!"

"In which case," Weiss said with a stern expression, "You should seek to research the information yourself. We have a library, you know, not to mention our scrolls can access information on the subjects. You're never going to improve if you mooch off other people's hard work. And, for your reference, history _is_ important. If not to avoid repeating mistakes, then I'd have at least thought you cared because it is counted into your final grade, ergo, whether you graduate from Beacon or not!"

"This has nothing to do with Beacon," Ruby stomped one foot. "You've hated me since the moment you met me and I don't know why! You never shout at Pyrrha and Jaune like this."

"Pyrrha is a renowned champion and _Jaune_ has shown himself to know quite a lot of the material already. Besides, neither of them have made a move to abandon or copy homework."

Pyrrha stepped forward and between the two, "Come now Weiss, I'm sure there's no reason to be quite so strict on Ruby. She's still young, after all." She shot the white-haired girl her best smile and honestly expected her to give up.

She didn't. Weiss took a deep breath and seemed to stiffen. "All the more reason for her to stop acting like a child and start paying attention! She's already behind in some subjects and if it gets any worse she might get expelled, or worse, killed!"

"She's two years younger than us…"

"Do you think the Grimm would care!?" Weiss scowled, and for once it was aimed at her.

"Why are you angry with me?" Pyrrha asked. "What have I done to earn your ire?"

"What have you-? You must be joking," Weiss shook her head. "Neither of you listen to a word I say. I'm supposed to be the leader here."

"Is that what this is? Weiss, you don't need to throw your weight around just to prove you're the team leader."

"Excuse me!?"

Ah, had that come out wrong? Pyrrha winced as she thought of a better way to try and explain it, but it looked like the damage had already been done.

"I'm not doing this to try and lord myself over anyone," the heiress screeched. "I am doing this because no matter what I say or do, it feels like no one even listens to what I say! What's the point of me being here at all if my words go ignored?"

"Well maybe if they weren't always so mean, we wouldn't have to," Ruby sighed. "I bet Jaune would be a better leader than you."

"I wouldn't." The words were quick and sharp, and drew attention to the last member of their team who had, until that point, remained mostly out of the fight. He looked serious now, and glanced between the three of them before sighing. "I can tell you right now, I wouldn't be a good leader for the team."

"Sure you would," Ruby laughed. "You're nice, brave and strong. What's not to-"

"None of those things would make me a good leader, though. I… a leader needs to be more than just the strongest fighter. A strong fighter should be on the front lines and you can't do that if you want to lead. You need to have a view of the entire battlefield."

"Arc…" Weiss whispered. Her eyes were wide. "You… you seem to know a lot about that."

His cheeks went red a second later, somewhat dispelling the noble air as he coughed and spluttered into his hand. "Well, uh… I guess. My mom's kind of the boss back home and I guess she wants me to take over some day, so she keeps knocking this stuff into my head."

Come to think of it, Pyrrha didn't think they knew much about Jaune's life before Beacon. Her own was pretty much common knowledge, as was Weiss', and Ruby had been happy to tell her about life back in Patch when she'd asked. Jaune, on the other hand, didn't offer much. "What does your mother do?" Pyrrha asked. "You say she's a leader… but of what?"

"Ah -uh… well, I mean… I suppose you could say she runs a business."

"A business?" Weiss asked, suddenly a little more interested. "Is it one we would know of?"

"I doubt it. She works in… I think the closest thing you could say is that she works in real estate."

"Real estate… like buildings?"

"Land mostly," he shrugged. "Dad often says she has huge tracts of land."

Weiss hummed and held a hand before her mouth. "I'm not familiar with many companies in the real estate industry but I've heard it can be quite cut-throat." Pyrrha had heard the same, since land safe from the Grimm was a rare commodity and valuable to many people. You needed security forces, personal hunters – not to mention the lien to pay for it.

And, if you made a mistake, a settlement could vanish overnight.

"Cut throat is a… pretty accurate description, actually."

"Do people work for your mother, then?" Pyrrha asked. "Is that what you mean about her being the boss?"

"Mom has agents," Jaune said, and Pyrrha nodded. She'd dealt with the sort before, people who would show you around property or land. They could offer you a deal to die for... or be the sort of people who'd help you do that if you didn't take an offer they insisted you couldn't refuse.

"You said you lived outside the Kingdoms?" Weiss asked, receiving a nod from Jaune. "I suppose that explains how you know so much about the Grimm, not to mention your skill at fighting them. Land outside the major cities is rare, more so when it's defended. You must have grown up used to such struggle."

"I'm a normal person," Jaune said. They all ignored him.

"Still, I'm surprised your mother can convince people to work out there," Weiss went on, "She must pay quite well."

"Ah well, I don't think money comes into it all that often."

"Intangible benefits, then? I suppose it must be quite the employment package."

"No one can complain."

"Ah," Weiss smirked, "A persuasive leader."

"That's one way of putting it." Jaune said, scratching his cheek with a finger. "She normally gets whatever it is she wants in the end. The only one that actually knows how to say no to her is my dad, and even then it's a close thing when it happens."

Pyrrha chuckled as she imagined it. In her mind she thought of a woman not dissimilar to Jaune, with pretty blue eyes and golden hair. She would be dressed in a suit, no doubt, and sat behind a desk. When she opened her eyes, it was to see Jaune once more, in jeans and a hoodie. The differences were startling. "If your mother wanted you to take over the family business then why are you here? Did she want you to know how to defend yourself?"

Jaune blinked and turned away from Weiss to answer her. "Oh no, we had people who could fight back home, not to mention my guard dog."

"Oh, oh," Ruby crowed, "I have a dog too – his name is Zwei and he's a corgi. Zwei can fight too, even if he's a little small for a guard dog. Is yours really big?"

"Much bigger than a corgi," Jaune shrugged, "He's… well, I guess you could say he's got a little wolf blood in him."

"So cool!" Ruby gushed, hands before her mouth.

Jaune seemed inordinately pleased by the praise, and for possibly the first time it was he that preened before them. "Mannie _is_ pretty cool," he boasted, "He's been my companion and best friend for like… well, forever."

"The people that trained you must have done a good job," Pyrrha interrupted before the conversation could go off track. "I have to ask, though, if the training was so good… why send you here at all?"

He winced and refused to meet their eyes. "Mom… didn't send me," he admitted, "She wants me to take over the family business, but I just don't think I'm cut out for it. I wanted to be a huntsman, not an evil overlord." His eyes widened at the last and he slapped his hands over his mouth.

"Not everyone in business is evil," Weiss protested, "I know people says that, but it's only lawyers who are truly evil!"

Pyrrha shook her head and laughed. "So, you told her you wanted to leave and came here?" she guessed. Jaune coughed and suddenly looked even more shamefaced. It didn't take a genius to guess what it was about. "She doesn't know you're here… does she?"

Weiss and Ruby gasped, though likely for different reasons. Jaune, on the other hand, looked up with eyes filled with panic. "You don't understand," he said, "What my mother wants, she gets. It was my dream to become a huntsman and there was no chance I'd be able to do that back home. It's not like I _wanted_ to run away, but I didn't have a choice. I still love her but I have to make my own decisions now that I'm an adult."

"I suppose that's understandable," Weiss sighed. "I can respect your goal to control your own life, Arc, even if I believe your methods a little… reckless."

"Reckless is one way of putting it," he sighed, "When mom gets hold of me, she's going to flay the skin off my bones."

He looked so afraid that Pyrrha couldn't help but laugh. It must have been nice to have so protective a mother, even if they'd apparently not agreed on everything. It was one thing to carry on the family history, but personal choice had to come before that. She watched as Weiss told him off for being dramatic, to which he argued that he wasn't being dramatic at all, and his mother _would_ flay him alive and then throw his body to the Grimm.

In the end, it was Ruby who interrupted the conversation. Her partner stood with a conflicted expression before speaking out. "How does your mother lead?" she asked. "She has to be pretty good at it if she can run something like that. What makes her a good leader?"

"My mom?" Jaune looked uncertain.

"Go on, Arc," Weiss gestured, "We're all in disagreement on what a leader is or should do or be and this seems a good solution. Let's hear it from the source and see which one of us would best suit the position."

Pyrrha didn't add her own voice to the mix, but she could admit to being curious herself.

Jaune looked between them for a few seconds and sighed. He seemed to struggle to gather his thoughts, or perhaps he tried to find a way to put the word together. In the end, however, he spoke. "Well, my mother always says a leader has to know everything, or at least seem like they do. They have to be intelligent, cunning... strength is a plus, but always second to those since if you lack ability you can take on someone else to fill the gap."

The description seemed to favour Weiss, who doubtless saw it if the way she straightened was any indication. Ruby, on the other hand, seemed frustrated. "It's not that simple though, is it?" Pyrrha asked. "You can be an intelligent person but you need to be capable of making people follow your orders. It's not like anyone can walk out onto the street and tell people to listen to them."

"Well that's why a leader needs to know how to make people do what they want."

"And what does she do?" Weiss was suddenly a lot more interested. "How does your mother make people do things they don't want to do?"

"Oh, that's easy. She doesn't give them a choice in the matter."

"But how?" Weiss asked. "How does she make them accept that?"

"Through force." Jaune said the words so casually, as though they were no big deal. "If you want to make people follow your orders you need to make them fear the consequences of not following them. You need to punish them when they step out of line."

Weiss took a step back. The girl's bravado looked to have left her, and Pyrrha felt no better. Ruby looked worried too, as though she might feel the lash at any moment. "That- that's not leadership," Weiss swallowed, "That's no better than ruling through fear!"

Jaune looked at her with a quizzical expression. "Well, yeah... obviously. You asked me how to make people do what you want. You need to force them."

* * *

 **Jaune... there's something to be said about not answering questions with blatant honesty. Obviously, the conversation will continue next chapter, lol.**

 **I can almost fully expect the backlash for my daring to consider the Grimm as having intellect in this. I'd just like to say that most of the content I included here was picked up from observation of the show and not "put together for the sake of it". In the real world "mindless" genuinely does NOT mean without a mind, and even in the show – we see regular instances of intellect, even from smaller Grimm. Take initiation for example, when Yang lands, addresses two Ursa… and they quite clearly look to one another in confusion – a human emotion.**

 **Or the Nevermore Ruby slams into, which is basically flying right next to humans… and makes zero attempts to attack or do anything about it. It's honestly just minding its own business, as are most of the Grimm in the Emerald Forest. There are many other examples too, but I won't list them. Do I think that makes hunters evil? Am I some kind of Remnant-leftist-hippy? Hell no, and I hope that's been made clear in this chapter… but at the same time, I fully expect that more about the Grimm will be revealed by RT in time, and not just as them being "brainless, pointless evil". They are antagonists, yes, and certainly so to the humans, since they have taken over much of Remnant. That won't change in this fic, either. Jaune will have to fight and kill Grimm… but that doesn't mean he isn't going to be affected by it.**

 **When people said it was "silly and stupid because Jaune is naïve in not knowing what a hunter does" in the last chapter, I think they missed the point that Jaune does – and did accept that he had to kill the Deathstalker - but that he had a bad reaction to Port's tales of basically going out into Grimm territory, finding a Grimm minding its own business – and murdering it (and of turning them into furniture).  
**

 **And in that case… yes, in my mind it would be an innocent Grimm. I, personally, could kill a rabid animal, and I could also hunt and kill an animal for food if I needed to, but I can still feel shitty about one being killed for sport or personal entertainment.  
**

 **I actually tried to "hint" a lot of this from chapters 1-6, mainly in how Jaune keeps meeting Grimm who SHOW some form of intellect, but since it wasn't widely understood, I had to basically write in the history lesson to sort of explain it. I do apologise of people felt it took a lot of the chapter, but it was the only in-universe way i could think to blatantly state it, since the signs went missed by quite a few people.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 1st March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	8. Chapter 8

**Argh, this week has been kind of killer, lol. A lot going on at work. Anyway, here's the next chapter, though I wasn't able to get this one to College Fool to look at, sadly.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 8 – Like Herding Sheep**

* * *

It was like the aftermath of a bomb going off. Silence hung in the air like a thick shroud, and it clogged their throats so that they couldn't speak. Weiss shook her head in some vain attempt to dispel her partner's words. "That's mad," she whispered, "That's insane. You can't force people to do what you want!"

"Of course you can," Jaune said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "That's what being a leader is all about. Didn't you ask how to make people do what you want?"

"That's not what I meant!" Weiss denied. She looked to Pyrrha and Ruby too, in some desperate attempt to convince them of her sincerity. Pyrrha looked troubled and nervous, but it was Ruby who stared back with wide, open eyes. "I wouldn't do that," Weiss said again, "I wouldn't use force to get what I want!"

"I-I didn't say you would," Ruby stammered.

She _stammered_ , which meant she thought about it, and the fact was enough to make Weiss feel sick. She rounded on her partner. "A leader doesn't rule through fear. That's not how any leader – any employer – should. Leadership is a position of responsibility; it's your job to look after those below you."

"It is," he nodded, "If something goes wrong then those below you die. Mom told me all about that. That's why it's important that they follow your instructions to the letter. That's why it's important they know they can never hesitate or doubt your words."

"But you don't have to make them afraid of what will happen…"

"Don't you?" he asked. "Then what happens if you give an order that would save Ruby's life and she doesn't follow it? What if it's a decision based on information you have but she doesn't – and if she ignores the order, she dies?" He looked to Ruby, who took a step back. "Isn't it better that she be afraid of you than dead?"

"I…" Weiss didn't have an answer.

Was that what it meant to lead? She could remember her father's lessons on the subjects, which coincided so easily with what her partner said. Jacques ruled by fear, though he never struck anyone but his own daughter. He held people's livelihoods over their head, imposing strict targets and deadlines and ensuring that any who failed to meet them were ruthlessly purged from the company. _"There can be no mercy, Weiss,"_ he would say, _"Give one person an easy time and everyone will think you've gone soft. I don't care if their mother just died; if they can't leave their personal problems at home, they're out of a job."_

She didn't want to be like her father.

Weiss looked to Ruby, lost and alone, half-hidden behind Pyrrha, and wondered what she could do to force her will on the girl. She could overpower her physically, perhaps even restrict her ability to talk with her sister – use that as a reward for good behaviour and impose her will on Ruby that way.

Something unpleasant rolled around in her gut.

"There has to be another way," she whispered. "I… I'm not willing to do that."

"Well I suppose there is one other way… mom always says it's not quite as effective, but it's definitely there."

"What is it?" She would take anything at this point.

"Love."

It felt like all the tension in the room drained away. The suffocating silence broke, with Ruby and Pyrrha letting out relieved sighs. Weiss wanted to join them, but found herself unable to.

"And your mother," Pyrrha asked with a small smile, "Do you love or fear her?"

"Well I love her, obviously," Jaune sounded affronted. "But that doesn't mean she isn't a little scary sometimes too."

It seemed to finally let them all relax.

Loving and scary at the same time; that was probably what a real mother was supposed to be like. For her, the family in her life had been controlling and strict, the very definition of `rule through fear` as Jaune put it.

"Well why didn't you say that first," Ruby whined, "You made us all think the worst!"

"I did?"

"Maybe that was the point," Pyrrha chuckled. "He wanted to teach us a valuable lesson about the difference between fear and love."

"I did?"

Weiss ignored the display, too lost in her own thoughts. She agreed with Pyrrha; his words were cleverly put, first to shock them into listening, then to deliver his wisdom at the end. His mother sounded like a good example too, strict and firm, but caring of her people.

But she didn't think she could be the same.

Her team didn't love her… they didn't even respect her; and without that, what could she do to lead them at all? They weren't beholden to follow her, they didn't respect her enough to listen, and she couldn't take the choice out of their hands.

"So where does that leave us?" she asked, drawing their attention to her. "What does this mean for Team WJRP?"

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked.

She felt tired. Her limbs were heavy, her mind even more so, and she just lacked the energy to try and whip them into shape. With a great breath, she let out a long sigh and looked towards the taller girl. "Every time I try to tell Ruby what she should do, you take her side. I'm aware that she's your partner, Pyrrha, but you're _my_ teammate too. I'm not sure what I've done to warrant your passive-aggressive attitude, but I'd have you tell me."

The redhead recoiled, "What!? I didn't – I haven't…"

"And you," Weiss turned to Ruby, "I'm not trying to force you into not copying my partner because I want to see you struggle. I don't get entertainment from bossing you around." Ruby's shoulders slumped. "The team can't keep operating like this. I'm the leader but not a single one of my decisions has been so much as considered, let alone followed. At first I thought it because we were still getting used to one another, but it seems obvious that the problem is the two of you… or me." She looked between the two of them, expression flat. "So, which is it? Frankly, if the two of you are so determined to be against me then we might as well call this whole thing off. I can always talk to the headmaster and see about moving onto a different team. Perhaps they would respect my input enough to at least _listen_ to what I say."

"I do listen," Ruby whispered. "It's just a single piece of homework, though. You're not telling the others off about it."

"Ruby," Weiss sighed. "Who lead the army against the faunus in the battle of Fort Castle?" The question was a simple enough one but Ruby's face twisted in dismay.

"That's not fair," Pyrrha interrupted. "Weiss, that's a topic people study in their final year of prep-school. Ruby couldn't possibly know the answer."

"No, she couldn't," Weiss agreed, "and yet that same question might come up on any test she does within Beacon – along with others she would have learned in her final two years. Exams and tests aren't going to go easy on her because she's younger, nor will the Grimm. If she doesn't know the answers, she might be expected to repeat the entire year again. Can you imagine being left behind while your friends and your sister move on?" Ruby's face looked queasy at the thought. It honestly looked like she might cry. Weiss sighed. "I am not trying to be cruel… I am trying to be honest. Ruby must study _more_ than anyone else, because _she_ must catch up. That is the unfortunate reality of being moved ahead. A reality _you,_ _Pyrrha_ _,_ are doing your best to keep her from."

Pyrrha looked distraught. That wasn't what Weiss wanted, either, and she let out a long sigh.

"This is why I want you to pay attention in class," she went on, "This is why I am frustrated that you are so eager to copy my partner's homework and run off to play video games with your sister. This is why I made that order. I did it because I thought it best for the team… best for you… not because I wanted to be cruel or for some self-serving pleasure of being heeded." The heiress looked aside with a barely concealed frown. She felt too tired for this. With a long sigh, she pushed past them and towards the door. Not even one of them made to stop her. Before she left, she looked back and shrugged. "Decide for yourself if you want to follow it. You neither love nor respect me and I can't harden my heart enough to force or punish you. Do what you want."

/-/

Pyrrha watched with an agonised expression as Weiss left. Her parting words hung on the air and for the life of her, she couldn't find fault with them. Ruby _did_ miss out on two years and she _would_ be expected to know those things regardless. A far more personal problem gnawed away at her, however. One that filled her with shame.

Had she really been so against Weiss, just because of how they first met?

 _Was I really being so antagonistic to her?_ There was no denying she'd chosen Ruby over Weiss as her partner, but had she unconsciously sided with Ruby in everything else too, just to spite the heiress? Their first meeting hadn't been great, especially when Weiss clearly wanted her as a partner for her power and not her personality… but was that a good reason to treat her so?

It didn't feel like it. It felt petty… more so, now that she understood the reasons for Weiss' harsh discipline. She hadn't picked Ruby out because she was younger or easier, but because she needed it.

Ruby broke the silence by moving towards the door as well. Pyrrha reached out to touch her, but the younger girl dodged away with a fragile smile.

"I need some time to think… alone," she added when Pyrrha made to follow. "I'll see you guys later, okay?" She didn't want for an answer, and slipped out of the door a moment later.

"Did I… say something wrong?" Jaune Arc looked uncertain and even upset in his own way.

"Not wrong," Pyrrha sighed, "Just some… difficult truths, for all of us."

"Ah," Jaune nodded. "Uncle Watts says that's a common failing of mine. He says I need to lie more."

Pyrrha laughed, even if it felt a little bitter. She felt she could have stood for Jaune tempering his words, but… in a way, maybe they needed to hear his wisdom. _It was so easy for me to blame Weiss, to judge her because of how she acted when we first met. Isn't that what I hate others doing to me, though? Am I that much of a hypocrite?_

"You know a lot about leadership, Jaune… that and people's flaws. Do you… do you think Weiss will be a good leader?"

Jaune shrugged. "I don't see why not. Mom always tells me I could rule the world in the world in time; I just need to have some confidence and believe in myself. Well," he shrugged, "that and conquer the world."

Pyrrha smiled at the joke, and then laughed when he muttered something about his mother conquering the world before he could.

Still… it was food for thought. Had she ever given Weiss a chance to be a good leader?

 _I wish I could see what kind of person Jaune's mother is… someone who can inspire love in her people, who can rule firm and fair. She sounds wonderful._

/-/

"Cinder, dearest, if you are here to waste my time again I _shall_ flay the flesh from your bones."

Cinder Fall swallowed and considered leaving entirely. Her master would just see that as cowardice, however, and so she forced her feet to carry her into the room and stand behind the deadly woman. Through the windows Salem looked out of, myriad Grimm could be seen below.

"My lady," Cinder whispered, "I wished to discuss the latest plan with you…"

"You wish to steer me away from invading Vale," Salem corrected. "Do not lie to me."

Cinder winced. "I do."

"Go on. I am not so obstinate that I would not listen to your words, my dear. _Do_ choose them wisely, however."

Cinder bowed her head, mind racing at a mile a minute. Watts' interruption had been a disaster, and her master's plan even more so. If the Grimm invaded Vale, then the maiden would be lost to her. Ozpin would either move her away, forcing their plans back years, or she might even be killed in the invasion. There was no telling who the power would then go to. While there was a chance the maiden might still think of her, a chance wasn't something she was willing to risk all of this on. If it went to some random whelp in the world? That could not be allowed to happen.

"I believe a subtler approach might yet yield greater results," Cinder explained. "I understand your concern for your son, but he's both strong and resourceful." Salem's eyebrow rose, and Cinder stifled a cough. "Well… he is strong and uh… plucky? Regardless, we _know_ he has not yet been captured and that means his disguise as held solid. If Grimm move close to the city, Beacon will be one of the first places expected to react. He might be placed in further danger."

"I am not so foolish as to have forgotten that, Cinder. Take care not to insinuate otherwise. All the Grimm I have created so far for this task have been imbued with a strong – nay, an obsessive desire to safely reclaim and return my son."

Damn it, damn it… her master had thought of everything it seemed, and with such Grimm at her command… no, wait. "Then why not use those now?" Cinder asked. "They could reclaim the young master without causing a ruckus at all. Wouldn't that have the lowest chance of causing him harm?"

"And you do not believe they might become suspicious when a Nevermore flies into Beacon to peacefully abduct a student?"

"There will be opportunities when he is out of the school. Perhaps on field trips or training in the wilderness nearby."

"And how long would that take?" Salem asked. "How would I be to know when these opportunities occur? Cinder, my dear, do exercise a little common sense, won't you?"

Common sense? Her master was about to invade a Kingdom to get her son back! Their plans were about to be thrown away, and of course she could feel Watts' blasted influence in this. It would be just like that self-serving fool to squander the opportunities the maiden's powers would give. _Just because he's not a woman and so can't inherit it, the fool!_ If only Jaune hadn't been so stupid and run off… if only he'd not been so stubborn, so rebellious…

Wait!

"Master, please wait," Cinder begged, "Jaune… even if you reclaim him, won't he just run away again?"

Salem looked worried. "I could keep him here."

"But he would resent it. He would childishly refuse to do anything you say, to attend lessons or to work with us." Cinder kept her head low so that her smile couldn't be seen. Personally, she found his constant rebellion irritating, but for once it could work in her favour. "He might even be so upset that his freedom was taken away, that he refuses to even speak with you."

"This… teenage rebellion once more?" Salem grit out.

"I fear so, my master. Obviously, because it is you he rebels against, he will be unlikely to listen. Would it not be better to speak with him first, to change his mind? If we could _convince_ him to return home, then it would ensure this doesn't happen again. It might even be enough to end this rebelliousness once and for all."

Salem turned away from the window at last, sitting down with crossed legs and one hand tapping a pattern on the stone throne. Her face was set in a grim frown, her eyes narrowed. "Your words make sense," she said, "as much as I might wish otherwise. Jaune is… he has a firm will, much like myself… much like my darling Nicky-poo."

Cinder shuddered again. "It might be even worse," she continued. "Jaune is… he may have made acquaintances at Beacon. Acquaintances he may grieve the loss of were we to kill them."

Salem's eyes widened. "You are right," she gasped, "With my genes, not to mention my husband's, he has probably already wormed his way into the hearts of several young women."

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. It was said that a mother tended to think the best of their children, but really… the chances of Jaune having the nerve to even _speak_ with girls was slim. The only one he really interacted with was her. Of course, she'd taken the time to wrap him around her finger, as it ought to be. "My advice would be to take care with this," Cinder went on. "If we could first change his mind, everything would then go better. Naturally, I already have agents in Vale who can-"

"You will go to Vale at once."

Cinder's eyes widened. "P-Pardon?"

"Your words ring true, and looking back now, it seems so obvious." Salem said. "My son is acting rebelliously against myself and so is unlikely to listen to me. Therefore, it should obviously be you to go and speak with him. This is convenient, since I recall you would be transferring there in time."

"I-In time, yes, my master," Cinder hurried, "but our plans are hardly in motion – there is still so muc-"

"And I'm sure you can handle much of that from Vale as easily as Mistral." The red-eyed woman waved one hand to dismiss her complaints. "My son's safety does, after all, come first."

It wasn't what she wanted, not at all, but it was still better than destroying Vale entirely. At least she could still continue her plan and acquire the maiden. Her eyes drifted shut as she let out a long, suffering sigh. "I understand… I will do my best to ensure the young master's safety."

"I shall send the Grimm as well, however," Salem said, causing Cinder's eyes to widen. "You will have an opportunity to convince my son, but should he step foot outside Beacon, they _shall_ acquire him for me. They will, however, not make any aggressive motions towards the city."

Cinder swallowed but didn't dare argue. She would just need to make sure her idiot little brother didn't fall for such a trap, and obviously that her master never realised her hand in such. "If I may be dismissed, I shall prepare documents for an early transfer from Haven for my team and I." Emerald and Mercury would be confused, but they would follow her instructions. They feared her too much to do otherwise.

"You are dismissed, my dear," Salem waved. Cinder stood and made to leave, only to pause as her master called out. "Don't forget to wear that uniform my daughter made for you."

Her cheeks darkened. "It's… rather short in the skirt…"

"Exactly," Salem smiled. "Coral worked so hard on that and she would be dreadfully upset if you didn't wear it. I'm sure Jaune would enjoy seeing you in it as well. Remember, my dear, there are more ways for a woman to convince a man to do what they want than just using your words. My Nicky becomes very pliable under the right… ministrations."

"I-I shall keep that in mind," Cinder said with a bow.

She would make him suffer for causing her this indignation.

/-/

Weiss struggled to find direction as she wandered the halls of Beacon. She didn't have a destination in mind, nor did one manifest itself through her journey. She wanted to think, but all that came to her mind were questions. How was she supposed to lead her team? What was he meant to do about their problems? Should she try at all?

She tried to think of how others led, but all that came to her mind was her father and sister. The less said about her father's techniques, the better, but thinking of Winter had failed to help either. Winter commanded her men, who followed because it was expected of them. They were all trained military soldiers and so had come to Winter already prepared and ready to follow her every instruction.

Her sister had proved herself worthy of that, of course, but only because her orders had no doubt been well thought out and successful. _How can I prove myself to my team if they won't even consider mine, though?_

Rule by love, or rule by fear… one of those seemed so obvious a choice and yet it wasn't that easy. Ruby and Pyrrha had no reason to love her, nor did they to fear her. How could she make either of them love or respect her when she couldn't even earn the same from her parents?

"Trouble, Miss Schnee?"

The voice caught her by surprise, so much so that she leapt back and a hand fell to her waist. Myrtenaster was not there, however, and that was fortunate for she doubted attacking the headmaster would be a wise choice. "I-I'm sorry, sir," she gasped and bowed her head, "You caught me by surprise."

"There is no harm," the man said with a wave of his mug. "You were clearly lost in thought and so the fault is my own."

"Thank you, sir…"

The man looked at her for a few moments. "I sense that there's something bothering you Miss Schnee. Perhaps you would like to ask me something?"

He saw through her, though perhaps that wasn't a difficult task with how distracted she was. A sigh escaped her and she nodded. "I wanted to ask… why it is you made me the leader of our team. Why choose me of all people?"

"Is that all?" The headmaster chuckled lightly. "I selected you, Miss Schnee, because you were the one who commanded your team in the battle against the Deathstalker. Mr Arc has strength in abundance, if his performance is to be believed, while Miss Nikos is a known fighter and Miss Rose is skilled, even if her young age belies that fact. You, however, were the one they chose to listen to at that moment."

That was true. Weiss' heart dared to hope for a moment as she remembered that. There hadn't been any arguments then, but at the same time she hadn't done anything different, either. She'd told them to do what she felt was best and they'd followed. Why was it any different now?

"Are you having problems with your team, Miss Schnee?"

The Schnee in her told her to deny it. A Schnee did not have problems, at least not in public. They were always in control, always calm and composed. Lesser people made mistakes… lesser people complained about them. "I am," she admitted with a sigh. "I… I do not believe I am fit to lead the team." It was a crushing thing to admit, and she felt like the worst of scum when she did. "I think something should be changed. I think Pyrrha should be made leader."

"Not Mr Arc?"

"He… Jaune said he wouldn't make a good leader. He said he doesn't have what it takes to lead." And somehow, from those words alone, she believed him. It wasn't that he was weak, for he clearly wasn't. He just seemed like the kind of person who knew his limits.

"I must say, I find myself quite surprised, Miss Schnee."

"I'm sorry…"

"In a good way," the headmaster rebuked, a small smile on his face. "It takes some people many more years to accept that they are not perfect at something. You would be surprised how long it takes for some to realise they need help. I will not, however, change the team assignments. You were chosen to lead for a reason, and by that same merit, there are reasons Miss Nikos was not chosen."

Weiss cursed internally and looked away. This was Ozpin, the headmaster, and so she couldn't argue with his decision. "I understand, sir. I'm sorry for wasting your time."

"Time spent teaching is never wasted. What appears to be the problem? I might be able to help."

It was a long shot, but right now she was desperate. She laid out the problem as it faced her, the words Jaune had said and how she wasn't willing to try and control her team through such heavy-handed methods. She never once mentioned her father, but she had a feeling the headmaster knew. Her father's reputation was legendary… it tainted everything about their family. Once she was done, the headmaster hummed and tapped one finger against his mug.

"A difficult problem indeed," he said. "I applaud your decision not to try and force the issue. While Mr Arc is accurate in saying that fear can be a potent motivator, I believe he chose to express his tale that way so to push you away from it."

Weiss nodded. She had come to much the same conclusion. He'd shocked her into despising the idea, then reversed it by pointing out what he wanted her to do. "But I don't know how to rule by love," she sighed. "I get that he means think of my team's safety and do what's best for them, but I thought I was with Ruby. How can I do what's best for them if they won't even listen to what I say?"

"Giving orders can be a difficult task," the headmaster agreed, "Even I, with my employees below me, find myself faced with that problem. I can order Miss Goodwitch to do whatever it is I wish, but she has the freedom to interpret those instructions as she sees fit. Naturally, she might also choose to ignore them, should I order something she found abhorrent." He smiled down on her for a moment and tilted his head, "Not that I have, of course. You can rest assured Miss Goodwitch would take me to task if I did. The point I am trying to make, Miss Schnee, is that sometimes a leader needs to convince people to follow their orders. You must make them wish to follow you, or at least make them believe they do."

"Make them wish to follow?"

"Consider if you will a starving man and a man who is full. If you ordered them both to eat a large meal, you would find one more willing to listen to you than the other." He waited for her to nod in understanding before he continued. "Sometimes, it's important to think of what your team wish – or are willing – to do, and to phrase your instructions in such a way that they agree with them. My example is a bit optimistic, perhaps, but you can at least make sure you never give an order your companions would feel reluctant to follow."

His example with Miss Goodwitch and abhorrent orders… she caught the message. "What about Ruby and studying, then?" she asked. "I'm not sure how to make her _want_ to do something like that."

"Sometimes you won't be able to," Ozpin admitted, "In those cases, although it might sound callous, it may be necessary to let people make mistakes. In this case, the mistake is quite harmless. Miss Rose will receive a bad grade on an assignment and you can then use that as an example to show her why she needs to study more."

"And what if it's in the field?" Weiss asked. She recalled Jaune's example, and the weight of having a life on the other end of her orders. "What if the mistake _is_ big?"

"Much like they did in initiation, I believe you'll find your team much more willing to listen to you in such a situation. Naturally, it is human instinct to wish to live, and so they'll happily work with you. After all, Miss Rose followed your instructions first about charging in and again on how to attack the Deathstalker, did she not? I don't recall her ever questioning or rejecting your orders."

"You're right…" Maybe it was just because this was a non-combat situation… maybe Ruby would still listen to her if they were fighting Grimm. Did that mean the best way to build trust was to go out and fight together? "Thank you for your advice, headmaster."

"You're welcome, Miss Schnee. Just remember, as a leader it's important to think not only of what you want, but what your team desires as well. Make your orders coincide with those desires, and you'll find people far more willing to work with you."

She nodded as the older man walked away. Make people want to follow your orders? It sounded nice… far nicer than forcing someone and so much less oppressive than what her father did… but was it, really?

 _If I tailor my instructions to make the team want to follow them, then aren't I just manipulating them? It might sound friendly and nice, but I'm still forcing them to do what I want – except with a carrot instead of a stick._

The donkey might follow its stomach, but did that breed trust and respect between either of them? "I don't want to have a team I have to lead around by the nose, nor one that I have to threaten into action. Isn't there a different way?"

Her father was autocratic… from what the headmaster had advised, he was paternalistic. Perhaps that made sense, given his position at the head of a school for children, but her team wasn't bound to obey her orders and likely never would be.

Perhaps a trip to the library would offer inspiration.

/-/

Roman looked down at his scroll and made sure the call had ended before he tossed it aside. He slumped back on the couch with a sigh, smirking a little when a cigar was pushed into his vision. "You're a lifesaver, Neo," he said, taking and lighting it. They never failed to calm him down, a must-have for a job as stressful as his.

His partner looked on from where she was sat, a bowl of ice-cream on her lap. As silent as ever, she'd remained perfectly still while Cinder… _discussed_ their change in plan.

"That was the boss," he explained needlessly, "and as lovely as ever a conversation with her." Neo raised an eyebrow and made a few quick motions that had him shaking his head. "No, you know her, all threats and veiled words." He wished he could put Melodic Cudgel to the back of her head, but that would assuredly lead to his death. "Sounds like things are going to be going through a little change, and lucky us, she's going to be coming here in person early."

Neo pulled a funny face that had him chuckling.

"My thoughts exactly. Gods, remind me again why we're in league with her?"

Neo mimed a gun to the side of her head and it going off.

"Rhetorical question, Neo. Trust me, I know." It was life in the underworld, and a life he figured he'd escaped long ago. It was a dog eat dog world but when you were at the top of the food chain, you didn't have to worry about someone pushing a little leverage on you. Oh, there were favours and deals will, but those could always be dealt with diplomatically enough.

He'd thought himself quite pretty and safe up there, until _she_ arrived.

"She's coming early but our deadlines aren't being changed, which I guess is one silver lining." Neo wiped a hand on her brow. "Yeah, I know… she's a bitch but she's not dumb. Life would be easier if she was."

Neo cocked her head to the side and mimed once to the door and then to his scroll.

"She didn't say why she's coming early," he answered, "but I've got a feeling it involves that guy I got involved with a week back. You remember the one I told you about?" Neo nodded, though she made sure to roll her eyes. "Hey, I told you it was the truth! I know it _sounds_ crazy but you know I wouldn't rob even a dinky dust store drunk. I saw what I saw."

Neo, the smart ass, patted his leg condescendingly. Only she could have gotten away with it, and not only because she was dangerous in her own right. He grinned and ruffled her hair before she could get away. When she did, she pouted and worked to straighten it.

"That brat showed up and it wasn't until I mentioned him to her that she decided to come. What's more, she's asked me to try and get some more intel on him by the time she gets here. She also made one other mistake." Neo raised an eyebrow. "She called him Jaune Arc. See, when I told her about him, I don't remember giving her his name, which means _she_ knew it. Cinder knows him… and I've got a feeling with how strong he is, that he knows her too."

Neo made a throat-slitting motion and tilted her head to the side in question.

"Not from what I'm getting," he said. "If Cindy wanted to kill the guy, she'd have probably had us try first; you know we're expendable to her. No… I think he's important somehow."

Neo frowned and leaned forward, as did he. For all that she couldn't speak, only a fool would consider her foolish. There was a reason she was his most trusted companion, after all. _If that guy was important to Cinder, then why would he be out here on his own? Something obviously went wrong, otherwise she wouldn't need to change her plans._

He was important enough for her to change their plans for… that was a big deal. A flicker of an idea crossed his mind; mad, desperate – but they were desperate people, weren't they?

"Neo," he whispered, catching her attention immediately. "This guy… he's a pretty big deal for Cinder as far as we can tell. If she's willing to put things on the line to make sure she has him, then that means he's important – integral-" Roman grinned, "- not expendable..." Neo's eyes widened as she caught onto his line of thought. "Obviously, Cindy intends to get rid of us once we've outlived our usefulness, that's as clear as day, but if she _needs_ him, then we can tie our fate to his, can't we?"

It was a risk, of course. There was no telling if Cinder's intent with the guy was only limited, or if he would be expendable too once his part in her plan was done. It was better than doing nothing, however, since right now they weren't getting any more important to her.

"We need to get the guy on our side," he said, "We need to make him consider us important, whether that means finding us useful, liking us, whatever – I don't care. We just need _him_ to make it clear to _her_ that we can't be thrown away like used shoes. Get it?"

Neo nodded her head quickly. She knew as well as he how unsecure their tenure with Cinder Fall was. Both of them had been looking for an out for a while, but there was no telling how far Cinder's influence stretched. She had the White Fang on her side too, and those animals were based all across Remnant. Neo tilted her head to the side, as though to ask how they'd go about it.

Roman leaned back with a smug smile. "That's where you come in," he said with a nod towards her. "Cindy called to say she has to come early like I said, but she also mentioned that her team is going to have to transfer into Beacon too to make it legit. You remember how you were going to act as their fourth when the festival came around?" Neo nodded. "Well she wants you in earlier. Says the only way she can make this look real is if the whole team transfers as Beacon students. That means she can't claim you wanted to stay behind for whatever reason."

Neo's face twisted in agony. No doubt she knew what school of all things would be like. No late-night raids, no alcohol, no abundance of ice-cream and very little opportunity for mindless violence. He pitied her already, but their survival was more important.

"Get close to him," he said, "Do whatever you need to in order to make him like you. I'll work on the side to try and get his trust if I can, but you'll have access to him almost every day."

Neo crossed her arms and pouted at him.

"I'm not saying you have to sleep with the guy," he sighed. "Just… do what you think is best. Befriend him, help him with his homework, hell – get him to think of you as a cute little sister or something, I don't know. But if you're into that crazy tentacle stuff then well… I won't judge… _much_."

She bounced the ice-cream bowl off his head but sighed and nodded, as he'd known she would. It wasn't like either of them had the freedom to say no to Cinder anyway, so Neo would be going to Beacon whatever she wanted.

A chance for them to secure their lives at the end of this disaster, though? That was worth gunning for.

Neo sighed.

She followed it up with a nod, however.

/-/

Weiss was reading in the library when her scroll went off. She put down the book on leadership styles, not at all impressed with what it described as laissez-faire. Leaving her team to their own devices wouldn't fix anything. She fished out the warbling scroll with one hand and flicked it open.

"Weiss!" Pyrrha's voice came through. "Have you seen Ruby anywhere? It's late and she still hasn't come back."

Weiss checked the time on the scroll, eyes widening as she realised it was indeed half past ten at night. _Have I really been reading for so long?_ The stack of books nearby said she might have been. To make it worse, she hadn't even come to a decision yet.

"Weiss?" Pyrrha prodded.

"Oh, sorry… no, I haven't seen her. I've been reading in the library. Have you tried her sister's dorm?"

"I sent a message to Ren but he says they haven't seen her either. I'm sure she's fine but it's very late. Jaune is out looking for her and I'm waiting here in case she comes back."

Weiss sighed and stood up. She would take anything over further reading any further. "I'll look for her as well."

"Thank you, Weiss."

The scroll went dead a second later and Weiss tucked it back into her combat skirt with a sigh. _Now then, Ruby… if I were you, where would I be hiding?_

The kitchens immediately came to mind, but she doubted those would be open and it wasn't like Ruby was going to break into them. The training area was another thought, but this late she doubted anyone would have the energy to train. Perhaps the forges, where weapons were repaired and modified… that was Ruby's forte and something of an obsession from what she had seen. With a nod, she decided to try there first.

She didn't make it that far, however. In fact, she didn't make it out of the library at all.

Ruby Rose sat on a seat in one corner, and were it not for her red hood, Weiss would have missed her entirely. "There you are," she sighed and walked over. "But what are you doing in the library?"

She reached down to touch the girl's shoulder. Ruby smacked her lips and mumbled something but didn't wake up, even when Weiss gently pushed the book under her arms to one side. It wouldn't do for her teammate to drool on it, after all. Not when it might get her in trouble. She picked it up and looked at the cover.

 _The Faunus War,_ it read.

Weiss blinked and turned it over, looking at the page Ruby had been reading. "The battle of Fort Castle," she whispered. The very page was about General Lagune and his mistake that led to their defeat. More than that, it was the answer to the question Weiss asked Ruby earlier. She looked down on her young teammate, eyes wide. "Did you study all of this?" she asked.

Ruby's answer came in the form of a quiet, muffled, snore.

 _We had our argument hours ago,_ she thought, looking at the books arrayed across the table. She put the first one down and reached to the notepad beside it. Ruby's handwriting was terrible but she could just about make out a list of subjects. _There are what she would have learned in her last two years at Signal._

Something clogged in Weiss' throat, an uncertain feeling that felt both good and bad at the same time. Had… had Ruby done all of this because of what she said?

Was this Ruby's way of listening to her instructions?

"You're so silly," Weiss whispered, and she wasn't sure whether she addressed that to Ruby or herself. "You didn't have to go this far. I would have helped you if you asked. I just didn't want you to copy Jaune's and not learn anything."

"Mrbll… cookies…"

An uncharacteristic giggle escaped her. "You can have some tomorrow. It's not like anyone can stop you. Now wake up…" Weiss pushed and prodded the girl, but she just moaned and snuggled deeper into her arms. With a sigh, she tried again – harder.

Ruby continued to sleep through it.

"Seriously?" Weiss sighed. "It was cute a moment ago, but now you're just annoying." She was too heavy to lift as well. Then again… maybe Ruby was only too heavy for _her_ to lift.

/-/

Jaune arrived at the library a few minutes later, just in time to catch Pyrrha arriving. "She called you too?" he asked. He wondered why. He was strong enough to lift Ruby on his own. Maybe Weiss didn't realise that, though.

"I heard Ruby fell asleep," Pyrrha said with a little smile. "I'm just glad Weiss found her. She would have been stiff if she slept here all night."

That was true. Cinder often fell asleep in positions like that too, and would have horribly sore muscles in the morning. Whenever he was around, she had him massage her shoulders. Never in mom's line of sight, of course, since his father did that to her, and as such Salem considered shoulder massage to be one level below marriage.

Weiss looked up as they walked over. The white-haired girl was stood by Ruby, one hand on the slumbering girl's shoulder. "She's fast asleep," she said, "Though at this point I doubt you need to whisper. I think she'd stay asleep even if I broke a chair over her head."

" **Didn't Hazel do that to wake you up once?"** Remy piped up.

" _Yeah… luckily my head proved stronger. I remember mom was pretty angry."_

" **Yeah, she liked that chair."**

Pyrrha leaned down to try and wake her partner, only to give up a moment later and look at the books. "She was studying?" she asked.

"She was," Weiss agreed, looking almost proud. "I guess in the end, she took what I said to heart. Jaune, can you and Pyrrha carry Ruby between you? I'd offer to help but I don't think I would be much use."

Jaune hummed in agreement, but knelt down and placed his hands beneath Ruby's legs and shoulders before Pyrrha could come near. The girl was light in his arms and her head fell against his chest with a muffled snore. "I've got her," he said. "I think we'd just drop her if we both tried to carry her." He didn't quite understand why they both stared at him, nor why Pyrrha's cheeks darkened and she looked away.

"Right…" Weiss coughed awkwardly. "Well… I suppose you would do that. Back to the dorm, I guess…"

"Weiss, wait." Pyrrha caught his partner's sleeve in one hand. Weiss stopped to listen, but Pyrrha froze. It seemed like both wanted to say something, yet neither knew where to start. The silence dragged on, and when Pyrrha let go awkwardly, Weiss made to leave once more.

Jaune tilted his head to the side. "Didn't you have something to say?" he asked. "Why grab her if you didn't?"

"I-I did," Pyrrha nodded. She took a deep breath and readied herself. "Weiss, I'd like to apologise for how I acted to you before. I judged you without getting to know you, and you were right, I _did_ favour Ruby over you. It was inexcusable of me and I should have trusted that you had reasons behind your orders. I should have at least listened to them, and for that I'm sorry."

Oh, she wanted to apologise to Weiss? That was nice of her.

"I'm sorry too," Weiss sighed and slumped before them. "I didn't communicate properly with you and I acted like I had a given right to expect your obedience. I never once considered what _you_ both wanted and instead sought to make decisions for you. I've had time to think about it… and to think about what kind of leader I want to be."

"You don't need to change," Pyrrha protested, "We didn't give you a chance, we could-"

"No. I want to change. I want to be the kind of leader you can all respect. I want to be someone whose orders you follow because you trust them." Weiss took a deep breath. "And I realise that trust isn't going to come easy. You can't trust my judgment until you've experienced it a few times… so until you can trust me, I'm going to do what I did here with Ruby, since that seemed to work." Weiss nodded to the girl in his arms. "Ruby studied like I asked her to, but she did it because she understood why I wanted her to. She understood and she agreed with it. From now on, if I want us to do something, I'll try and give the reasons for why I want us to and why I think it's a good idea," she promised. "I might make mistakes, and I might forget at times, but if you ever don't understand why I'm asking something or think it's a bad idea… tell me. I'll do my best to explain and I'll also do my best to listen."

"Weiss…" Pyrrha breathed.

"I'm not perfect," Weiss said, "and I'm not claiming I'll be the perfect leader… but if you'll give me a chance, I'll try my best."

"I will as well," Pyrrha promised. "I'll try to be the best teammate I can be. I'm sure Ruby will as well."

Weiss nodded. She moved past Pyrrha without looking at her, cheeks a little red. On the way, however, she paused by him. Her eyes reached up to meet his. "Thank you," she whispered to him.

Jaune blinked as she walked off, shoulders held high.

"Jaune," Pyrrha said. She smiled and stepped before him, eyes bright and cheery. "I… I suppose you were trying to teach me a lesson as well as Weiss. Thank you so much. You were right about what you said and I… I was at fault too." She looked like she might step forward and hug him, but for Ruby in his arms. Instead she simply smiled even wider and stepped back. "Thank you so much," she said.

He blinked again, watching with a blank expression as she nodded to him and left.

" _Why are they thanking me?"_ he asked. _"I didn't even do anything. What lesson!?"_ All he'd done was give them some half-made up stories about his mom so they didn't get suspicious and guess what she – and by extension him – truly was. _"What were they even talking about?"_

" **I've no idea… honestly, Jaune, we've lived with your sisters for seventeen years. I think by this point we just need to write women off as crazy."**

"I'm doing my best to fit in, but these people make no sense whatsoever," Jaune sighed. "You're still normal though, right Ruby?"

"Hmm. Cookie." Ruby agreed, fastening her lips – and her teeth – onto his neck. She made an appreciative sound as she started to chew against his aura.

"Never mind…"

* * *

 **Wow, a white sheep chapter with very little Jaune. In a sense this is both tying up the first Beacon arc and setting the stage for future ones, which will obviously include Jaune a lot more. The PoV leapt around a lot here, but I did it to try and almost show the different leadership styles being used in each one. For instance, Weiss thinks about autocratic and then we see Salem and Cinder. She then talks to Ozpin about paternalistic, asks if there's another and we see Roman and Neo, who have a more laissez-faire style going on between them. Basically, Roman saying "Do whatever you think will work" which is kind of the definition of the hands-off style.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 8** **th** **March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	9. Chapter 9

**Another week; another chapter. I'm glad to see out of 8,000 words of the last, everyone focused on the truly important part of Ruby biting him.**

 **Stay classy guys… never change. xD**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 9 – Heart Bleat  
**

* * *

For Yang, it was like every birthday rolled up into one. If their dad were here, he might have disagreed, but as she looked down on her sister, whose face was as red as her hood, she couldn't bring herself to care. "So basically," Yang grinned, "you gave him a hickey?"

" _Nooooo_!" Ruby cried. "I've told you, it's not _like_ that! Jaune was carrying me-"

"Bridal style," Nora interjected. The orange-haired girl then held up her hand in time to catch the high-five Yang sent her way.

"T-That doesn't matter. I fell asleep. It didn't mean anything!"

"Are you saying you fell asleep in his arms?"

" _Yaaaang_ ," Ruby's face fell onto the table and she groaned into the woodwork. "You're the worst sister ever! We didn't sle- we didn't do anything like that. I fell asleep studying and Jaune carried me back to my room because Weiss couldn't lift me."

Yang nodded solemnly, in understanding and acceptance. She placed a hand on her sister's shoulder and looked her straight in the eye. "And that's when you gave him a hickey." she said.

The cookie bounced off her face. "You suck," Ruby grumbled.

"And you suck a bit too hard," Yang retorted. "Oh, my little sis – all grown up and marking her man."

"Ya-ang!" Ruby growled. "It wasn't like that, I swear."

"See, I would believe you sis… but first of all, you say you fell asleep studying, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Since when do you do anything like that?"

"Erk!" Ruby's face went red. "I-I'm turning over a new leaf. I'm going to study more."

" _Sure_ you are," Yang grinned. "Don't worry Rubes, your big sis is a cool girl. She knows what it means when a guy and girl go for a `study session`." She made sure to hold her fingers up in big comma signs as she said those two words.

"No, no, no, no, no," Ruby whipped her hands back and forth. "Weiss, _tell_ her, please."

The white-haired girl sighed and leaned on the cafeteria table. "Ruby does tell the truth," she said. "I found her asleep after having studied through some course material, and I did call Jaune to help carry her."

"Poo," Yang groaned, "That's less fun."

"But," Weiss smirked, "I didn't make her talk about him in her sleep… that was all Ruby."

Yang's head pivoted, eyes sparkling in anticipation.

"WEISS!" Ruby cried, waving her hands furiously. "Don't listen to her, she's lying! It's not true! Tell them it's not true, Jaune!" she begged.

"It's not true," Jaune said dutifully.

"At least try and sound convincing!" Ruby's voice rose in pitch. "Argh, you tell them, Pyrrha. Tell them you didn't hear me say it!"

"I don't know," Pyrrha paused to think with a gleam I her emerald eyes. "Was this before or after he tucked you into bed?"

"PYRRHA!?"

"And without even a goodnight kiss," Weiss sighed. "She seemed quite upset."

"WEISS!" Ruby looked like a volcano about to go off.

Yang roared with laughter, rocking back on her seat and drawing more than a few eyes there way. She didn't care about that, though, not when she got to watch her diminutive sister wildly thrash her hands at her team leader, who fended them off with an amused expression. "Oh, Pyrrha, Weiss-cream," Yang giggled, "I didn't know you guys had it in you. I'm impressed."

"Now Ruby," Pyrrha caught the girl's arms and held her partner back. "There's no reason to be embarrassed; hormones are a part of growing up."

"You're both traitors," Ruby pouted. "I've been betrayed by my own team!"

Yang and Nora shared a quick look and a laugh, even if it wasn't really _at_ Ruby. Honestly, as much as she loved teasing her sister, she felt better because their team was getting on at last. Weiss teased Ruby, and Pyrrha joined in, which meant they were comfortable around one another. She hadn't been blind to the drama in it before, even if her sister probably had been. _Something has changed for them, and in a good way. Guess that's a weight off my shoulder._

"It's official," Ruby stated, cheeks still red, but her lips tilted in a small smile regardless, "My team sucks."

"We suck?" Jaune protested, sounding honestly hurt for a moment. "But I thought you did… or at least you sucked and bit on my neck."

"Oh, a bit of both?" Yang asked, wrapping a hand around her horrified sister's shoulders and covering her mouth so she couldn't speak. "Tell me more. As her sister, I need to know every little detail."

"Huh? Well, that makes sense, I guess. My sisters say they have a right to know everything I do too." Jaune nodded his head, ignorant of the way Ruby frantically shook hers. Ah, young love could be so adorable. "There wasn't much to it, though. I helped to carry Ruby but she leaned up and started to bite my neck. She called me a cookie too."

"Ooooh," Yang grinned and looked into her sister's wide eyes. "A cookie, Rubes? Isn't that your favourite food? Tell me… was he more of a chocolate chip kind of guy, or maybe he tasted of _strawberry_?" She made sure to accentuate the last word by smacking her lips together.

Ruby looked like she might faint.

"There is one thing I don't get," Jaune mused. "What's a hickey?"

The table went silent, as each person looked at the man with vacant expressions. "You've… not even heard of that?" Pyrrha asked.

"W-Well maybe I have," he flushed, "but maybe it was called something different."

"I suppose so," Weiss mused. "Slang is, after all, something picked up by socialising with other people. A hickey is hardly the technical term for it." The heiress shook her head with a small smile. "It's also known as a love bite."

Ruby squirmed and made a sound like a low keen past Yang's fingers.

"A love bite?" Jaune said, tilting his head and accidentally revealing the lurid mark. "That sounds… nice, I guess." He nodded and turned to look at Ruby. "Thank you, Ruby. I will treasure and wear your `hickey` with pride."

Her sister looked like she wanted to pass out, if only to escape the humiliation. Even Yang's cheeks were a little red at that, and she drew her sister into her side with a nervous laugh. "Okay, maybe we should give Rubes a break before she dies of blood rushing to her head. So, your team seems to be getting on a lot better now, Weiss-cream. Sorted out your little problems?" The chance of topic was clumsy but the team leader accepted it with a vaguely amused smile.

"We're doing a lot better now, yes. Things weren't perfect but I'm confident we'll become a team worth watching out for."

"Oh?" Yang raised an eyebrow. "That sounds like a challenge. Are we going to take that standing guys?"

"No!" Nora yelled.

Ren sighed.

Blake flipped a page in her book.

"I _said_ ," Yang repeated with a flash of red eyes, "are we going to take that standing?"

Pink eyes locked onto hers, as unconcerned as they always were. The leader of their team met her gaze, sighed and rolled his eyes. "No," he said, in a tone that could have defined lethargy. Yang looked to Nora with a suffering expression.

"You need to be firm with him," Nora chided. "Renny needs an abundance of love and attention to operate, I've told you this."

"Please don't listen to her."

"He's like a vending machine of love. You have to put some love in, but sometimes the lovey goodness you want back gets stuck in the mechanism and you need to give it a few good hits to shake it loose."

"Nora, that is the worst analogy I've ever heard," Ren sighed. His eyes widened when Yang stood up and raised her hands as though to shake him, however. "We won't stand for it," he rushed out. "Team Ribbon will be the best team!"

 _Huh… what do you know,_ Yang mused. _Nora was right._

"If you think that will work on me, you have another thing coming." Blake said.

"Oh wow, I read this interesting book on Blake's shelf," Nora began.

Blake's book struck the table immediately. "Fight team, fight," she chanted, eyes frantically wide. "Team Ribbon, represent."

"Yay for team solidarity!" Nora cheered.

Ruby blinked and tilted her head to the side. "Actually… I think I'd rather stay on my team now. At least they're a little less insane."

"Insanity is in the eye of the beholder," Yang shrugged, ignoring Blake's comment on that being beauty. "Anyway, you skipped out on me last night, Rubes. You going to come round tonight and play games with us? You'd be surprised how good Ren is."

"Ah," Ruby scratched her head and looked towards Weiss. "I've got a study session with Weiss tonight. We could play some on the weekend though."

Huh… so Ruby was honest about the whole studying thing? That was new. She'd never really cared about it before, but the way she looked to Weiss and the other girl nodded seemed to cement it as true.

"You did work quite hard last night," Weiss hummed. "We had three hours planned tonight, but I suppose if we worked hard for one and a half, you could spend the rest playing."

"Really?" Ruby asked, hands clasped into fists before her chest.

"Only if you work hard!"

"I will, Weiss. I promise!"

"Well," Yang smiled, "It's good to see you both so fired up. Why don't you come along Weiss-cream? We could make a night of it."

"Don't push your luck," the heiress grumbled. "I'm only being fair with her. If she doesn't do her best, she'll have to study for longer."

Somehow Yang didn't think she'd need to worry about that. As much as her sister loved to goof off, a promise from her was as good as a law. If she said she would study had, she would. She'd struggle, maybe… but in terms of effort, few people could beat Ruby. Still, Yang couldn't help but smile fondly as she watched Weiss struggle to push her amorous sister away, who was currently trying to hug her `kind` and `bestest` team leader.

"What about you?" Yang asked the last member of their team. "You ever play video games, lover boy?"

"Me?" Jaune looked to Ren, as though to she were talking to him. Heh, how cute. "I had a game console once, but I didn't have many games for it. There weren't too many places to buy them from but my Uncle Watts would often try and bring some home for me."

"Aw, that's cute. Uncle Qrow used to do the same for us, though I think he played them first to make sure he could win." Her uncle could be such a child sometimes, even if he was pretty cool. Not that she'd admit that to his face, obviously. "You should come and play, then. If you're as good at gaming as you are at kicking ass, I'm sure you'll do well."

"Sure. That sounds like fun. I only really have my sisters to compare myself against. It'll be fun to see how bad I do against you guys."

"Bad?"

"My sisters are really good," he lamented. "They normally bet things on the games, and then make me do them when I lost. Well, big sis didn't, but the others did."

Oh yeah, that sounded familiar. "Things, like…?"

"Brushing their hair, tea parties, massage…" Jaune shrugged as though to say the list went on. Yep… it was uncle Qrow all over again, except that he normally had her or Rubes wait on him hand and foot, or shout out at the top of their voices how awesome he was. "Anyway, yeah, I'd love to come over tonight when Ruby does if that's okay."

"Sure," she grinned, "We'll make a date of it."

"We will?"

Yang was about to answer, but for a pained voice that sounded out over the cafeteria. It cut through all conversation, not only hers but Weiss, Ruby and Nora's too. As one, their eyes drifted further down the hall, to see four burly teens surrounding a brown-haired girl.

 _Winchester…_ Yang scowled as she watched him tug on the girl's faunus ears. She wanted nothing more than to go over there and deck him, but that would no doubt land her in a heap of trouble. _Defend yourself,_ she urged instead, eyes focused on the girl. _You're a huntress-in-training, aren't you? Do something._

She didn't. Like a frightened rabbit, she quailed before them as they laughed and joked between themselves. "It must be hard to be a faunus," someone mumbled. She ignored it, but looked up when she felt Jaune's hand tug at the sleeve of her uniform.

"What are they doing?" he asked.

"Being assholes. Some people like to try and lord themselves over others. They act like they have the right to everything and anything they want."

" _Them_?" Jaune's tone made it clear what he thought of that, and she snorted in agreement. "But they don't own Beacon and it's not like they have any positions of power… do they?"

"No, but to some people strength is power enough. They're bullies," she grunted. "They're probably cowards themselves, but that's why they try to find someone weaker than them to pick on. Makes them feel bigger than they are."

"That's silly… if you're higher up than someone, then what do you gain by picking on those below you? That just means they can't do their jobs properly."

"Business analogies don't apply here," Weiss interrupted, having no doubt heard her partner's conversation. "Winchester is, for better or worse, a bully. The law of the playground, or so they say."

"There's a law on the playground!?"

"It's a saying," the white-haired girl rolled her eyes. "I understand that you're unfamiliar with such, but try not to take everything so literally."

"Right, sorry…"

Silence spread between them as Yang weighed the pros and cons of interfering. If she did, Cardin would feel pressured and would _need_ to accept her challenge to save face. That was good, since she was fairly sure she could wipe the floor with him, but bad since starting a fight in the cafeteria would probably land her in a heap of trouble. _I'm no good at sorting things out with words. Doesn't she had a team to help her or something?_

"I'm going to go and talk with them."

"Wait, what!?" Weiss spun and tried to grab her partner but he was already gone, strolling over towards the impending fight without a care in the world. Cardin's lackeys saw him coming and formed a semi-circle Jaune walked straight into.

Seriously, couldn't he read the mood? Yang made to push herself up and rush after him, only to pause when Ren grasped her wrist.

"Watch and see," her partner advised. "He's strong. You know that."

"There's four of them."

"And there are eight of us. If they try anything, he will be able to hold the few seconds it would take us to react." Ren turned back towards the scene, eyes curious. "I don't think he intends to deal with Cardin through violence."

Yeah well, that was all well and good – but what if Cardin wasn't quite so inclined? Yang's teeth teased her lower lip but she settled down when she saw the others not making a move. They all watched, some more intently than others. Blake, in particular, had her eyes glued to his back.

It was too far to hear anything… she wished it was otherwise, but when Cardin said something to Jaune, all she caught was his mouth moving and the hum of other conversations around her. Jaune must have said something back, but judging from how Cardin's face went red and his eyes narrowed, it hadn't been the friendliest of greetings.

"You sure he's going for a peaceful resolution…?" Yang asked, as she watched Cardin get more and more worked up.

"I have been known to be wrong," her partner admitted.

"Wow, our team leader is so inspiring." She saw Cardin scowl and through his arm violently to the side. "Right," she gritted, "I'm going up there to back him up. Don't wait up on me if I get detention." She pushed herself up from her seat, only to freeze in shock as Jaune did something she never expected.

He reached out and grabbed Winchester's ear.

/-/

Jaune rubbed Cardin's earlobe between his thumb and forefinger. It felt soft enough, he supposed, but he really didn't see what the appeal was. Still, Cardin had mentioned it, so it had to be important. Oh right, wasn't there something he was supposed to say? "Wow… your ears are real too, Cardin. That's impressive."

"Wha-!?" Cardin pulled himself back, wincing slightly as he tugged his ear out of Jaune's hand. He clapped his own to it, cupped to the side of his head as he glared at Jaune. "What the _hell_ was that for you freaking weirdo!?"

Weird? Jaune felt a pang of anxiety as he noticed everyone in the cafeteria staring at him. Crap, was this another mistake? "I'm not weird," he said. "You said you grabbed her ears because you wanted to see if they were real or not. I was just doing the same. If anything, that makes _you_ the weirdo."

 **"Infallible logic,"** Remy congratulated. Around him, the students on various tables started to laugh too.

"You… bastard!" Cardin growled, red-faced and almost spitting. He still kept his ears away, however. "You think you're some kind of hot shit, just because you made a big showing in initiation? I could have taken down that Nevermore too. It was nothing special."

"Nevermore…?" Jaune blinked. " _Oh_ , the one from initiation. Sorry, I forgot about it for a moment." His words seemed to make people mutter and talk amongst themselves. "Anyway, it's no big deal. You know what they say; plenty more Nevermores in the sky."

"Who even says that!?"

"Well, my little sister does," he admitted. "There's a lot of Nevermores around where we lived. They're pretty harmless if you know how to handle them, though." Sure, sometimes they could accidentally cut you, especially if you held an arm out for them to land on, but they never meant anything by it.

"Empty boasts," Cardin cut one arm to the side.

"What? But I _do_ have a little sister."

"Not that, you – argh!" He slammed one foot against the ground. His face was so red, eyes narrowed and his breath coming out in great pants. He looked like a Boarbatusk prepared to charge.

"Are you okay?" Jaune asked. "You look really ill, Cardin. Do you need to sit down? I could go and get you some lemon tea or something."

The tables around them erupted into laughter, which was pretty rude in all honesty. One of their peers was stood in front of them, potentially ill and in need of aid, and they wanted to laugh? _Humans can be quite cruel it seems._

"If I'm sick, it's because I'm sick of you! You can't just… come over here and grab my ear."

Jaune turned to look at the girl behind him, who was on her knees and looked up at him with a degree of shock and awe. One of her ears was clasped between her hands, and she rubbed it thoroughly. The other stood upright still.

"You did with her," Jaune rather reasonably pointed out.

"That doesn't count! She's an animal!"

"Aren't we all?" His words didn't seem to help. Jaune hummed to himself as he watched Cardin get ever more worked up. His big sis would have been disappointed if she could see him. She always told of the benefits of manipulating and controlling people, yet here he was, messing up and upsetting Cardin instead. There was only one thing to do, and Jaune stared into the other teen's face. "Touch my ear."

"P-Pardon?"

"Touch my ear," Jaune repeated firmly. "Touch both of them… get a really good grip."

"What? No!"

"Do it, Cardin." Jaune took a step forward. "You wanted to touch hers, well you can touch mine. I don't mind."

"No! Back off, freak!"

"You have to," Jaune pushed forward, and then another step when Cardin fell back. "It's only fair. I mean, if you want to go around grabbing ears, then I don't mind. Or is it that you want to touch something else of mine?"

"What are you even suggesting!?" Cardin yelled. "I'm not like that!"

"Then touch my ears."

"I said no!" The last word was shouted at the top of Cardin's voice. It brought the entire cafeteria to silence. The teen's eyes opened, to look around with a mixture of surprise and embarrassment. There wasn't a single person in the hall that didn't stare at the two of them.

"Look," Jaune sighed. "I touched yours, so it's only fair that you get to touch mine."

Someone in the crowd tittered.

"Forget this," Cardin said, he scoffed and turned away, gesturing for his retinue to follow. Despite his bravado, his face was stained crimson and his shoulders were stiff. "Stay here with the freak if you want. I'm not going to waste my time."

"Okay," Jaune called. "Have a nice day though, alright?" Much to his disappointment, Cardin didn't return his well wishes. _"I feel like I've messed up with him, Remy. He acts so differently to everyone else. Am I doing something wrong?"_

 **"You're asking me?"** the parasite scoffed. **"I wouldn't know, but there's still the girl behind you. Might want to do something about that before she thinks you're ignoring her."**

The brown-haired girl was still down on one knee when he turned about, but she looked up at him with wide, chocolate-coloured eyes. He fought for something to say, but settled for the only thing he could. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to."

"Eh?" The girl blinked prettily.

Jaune looked away with an awkward sigh. "What Cardin said," he explained. "You don't need to stay with a freak like me if you don't want to. I'm not forcing you." That would be cruel of him… pointless, too, which was important because his mom always said cruelty without purpose was waste.

"Um… actually, I think he meant me," the girl whispered.

Her? Jaune looked down on her with a critical eye. She squirmed and looked away, but he took the time to look her up and down. She looked normal in just about every way. In fact, she was quite beautiful, especially with how her eyes, hair and ears matched. "Why would he mean you?" he asked. "You didn't do anything wrong and there's definitely nothing that looks wrong about you. Nah, I'm fairly sure he meant me. He seems to get really bothered around me for some reason." It wasn't anything he could understand, and so he chose not to, instead holding a hand out for the girl. "My name's Jaune, Jaune Arc. Nice to meet you."

Her cheeks flushed but she warily held out her hand to him. It was small in his palm but she had strength behind her grip. "Velvet Scarlatina," she introduced herself, "I… I just wanted to say thank you… for helping me."

Was it really such a big deal? All he'd done was help her up off the floor. Still, it seemed rude to ignore her, so he smiled. "No problem. If you ever need help again, feel free to call on me. I'll always be there if I can."

"Ah-" She looked away. "That's kind of you… very kind. I'm um… I- uh… would you like to…" She cut off and stepped back, one foot kicking against the back the other. Her ears drooped a little lower on her head.

She was afraid. The realisation was painful, even if he did his best to hide it. It was expected though really, wasn't it? He was the Prince of the Grimm. Fear was a natural reaction. "I'm making this awkward, aren't I?"

"What? N-No, you're not."

Ah, but she was so polite too. He didn't want to push her though, especially if she felt intimidated by him or something. "It's fine," he smiled to show her he wasn't offended and turned away. "I'm glad I could help you Velvet. I'll see you around." he said, then – because it was probably expected – added, "You have beautiful knees."

"E-Eh?!"

 **"You can't make friends with everyone, Jaune,"** Remy said wisely as Jaune walked away. **"You did your best though."**

" _Yeah… at least I helped her up too. She made a pretty big deal of that."_

Remy didn't respond, mostly because Jaune reached the table with the others, who sat watching him with wide-eyed expressions. "What?" he asked nervously. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Wrong?" Weiss asked. "I wouldn't say that, no… just surprising."

"I think you did something good," Blake said. They were perhaps the first words she'd said to him all day. Unfortunately for her, it seemed he wasn't the only one to notice that.

"Blake's socialising!" Nora gasped. "Where's my camera, where's my camera? I need this for my scrap book, oh, I'm _so_ proud!" He didn't think she'd get the picture, even if she did find her camera, for the girl in question's face had returned to looking like it was carved out of granite. He was dragged back down into his seat before he could do anything, and Yang's face appeared before his.

"That," she said with a wide grin, "was amazing! You are _so_ my favourite non-partner-guy in Beacon. Have I said that before?"

"I think you said it yesterday."

"Then it's reinforced. That was so cool. I loved it."

"Really?" Jaune asked. He felt a faint spark of hope. "Cardin didn't seem to like it…"

"He wouldn't, but I think everyone else did. Hell, if I didn't think Ruby would freak out, I'd give you a hickey to match Ruby's."

Ruby gasped in horror, eyes wide and cheeks red.

Was she worried about something? Ah, he supposed he understood. "Don't worry, Ruby," he said kindly, "I won't belittle your love bite by letting anyone else do it to me as well. That would be unfair."

Funnily enough… that didn't seem to calm her down as much as he thought it would. Instead, she groaned into her arms and rested her head on the table. Huh… well at least Yang, Weiss and Pyrrha liked it if their laughter was any indication.

"Yeah," Yang said between her laughter, "Besides, he already wore yours in front of the entire cafeteria just then. It was pretty obvious too."

Ruby lifted her head and banged her forehead against the table, over and over.

/-/

Of all the lessons Jaune had been looking forward to, he wouldn't have ranked combat class with Miss Goodwitch near the top. In fact, it would have ranked closer to the bottom, and not just because he wasn't confident about it.

Sure, he didn't know how to fight very well, at least not normally – but his physical strength was pretty good and he was quick too. The main problem, at least in his mind, was the frankly terrifying woman who ran it.

She just so happened to also be one of the people who had seen him in his Grimm form, and thus would recognise him the moment he messed up and did something he wasn't supposed to be capable of. No pressure, right?

Luckily, as naïve as some might have called him, he wasn't stupid, and so quickly decided to stay hidden behind Pyrrha and Weiss (not that Weiss provided much coverage), and otherwise hope to go ignored by the teacher.

It would have worked to, were it not for the red-faced and armoured man on the stage. "I want to face Jaune Arc!" Cardin shouted, having been offered the chance to select his opponent by the teacher.

Really, though? What had he done to provoke this kind of reaction?

"Mr Arc," Miss Goodwitch called. Her eyes strayed out over the crowd and it was only a monumental effort of will that stopped him from ducking away from her gaze. She found him soon enough, and nodded in his direction. "Come up onto the stage."

"But I don't want to fight Cardin."

"What's the matter?" Cardin laughed. "Scared?"

"Not of you," Jaune said honestly. For some reason the words seemed to make the other guy's face even redder. "I just don't see the point," he added in an attempt to diffuse Mount Winchester. "I could fight you, but it would be pretty pointless."

Beside him, Yang snickered loudly.

They were here to learn how to defend the Kingdoms, after all, which shouldn't have really included fighting against their fellow hunters. Sadly, the logic didn't seem to please Winchester, nor did it Miss Goodwitch. "Mr Arc," she sighed, "I did not request your participation… I ordered it. Come up here and prepare for your spar."

There was nothing he could do. With a loud sigh, Jaune detached himself from his group, smiling when Pyrrha wished him good luck. "I don't need luck," he said back. He needed a miracle.

"Finally built up the courage to fight me?" Cardin scoffed when he climbed onto the arena. "It took you long enough."

He couldn't think of anything to say to that, so shrugged. "Sure. I guess it did."

"Tch… you think you're so smart. First, the teacher's pet and now some kind of top dog because you stopped a Nevermore and helped some stupid animal. Well you're not!"

Jaune's eyes widened as he felt some spittle from the other teen hit his face. Was Cardin that upset? "I'm not trying to be top dog," Jaune said in an attempt to pacify him. "I'm not a dog at all. I won't stand in your way if you want to be one, though."

"Oooh," the crowd whistled and egged them on.

"You-!"

"If you are both finished?" Miss Goodwitch interrupted them. "The fight will continue until one side is unable to continue or your aura has been reduced into the red. Any attempts to continue afterwards will result in swift and firm intervention." The way she smiled and flicked her crop suggested they didn't want to test her on that one. "Now, begin!"

Wait- now!? Jaune's eyes widened as he panicked and looked to his opponent. The mace was already swinging in towards him and Jaune held a hand out to summon a tentacle and catch it.

 **"Jaune!"** Remy warned, catching him at the last moment. Of course, he couldn't reveal that, but since it was his main way of fighting, it was his instinctive response to danger. A human would have reached for their own weapon, but he fought in his own way.

That hesitation cost him. "Rargh!" Cardin yelled as the two-handed mace impacted against his foe.

"Ow," Jaune winced and waved his arm in the air. "That really hurt…"

The silence in the arena was so thick it could have been cut with a knife. The audience had gone from cheering anticipation to standing slack-jawed, while Cardin looked down at his mace in shock, then up to Jaune. He looked down again, hefted his weapon as though to check it were real, then looked back to his opponent once more. "What the hell!?" he shouted.

"That should be my line! You didn't even give me a chance to draw my weapon. Is that even allowed?"

"H-How did that not hurt you!?" Cardin roared.

Jaune blinked. "Are you joking?" he asked and pulled up his sleeve. There was a nasty red mark on his forearm. "This stings like crazy!"

"THIS IS A TWO-HANDED MACE!"

"Gentlemen," Miss Goodwitch sighed. "You are here to fight... not to engage in comedy duo. Mr Winchester, _do_ pay attention to your opponent's aura."

Ah, the aura measurements – they were projected above the arena, weren't they? Jaune looked up to see his own, now missing the tiniest fraction. There, that was proof the attack had done damage, and also made sure no one could accuse him of not being normal.

"How much aura do you have?" Cardin growled and settled his feet into a wide stance. "Forget it… so you've got a big aura. That's nothing special!"

"Oh, it's not," Jaune agreed, only too happy to be seen as not exceptional. He was normal after all. "Don't worry Cardin, even if mine is a little bigger than yours, it doesn't make a difference."

"It doesn't! It's not size that matters but how you use it." Cardin's eyes widened when he heard the crowd start to laugh. He growled and hefted his weapon, charging in and swinging it towards his opponent's face.

This time, Jaune was prepared. Crocea Mors came out in a rasp of steel. He tried to remember the sword lessons his dad had given him; tried to recall how he'd said to hold and swing it… he also tried to forget the time he'd accidentally stabbed his dad in the leg. He'd been bedridden for weeks, not that his mom complained.

Steel clashed against steel. Cardin gasped as his heavier weapon was diverted aside with almost contemptuous ease.

"Hey," Jaune grinned, "This isn't so hard after all!"

"You bastard," Cardin howled. "Stop mocking me!"

The next blow came in from the side and Jaune flicked his weapon out to catch it again. His eyes widened when it proved a feint, however, and the mace pulled back, leaving him open. Cardin surged forward, and the butt of the weapon caught Jaune in the chest, knocking him back.

 _That was pretty fast,_ Jaune thought, rubbing his chest. Again, it hadn't done much damage to his aura reserves, but he'd been just about unable to react to it. He squared his shoulders and brought his sword before him once more, watching as Cardin came in for another attack.

The mace came from the right this side, and when it proved a feint again, this time Jaune kept his sword close to protect against the follow-up attack. Their blades locked, and Cardin settled his other hand further up it, using his immense strength to try and push his foe down onto his knees.

Jaune blinked up at Cardin as he easily held the armoured teen back. "What happens now?" he asked, wondering why they'd stopped.

"Tch…" Cardin pulled back and lashed out with one foot, catching Jaune off guard and tripping him. The mace came down atop his head, but he rolled away at the last second. "Fight me properly!" the burly teen yelled. "Stop playing around and fight me!"

"But I don't _want_ to hurt you…" He didn't want to fight Cardin in general.

"RARGHHH!" Winchester screamed in fury and brought his mace up and over his head. It crashed down with enough force to rupture the arena itself, and carve a furrow into the mat. "Don't insult me."

"I'm not trying to…"

"Then attack me!"

Jaune bit his lip but decided not to argue. If Cardin wanted him to attack, then he should. Maybe it was just rude of him not to or something. Either way, Jaune nodded and gripped Crocea Mors in both hands. With a yell, he rushed forward and cut down atop his foe's head.

Cardin dodged the attack with ease. "Take me seriously!" he yelled.

 _But I am!_ Jaune sighed, trying again with a diagonal slash. It was caught on his opponent's weapon and diverted to the side so harshly that Jaune almost lost balance. A counter attack caught him in the stomach and launched him back.

 **"This isn't going well…"**

" _Thanks for the input, captain obvious… what am I supposed to do? Every attack I launch is countered with ease. I may be stronger than him but that means nothing against his skill."_ If only he could use his other abilities, the fight would have been a joke, but Miss Goodwitch watched them like a Nevermore, not to mention the rest of the class nearby.

"Fight me properly!" Cardin attacked once more, his attack easily caught on Jaune's sword, but his fist powering into the blonde's face. Jaune staggered back a little, even if it didn't really hurt. For some reason, that made Cardin angrier, and he lashed out again.

Jaune caught it on his forearm, wincing a little but otherwise ignoring it as he swung Crocea Mors in a wide arc. A silent curse escaped him as Cardin ducked under it, and the air was soon blown out of him as the head of the mace crashed into his stomach.

He could have caught Cardin's neck with a tentacle there.

His shoulder slammed against the mat, but he pushed himself up in time to catch Cardin's next strike on his shield. An instinctive desire to summon Grimm with his left hand would have brought the fight to a sudden halt.

But he couldn't do it in front of everyone.

Instead, he tried to cut at his opponent's face, only to gasp as Cardin dodged it by smashing his forehead into Jaune's nose. He reeled back, more disoriented than in pain – but wasn't prepared for the shoulder that rammed into his chest and knocked him from his feet.

The head of a mace rested before his face. "Surrender," Cardin panted, cheeks red and shoulders rising and falling. Was he tired? The fight had only been going on for a few minutes.

Still, it provided an acceptable chance to bow out. "Okay," Jaune nodded happily.

"The fight is over," Miss Goodwitch stepped forward. "Mr Arc… I must say I am surprised you fared so poorly… your performance in initiation was far stronger."

The rebuke stung, but he sighed and shook his head. "I couldn't exactly deal with him like I would a Grimm, could I?" he protested. He had to fight Cardin like a normal person, which meant that he couldn't use most of what he knew.

"A worthy sentiment," Miss Goodwitch wore a small smile. "However, in future I will have to ask you to give your all against your opponents. You do them no favours by holding back, even if it's out of a desire not to harm them. I understand that the Grimm are our true enemy, but we face human threats as well."

He wanted to argue on the true enemy part but decided against it. Instead, he felt a pang of frustration. He _had_ tried his best against Cardin. His best just hadn't been good enough.

Cardin pushed forward so that his chest pressed against Jaune's. His eyes were narrowed. "I won," he said loudly.

"Yep."

"I don't care what anyone says," he shouted, "I won, fair and square. I'm better than you!"

"Sure."

"I AM!"

"You are," Jaune agreed warily. _Sheesh, what's his problem? I'm agreeing with him._ Cardin's chest rose and fell, face red and eyes bloodshot. Jaune wracked his mind for something he could say to diffuse it. _"Remy, ideas?"_

 **"I don't know,"** the parasite mumbled, **"Try something that would work on your team. They're humans too, right?"**

Ah, that was a good idea, but who-? Jaune's mind flicked back to Ruby at the breakfast table and he nodded. "You beat me," he repeated to Cardin. "Well done."

Jaune smiled.

"Would you like a cookie?"

/-/

Pyrrha felt more relieved than she cared to admit, finally being back in their dorm. The Whirlpool room had, in a single day, changed from a tense environment to a peaceful refuge. Weiss and Ruby sat at the desks on one end, the latter avidly listening as Weiss went over some lesson Ruby wouldn't have heard being two years younger than them.

Ruby's brow creased as she asked a question, and Weiss nodded and pointed to a textbook as she answered.

They got along so well… yet again, she couldn't help but feel proud of her partner, but also a little ashamed of how she might have been a part of preventing this from happening. _It doesn't matter,_ she told herself. _It's over now. We're a real team; a good team._

She sighed. It felt like her team was the only thing going well at the moment.

Combat class had been a disaster. It hadn't been Jaune's fight, even if it ended with Winchester basically trying to punch her teammate in the face. Rather, the problems had come when _she_ had been called up to face off against Russell Thrust.

She'd meant to pace herself… to hold back and not stand out – and she had.

She still beat him in a matter of seconds.

 _I didn't mean to. I didn't think that would take him down, or at least I thought he'd last longer…_ Maybe she'd overestimated him, but she doubted it.

Chances were, she'd underestimated herself… again.

Invincible girl, Pyrrha Nikos, unbeaten champion… the whispers started up the moment she knocked him down, eyes wide and mouth open in shock and a little distress. It hadn't taken long for them to spread, and by now there wasn't a single person unaware of her fame, position and reputation. Even attempting to help her defeated foe up backfired, for he clearly felt humiliated and ignored her entirely.

That hurt.

 _This was supposed to be different… Beacon was a chance to be seen as something other than the invincible girl – to make friends._

And she had, she reminded herself quickly. Her team was awesome, and honestly, she also found herself warming up to Team Ribbon as well, who had a mix of energetic and calm members, all of which focused more on Ruby and Jaune than they did her. Oh, they included and noticed her, but it was as just another member of the team. It was perfect. Now if only she could make the rest of the school think the same.

 _I wonder if I messed up in some way. I must have done something right to make my team treat me normally… did I do something different to everyone else_? The only thing that came to mind was the fight, and honestly it was a pretty foregone conclusion. She faded away in lessons, she wasn't the best learner or most academic, so that was fine.

In the ring, however, she had no equal – and she'd foolishly let it show.

It wasn't all doom and gloom, however. Pyrrha's smile was hazy, but still there. Her team cheered and congratulated her, and it hadn't been with the same view to curry favour like others once had. Weiss nodded and commended her for earning a win for their team, while Ruby seemed more enthused with her weapons than the victory. Jaune had smiled and clapped a hand against her shoulder, which happened to be the _exact_ same thing he'd done to Ren when he won his match.

It meant Jaune saw her as just another friend and didn't act differently around her. She was surprised to realise how good that felt.

Unbidden, her eyes drifted over to him. He sat on his bed, between Weiss and hers. He was cross legged atop the mattress, a book open on his lap and his eyes focused on the pages. _He did say he liked to read a lot. I bet the Beacon library must be like a treasure trove to him._ She smiled fondly at the thought of that, not to mention the image of his eyes sparkling as he looked at the huge shelves that seemed to reach up towards the ceiling. The thought made her giggle.

She couldn't forget his fight, though.

The patterns the plaster made on the ceiling merged together as her eyes narrowed. Jaune lost to Cardin in what should have been a decisive fashion… and yet it wasn't. Miss Goodwitch had seen it too, no doubt, hence the older woman's frustration. Well, hence Cardin's anger too.

Jaune shouldn't have lost that fight. He was strong, as shown by how easily he'd deflected the taller man's attacks, and more than that, his aura was through the roof! She could have schooled Cardin without difficulty but that would have been by overwhelming him with speed and skill. She was sturdy, but she very much doubted she could have taken a blow like Jaune did at the start and suffered no worse than a bruise.

There were moments too where his eyes narrowed and he seemed to move his body in a certain direction, only to panic and stop the action a second later. Each one led to an opening that Winchester punished, but it was still suspicious.

 _He's hiding something,_ Pyrrha thought, as she looked over at the blond, who at that very moment tilted his head and held the book up before him. When that didn't help, he turned it upside down and had another look. He sighed, the answer to whatever question crossed his mind having apparently eluded him. _What do I know about him? He's strong… physically very strong if his performance was any indication, but I already knew that from how he took on the Nevermore and Deathstalker._

He was socially a little behind most people… but then that wasn't an insult. He knew it and admitted it, and the reasons why made perfect sense. He wasn't dumb or unintelligent, but rather certain terms and phrases they took for granted didn't click with him because there were so few people to use them. He was well read, however, and although he hadn't gone to a traditional school, there was no doubting his education.

And that was where the inconsistencies occurred.

His mother, who was apparently a very firm and intelligent woman, decided to train her son to be as smart as he could be, in the middle of contested territory. Why focus on that when the biggest threat were the Grimm? Why ignore fighting skills that might mean your survival?

The simple answer was that you didn't… and that she likely hadn't. Jaune could fight, his performance in initiation proved it. He was also confident in his skills, since his reaction to Grimm didn't involve fear in any way. In fact, he'd said he grew up in an area where Grimm were fairly common – so his mother _had_ to have people who could fight them off under her employ.

 _If that's all true, though… then why does Jaune hide his skills? Why did he hold back and purposefully let Cardin beat him in that duel?_ It just didn't make sense. Sure, he'd managed to turn the crowd around so that the laughter was aimed at Cardin and not himself, but it still made him look weak.

Weak… unexceptional…

" _I'm not anyone special or dangerous though, I'm just a normal person."_

" _Me too,"_ she had said back, _"I'm just a normal, ordinary girl."_

No… could it be? She remembered the aftermath of her spar with Russell, the look on the crowd's faces.

" _It's the invincible girl…"_

" _How is anyone supposed to beat her?"_

" _I'm not even going to try."_

" _Famous…"_

" _Dangerous."_

"Not normal," she whispered in awe. She wasn't normal. She was exceptional and special, something to be watched and noted from a distance, while Jaune had secured his place as normal, unassuming and weak.

It all made sense.

He wasn't weak. He hadn't lost to Cardin… he'd _let_ Cardin win in order to not draw attention to himself. How could she not have seen it? _I thought he might be like me before but this proves it… except that instead of simply `saying` he didn't want to be famous, Jaune decided to `do` something about it._

She felt a rush of shame for that, for her ego and her inability to take the steps he had. He was braver than her. That was for sure. She admired him for that.

She… she admired him.

Her cheeks flushed. No, no, no, that wasn't possible… was it? She'd written off her chances of ever finding someone, but there'd been a tiny shred of hope that just wouldn't die. Now she _had_ found someone who looked at her like she was normal, who clapped and congratulated for Pyrrha and not the champion. He was also sweet, kind and wise beyond his years. He fixed their team, he revealed her flaws without being cruel and he helped her improve and become a better teammate.

With dawning horror, Pyrrha felt her heart beat a little faster. _I can't have a crush on him,_ she told herself. _Ruby has feelings for him. My own partner!_ She looked to the girl in question, who sat at her desk still and read a thick tome with Weiss. Ruby trusted her implicitly, liked her – and Pyrrha liked her in return.

 _Could I really come between her and Jaune like that?_

She didn't think so.

 _Can I ignore my feelings, though?_

She wasn't sure.

Argh… why was life so complicated at times. She shook her head and looked back to him, only to freeze and choke on air.

His face wasn't even two inches away from hers. "Your face is red," he said. "What does that mean?"

Pyrrha was a championship fighter with reflexes others would kill for, but at that very moment had he been an enemy, she would have been defeated. It took a full three seconds for her bran to finally send the signals to the rest of her body, and when it did, she realised they were the wrong signals for she recoiled, cried out and pushed him away.

"Whoah!" Jaune cried as he disappeared over the edge of her bed in a mighty crash. Weiss and Ruby looked over, the former with an arch eyebrow that suggested their better be a good reason for the disturbance.

"I-I'm so sorry Jaune," Pyrrha gasped and crawled over to the bed's edge. She looked up from his startled form to Weiss and Ruby too. "Ignore me," she called, "I… uh… I was distracted and freaked out. Sorry!"

Weiss and Ruby continued to look for a few seconds, but seemed content to believe her when nothing else happened. Jaune rubbed his head and climbed back up to look at her.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, cheeks flushed. "I didn't mean to do that. You just caught me by surprise."

"My fault, then," he groaned. "Sorry, Pyrrha… I just… I got excited about something."

Okay, that was fine. She took a deep breath and fought to bring her emotions back under control. "It's fine," she smiled. "Sorry about pushing you Jaune. Um… what was it you were trying to ask?"

He blinked and seemed confused for a moment, but recollection soon dawned. "Oh yeah," he cheered, "I saw your face all red and decided to ask what it meant. I've been trying to figure it out from this," he held up his book, which had the title `Understanding Social Cues`. "I've not had much luck, though."

"Luck on red faces? Do you mean when a person blushes?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "I know what it means, obviously. It's just… there's this person who keeps doing it around me," he confided, voice low. "I don't really understand why though. I guess I just got excited when I saw you blushing and wanted to know why. See if it was the same thing, you know?"

Oh, that was all… perfectly normal. At least it would have been, were it not for the fact she'd been blushing over the thought of him – and oh dear, her cheeks were warming up again.

"Yeah, like that!"

"I-It can mean many things," she coughed, "Embarrassment, usually. I'm embarrassed because I pushed you off the bed, so my cheeks are red." Not a complete lie, but maybe half of one. "Is that what you wanted to know?"

"No, I…" he sighed. "I'm not explaining myself very well, am I? I know what it means to blush, and trust me – I know what it means to be embarrassed. It's pretty much a permanent state of being back home."

Pyrrha giggled at that.

"It's just that… like I said, there's someone who keeps getting red-faced around me and they act different to how everyone else does."

Pyrrha's heart froze. Had he noticed her not-so-subtle gazes? "Different, how?" she asked woodenly.

"Like, different to how they act to everyone else. It only seems to happen when I'm around and I've not seen them look at other people the same way."

Had she been so obvious? Surely he wouldn't have asked her if it was _about_ her, but then again this was Jaune and he was about as blunt as Nora's hammer. She had to dig a little deeper, however. There was no use panicking now, after all. "Does sh- this person," she corrected herself. "Does this person act nervous around you?"

"Sometimes," he nodded. "I mean, they always act different around me but there definitely are moments where they look like they're about to bolt."

"Do they only blush when you're around?"

"I guess... it's hard to say on that one. Whenever I'm around, they're usually blushing, though. I'm not sure what they do when I'm not around."

Pyrrha swallowed. "Do they often seek to grab your attention?" Pyrrha asked.

"Gods yes, like _all_ the time!"

"Then… it would seem to me that they have a crush on you," she said, eyes averted from his.

Jaune stared blankly back at her.

"That they have romantic feelings for you."

 _That_ got a reaction, if the way he recoiled was any indication.

It also burned a hole in her heart. Oh… that was certainly an adverse response. Now, she _really_ hoped it wasn't her feelings he'd caught onto. _But what if it's Ruby's? What if he looks disgusted at the thought of `her` having feelings for him?_

A selfish part of her said she should be happy at the thought, that it would mean no guilt for her to be attracted to him.

She didn't, though.

She felt sick to her stomach.

Ruby was her best friend, her partner and teammate – and the thought of Jaune being horrified at her feelings for him was enough to cause Pyrrha personal pain. She didn't want to see Ruby turned down, nor cast aside or rejected by her crush. "It's nothing bad," Pyrrha said, "I mean, it might just be a schoolyard crus- romance. It doesn't have to be serious."

"I kind of think it does," Jaune whispered. "I… I know I don't have the most knowledge on people and stuff but mom and dad are always really serious together. Even if they're… in competition in business… they can put that aside for one another. Love is a big deal, especially if it moves to marriage."

Marriage? Whoah, he was moving a little fast there, wasn't he? Oh gosh, what if he _did_ mean her? She only thought he might mean Ruby, but there was a chance he'd noticed _her_ candid glances. Which would she prefer – Ruby to have a broken heart or herself?

A silly question; she wanted neither!

"What should I do?" he asked her – _her_ of all people. "If… if I think someone has a `crush` on me and I don't agree. Pyrrha, I've got no idea, you have to help me."

"Could you not… is it not possible to return those feelings?"

He shook his head, face deadly serious. "I don't think so… no, I know so. I just… I don't feel that way."

Ouch…

"Then you have to be honest with them," Pyrrha said, even if the words broke her heart. "If it were me," she added, "If I had those feelings for you and you wanted to let me down… I'd want you to be honest with me."

"You would?" Jaune asked. "You're sure? I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings."

Heh… he was sweet and kind. Maybe, in a way, she hoped it _was_ about her and not Ruby. She could deal with the pain, after all… she was used to it. "I'd want you to tell me," Pyrrha said. "It would only hurt me the longer it waited."

"So, immediately?" he asked. "Right now?"

"N-Not right now," Pyrrha gasped, suddenly imagining him turning her down in front of Weiss and Ruby. She didn't want that kind of scene to happen in front of them. "Um… maybe tomorrow… let m- this person sleep on it for a while."

Jaune looked like he was considering her suggestion, but to her relief he nodded and smiled. "Okay. Thanks Pyrrha, you're a lifesaver."

She certainly hoped so…

"And done!" Ruby cheered and slammed the book shut. "We're done, right Weiss?"

"We are," the heiress nodded and yawned into her hand. "You were as good as your word, Ruby. You worked hard. Well done."

The younger girl giggled and looked inordinately proud of the praise. "I've got to be," she said. "I've got a lot of catching up to do to be on the same level as you guys. So, I can go to Yang's room, then?"

The white-haired girl smiled and waved one hand. "Have fun," she said. "I'm going to read a little before bed."

"Yes!" Ruby leapt up from the seat, all too energetic to remain sitting. She covered the distance between the desk and the two of them in a fraction of a second. It was with horror that Pyrrha noticed Ruby's eyes flicker to Jaune's neck, and then her cheeks darken.

 _Please don't let it be her,_ Pyrrha begged. _Let him turn me down instead._

"Hey Jaune… you ready to come and play video games?"

"Sure," Jaune nodded and rose from Pyrrha's bed with a smile. He placed his book down on the bed side table, but paused. "Oh… actually I had something I needed to grab. Can I meet you there?"

/-/

Far away, Velvet Scarlatina kicked her heels against her mattress, legs over the edge and feet bare as she looked down between her toes and contemplated the day. Fox and Yatsu were out training, or as Coco often teased; practising their homo-erotic displays. The leader in question was over by her own bed, polishing some of her belt buckles. She hummed a catchy tune to herself, lifting each one to her eyes and only nodding when she was satisfied she could see her face in them.

Velvet wished she had something that could distract her so. Instead, she fell back onto her bed with an explosive sigh. What a day… first, there'd been when she tripped in Oobleck's class, but what took the carrot cake had to be when that first-year team cornered her in the cafeteria. An upper year, bullied by freshmen… how pathetic. She tried to tell herself she could have taken them but it didn't really help.

She could have, but she wouldn't have… she was too nervous; so unlike her team leader who she looked up to so.

And if it wasn't for Jaune Arc…

Velvet's eyes drifted shut as she recalled the sight of him, stood above her with eyes that looked down without hate, without disgust or even curiosity. He'd looked at her with nothing but friendly cheer. Maybe it was silly, maybe she was being dramatic, but at that time he'd looked like the main character from one of her childhood cartoons.

The hero, that was.

And then she'd gone and made an absolute fool of herself trying to talk to him and he thought she hated him or something. Argh, what a nightmare. Velvet smothered her pillow over her face and screamed into it, legs kicking furiously.

When she brought it down, it was to see Coco staring at her with wide eyes. "Bunny… you know I love you, but what the hell?"

"E-Eh," Velvet stammered, cheeks red and pillow pulled up so that only her eyes peeked over the top. "Um… mental breakdown?" she attempted. "S-Sorry Coco, just ignore me… I've had a weird day."

"Looks like it," the other girl laughed. "I think if Yatsu saw you look so bothered, he'd be terrified. Is there anything you need me to help with? You know I will."

Beautiful joy suffused her; enough so that she smiled into her pillow. "I know you would," she said, and it was true. Her team would cross any mountain for her – as she would for them. "It's nothing, though," she added, "I just… kind of made a fool of myself in front of someone."

"Oh?" Coco made an arch expression. "Someone interesting?"

"You could say that," Velvet smiled but said no more. Eventually, her friend went back to polishing her buckles with a shake of her head.

Velvet, in turn, continued to stare down at herself.

"Hey Coco…"

"Yeah, bunny?"

"Do you think my knees are pretty?"

"What…?"

* * *

 **Oh Jaune, making them impacts, even if you know it not.**

 **We get to see Jaune in a fight here, and as you may notice, there are issues he faces. Jaune is, for lack of a better term, overpowered. However, he's limited to being unable to use most of that in a normal spar against someone. I know a few people have pointed out how stupid it is that he doesn't know how to use a sword, but I'd like to argue against that… he's mastered the usage of several fighting styles more suited to him.**

 **Is it so surprising that on top of all of that, he hasn't managed to learn another? Liken it to Ruby with her scythe if you want. She can snipe and fight with it well enough, but was just about useless without it against Roman.**

 **Oh yeah, and Pyrrha has feelings for Jaune… hell, that still makes this fic have slower development to romantic interest than the show xD Mainly, since he pretty much** _ **hasn't**_ **done anything different to Pyrrha and has treat her the same as canon Jaune did, I figured it just made sense to let it happen as it did in the show.**

 **And yes, it cuts off before Jaune's debut in Team Ribbon's dorm... honestly, this could go on and on but I need to stop it somewhere for the chapter. Heck, were I smart, I'd have done so around the 6-7k mark and saved the rest as being half of next week's chapter already completed.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 15** **th** **March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	10. Chapter 10

**Ah, another chapter of White Sheep – how you punish me so with your high word count, no time and various other things. Like the most irritating child in the world, I still** _ **kind**_ **of love you, but I love you more when you're with your mother.**

 **By which I mean College Fool, of course.**

 **Alas, there is no such recourse. It's Tuesday now; this needs to be written for tomorrow – let's go.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 10 – Relationsheep Problems**

* * *

Yang cackled as Ruby's character slumped to the floor in defeat. `You win` the game informed her, though she already made more than sure Ruby knew that, with a series of exaggerated eyebrow waggles and a repetitive, "eh, eh?" sound.

"You cheated," Ruby complained. "You kept using the same move."

"Then you'd think you would learn how to get out of it, sis. Oh, and by the way, you can thank Ren for that." She glowered at her partner as she said that. Ren was good at games… too good… but it was in an overly methodical way. He'd use perhaps two moves and combos, and that was all he'd use. He still beat her every time.

"Your own advice back at you," the black-haired boy said distractedly. He was busy trying to escape Nora, who wanted to drag him in for a round with a bet about how many pancakes he'd need to make her if she won.

"Bah," Yang scoffed. "I'm tired of losing to Ren and tired of beating you."

"You're ahead of me by one… we were even for the last ten games."

"Tired," Yang repeated. "I need a new challenge."

"You're just afraid I'll even up the score, aren't you?"

"A new challenge with a fresh opponent. Where's Jaune, already? Wasn't he supposed to come with you?"

"I don't know," Ruby sighed and looked towards the door. "He said he would come straight after me, but that was an hour ago." The smaller girl frowned and looked down at the controller in her hand. It was too good a chance to miss.

"Oh, Rubes," Yang sighed dramatically. "Only apart for an hour and already you miss him. Young love truly is something wonderful."

"It's not like that." Ruby groused and elbowed her in the side. "We're teammates, not… not that."

It was hard not to tease her further, but there was only so much her sis could take, and it wouldn't do to make her resistant to the teasing already. There was still _so_ much distance she could draw out of that love bite. _Then again, if dad ever found out, I don't think there would be any distance Jaune could run without being hunted down._

"Where is he, then?" Yang asked. "You _did_ tell him where our room was, right? He's not wandering across Vale?"

"We're opposite rooms, Yang. I doubt he could get lost in Beacon finding this place, let alone Vale."

A knock on the door cut into their conversation. Yang grinned and leapt to her feet. "I've got it!" she called to the others. Blake waved a hand dismissively, while Nora cheered, finally having convinced Ren to face off against her. She rolled her eyes and padded over to the door barefoot, leaning an ear against it. "Who is it~?" she crooned.

"Um… it's Jaune," his muffled voice came back. "This _is_ Team Ribbon's room, right? Sorry about being late. I got lost in Vale."

Yang heard a loud slap of hand meeting face in the room, but did her best to smother her laughter. "I don't remember ordering anything from Vale. You sure you got the right address? Is this a pizza delivery?"

"Um… no. Should I try again another day?" He sounded like he might actually leave.

"Wait, wait, wait," she started to unlatch the door and pull it open. "I was just kidding, Jaune. Sheesh, you don't need to take everything so liter-" Her words cut off. Mostly because of the bright and beautiful bouquet of flowers which was presented before her. "-ally…" she finished, open-mouthed.

Jaune poked his head out from around the side, a shy smile on his face, but sapphire eyes sparkling. "Hey Yang," he waved with one hand, the others still holding the flowers forward. "I got these for you."

Her hands closed around the bouquet, pulling the stems against her breasts. The petals tickled her chin, the fragrant scent dizzying her senses, even as the vibrant colours dazzled her eyes. Her mouth opened and something probably passed through it, but for the life of her she couldn't remember or hear what. Her heart was too busy banging in her chest. "F-For me?" she stammered, and then instantly regretted how stupid that sounded.

"Of course," Jaune smiled. "Can I come in?"

 _No. I'm unprepared for any of this!_ "Sure!" she yelled, pulling the door open for him and wincing when she did so far too hard and slammed it against the back wall. "Come in, come in." Yet again, her voice felt several octaves too high. Oh gods, were her cheeks going red? They felt like they were.

"Hi Jaune," Ruby called from where she sat. Silver eyes blinked a second later, however, as she looked at the beautiful arrangement Yang carried. "You went to buy _flowers_?"

"Yep," Jaune nodded. "It took a while too since I had to go out to Vale and then find someone who sold them this late in the afternoon."

Yang's cheeks darkened, her arms unconsciously hugging them closer to her.

"Why bring them at all?" Ruby asked.

"Oh, I got them for Yang, of course."

That was the last straw. Yang covered the distance between herself and the bathroom in an instant, grabbing the only person she could think to en route. "I need a conference!" she yelled, slamming the door shut behind them. She stared into wide, yellow eyes. "Help me!"

"Help _you_?" Blake asked, hair sticking out wildly from where she'd been dragged along the floor. "Why did you drag me in here? What's even the problem?"

What was the problem? There was no problem, oh, except for the problem, of course. Yang paced left and right, already feeling too confined in the tiny bathroom. Blake was forced to back up into the shower as Yang started to walk in circles. The flowers were still in her hands, dripping water on the floor.

"A vase," Yang gasped. "I need a vase!"

"We don't _have_ any vases, Yang. Why would we?"

"Well obviously, I know that, Blake, otherwise I wouldn't be so panicked, would I!?" Lilac eyes danced from side to side as she tried to find something – anything – that could suffice. There, against the wall atop a pile of clothes!

"Oof!" Blake caught the bouquet as it was pushed into her hands. "Yang, what are you…"

"Ta-da!" Yang cheered, turning away from the tap with vase in hand, now half-filled with water. Blake looked at it with a deadpan expression.

"Yang, that's your left boot."

Yang placed it down on the counter, grabbing the flowers from Blake and gently placing them down into it. She looked at them, sitting there beautifully, and then – because she didn't know what else to do – reached over to fluff them up.

Somehow, they looked even more perfect after that.

"What are you going to do tomorrow when you only have one shoe?" Blake asked.

"Tomorrow? Forget tomorrow! What am I going to do _now_!?"

"Er…?"

"There's a man in there," Yang gasped, "who has bought me flowers. He literally travelled to Vale and back to buy me flowers. I'm in my pyjamas, I haven't had a shower, my hair is a mess and I'm barefoot." Yang took one look around the bathroom and promptly panicked. "I only have one shoe!"

"Technically, you have both," Blake pointed out, and then balked when she saw Yang's face. "Okay… um… so, this is fairly serious for you, huh?"

Yang squirmed on the spot, somehow feeling naked and uncertain. "No one's ever bought me flowers before," she whispered, almost too quietly to be heard. It felt humiliating to even admit but… well, she was the tomboy, the fighter and the rough one. Who would ever buy Yang Xiao-Long flowers? Hah, what a joke – buy her a drink or some fighting magazine. She wouldn't like girly stuff.

She quickly turned and fluffed the flowers up again, inhaling their scent.

"I'm… really not the best person to ask on this," Blake sighed. "I've never had someone make a romantic gesture towards me, either."

"Should I ask _Nora_?" Yang gestured towards the door. "Ren, or - gods forbid - _Ruby_!?"

"Huh, when you put it like that, maybe I _am_ the best person to ask." Blake said. "That's… kind of sad."

Yang politely reminded her teammate of the problem at hand by igniting her eyes and hair red and gold respectively.

"Okay, okay," Blake waved her hands. "I get it, Yang. It's just… what do you want me to suggest? Does he like you? Do you like him back?"

Did she _like_ Jaune? What kind of question was that? They'd known one another for all of… three days tops. Three days and a brief meeting at a café out in Vale, that wasn't enough to form that kind of attachment for someone. Sure, she thought he was pretty funny and nice, and he laughed at her jokes – even the bad ones. He wasn't bad looking, either, and he was nice with Ruby and all but it was three days!

Her heart wasn't ready for this.

Her _brain_ wasn't even ready! For crying out loud, she was holding a boot filled with water and flowers, in her pyjamas, trapped in a tiny, tiled bathroom with another woman. All the while, the man who had given her said flowers stood outside with her sister and teammates.

She had to do _something_. She couldn't just ignore him and hide in the bathroom all night.

Wait, and didn't Ruby like Jaune too? This was like, a recipe for disaster! She didn't want to break her own sister's heart.

The scent of the flowers reached her nose once more, but looking down at them only made her head spin even more.

/-/

Jaune smiled at her and sat down next to her when she patted the cushions on the floor. "Sorry I'm late, Ruby," he said, "It was really hard to convince the Bullhead pilot to take me to Vale and back."

"How did you even manage that?" she asked. From what she remembered, they had a curfew in place, though you could call for them in an emergency and they'd come pick you up. Miss Goodwitch had explained how that would normally result in a meeting with her, however.

"I just explained what was going on," he said. "The woman there seemed reluctant at first, but when I explained why; she got this misty look in her eyes and wouldn't stop smiling. She helped me pick them out too. Do you think your sister liked them?"

"Er…" Ruby glanced over to the bathroom her sister had locked herself in. Standard Yang operating procedure didn't normally include that, but she figured her sister's red face wasn't because of anger. "I think so?" she guessed. "Why did you bring her flowers anyway?"

"Dad was always clear you should bring a woman flowers on a first date."

"A date?" Ruby's cheeks flushed as she looked back to the bathroom. "Y-You're dating Yang?"

Since when did Jaune like Yang?

She thought he liked her… not that she wanted him to, or anything, but he always acted- didn't he?

Ruby chewed on her lower lip. Was she being replaced for Yang already?

"Well, she asked me," he said.

"She did?" Ruby asked. "I mean, not that there's anything wrong with that and Yang's a great girl and my sister an-"

"I know," Jaune sighed, and something about his voice made her pause. "I think of her as a friend too, which is why I didn't want to turn her down. Plus, she's your sister too. It's not like I _expected_ her to ask me out, but I was caught off-guard and just… well, panicked, I guess. I couldn't just say no."

Wait, so he didn't want to? A wave of relief totally didn't flow through her, and she didn't sigh either. She was just breathing… heavily. Actually, now that she thought about it, since when was her sis the kind of person to just ask some new friend out? Actually, it all sounded a bit weird anyway.

"Um... Jaune. What exactly did Yang _say_ to you when she asked you out? And where did she say it?"

"Hm? Oh, it was in the cafeteria earlier. When I asked if I could come and play games with you tonight, she said it would be a date."

"She… said it would?"

"Well, she said `it's a date` and that was it."

Oh. _Ohhhhhh…_ Ruby smothered a giggle that threatened to take control of her.

"Jaune, I don't think she meant that as an actua-"

"Hi!" Yang cheered as the bathroom door slammed open. "Sorry about that. I just had to talk to Blake about something." Yang's feet padded past them as she stood in front of one of the desks and arranged the flowers atop them. When she stepped away with a smile, Ruby tilted her head to one side.

"Uh, Yang? Isn't that your boot?"

"Nope!"

"I think it-"

"Nope!" Yang repeated and flopped down cross-legged on the other side of Jaune. "It's definitely a vase," she added. "It's one of those avant-garde ones. They're totally in fashion at the moment."

"I'm glad you like them," Jaune said.

"T-They're great," Yang grinned back, cheeks a little pink but coming back under control. "You totally shouldn't have gone to so much effort, though."

"Why not? I think it was worth the effort."

"I-ah-I-uh…" Yang's eyes darted around the room, left, right, up and down, anywhere that didn't involve looking at him. "Maybe I need another conference." she said, already half-way to standing up.

"Stay!" Blake planted her hands onto Yang's shoulders from behind. To Ruby's amazement, it _still_ looked like Yang might rise, able to push both their weight up. Blake scowled and pushed down with all her strength. "No more conferences," the black-haired girl said. "I never thought you'd be such a coward, Yang."

"I never thought she'd be so feminine," Ren mumbled from the other side of her. Yang drove an elbow into his ribs automatically, causing the boy to keel over and fall on his side.

" _YOU LOSE!"_ the television screen helpfully pointed out.

"What!?"

"YES!" Nora cheered, controller in the air. "One hundred pancakes for breakfast, Renny. Make it happen!"

The whole scene happened without Yang once taking her eyes off Jaune, and never once did her smile falter. "Ha ha, well, t-thanks for the compliment, lov- Jaune, I definitely said Jaune. I love the flowers!"

"Really? I could always get you some more."

Yang giggled.

And giggled…

Ruby started to worry when it continued past the fifteen second mark; not to mention when Yang's wide eyes looked like she was begging for help. With a sigh, she reached over and nudged Jaune's arm, if only to save her big sister from him. "Maybe you should hold off for a bit," she said. "Who even buys someone flowers that often?"

"My dad?"

Okay, well, that was nice, but still… she had the sinking suspicion Jaune had the wrong idea, that Yang had the wrong idea – and that the only one with the right idea was her. "Nora?" she called in an effort to distract him and rescue her sister from an embarrassment-induced coma (even if Yang deserved every spec of embarrassment for what she'd put _her_ through in the cafeteria earlier), "Didn't you want us all to play some video games?"

Nora's head perked up like a Beowolf who'd just sensed more prey during a meal. Ren, the carcass in the analogy, shivered on the floor as he imagined how many pancakes he'd need to make. "We need to have a tournament," Nora gasped. "With us four and now you and Jaune, we can have a 6-person tourney!"

"Count me out," Blake sighed. "Video games really aren't my thing and I want to finish this boo-"

"Truth beneath the covers?" Nora mused loudly. "Isn't that the detective novel where he bends her over the desk an-"

Blake sat down next to Nora with a strained smile. "On second thought, I'd love to play."

"Yay! Tournament."

Nora quickly arranged them into segments, to face off against one another in a rather convoluted series of fights which would eventually earn them points and determine a grand champion. Jaune _did_ make mention of whether the winner got a prize, but judging from how red her sister's face went, Ruby decided to head that one off early.

Her first opponent, however, had no such mercy, and Ren crushed her with a three round fight. Her only saving grace was that on the third she'd been able to hit him and thus ensured he didn't score three `perfect` bouts against her.

It was a small mercy, but it was there… he had to be cheating somehow. Still, that gave her a chance to push over to Jaune while Yang and Nora engaged in a fast-fingered battle. The familiarity of the game and the competition looked enough to draw Yang out of her embarrassment, but it couldn't hurt to be careful.

"Jaune," she hissed under her breath. He looked her way. "Um… you know earlier, when you said Yang invited you on a date?"

"Yeah?" Her teammate blinked, but then suddenly looked nervous. "Have I screwed up already? Did I do something I wasn't meant to? Damn it, I knew I should have dressed more formally."

"No, no, no – definitely no formal." Not when her sister was in pyjamas. She dreaded to imagine what that would do to Yang's already bizarre mood. "You're doing fine," she said, "It's just… how do I put this? Yang didn't-"

Ruby never got the chance to finish.

"Your turn, Jaune!" Nora crowed. She handed over the controller as Yang punched the ground in frustration. "You're against Blakey. Go easy on her or I'll crush your spine." Nora then smiled happily, as though she hadn't quite said what she totally said.

Ruby sighed, realising she'd lost the opportunity. _Oh, how bad can it be? It's just another one of his little misunderstandings. Yang will be fine and it'll be something to actually tease her about for once._

Jaune took the controller with a vaguely confused expression, though he seemed to catch on once Nora pointed out the controls for it. The game was a fighting one, where each player controlled a single character. Jaune took a few seconds to choose someone he liked the look of, a rather weak character if Ruby recalled, but judging by how Blake shrugged and chose the first thing her cursor landed on, it didn't look like he'd be punished for it.

"Go Jaune!" Ruby called, offering support for her team.

"Kick her ass, Jaune!" Yang echoed. "What?" she added when Blake sent her an arch look.

" _ROUND START!"_

Ruby cheered as Jaune's character rushed in and ambushed Blake's with a flurry of blows. The others rooted for their respective sides too, until – by the third bout – it had become pointedly clear that Blake wasn't trying in the slightest.

"Oh dear," she smirked after the third perfect against her. "I guess that's me knocked out."

Nora's eyebrow twitched. "Oh, Blake," the orange-haired girl gasped. "You were defeated so easily. This won't do; not at all. That's it! From now on, each night, we're going to have remedial training until you can face even Renny with confidence."

"That's not necessary," Blake said, face suddenly far more worried than it had been before.

"Of course it is! What kind of partner would I be if I didn't try to help you with your difficulties?"

"No. It's fine. I don't need help!"

"She's so sweet." Nora stage-whispered to them all. "Don't worry, Blake. I'll make a true gamer out of you."

"That… really isn't necessary."

"To me, it is."

"You're wasting your time."

"You're my partner, Blakey. Time spent helping you is never wasted."

"Nora, no…"

"Nora, yes!"

Blake looked like she was about to pull her hair out, but stopped as loud applause filled the room. Ruby blinked too, and looked beside her in time to see Jaune clapping his hands together and… were his eyes red?

"That was amazing," he said. "I can't believe how close you two are. You'd really go that far for her, Nora?"

"In a heartbeat."

"It's not needed!"

"You've got a good partner, Blake," Jaune said. "You should be proud she's willing to take time out of her day to help you improve. That's the mark of a kind person."

"Aw, Jauney," Nora cooed. "It's so nice to have someone understand!"

Blake groaned into her hands.

/-/

All in all, for a first date, Jaune didn't think he was doing too bad. He'd brought flowers, as his dad always did. Mom always seemed lost for words when he did too, so Yang's reaction wasn't too surprising. He'd also technically gotten Yang half-naked, which while not great advice, was also what his mom often suggested he try to do with Cinder.

Still, for all his sister's warnings about boring dinners, conversation and awkwardness, he felt the night was going pretty good. _Who knew you could just play video games with people for a first date? This is awesome._

Of course, as a gentleman (his father often extoled the virtues of that), he'd made an effort to let Blake win against him. That had been a little awkward, though, since it ended with a period where their characters both just rubbed up against one another, neither attacking. In the end, he'd been forced to beat her. Hopefully she wasn't mad, but at least she had Nora to help her improve.

" _I really think Nora could be the first step in forming peace between Grimm and humans, Remy. She seems able to reach even the most difficult people. Plus, she's shown friendly feelings towards Grimm before."_

" **I'll repeat, Jaune, she rode an Ursa to** _ **death**_ **. That isn't friendship!"**

It was close, though. His mother often said she rode Nicholas until he was comatose, and his parents were still together.

"The final round is Ren versus Jaune," Nora chanted, drawing his attention back to the miniature tournament. "This epic clash of titans has drawn together people from across all of Remnant."

"Nora, it drew Jaune and Ruby from across the hall…"

"Stop ruining my story with your wicked truths, Renny! This is an epic match, the decider – the chance for the reigning champion to defend his throne. And," Nora added, with an excited gleam in her eye, "I think an epic match needs epic stakes!"

Oh dear, this sounded exactly like what his sisters would do.

"Nora, is that wise?" Ren asked. "There's nothing I would ask for."

"I'm fine too," Jaune said, if only because it felt like the polite thing to do. Ren was such an upstanding guy that it felt rude not to try and mimic him.

"No, no, no, that's not how it works. If there's nothing riding on the game, then you won't give it your all. We need to raise the stakes so we can see who the _true_ champion is, even if it's obviously going to be Renny." She seemed pretty confident in her friend's skills. "Ooh, I know, whoever wins will get a kiss!"

"A-A kiss!?" Ruby gasped, cheeks red as she stared at him for some reason.

Yang looked between Ruby and him too, and her face alternated between red and white. "I agree with Rubes." Yang laughed nervously. "I mean, it's just a game, right? There's no need to do anything like that."

"No!" Nora slammed a fist into her palm. "A kiss for the champion. That's the rule."

"I-I'm not sure about this," Ruby stammered. "I mean, you haven't even asked if we're willing to do that."

"Oh posh," Nora waved one hand. "Renny will win anyway so it's not like you have to worry."

Blake sighed from her bed. "Nora, you just want t-"

A pillow to the face cut her off.

"The rules have been set, the battlefield chosen – now, let the ultimate test of skill begin!"

Jaune shot a look at Ren, who only shrugged in response and handed him a controller. He took it and sat down beside the other man, crossing his legs and selecting his favourite character.

"Forgive Nora," he said. "She can be… excitable."

"It's fine. I think I like that; she's one of the friendliest people I've ever met."

"That's one way of putting it. Are you ready?"

Jaune nodded and focused on the screen, even as the girls around them started to cheer. Well, in truth, it was only Nora, but she cheered as loud as four. Yang and Ruby were oddly silent, which was weird since they'd both cheered for him in the previous games. _Maybe they want Ren to win this one… he is Yang's team leader after all._

Or maybe it was something else entirely. Ren was a really cool guy, all mysterious and calm with a soft voice and sharp eyes. It wouldn't be too hard to imagine Yang or Ruby having a crush on him. He seemed like the kind of guy some of his sisters would have liked.

Ren came in carefully. He didn't seem overly concerned or invested in the game, and Jaune didn't feel that way, either. They probed one another with a few punches, one of which Ren deflected and pulled into a throw which took off a quarter of Jaune's health.

"Nice throw."

"Thanks."

Jaune decided to up the ante, using a combo move that knocked Ren into the air, followed by a mix-up of high and low blows which juggled the character. Beside him, Ren's neutral expression pulled into a frown.

Ren's character twisted in mid-air, recovering with an air-step and dodging the axe-kick that would have knocked him up once more. He hit the ground, pulled off a recovery and kicked Jaune away. Several energy blasts were sent across the field, each of which Jaune dodged by jumping over them – but the last one caught him because Ren changed the rhythm and made it so that dodging the first made him land atop the second.

" _Round one – Victory!"_

"Ren wins!" Nora cheered. The man in question nodded to Jaune, but there was the barest hint of a smirk there.

Jaune's eyes narrowed. Okay, that was fine, a loss wasn't anything to get worked up over. The battle reset, their health bars filled, and Jaune resolved to just play for fun.

Which was why he barrelled across the arena and instantly caught his opponent in a blistering combination, drawn straight into a disabling mix-up and then followed with a devastating finishing move. Ren hit the mat, only to be caught by a low kick and given not a moment's rest.

Okay, so maybe he'd been a tad competitive.

"Interesting," Ren murmured as the match ended in a dominating victory for Jaune. "I won't fall for that one again."

The third match was closer. Ren pulled out a variety of tricks, some of which he knew from his sisters Hazel and Jade, but with a methodical, mathematical style that reminded him of Coral. Breaking through Ren's guard was a nightmare, and what hits he did score rarely translated into anything more.

Ren, on the other hand, capitalised on every opening to devastating effect. He claimed the round.

"This is pretty intense…" Yang whispered from behind them.

Jaune wasn't sure what she meant. It was just a friendly game… just a bit of fun. He glared at Ren from the corner of one eye, in time to see narrow, pink eyes stare back. Their fingers tightened on the controllers. A bead of sweat ran down his brow.

It was match point to Ren, but that didn't mean anything. So what if he lost? It was just a game.

He swallowed and took a deep breath.

The match started. Jaune backed away, creating distance as Ren's character launched forwards in a special move that would have crushed him had he stood still. He countered with a kick, catching Ren in the brief millisecond of vulnerability between the invincibility frames of the animation. His fingers slammed down in intricate commands.

His breath came out in frantic gasps. Nora's cheers had faded, replaced with an intense silence and a constant click, click, click of tiny plastic buttons.

"YES!" Jaune crowed when he eked out a victory, only to cough and lower his hand a second later. "I mean, yeah, I won, uh, nice."

"Someone's getting competitive," Blake's voice was tinged with amusement. "Does he want that kiss so badly, I wonder?"

What? The kiss? Oh yeah, he'd forgotten about that.

For some reason, Ruby and Yang shared looks, then instantly turned away from one another, faces red. Jaune would have asked them what was wrong, but for Ren coughing.

"You're a good opponent, Jaune. I'm impressed. I don't normally have this much difficulty with people."

"Renny is the best," Nora said, almost defensively. "You told Yang you weren't very good."

"Oh, I'm not," Jaune laughed. "I don't think I've _ever_ beaten my sisters in a game. They're way better than I am."

"Way better?" Ren asked, apparently more interested than Jaune had expected. Wait a minute, was _Ren_ suggesting he wanted to meet with his sisters? Should he be worried about that?

"Well, they normally crush me," he said warily. "So yeah, I don't think I'm very good at the game."

Hmm… Ren _was_ a pretty cool guy. Plus, he was friends with Nora, who already didn't hate the Grimm too much. His sisters could look after themselves too, so maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to introduce them. He'd have to find out more about Ren, maybe see if he would make a good brother-in-law.

Nora would probably help if he asked.

"The final round," the girl in question said quickly. "Ren, you _have_ to win, okay?"

"I'll try my best, Nora."

Jaune's eyes narrowed. If Ren wanted to prove himself worthy of his sisters, then he would give him a challenge to prove it.

/-/

Yang fidgeted nervously as she looked between the game tournament, her sister and the guy who'd brought her flowers and basically turned her evening upside down. She knew full well why Nora had gone ahead with the kiss idea, but that only seemed like a good idea when they'd been fairly sure Ren would win.

Now, that ending seemed in doubt, and Yang wasn't sure what she thought about it.

She also wasn't sure what _Ruby_ felt. The girl's cheeks were red and her silver eyes flicked about the room as though considering every escape route.

Did her sister have feelings for her first friend at Beacon?

Was it possible that she was getting in the way of that?

 _Ruby's never shown interest in guys before, so I don't have any past experience to work with. Okay, what do we know? She blushes around him a lot, she always gets embarrassed when I tease her about him, she sits next to him and she gave him a love bite…_

No matter which way she looked at that, it seemed like a pretty solid argument! Sure, Ruby claimed she _hadn't_ , but she totally would say that, wouldn't she?

 _Okay, it's fine. Ren just needs to win. It'll be okay._

On the screen, and in front of it, the two combatants duelled. Any skills she might have claimed for the game paled in comparison and made it look like button mashing. The two of them seemed to grasp the range of every attack, dancing back instead of blocking and thus saving the tiny chips of damage that might have otherwise eaten away at them.

If the timer hadn't been turned off, it would have ended long ago. Thirty seconds was _not_ long enough for a battle between these titans, and this one felt like it had gone on for two minutes already. Two minutes that felt like two hours.

If Jaune won, did she let Ruby kiss him? If Ruby _did_ have feelings for him, then that was definitely the way to go. Yang was fairly sure she didn't feel the same way, even if she did go weak legged and feel a little giddy when she thought of the flowers. It would be safer to let Ruby do it… less chance of accidentally hurting her little sister.

That would mean letting Ruby kiss a boy, though.

Her dad would kill her. Qrow would be horrified, Zwei would go ballistic – and hell, _she'd_ probably go a little mad too. Ruby was too young to be developing an attraction in anyone. She was _definitely_ too young to be sucking face with them.

 _Also, what if Jaune is doing this because he wants a kiss from me? What do I do if he doesn't return Ruby's feelings?_

So many questions, so few answers. How did Ruby feel? What about Jaune? What did she do about the kiss? What was she going to wear tomorrow now that her boot was a flower vase?

So panicked was she, that when she looked back to the bout, it was in time to see Ren and Jaune shout something out in unison, both initiating attacks at the same time.

Both connected.

Both characters sailed through the air.

Both hit the ground.

Neither moved.

" _Double Knock-Out!"_

"They… both lost?" Yang asked, more relieved than she dared admit.

"I guess it's a draw," Ren chuckled and put the controller down. "That feels like a fitting conclusion."

"Yeah, I guess so," Jaune laughed. "You were really good."

"You as well."

The display of sportsmanship was nice, but apparently not nice enough for Nora, who shook her head and stood up. "Two winners!" she shouted. "It's not that they both lost but that they both won. That means two kisses!"

Yang's shoulders froze. "Two kisses?" she asked.

"YES!"

"L-Like one for each, or two for both?" Ruby stammered.

"YES!" Nora then paused, face a little nervous before she looked around the room. "Blake! Blake and I for Ren, you and Ruby for Jaune. It makes perfect sense."

"It makes no sense," Blake sighed.

"You don't have to," Ren offered. To Yang's surprise, however, the normally quiet girl sighed, placed down her book, and leaned over to plant the most chaste, polite kiss on Ren's cheek that she had ever seen.

"She would just complain if I didn't," Blake said.

Somehow, Yang couldn't help but think Blake had missed the ball on that one, since the noise coming from Nora's throat didn't _sound_ like it was pleased.

"W-Wait," Ruby's voice interrupted the drama. The younger girl's cheeks were red, and as she stared at Jaune, they only seemed to get worse. She took a step back, realised she was sat down, and promptly fell over. "We never agreed to this. We never okayed it!"

"Are you alright, Ruby?" Jaune asked, reaching down to offer her a hand.

Ruby looked at his hand as though it were a King Taijitu.

Like a good sister, Yang came to her rescue. "I can do it if you don't want to," she whispered, feeling a little self-conscious herself as well. So much for an easy afternoon playing video games. When had it turned into the sleep over from her nightmares?

"Y-Yang?" Ruby asked, shocked.

Yang instantly felt nervous. "Do _you_ want to?" she asked. "I'll… I'll let you do it if you want."

She didn't want to hurt her little sis.

"I-I didn't say that!" Ruby said.

"So, you don't want to?"

"…"

Okay, this wasn't going quite as easily as Yang had hoped it would. "Ruby," she whispered. "Do you _like_ Jaune?"

"What?" Ruby gasped. "No! Do… you?"

"What?" Yang gasped. "No!"

They both looked at one another suspiciously. Was Ruby just saying that because she was embarrassed – or worse – because Ruby thought _she_ liked him and didn't want to get in the way? Both were possible, especially with how embarrassed Ruby had been lately.

Maybe the only way through was to sacrifice a little on her part too.

"Look," she whispered, "It only has to be a tiny kiss on the cheek, like what Blake did. How about we both just do it?"

"O-Okay," Ruby nodded her head. "Just a little one though, right?"

Was she asking that because she felt afraid to do more, or was she afraid Yang might do more? Argh, everything was so confusing.

"Do you want to go first?" Yang offered.

"Maybe at the same time?"

Yang nodded and took a deep breath. "Okay," she said, turning around. "We're read-y…? Where's Jaune?"

"He already left," Blake helpfully reported. "Maybe two or three minutes into your little conference with Ruby. He even said goodnight to us all and everything."

"H-He left?" Ruby asked. "Then that means no kiss. Thank goodness…"

Again, the relief meant nothing. Was Ruby relieved because she didn't have to kiss him, or was that relief grounded in more _possessive_ desires, such as not wanting _Yang_ to kiss him. _I'll need to find out more,_ Yang decided. _If Ruby really does fancy Jaune, then I need to know for sure._

"Well, if Jaune didn't get his kisses, then I suppose it is only fair to pass on my own," Ren said magnanimously. "All's well that ends well."

"Ha ha, yes," Nora laughed. She had a pillow in her hands, and looked to be crushing and tearing at it. Her teeth gnashed together too. "All ends well… so well… perfectly… alone, as usual. Ha ha ha. Nothing for poor old Nora."

Blake leaned away nervously.

"I think I'm going back to my room now," Ruby said.

Yang wished she could follow.

/-/

"We're heading to Beacon early?" Mercury asked. He exchanged a nervous look with Emerald, but the green-haired girl only shrugged in return. "I know it's not out place to ask, but…"

"It's not," Cinder said. She'd been irritated ever since returning to Haven, and now moved about their room in a huff, pushing clothing and equipment into a suitcase. "Our records have been adjusted and the request sent to the headmaster of Beacon. My… associate assures me we shall be accepted."

"Everything is okay, then?" Emerald asked. "Our position here hasn't been compromised?"

"Nothing of the sort, dear Emerald," their employer, team leader and all around lady and mistress chuckled. Her amusement didn't mean she wasn't angry, nor did it guarantee his safety if he spoke. Usually, he just let Em do it.

"So, we're not to do anything extra?"

" _You_ will not be required to, no. I, on the other hand, do have a little… problem to take care of. It shouldn't be any cause for concern."

"Anything we need to know about?" Mercury felt compelled to ask. When Cinder looked his way, he held his hands up and added, "It's just that I don't want us to mess anything up. We're both committed; it's not like we're going anywhere."

Cinder sighed. Her shoulders slumped too, which had to be the most emotion he'd ever truly seen from her. He looked to Emerald in time to catch her wide-eyed stare too. They were both surprised.

"It cannot hurt, I suppose." Cinder said. "It also wouldn't do for either of you to cause him any physical harm… we all might not survive that."

"Him?"

Cinder sighed; louder this time. She drew out her scroll and flicked it to show a zoomed in image of a guy their age with blond hair and blue eyes. He smiled widely, the kind of smile which had Emerald grimacing.

"He looks like a buffoon," Emerald dismissed.

"This is my brother."

"But looks can be deceiving," Emerald tried again. She glared at Mercury when he snorted under his breath. "Um… he doesn't look very much like you. Is he adopted?"

"No, I… it's complicated. You might say I am part of the family, though not in an official manner. All you need to know is that his name is Jaune- he will be _going_ by the name of Jaune Arc. He is _not_ to be harmed in any way. In fact, we are to do our best to keep any and all harm away from him."

"Will that be hard?" Mercury asked, looking at the guy. "No offence, but he doesn't look particularly strong."

"He could rip your legs off with his hands tied behind his back."

Mercury's breath caught. From anyone else, it might have been an idle threat. From Cinder Fall, it was a statement of fact. "Really?" he whistled. "That's pretty impressive."

"Really," Cinder confirmed. "I trained him myself and he _could_ kill you in an instant," she went on. "He wouldn't, however. Despite his power, Jaune is… sickeningly sweet."

"Well, that's not so bad…"

"His mother, on the other hand, would make you _wish_ you were dead. She would stretch the agony out. She would likely also assure the assistance of her daughters in this, who are… quite protective of their brother." Cinder looked over her shoulder back at him, expression deadpan. "You would suffer for the full extent of your lifespan, I would assume. Naturally, you'd be driven to madness part of the way through, but I believe they would drag you back – just to ensure you scream all the louder."

The room became silent, but for the rustle of clothes being folded and put away. Emerald looked at him, as though to suggest he continue talking. He shook his head in return. The guy sounded interesting… interesting enough to meet. Anything more, he'd figure out in person.

"So, this is a protection job?" Emerald asked. "We're to bodyguard him?"

"Officially, we are to convince him to leave Beacon and come back with us to his family. Jaune has… flown the nest, as it were."

"Officially?"

"Unofficially," Cinder smiled, "we are to continue with the original plan, while ensuring his survival. I _want_ the maiden, and I _shall_ have her powers. Our plan is the best chance of achieving that goal and I'm loathe to see it ruined now. Jaune is notoriously stubborn, so my… employer will understand that it might take some time. We'll continue the plan as it always was, and then flee with Jaune at the end."

Short, sweet and without too many changes. Mercury found that a relief, especially if there was a new random element being introduced. Beacon wasn't going to be _too_ different from Haven, he assumed. Homework was homework, pretentious good-guy brats were the same wherever you went. How hard could it be?

"One last question, ma'am," Emerald asked, apparently feeling a little braver than usual.

"Hm?"

"If this… if Jaune is so much stronger than us, and we can't exactly fight him, then how are we going to convince him to leave with us once we crush Beacon and steal the maiden's powers?"

"There's no need to worry, my dear," Cinder chuckled darkly. "While Jaune is stubborn, there _is_ one person he trusts and relies on more than any other."

She stood up and flicked her raven hair behind her, shooting them a cunning smile.

"Let's just say I have him wrapped around my little finger. He'll do _anything_ I say."

/-/

"And then Jauney was like `I shall defeat you Ren; I shall end thy days as overlord`, and then Ren was all `oh no, not me` an-"

"I don't believe I said that Nora."

"Less talk, more pancake making, mister!"

Ren sighed and went back to his task, leaving Pyrrha to giggle behind one hand, both at his expression, but also Nora's tall tale. It sounded like she'd missed quite the event, though truth told, she'd been too distracted and bothered about what Jaune said to really enjoy it. She would have just dragged everyone down.

"Did he win, then?" she asked.

"He totally did!" Nora cried. "Ren is like, _the best_ person I know at Virtual Dead or Brawl Guilty Smash Fighter; Rage in a Cage! He's the best and Jaune fought him on equal footing."

"Ah, I see. Well, it certainly sounds like you all had a fun night." Pyrrha said. She could admit to herself, though she would never say it to anyone else, that she was a little relieved to hear Jaune hadn't stayed for his reward.

She then hated herself for feeling that relief.

"It _was_ fun. You should have come, we could have had a RYBN vs WJRP competition." Nora paused to him to herself. "Then again, maybe that should wait until I train Blake up to be a true competitor. She had the _worst_ stage fright!"

Pyrrha spared a glance for the girl, who grumbled something under her breath and buried her face behind a book. She didn't _look_ shy. _Then again, what do I know? Nora's probably had more real friendships than I have._

Before now, that was. Now that she was in Beacon, Pyrrha could proudly boast of more friends than she'd ever thought possible.

"We've got that trip tomorrow, haven't we?" Ruby asked, nudging her in the side and grinning around a mouth full of strawberries.

"Don't speak with your mouth full," Weiss rebuked. "Really, Ruby, if you like them so much, at least eat them first."

"Sowwy."

"It's fine, and yes, the trip is in a few days. From what I understand, we'll be gathering supplies in some forest a fair distance away from Beacon. It will be out first real mission in hostile territory."

"Apart from initiation," Pyrrha pointed out.

"Our first mission since officially becoming a team," Weiss allowed. "We'll need to stick together. That will allow us to better increase our chances of getting through without injury and also let us reac-"

"Weiss, I know why fighting in a group is good," Ruby whined.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sugge-"

"I know, I know," Ruby smiled to show there was no harm. "You're just trying to be a better leader and make sure we understand your orders, right?"

Weiss nodded.

"Then it's all good. We'll be the best team out there!"

"Ahem!" Nora coughed pointedly.

"We'll be the best team out there!" Ruby repeated. "Sorry, Nora… there's always room for second place, though."

"Which you shall realise soon enough," Nora said imperiously, "After we push you into it."

"Can you really boast about that, though?" Ruby asked. "After all, _we_ won the game tournament."

"We both won, or at least Jaune and Ren did." Yang corrected, flicking a seed of her sister's nose. "You, my dear sister, came last if I recall."

"I beat Blake!"

"Ruby, I could have dropped the controller and beaten Blake. _Zwei_ could have beaten Blake."

"Didn't Zwei beat Qrow?"

"By latching onto his throat when the round started," Yang said with a roll of her eyes. "Anyway, you don't get to count Blake. She's going to demand a rematch anyway, right Nora?"

Blake's book hit the table, her eyes wide. "Yang, what the-"

"Yep!" Nora cheered. "She challenges you to a rematch next Saturday."

"I did no such-"

Ruby nodded. "Okay, Blake. You're on."

"Ugh…"

Pyrrha smothered her laughter as she watched the group bicker, content for once to be a spectator. Her entertainment was interrupted, however, as a loud clatter and a smash echoed through the cafeteria. As one, and with every other person there, she turned to look in the direction of it.

"Again?" Yang growled.

"He's not picking on a faunus this time," Blake said.

"No, he's picking on Jaune instead," Ruby glowered.

She was right, of course, for about fifteen to twenty metres away from them, near the queues that formed up before the lunch line, stood Jaune. He was surrounded by four figures, with the familiar one in the lead having just smashed Jaune's tray down onto the floor. Cereal, biscuits and orange juice stained the battlefield like blood.

"You want us to sit out of it again, I guess?" Yang asked her leader with a sigh.

"Well, Jaune _did_ diffuse the last situation admirably. Honestly, after seeing how he took Winchester's mace in class, I'm not sure what he could honestly do here anyway."

That was a point, and one that had Pyrrha smiling a little. What was Cardin going to do? Hit Jaune over the head with a stick of bread? That smile soon faltered, however, when she saw the burly teen plant two hands on Jaune's chest and push him back.

Jaune staggered but didn't fall.

"You were in our way," Cardin said, loud enough to make it clear he _wanted_ people to hear. "Maybe you shouldn't be so clumsy, _Jaune_."

"I was in your way? I just saw you walk across the entire room to reach me." Yet again, Jaune's rather frank honesty was enough to earn a few laughs from the crowd. It also tugged away at Cardin's control, leaving the bully red in the face.

"You act like such a smartass, Arc – and a kiss ass too. Always the teacher's favourite, especially with Oobleck."

"I am? I'm sorry if you wanted to be his favourite. If you want, I can tell him you admire him so. It's not a problem."

"Always with an answer!" Cardin pushed him again, and yet again Jaune staggered back but remained on his feet.

"You don't want to do this Cardin," Jaune warned. "Not here."

"Oh, don't I? What are you going to do, Arc?"

"It's not going to end the way you want it to, Cardin. I'm trying to be kind here."

"What?" Cardin scoffed. "You going to hurt my feelings?"

"I don't want to, but I will if you keep trying like this. Why don't we sort this out in private? It might be easier for you to handle."

"So you can avoid the humiliation you rightly deserve? No chance! You've been a thorn in my side, constantly needling me and I'm sick of it, Arc. You and I, we're settling things here and now."

Chairs scraped across the floor as people turned around to see what would happen. Staff behind the counters moved as well, though likely to call for help if a fight erupted. Pyrrha hoped it wouldn't, if only because her teammate would get in trouble for it.

"This is how it has to be?" Jaune asked, looking at Cardin and his three teammates. "I didn't want to cause you trouble, Cardin. I still don't, and if I've caused you that much pain, I'm sorry. I never wanted to be the asshole, but I can't help but think letting this go on is only going to make it worse." Jaune sighed and shook his head. "I just want you to know in advance, we can still be friends afterwards.

What? Pyrrha looked to Yang for answers, but the blonde looked just as confused as she.

"Cardin… I can't return your feelings."

All sound in the grand room was annihilated. Had someone so much as blinked, they would have heard it.

"I know you've been trying to get my attention, Cardin. I know you've been constantly trying to make me notice you and talk to you, and just like now, you walked across the whole room, then made a story about how I'd gotten in your way. I get it, Cardin, I really do." Jaune looked at the burly teen with a distraught expression. "It's just… I don't feel the same."

"W-What?"

"It's not you," Jaune said, quickly placing his hands on the other man's arms. "It's not you and there's nothing wrong with you. I'm sure you're a great guy and all and I mean, you have nice…" Jaune paused, clearly fighting for something to say, "hair…"

Someone snickered.

"It's me, is what I'm trying to say. I put a lot of thought into it, I tried to see if I could make it work. I thought to myself, maybe if I gave it a go, I'd come to feel the same way in time but… well, I just don't see it happening." Jaune stepped back, face cut from stone. "I'm sorry, Cardin Winchester… I don't think it would work out. I can't return your feelings."

"You… you…" Cardin made grasping motions towards Jaune's throat, but the blond simply shook his head and stepped back. He honestly looked distressed.

Pyrrha… not quite so.

" _What should I do? If I think someone has a crush on me and I don't agree?"_

" _Could you not… is it not possible to return those feelings?"_

" _I just don't feel that way."_

He'd meant… out of all her fears, that he meant her feelings – or god forbid – Ruby's, but instead he thought… he honestly believed that _Cardin_ was crushing on him? It was too much. Too much relief, too much insanity, perhaps even too much Jaune.

She broke down laughing.

She might have been the first, but she wasn't the last. More came from their table, but it was nothing compared to the great gouts of laughter all around them. The cafeteria erupted, as Cardin became the butt of Jaune's joke.

"He turned it around," Yang howled. "He actually made a fool out of Cardin!"

"Impressive, indeed," Weiss smiled.

That just made Pyrrha laugh even more. He hadn't turned it around at all… Jaune actually _believed_ what he was saying, which was what somehow made it all the better to her. That naïve, loveable idiot actually thought Cardin would be heartbroken.

Well, he was certainly something. Cardin opened his mouth to speak, but his cheeks flushed as he looked at all the people who laughed at him. It wasn't love, nor was it lust, but rather white-hot rage that he aimed towards Jaune. "This isn't the end!" he yelled. "I'll show you!"

"I don't think that's wise," Jaune said. "I know it hurts now, but I'm sure you'll find someone in time. There are plenty more Nevermore in the sky."

"SHUT UP!" he shouted. He then turned to those laughing. "All of you shut up!"

They didn't of course. Much like Pyrrha, the people around them found the scene only too hilarious. With a huff and a scowl, Cardin stormed from the hall, knocking people aside as he went. Even those he collided with didn't seem to care, too lost in the moment.

"I don't get why everyone is laughing," Jaune whispered when he sat back down beside her. "Is laughing over something like this really okay?"

"It's… it's…" She tried to explain, she really did, but unfortunately for her control, Jaune spoke before she could finish.

"It's just… I'm not sure he's really over me. Did I do it wrong?"

"No Jaune," she gasped, unable to stop smiling. "I think you did it perfectly."

* * *

 **Cardin-chan… yours was a ship which never sailed… I'm so sorry. Well, there we have it folks, the OTP has been crushed already, and now we're left only to sail into the most crackiest of waters. I mean, if this isn't Cardin x Jaune, then what even is it?**

 **Madness…**

 **Also, yes, you can feel free to hang me over the chapter title. It was pretty baaaah-d.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 22** **nd** **March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	11. Chapter 11

**Oh boy, another Wednesday and another chapter. I'm glad everyone has been enjoying this story, even if it comes out at an awkward time for me (straight after a 5 day run of consecutive fics – Sat, Sun, Mon, Tue, and then White Sheep. It doesn't leave much in the way of time to write.**

 **But, well, here we are again. I hope you enjoy~**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 11 – Can't see the wool for the trees**

* * *

Jaune Salem Arc thought himself ready for the field trip to Forever Fall. The teachers had been talking about it for a few days, and although it posed the threat of their team running into some Grimm, he'd been fairly confident they could get through without any trouble. The Grimm weren't going to attack him, after all, and if they did come close he could drive them away, hopefully before his team killed them.

That was the plan, at least, which should have been the first sign that something would go amiss. In the end, that something turned out to be purple, sticky and filled with natural sugar.

" **You know, it's kind of strange,"** Remy mused. **"From what I've heard, most Grimm love this sap. It's weird that you'd be allergic to it."**

" _Remy… please shut up."_ Jaune said internally. Externally, he could only sniffle painfully. Here he was, Prince of the Grimm, and fully showing his uselessness. If Uncle Hazel could have seen him… well, the man wouldn't have been surprised in the least, but he'd have sighed and shook his head nonetheless.

"Just stay there," Weiss sighed, showing him the barest amount of concern she could get away with without actually having to come near. "Keep that nose away from me at all times. In fact, you can maintain your distance on the Bullhead ride back to Beacon as well. I don't want to catch anything."

He sniffled miserably but didn't protest.

"What about the sap he needs to collect?" Ruby asked. "Should I-"

"I shall handle it," Weiss interrupted, snatching Jaune's jar from Ruby. "It's only right. After all, he is my partner and thus my responsibility."

"From badass to baby," Yang teased, sending a friendly smile his way to show she didn't really mean it. "I never thought you'd be one to be taken down by something like this, champ."

"Me neither… I've never even seen the stuff before."

"Well, that's how most people discover allergies, I guess. At least it's not bad enough to put you in the hospital or something."

True, there were small mercies. Come to think of it, what would happen if he ended up visiting a hospital in Vale? Had his Uncles thought to put fake information into the system, or would his unique genealogy be discovered? He asked Remy.

" **Sorry Jaune, I've no idea. It might be best to avoid that, though."**

Oh, goodie, another thing he had to juggle. He groaned into his hands and leaned against a tree behind him.

Something trickled onto his shoulder.

He sneezed, loudly.

"Maybe you should move away," Ruby giggled. "We've already tapped that tree and it's uh… kind of leaking on you."

"Ugh…" Jaune groaned, dragging himself away from it and wiping the sap away. He sneezed again, and it was enough to wrack his entire body. So much for his dreams of the first ever field trip, what should have been a monumental step in his career.

"If only Cardin were here," Yang sighed theatrically and cupped her cheeks. "He'd be willing to nurse you back to good health, kept warmly against his bosom as he whispers sweet no-"

"Yang, please," Blake sighed, "No one wants to have that mental image."

"It looks bad," Pyrrha said, walking over to stand by him. Wait, he looked bad – or something else? "Do you think we should call Miss Goodwitch? She might have some medicine, or at least know some first aid."

"I-I'll be fine," he snorted. He didn't want Miss Goodwitch of all people looking over him. "I… I-" a sneeze "-I just need to g-get this stuff off me."

Weiss sighed loudly and planted both hands on her hips. Even through his hazy vision, he could see the exasperated look on her face. "Well, we can't just continue like this," she said, "You're liable to draw the Grimm if you get much louder and your hoodie is covered in that sap. Something has to be done, because you're not going to suddenly develop immunity to it."

"Ooh, I saw a stream earlier," Nora called. "He could go wash it off his clothes."

"As good an idea as any, I suppose." Weiss hummed and turned to the rest of her team before nodding. "Ruby, you take Jaune with you to the stream and help him."

"Why me?"

Before, Weiss might have bristled at the challenge. Now, she only nodded and explained. "I am his partner, but I have to gather his share of the sap since he's out of action. That leaves Pyrrha or yourself, and out of the two, I believe Pyrrha's greater strength makes her better for boring the tap into the trees."

"Okay Weiss," Ruby smiled, "that makes sense. Come on, Jaune."

He took the smaller girl's hand and let her help him up, staggering slightly as he became dizzy at the sudden height. Ruby tried to pull his arm around her shoulder so he'd lean on her, but he did his best not to. He was a lot heavier than her.

"Shout or call if something goes wrong!" Weiss called as they left.

"Use protection," Yang added. Protection? She meant from the Grimm, right?

"YANG!" Ruby yelled back in embarrassment. The blonde cackled loudly, but Ruby ignored her and turned to help him in the direction of the stream Nora marked on their scrolls. It didn't look like a long journey, thankfully. Yet again, for what felt like the one hundredth time, Jaune turned his head to the side and sneezed.

"This stuff is really getting to you, isn't it?" Ruby rubbed his back sympathetically.

"If I'd known I was allergic, I would have said something," he whined.

"Were either of your parents allergic to this?"

"I don't think mom is, but I guess my sisters might me… I'll have to warn them. He didn't want Amber or Lavender to run into this stuff and get ill. Or, heavens forbid, his sister Hazel – named after his Uncle (much to Uncle Hazel's confusion). She shared none of his traits, least of all his taciturn attitude. If she got ill, she made sure everyone knew about it.

"What about your dad?" she asked. "It might come from his side."

"Dad travels a lot, so I wouldn't know. Even when he comes home, it's not like there's any of this sap nearby." No trees at all, really. "I'll ask him next time I see him."

"What does he do? You said your mom works in real estate – does your dad do the same?"

"Dad's a huntsman," Jaune said proudly.

"Really? My parents were too," Ruby smiled. "My dad works as a teacher now, though. He retired after… hey look, there's the stream!" Ruby pointed ahead with one arm, drawing his attention to a small dip in the landscape from which some spray of water could be seen. More than anything, it was the noise that made it obvious; a fast-paced trickling, splashing sound.

A burst of energy allowed him to reach it in short order, and he fell to his knees on the wet rocks by the edge of it, wetting his hands and them holding them to his face.

"Better?" Ruby asked with a wide smile.

He gasped as he tore his hands free, taking a huge – but also unobstructed breath of air. "Better!" he said. "I can breathe at last."

"Heh, I hate being sick too. Yang would always look after me, but she was _so_ strict about me not moving. I'm not made for sitting in bed and doing nothing."

"I know the feeling," he said, "My mother could be the same. I only got seriously sick once, but she kept talking about kidnapping the best doctors from across Remnant and threatening them with death unless they helped me feel better."

"She sounds just as dramatic as Yang," Ruby giggled.

 _Right, yeah… dramatic._ If it wasn't for Uncle Watts' treatment, not to mention Big Sis Cinder's calming influence, he'd have probably been faced with a hundred terrified medics. It was just how his mom was, however.

An itching sensation on his shoulder reminded him of the real reason he was at the stream, especially as his sinuses started to clog once more. He bent forward and gripped at the material around his chest, pulling his hoodie slowly up over his head. The sap made it difficult, especially when it stuck to his hair, but he tore it free with a grunt.

"W-What are you doing?" Ruby gasped.

"Taking my clothes off. I need to wash the sap out, remember?"

"R-Right," she laughed, "Um, just… maybe not in front of… you know what, maybe I should go and wait in the woods, give you some privacy?"

He wasn't sure whether that was a suggestion or a question. "Okay?" he guessed.

"I'll be close," Ruby scrambled up the bank. "Just not close enough to s-see anything. If you need me, shout. Um…" she paused and looked at him, "but only if you're dressed, okay?"

Jaune blinked and watched as Ruby, face still as red as her namesake, fled into the nearby treeline. _Huh, I wonder what's up with her._ He made a note to ask her later – Ruby was a good sport like that and was always willing to answer. For now, though, he had much more serious concerns. The stream water was fresh and cold, almost frigidly so. He dunked his hoodie into it, rubbing it against the rocks on the bottom. To his relief, a pink tendril came from it, and the sap started to come loose. Doggedly sticky when dry, it looked far easier to handle wet.

He pulled his wet hoodie back over his clothes, shivering a little at the moisture. It felt good, though, and as an after-thought he held his face down and splashed water against his skin. Again, it was cold, so very cold – but incredibly refreshing.

He held his face under the water for a few seconds, delighting in the sensation of it running through his hair. There was probably some sap in there too. He drew his head back up and gasped for breath.

Three large Beowolves looked back at him, faces tilted to one side, less than six inches away.

Nose to nose with a creature of the Grimm, Jaune knew what the human reaction was meant to be, but Ruby was in the trees – and there was no way she could see this, otherwise she'd have already made some noise when they approached. Well, her sniper rifle would have.

"Hey there," he whispered. "You guys should get out of here. My friends are nearby and they'd probably hurt you."

The middle Beowolf sniffed and moved its snout closer to his. It was bigger than any he'd seen in the initiation, but less than half the size of Mannie. That still put it at a good seven or eight feet, were it to stand on its hind legs. Mannie could almost reach that height on all fours. The wet nose pushed against his cheek, then ran up it and sniffed at his hair.

"Yes, yes," he sighed, patting its head. "I'm a nice person, now please; you need to get out of here. It isn't safe."

In hindsight, he should have chosen his words better.

The three Grimm howled at once, the sound enough to momentarily deafen him – and unless she was the most inattentive huntress ever – alert Ruby. Jaune frantically held his hands out in an attempt to stop them, but only had the time to cry out in shock as the lead one wrapped its arms around his waist and hefted him up off the ground.

"N-No," he gasped. "I didn't mean to take _me_ and run!"

"JAUNE!" Ruby burst from the treeline and cried out in anger when she saw the trouble he was in – or rather, the trouble it no doubt _looked_ like he was in. Being crushed to a Beowolf's chest while unarmed probably wasn't considered safe to most people.

"Ruby," he gasped, "Don't come near, it's-" His words cut off as the Beowolf threw him up onto its shoulder, slamming the bone plating into his stomach and driving the air from his lungs. It roared and loped away, his arms flailing against its back. Behind it, he could just about make out Ruby being challenged by the two that remained.

Her eyes, however, were locked onto his – and wide with panic.

"I'll be fine!" he yelled, voice stuttering with each step the Beowolf took. "Look after yourse-oof!" His stomach lurched as the Grimm leaped over a fallen log, the air-time doing precious little for his already tenuous control on his breakfast. Branches and leaves filled his vision a moment later, the Grimm `rescuing` him having followed the stream into the forest away from his team.

/-/

Ruby was a reasonable girl. Ruby was a normal girl. She had normal knees, cute knees, even – Jaune said so. She did normal things, liked weapons and video games and basically considered herself pretty down to earth.

Which was why she felt screaming at the top of her lungs like a banshee as she eviscerated the two Beowolves who dared stand in her path was a pretty justifiable response. The few seconds that took, however, were more than enough for the one carting away her friend to escape.

The friend _she_ was supposed to act as a look-out for.

Jaune wasn't going to die. Not because of her and not like this. She splashed into the water and looked for tracks, anything she could find. The ground was wet, the mud soft – and she gasped in relief when she saw prints leading further down it.

To rush in alone, however, would be stupid. Jaune needed help, not someone to get in trouble with him. She tore her scroll from her skirt and dialled Yang's number so fast she feared the screen might break.

" _Ruby?"_ Yang answered. _"I heard a scream. Was that-"_

"They took Jaune!" Ruby cried into the device. "Get down here quick – please!"

" _What!? Wait, who took Jaune – took him where?"_

"The Grimm," Ruby howled. Couldn't Yang see this wasn't the time for questions? She needed help, _he_ needed help. "Yang, please, get down here as quick as possible."

" _Damn it. Right, I'm on my way, wait there until we arrive. I'll have someone tell Miss Goodwitch."_ The line went dead, the last thing Ruby heard her sister yelling out to the others. Now holding a blank scroll, it was all she could do to stand and wait – the most painful of things – as the monster did goodness knew what to Jaune. She couldn't wait, not even at Yang's request. She started to follow the tracks, rushing off in the direction it took him.

Something was wrong with it, though…

Since when did the Grimm carry people away?

/-/

 _Okay, this is ridiculous,_ he sighed. He knew Grimm could be a little simple at times, but had it honestly mistaken his warning as a cry for help? Well, he supposed they did tend to be protective of him and his family, even the ones back home in the Grimmlands.

Ruby would worry, however, and the last thing he needed was to set off a search and rescue by Miss Goodwitch.

With a growl, he pushed himself up, only to wince as another branch slammed into the back of his head. He yelped at another, which cut through some of his clothing. They'd been running for a good five minutes now, and the journey through the forest had been… sharp, to say the least. The Beowolf didn't account for his added height on its shoulder, and thus he collided with things it would have otherwise been safe to pass under.

It was still a Grimm, however, which meant it would follow his orders.

"Stop!" he commanded. "Put me down and stop, right now." He waited for it to do so, to slow down and place him gently onto the forest floor. As the seconds ticked by, the realisation that it _wasn't_ stopping slowly crept into his mind. It took a while, on account of how it was impossible. "I said stop," he repeated. "I, Jaune Salem Arc, command thee to halt immediately!"

The Beowolf panted and snorted, but did no such thing.

" _What the hell? This can't be another insane Grimm. It recognises me and knows not to hurt me – so why isn't it following my orders?"_

" **It should follow them,"** Remy answered. **"I don't understand why it isn't. In fact, the only reason it wouldn't would be if… wait…** "

" _What?"_ he asked. _"The only reason would be what?"_

" **Jaune, the only reason it wouldn't follow** _ **your**_ **orders, is if someone else – someone more important – gave it ones that conflicted with yours."**

Someone more important…? It took approximately three nano-seconds for him to realise who, and another three for him to curse and start struggling. "Damn it, mom!" he howled and kicked his legs. "Beowolf, stop, I command you – listen to my orders, not hers!"

Of course it didn't… his mom's instructions were absolute. If this one refused to stop, and had carted him away, then chances were it was following her orders to the letter. _Crap. Mom must have told it to find and kidnap me, then bring me home. I can't believe I didn't see this coming. Argh!_

It wouldn't stop, either. The Grimm were boundless, and while they _could_ sleep, they didn't need it. This one would run eternally, as long as it needed to in order to bring him home. He'd never see Beacon again – his mom would make sure of that. He'd never see his friends again.

That wasn't acceptable.

"This is _my_ decision," Jaune roared. The transformation came on quickly, the colour bleached from his hair and four tentacles sliding out from under his wet jacket. The snagged onto a nearby branch, and although it caused agony to sear through him, it was enough to make him pop out of the Beowolf's clutches.

He hung from the tree, fighting for breath. His red eyes locked onto the Beowolf as it turned to regard him. Its red eyes flashed.

"You're not taking me back," he growled. "I'm _sick_ of this and sick of mom trying to control me. Go home and tell her what happened. Tell her this is my choice and that I'm going to see it through."

" **You know, she** _ **has**_ **a scroll. You could tell her yourself."**

" _Remy? Shut up. I'm not opening that can of worms. Her number is blocked for a reason."_ He'd had to block everyone, of course, which he figured would come back to bite him in the ass at some point. He wasn't sure who would mete out more punishment; his mom, Big Sis Cinder, Uncle Hazel or his actual sisters...

Oh gods, Sapphire was going to _kill_ him.

The Beowolf took his moment of distraction as an opportunity to attack. Well, to try and grab him. It kept its claws at bay and instead approached with wide arms, attempting some kind of tackling hug. Jaune ducked aside and allowed it to crash into the ground, but could only sigh as it tried again.

 _This is going to keep happening,_ he realised. _It won't run out of energy, and it won't stop. Even if I tried to get back on the Bullhead to Beacon, it would try to climb on board as well. Everyone would kill it._

His eyes hardened, as did his heart.

This Grimm, as cruel as it sounded, was going to die. An unstoppable force had made contact with an immovable object, and yet neither were quite that. He could give up, accept being torn away from his friends and locked back away at home – or he could fight, and kill the Beowolf before him.

"I'm sorry," Jaune sighed. "I'm as selfish as they come. I really am sorry."

The Beowolf roared and lunged forward, unheeding of the danger.

"I'll make it swift. It's the least I can do." Red eyes snapped open. As one, the tentacles above his head lashed forward. They punctured through flesh and muscle, through bone and more muscle.

The Beowolf lurched forward. It didn't even seem to realise it had been killed.

" **Don't blame yourself."** Remy sighed, as the tentacles retracted from its corpse. The body began to fade the moment it hit the ground. **"You were right. Even if you tried to avoid it, your teammates would have killed it. Better to make it painless if you plan to continue this path."**

"I do," he sighed. "I'm already on it. It's too late to back away now." His determined words were interrupted by a loud sneeze. "Damn it, this sap… ugh."

" **You might want to wash your clothes off,"** Remy suggested. **"We can do it quickly here. After what just happened, I doubt your friends would let you out of their sight until we're back in Beacon.** "

He could sense the parasite's revulsion at the idea of being motion sick _and_ sick from the sap. He agreed with it wholeheartedly and moved his tentacles before himself. Undressing with them wasn't really possible, but he could pull off his jacket and then have one clutch it, pushing it into the nearby stream to wash it. He did the same with the rest of his clothing, until he was dressed in nothing but his black, silk boxers.

The tentacles worked away, pushing his clothing into the water and rubbing them against the rocks to clear off the sap. Jaune watched with crossed arms, concentration necessary to keep them from drifting away.

It wasn't too difficult… he just needed to focus, which was why the sniper rifle that caused a branch to _explode_ just an inch to the left of his ear, didn't help very much.

" **Jaune!"** Remy hissed. The warning came too late, however. He watched glumly as the strong current tugged his clothes under the water and away. Oh great… now he was ill, wet and naked – absolutely wonderful.

"Do you mind?" he asked, irritation creeping into his voice.

Ruby glared back, silver eyes narrowed on him. Somehow, for some reason, that sent a lance of fear through his heart. _Run, run, run,_ his instincts screamed. He ignored them, even if it was so very hard to do so. "Where's Jaune?" she demanded, and cocked back the bolt of her rifle. A large cartridge popped free. "I-I won't make it a warning shot next time. Tell me what you've done to my friend!"

Wait, what?

" **Jaune – you're still in your transformed state!"**

Oh dear… ill, wet, naked and now looking suspiciously like the wanted criminal he might have accidentally made himself.

That couldn't be good.

/-/

It was him. The Grimm-man she and Miss Goodwitch fought; the one that saved Torchwick and escaped. Her hands tightened on Crescent Rose. The tracks… they led straight here. That meant the Beowolf had come this way, and now with _him_ standing before her?

The other two had stopped to distract her, to hold her back so that the third could escape with her friend. Was that what he was doing as well?

 _Yang did say she heard him giving orders to Grimm in the Emerald Forest. It makes sense… why else would one have acted so unusually and abducted Jaune?_

It meant this person wanted Jaune.

It meant this person knew where Jaune was.

"Give him back!" she roared again. Crescent Rose twirled as she fired a shot backwards, half for the momentum, and half to alert the others who had fanned out nearby. Her body darted forward, the scythe blade pulled back to cut him in two. "Give back my friend!"

He ducked beneath it. His white hair passed by her face, his red and black eyes boring into her own. He looked like he might attack her en route, but when she narrowed her eyes at him he flinched and locked up instead. She cursed as she hit the ground, pushed off and twisted back around to slice him straight down the middle.

Something wet coiled about her left ankle, however, and she screamed in shock when she fell back.

Crescent Rose fell from her fingers, and although she tried to reach for it, she was forced to gasp as her body was tugged away from it; away from her beloved weapon, and towards him. Her hands dug into the dirt, trying to pull her body back.

Two more of those tentacles wrapped about her legs, locking her thighs together as it wrapped about her like a snake might. Her world flipped, and a startled cry escaped her as she was suspended in the air, upside down.

"What did you do to my friend!?" she demanded. Her eyes widened a second later, however. She clenched them shut, cheeks red. "And why aren't you wearing any clothes!?"

He didn't answer, but closing her eyes proved a mistake. It let her feel what he was doing more keenly. The cool, smooth tentacles coiled and brushed against her legs, sending all sorts of nasty feelings through her. One touched higher, and she gasped as something like an electric current ran through her body. Blood kept rushing to her head, faster now, as her breath came out in shorter and shorter pants. This monster was using some kind of evil spell on her!

"S-Stop it," she gasped, "T-That feels w-weird. I feel weird."

His prehensile limbs tightened against her knees, and she gasped and threw her head back. Her body shook for a moment, and she whined through clenched teeth. What was he doing to her? Why didn't he just finish her instead of staring at her with hazy, lidded eyes?

Would he kill her?

Would he hentai her?

Would she figure out what that even meant?

"Ruby!"

Wait, that voice?

" _Yang_ ," Ruby cried, a little weak, but audible enough as she struggled to look behind her. She couldn't see much, but she could as good as hear her sister barrel through the trees.

"What is-? _You_!" Yang's voice seethed, and Ruby could imagine her eyes flashing red. "Let go of my sister, you creep!"

"Yang, be careful," a quieter voice advised – Blake, by the sound of it. "We don't know how dangerous he is."

"He doesn't know how dangerous I am!"

"Yang, wait!"

Yang didn't, however. She dashed across the clearing with her hair ablaze, one fist reared back and ready to deliver a crushing blow to the skull of this strange creature. To someone like her big sis, his red eyes and scary face wasn't something to fear, nor was his weird nakedness. Yang would save her – she just kne-

"Oof!" The air was blown from Ruby's lungs as she collided with her sister, the two of them crashing to the ground. They rolled and tumbled, Yang's arms wrapping about her as they came to a stop a little further away, Ruby's eyes wobbling dizzily.

"Ruby," Yang hissed, "are you okay?"

"M'good," she moaned. Her legs still felt weak, but she was alive. She coughed as the blonde girl pulled her in for a tight hug.

"Thank goodness."

"Stop!" Blake yelled. Ruby and Yang looked up just in time to see the Grimm-man rush away into the trees, Yang's teammate in hot pursuit.

/-/

" **This is bad, Jaune!"**

" _Oh, really!?"_ Jaune asked. He scowled as he stormed past a bush and felt the branch whip back into his thigh. _"I'm running through a forest, naked, transformed as a Grimm and being chased by my friends, who think I've kidnapped myself and want to kill me. Is this really bad, Remy – or am I just over-exaggerating?"_

He leapt over a log before him, only to gasp as he realised it was a knoll, of which there was a small ravine on the other side. His feet tried to land, and his tentacles to grab some purchase, but the rocks they clung to came loose and fell with him as he rolled and tumbled down the side. Dirt and stone bit into him, but he bounced at the bottom and pushed himself on.

" _Maybe I should turn back."_

" **No!"** Remy snapped. **"Jaune, the only reason they don't recognise you is because of how different you look. If they see you normally, though, and dressed in the exact same clothes, then they're bound to make the connection."**

" _Then what am I supposed to do, ditch my boxers and claim I gave them to the Beowolf so it wouldn't get cold!? I think that might make them suspicious."_

" **It's fine, just… lose your pursuers, then we can double back and look for your clothes. We know they're headed downstream. It's not like they can get lost."**

He swore angrily but couldn't argue; it was the only plan he had to go on. He looped to the right, and prayed that Ruby would push on past and miss him entirely. If she did, he could sneak back and grab his gear and then call her to say he'd managed to escape or kill the Beowolf.

"Come back here!"

Or, she could track him with unerring accuracy. That worked too. He dashed to the east, pushing through more thickets and past trees. He could hear her behind, and from the voices that occasionally rose on either side of him, it seemed Weiss and Pyrrha were in the area too. Any of the three was a bad bet, especially since he didn't dare speak to explain himself.

His voice would probably give him away. Like Remy said, it was only because he looked so unrecognisably different in his Grimm form that he got away with this at all. _I guess I should thank mom for that._ Not too much, though, since she'd sicced a Beowolf on him.

Either way, he had to get out and fast. Ruby had a speed Semblance, so she was going to wear him down eventually, and he wasn't an actual Grimm, and so _did_ have to deal with the perils of stamina and his dwindling energy.

"I see him," Weiss' voice came from the north.

Crap.

"Over here!" Someone, Nora perhaps, returned.

Double crap!

Fear mixed with frustration to form anger. He bit back on a growl, eyes flashing as he turned away from the voices and pushed deeper into the woods. Why were they even chasing him? Did they honestly think it a good idea? He could so easily turn around and – no, his eyes widened as he shook those thoughts out of his head. What was he thinking? They were his friends.

He didn't want to hurt them, even if he was being chased – even if he was being hunted. His hands balled into fists once more, but this time he channelled his rage into running as fast he could. He looked back over his shoulder as he dodged by the next tree. There was no one behind him and their voices were distant. He hadn't heard all of them, however, which meant the rest of them could be anywhere. Seriously, could this day get any worse?

He slammed into something.

"Argh!"

"Oof!"

Jaune crashed into the person and fell down on top of them as they were both dragged to the ground. His nose pressed into black hair that smelled faintly of vanilla, but all further thoughts were cut off as the person beneath him trashed wildly. He caught a brief sight of black hair and wide yellow eyes, before Blake opened her mouth to scream and alert her team.

He did the only thing he could think to do – he wrapped a tentacle around her body and tried to stuff it in her mouth.

Blake's teeth clicked together loudly as she denied that. Her head wrenched back and forth and she kicked at his shins. He stood up, dragging her with him as his tentacles wrapped about her legs and body. One hovered by her face in case she tried to shout out, but she kept her lips sealed together.

She also glared at it, as though she might bite it if it came close.

There was a long pause, as both of them tried to come to terms with the tableau. His chest rose and fell, pushing against her back as he tried to steady his racing heart. She, in return, remained unnaturally still.

She must have been terrified.

" _What am I meant to do now?"_ he asked. _"I can't knock her out or hurt her. She's a friend and this place is dangerous for her."_

" **Just get rid of her – safely,"** Remy suggested.

Well yeah, but how was he supposed to do that? His anger flowed back, at Blake for getting in his way and at Remy for the stupid answer. Yet again, he felt his tentacles twitch as he growled under his breath.

Blake gasped in pain.

He loosened his hold immediately. _Why am I getting so angry?_ He took a deep breath and let it go. Yes, the situation was annoying, yes it was dangerous and that frustrated him, but it wasn't _her_ fault. He hoped he hadn't hurt her too much.

She didn't seem to get the memo that he was trying to be gentle, however. She struggled against him still, and with her head below his chin, her bow tickled his nose. It tickled a lot, actually… quite unlike how the fabric of a bow would. It also felt strangely warm. If she continued, though, she'd only hurt herself. He pulled her back firmly against him.

"Stop," he hissed, making his voice a little lower in the hopes she wouldn't recognise it. She hadn't even seen his face yet, so at least he had that going for him. "Don't resist and I won't have to hurt you."

He hoped he sounded convincing and not too intimidating. Blake's face grew redder and her eyes scrunched shut. She didn't _look_ terrified, though, so that was a good sign. Her arms tugged once more, but she sighed and surrendered, slumped against him.

"Good girl," he whispered.

"D-Damn you," she hissed. Her voice sounded a little odd, on account of how she tried to keep her lips from moving. She also tilted her head to the right, so that her cheek pressed against his shoulder. It didn't give her a good look at him, but did let him notice her strange expression. "I never… this isn't how I expected it to go."

 _Yeah, trust me Blake, I totally agree._ This wasn't exactly how he'd expected the day to go, either. Still, he had to deal with her and wasn't sure how to do it. The chances of her staying here if he asked her to were slim. She'd agree, and then chase him down the moment he turned his back on her.

"W-What are you waiting for?" She scowled, almost defiantly so. "Do you expect me to beg? I won't. I won't give you the satisfaction."

Beg? Beg for what? If anything, he was the one who ought to be begging her, for her to leave while he ran off back into the trees.

Wait - that was it.

He uncoiled his tentacles slowly, keeping his hands on her shoulders so that she wouldn't turn and attack him. He kept one wrapped about her waist, however. Blake stumbled forwards and tried to spin around, but he kept hold and wouldn't let go.

Her body shook, hands clenched onto his tentacle as she tried to push it off. It didn't give, however, and she slumped with a frustrated growl. "Do it," she whispered, defeated. "Just… get it over with."

Well, if she insisted. Jaune shrugged and let go of her shoulders, hefting her into the air. He reared back a little with it – and he caught her eyes widening as she realised what he intended.

"Wait, what!?" she yelled – right before he launched her into the boughs of the nearest tree. "Whoah- argh, ow, oof!" Her voice cut off, replaced with a crash and muffled curses as the girl fought to untangle herself from the tree.

That was his chance to scarper.

/-/

It had been fifteen or so minutes since he left Blake stuck in a tree. It felt like longer, mostly because of how his lungs burned and his legs felt like they'd died a few hours ago. The others kept up their pursuit too, though he was able to dodge them for the most part. The man problem was that he couldn't travel too far for fear of losing his clothes and that even if he did, he'd just be risking his friend's lives. They wouldn't go ignored by the Grimm, after all, and he didn't want them to get lost in Forever Fall.

No matter how dangerous it was, it was best to stick to the general area where the other students were.

It did have its risks, of course. Miss Goodwitch must have been in the general area, along with all the other students. Fortunately, he'd seen neither hide nor hair of the stern woman, but as he gasped and placed one hand on a tree to take greedy gulps of air, his eyes widened at the sight of four others.

 _Cardin and his team!? Can I literally not catch a break around here? This is getting ridiculous._ He wanted nothing more than to rush over there and toss all four of them into the path of his pursuers. That would be a bad idea, however, since it might just add four more huntsmen to the party.

He pushed his back against the tree and tried to keep his breathing quiet. It was a lost cause, but also an unnecessary one, since they were deep in a loud conversation.

"They have to be around here somewhere," Cardin growled. "They scurried off in a hurry but I'll find Arc, then I'll make him pay."

Gods, but Jaune wanted to roll his eyes. Was Cardin _still_ hung up over his rejection? He _really_ needed to find a book and read about how to let someone down gently. _To be fair, I never expected to have someone this interested in me, let alone that it would be an overly persistent man._

They hadn't seen him yet, and that was a relief if nothing else. He was about to back and away and return from whence he'd come, when an idea struck.

If he went back, he'd just be running into his friends again. That obviously wasn't a very good plan. If he managed to sneak by these four, however, then when his friends caught up, they'd ask CRDL if they'd seen him, then assume he hadn't been this way when they said no.

It was a better plan than running around aimlessly. He was almost spent.

"Cardin, seriously, he wandered off with that Ruby girl. He's probably off doing seven minutes in heaven with her or something. Can't we take a break? This box is heavy."

"Drop that and we'll all regret it, Sky." Cardin said. "Just play it cool and wait. We'll find them soon enough."

 _Yeah, not if I have my way, thanks._ He had no idea what was in that box, maybe chocolates or a cake, but as sweet as it was, he just wasn't interested. Luckily, the team were neither quiet nor attentive, and he was able to sneak relatively close. _I just need to get a little closer,_ he thought. _If I can get into the treeline to the left of them then I'll be home free._

He swallowed and took another step, then held in his breath of relief when his bare feet made no sound. Seventeen years spent playing hide and seek with his sisters had turned him into something of a master, not to mention hiding from his Uncle Hazel when it was time for another training session. You had to learn fast to escape him; Cardin and his team were no competition.

Weiss, sadly, was a little less blind – not to mention when she rushed out of the trees, it was directly facing him. "Stop!" she shouted at the top of her voice, and then pointed at him – just in case there was any confusion.

There really wasn't.

Jaune winced when the four boys turned around, each only three or four metres away from him. Well… there went his chance to sneak by.

Team CRDL were crouched down, so it didn't come as much of a surprise when the first thing Cardin's eyes locked onto was his package. His head tilted up a second later, in time to see a deathly pale body, red eyes set in black, veins across his face, a sheepish smile – and four tentacles, which coincidentally happened to be held defensively before him, facing each of the boys.

"Damn it," he growled, "I was so close…"

Russell screamed.

The others followed suit.

Sky fell back, turned to run, then seemed to realise what he was turning his back on and did a fast-paced backwards waddle, hands locked over his rear end. The others were less composed and simply fled as though their lives depended on it.

Dove dropped the box, however, which it turned out did _not_ hold chocolate at all. It held huge, vicious, rapier wasps – and they were _quite_ angry about the whole ordeal, apparently.

"Shit," Cardin gasped, "Run for it!"

"Ugh," Jaune grunted, whipping a tentacle close to his face and smashing one of them out the air. The others buzzed and went wild, however, some going for him, some chasing after CRDL – but others headed straight for Weiss and Ruby, who had just burst from the trees.

" **Jaune, this is your chance. Go, while they're distracted!"**

No internal parasite had to tell him twice. He ducked past the rapier wasps, who suddenly seemed uninterested in him as more people entered the clearing. He could hear Ruby and Weiss cry out, but also see them fleeing before the insects could sting them. That was a relief. _Why would Cardin want to give me wasps, though? That really doesn't make sense._

Maybe it was another one of those cultural things, romantic insects or something – maybe they were meant as pets. What did he know? He had a Beowolf.

The distraction proved its worth, however. Jaune panted as he re-entered the woods, cutting a path towards the distant sound of flowing water. It was with an exhausted pant that he fell into the stream, taking up two handfuls of the precious liquid and guzzling at it.

"I'm... ugh… I don't think I'm built for so much running… huff…"

" **Yeah, well, this whole field trip's been nothing more than a- wait, Jaune, ahead!"**

He followed Remy's words, or rather his instructions. Further up the stream, only fifteen metres or so, and clinging wetly to some rocks, he could just make out a flash of coloured fabric. He sloshed and splashed through the water, cheering weakly as he saw his clothes. _"You were right, Remy. They did get washed up on something."_

He couldn't even bring himself to dry them. He dragged the sodden shirt on, then pulled his hoodie over it. Yes, it was dripping wet, but with how hot he was after all that running, it came as more of a relief. He was about to pull his trousers on when Remy called for him to wait.

" **You need to consider your disguise, Jaune. Think about how many people saw you like that… you need to get rid of every piece of evidence."**

Jaune sighed and looked up towards the sky. It was meant to be such an easy day, too. Where had it all gone wrong?

Remy was right, though… as much as he hated to admit it.

Ten minutes later, and with water dripping from his clothes, Jaune fumbled out his scroll – waterproof, thankfully, Uncle Watts knew his stuff. He let out a breath of relief and dialled in Ruby's number.

/-/

Ruby hadn't let go of Jaune since they'd all met back up with Miss Goodwitch. She clung to his left arm, as soaked as it was, and not even her sister could make her do otherwise. In fact, Yang didn't even try, but instead smiled and whispered something to her partner, who rolled his eyes but smiled back.

"Keeping a hold of your man, eh Rubes?" Yang laughed.

Ruby scowled at her sister but hugged his arm nonetheless. They didn't understand. She wasn't even sure Jaune did, for all that he didn't object. She'd nearly lost him… her first friend at Beacon, and in such a horrifying way too.

It had been her job to ensure his safety. He'd been sick, distracted and washing his clothes in the stream. It made sense that he didn't hear them approach, but that was what she was supposed to do. Not… not get flustered at the thought of seeing his bare chest. How much of a child was she?

She pushed her forehead against his elbow, just to remind herself he was still alive.

He pushed back. In fact, he almost collapsed on top of her. He must have fought so hard against the Beowolf, for he'd clearly been exhausted – face red with sweat and panting like he'd run a marathon.

Jaune was brave like that. She would be brave too.

"It carried him away?" Miss Goodwitch sounded disbelieving. "Miss Xiao-Long, such behaviour has never been seen in Grimm. What you're suggesting…"

"Ruby saw it," Yang said, "and Jaune will agree, right?"

"Uh, yeah," he said, breathing still a little heavily. "I managed to escape and jump into the stream, though. No harm done, right? I don't think there's any reason to panic or stress out about this anymore. None at all."

"Mr Arc, while I appreciate your bravery – not to mention your resourcefulness - you must understand that this is not something that can be ignored." The stern woman adjusted her glasses and looked him up and down. "You _are_ unhurt, yes? You're not hiding any injuries?"

"I'm fine," he said, "I promise."

Ruby nodded. She'd made sure to check him, as had Pyrrha and Weiss when they caught up. He was wet, bruised, and covered in twigs, leaves and little scratches – but he was alive and in one piece. That was all that mattered. _I'll be better next time,_ she promised. _I won't hide away, even if I see something embarrassing. I'm not a kid._

"Very good," the teacher nodded, "As I was saying, though, this _is_ a serious matter, especially with this… hybrid creature around."

"You believe us on that but not the Grimm taking Jaune away?" Yang asked.

"Miss Xiao-Long, I now have three teams who can attest to seeing him. On the matter of the Grimm, however, it's possible that Miss Rose was distracted, or that Mr Arc mistook-"

"But I saw him order Ursa around in initiation. Isn't it possible he could have given orders to these ones too?"

Miss Goodwitch went silent, eerily so. "Perhaps," she accepted, after a few moments. "I do not want any further speculation on this, however. This matter is a dangerous one and the last thing we need is students like you getting into danger. Am I understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," they all answered. Ruby held Jaune's arm a little tighter. No more danger, and definitely no more splitting up.

"Good. Now, then, I think in light of the circumstances we should all return to Beacon a little earlier th-"

"Him!" a masculine voice called. "It's him!" Cardin approached, from where he'd been stood with his team. They were all dishevelled and dirty, exhausted too, but Ruby would bet Crescent Rose they hadn't been forced to fight off a Beowolf with their bare hands.

"Mr Winchester," Miss Goodwitch sighed, "If I've told you once, I've told you a million times. Grimm do not attempt to reproduce with humans, no matter what sick literature floats about online. This Grimm person is not trying to…" she sighed, "anally probe you."

"I know what I saw!" Cardin cried. "It was sneaking up on us. It nearly had us. It was going to do unspeakable things to me!"

"I bet you'd have liked that," Yang whispered, not very quietly, "What's the matter, turn to Grimm after Jaune rejected you?"

"Shut up, Xiao-Long," he snapped. "I told you that's not what happened, argh, and it doesn't matter anyway. I know who the monster is." Cardin reared up and jerked a hand towards Jaune. "It's you!"

"Huh?" Jaune blinked and looked around. Ruby clutched his arm tighter, while Miss Goodwitch sighed and shook her head. Off to the side, Weiss muttered something about brain-dead idiots with more muscle than sense.

"He had black boxers on," Cardin gasped. "I'd recognise those boxers anywhere. I saw _him_ in them before."

"Mr Winchester, I'd point out that black underwear is hardly a point of evidence. It's a colour, and a common one at that."

"Not to mention, _when_ exactly did you start to spy on my partner in such a state?" Weiss drawled. Yang burst out laughing and held out a hand for a high-five. Weiss ignored it, no matter how much Yang made an `eh` sound and nudged her.

"I-I'm not like that!" Cardin howled. "I saw them in initiation!"

"So early," Ren mused. "I suppose it's true what they say about love at first sight."

Yang gasped in shock and turned to her partner. There was a tear in her eye, and although the quiet teen rolled his eyes, he did hold a hand up so Yang could slap her palm against it.

"Ooh, did you see Renny's too?" Nora asked.

"What? NO!"

"Eyes only for Jauney, got it."

Cardin's face grew so red it seemed he might explode. He snorted, like some wild animal, before he turned to Jaune. "Fine," he howled. "I'll prove it."

Ruby gasped when the armoured teen lunged forwards, and perhaps if she hadn't been holding onto his arm, Jaune could have reacted in time to stop him. As it was, her best friend barely had the time to cry out in shock.

"Proof," Cardin yelled, dragging down Jaune's pants. "He's a monster!"

Skin-coloured- and that was as far as she got. Ruby's eyes clenched shut so fast her eyelids might as well have punched her in the face. Heat didn't so much creep as explode across her face.

"A monster, indeed," Blake deadpanned with a roll of her eyes.

"Oh my!" Pyrrha gasped and looked away, while Weiss sighed and muttered something under her breath.

"Eh," Nora shrugged, "Renny's is bigger."

"NORA!" Ren hissed.

Ruby kept her own eyes firmly shut. _I thought we weren't going to hide away anymore,_ a small part of her mind pointed out. Well, yeah, she had promised that – but she hadn't meant it like this! _I didn't see anything, I didn't see anything, I didn't see anything…_

Miss Goodwitch sighed. "Arc, trousers up, and please invest in some underwear. Mr Winchester, you'll be in my office throughout lunch tomorrow. While I do not discriminate against those with alternative preferences, I heard Mr Arc refused your advances. I will not condone sexual harassment of my students… no matter how much of a _monster_ they may be."

"Gah… gah…" Cardin's brain didn't seem capable of rational thought.

Ruby gurgled and nearly died on the spot when she was pulled down with Jaune. Maybe her brain was working a little slowly too, since by the time she remembered she had hold of his arm, he'd already bent down and pulled his trousers back up. She kept her eyes closed the entire time, of course, but that didn't stop her mind imagining how close her head was to… to…

"You can open your eyes now, sis," Yang teased. "Jaune's _monster_ has been put back in its lair."

"Ren," Weiss sighed, "Please control your partner."

"I can barely control my childhood friend…"

Ruby cracked her eyes open nervously, and only one at first. Saying Yang liked to tease her was like saying the moon was cracked, so it was with some horror that she let her eyes inch lower down her teammate's body. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw denim, and slumped against him a moment later.

"This was the weirdest field trip ever," she groaned.

"Ugh," Jaune sighed, "tell me about it."

/-/

"I heard you had quite the eventful trip."

Glynda glowered up at the headmaster and wondered if she could get away with levitating a piece of furniture into the air above him. No, that would lead to trouble, of course, and it was just her frayed nerves talking.

"Eventful is one way to put it," she sighed and slumped into the seat across from his. It was only the two of them in his office, which allowed her a rare moment to let the stresses of the day be seen. "What was supposed to be a simple outing almost ended with one student missing, and others rushing forward into what could have been fatal encounters. Follow that up with accusations of Grimm sexual harassment, followed by actual harassment as one boy assaults another, and you have my day in a nutshell."

Ozpin blinked. "What?"

"Just... don't ask, please." Glynda sighed, one hand rubbing the bridge of her nose. "It's been one of those days."

"And yet no one died. Surely, it could not be so bad."

"Not through any action of my own, Ozpin. I wasn't aware of the danger until it was too late."

"That is not your fault, Glynda. The day ended without harm, so please don't allow yourself to dwell upon what might have been." The headmaster poured a cup of coffee and pushed it across his desk. "Life is difficult enough without borrowing problems."

Ugh, she hated his coffee – but at that moment the thought of something rich with sugar sounded too good to pass up on. She guzzled at it, finishing it in one long go and slamming the mug back down on the table. Her old friend actually looked worried, but he wiped away the expression before she could call him out on it.

"I've read through the reports," he said. "They are… troubling. I would call into question that the students had seen this man, but…"

"So many did," she agreed. "Honestly, had I not fought him myself before, I'd call the very suggestion of a human-Grimm hybrid absurd." She could not deny her own eyes, however, and nor would Ozpin.

"Indeed… to think he appeared in Vale, then initiation – and now Forever Fall." The headmaster pushed his hands together and leaned on his desk. "It would seem this creature has an interest in our school."

"Or what is hidden beneath it."

"We cannot discount such a possibility. Our foes are certainly aware of Amber's disappearance, and I fear it is a simple guess as to where she is kept. James has suggested moving her to Atlas, but I am loathe to do so."

"For good reason," she said, "James may be strong, but I wouldn't trust Atlas' ambition with such power."

"You read my mind, as always," he chuckled. "Still, what troubles me about this is the timing, and also the location. This beast appeared before the new year, and has followed a field trip that contained first-year students."

Glynda's eyes widened. "You think it's after one of them?"

"If I recall, Miss Xiao-Long did mention that she had seen it order Grimm during the initiation ceremony. What's more, your own report states he was able to summon two Grimm to fight you. This indicates some level of control over their actions. does it not?"

"No…" Glynda's glasses slipped down her nose.

"Glynda? You've thought of something?"

"During the trip," she said, "Miss Rose spoke of three Grimm that attacked her and Mr Arc. She said that he was distracted and unarmed, but that instead of killing him, one of the Beowolves kidnapped and carried him away – the other two staying behind to fight against her."

"Kidnapped?" Ozpin's brow furrowed. "Do you mean it took him away to try and kill him?"

"He came back in one piece, although badly bruised and with clear signs of a scuffle," she added, "Mr Arc _was_ unarmed, though. For him to have killed a Beowolf with his bare hands indicates either extreme prowess-"

"Or an extreme handicap," Ozpin finished for her, "such as it being unwilling – or perhaps unable – to physically harm him."

"I thought it a mistake at first, that they might simply have misread the situation."

"That is still a possibility, Glynda."

She shook her head. "You said it yourself, sir, we cannot discount anything. Recall the initiation, where Mr Arc was the first to be launched from the cliff."

"The Nevermore," Ozpin whispered. "Mr Arc was able to defeat it, if I recall."

"He was forced to descent the mountain afterwards, the very mountain Miss Xiao-Long, Rose and Nikos claimed to have seen the hybrid ordering Grimm near. The Nevermore took him straight there and then somehow failed to kill him."

Realisation was quick to dawn on Ozpin's face. His eyes widened, almost imperceptibly, behind his glasses. Perhaps the biggest sign was how he laid his hands flat on the table – and how he knocked over his mug, but didn't care.

"What should we do?" she asked. "If this creature is after Mr Arc-"

"Then he would be safer here," Ozpin interrupted, "where he is surrounded by those who can fight such creatures. Glynda, I shall have to ask you to keep an eye on the young man, for his own safety."

"Understood," she nodded. It wasn't like she intended not to. If that beast dared approach one of her students again, it would rue the day. "Why might it want him, though?" she asked. "I've never heard of Grimm abducting humans before. Well," she chuckled, "not outside of fairy tales meant to keep children in bed at nigh-"

The headmaster's chair clattered to the ground. He stood with both hands pressed down on his table, eyes hidden in shadow.

"Ozpin, what's wrong?"

"Fairy tales," he whispered. "I have research to do, Glynda. Please… take some rest for the evening. I think you've more than earned it."

The blonde woman could only blink as her friend and employer hurried from his office, at a pace she doubted many had seen him use before. Atop his desk, his coffee grew cold.

Maybe she _could_ use a rest… not to mention a stiff drink.

* * *

 **There we go. I hope you enjoyed. To address what I imagine will be a contentious point; I do believe that Jaune, in his transformation – and lacking any distinguishing clothes – would be unrecognisable to his friends, at least if they didn't get close and didn't have a** _ **really**_ **good look to see if it was him. You might imagine it as if Salem had blonde hair, normal skin, blue eyes, a smile and no veins about her eyes.**

 **It would make her look** _ **very**_ **different indeed.**

 **Anyway, the plot thickens, as does the madness in a way. Salem's plans clash with Jaune's, and despite how simple and rational they seem "Collect my son when he's out of Beacon" vs "I want to stay in Beacon" ended up with a rather ridiculous situation at hand.**

 **Dem fairy tales, tho.**

 **Cardin-chan, tho. No one believes you, but push on Cardin-chan!**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 29** **th** **March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	12. Chapter 12

**Here we are, once again, I took a rare day off from work for this, which feels odd since I'm just working at home, but hey – it all works out.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 12 – Counting Sheep**

* * *

Damage control was something he knew about. Uncle Watts talked about it all the time, and even gave him lessons on it. Big Sis often mentioned it in terms of what she had to do when mom and dad had an argument, quickly followed by something called make-up time, or as Cinder put it, `elsewhere time`. Either way, between his lessons with his Uncle, and all the different examples of how it needed to be applied whenever Uncle Tyrian did… anything, Jaune always assumed he'd be pretty good at the whole thing. It was just a case of drawing attention away from what you didn't want them to see.

It was simple.

" **This isn't simple!"**

It was just a case of making it work.

" **This isn't working!"**

" _I know! I'm trying!"_ Jaune thought back, more panicked than anything else. On the outside, he remained calm, even as he was sat in what was a rather crowded Team RYBN dorm room. Their hosts were arrayed on their beds, with the rest of them scattered about the room, some on seats, others sharing beds, and Jaune crossed legged on the floor.

The flowers he'd bought Yang were behind him, and they still smelled nice. It was weird how the vase had changed, however. Now, it stuck out from an emptied grenade canister, possibly from Nora's weapon. Maybe it was that avant-garde thing Yang had mentioned? No, that wasn't quite as important as the disaster unfolding before him. He had to try again, some desperate attempt to contain this before it spiralled out of control.

"I think you're overreacting," he said. "It's not like anything actually happened, and certainly nothing bad. I say we just move on with life and let bygones be bygones."

There, a reasonable and well-thought out point, backed up with the clear evidence of no harm between any of them. There really was no reason to be so paranoid. At least, he thought so… but why was everyone staring at him as though he were insane?

"Arc," Weiss sighed. "You were kidnapped by a Beowolf. Literally carried away for goodness knows what, while we had to fight some great tentacle monster across the forest. I think this warrants a little concern."

"Yeah," Yang agreed. "Even if you're badass enough to not care when a Beowolf takes you away without your weapons, some of us aren't."

"Yang is right, Jaune," Pyrrha said. "We could have… you could have been lost to us. This isn't something we can take lightly."

"But it didn't," he protested, "I would have been fine, guys. It wasn't anything to worry about."

"Jaune." It was just the one word that Ruby spoke, but it was enough to draw his attention. That proved a mistake, for her silver eyes narrowed and stared into his. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't help but squirm, while inside, Remy had no such resistence and writhed uncomfortably.

He broke contact with those silver orbs, staring down at the floor as he fought for breath.

Ruby remained ignorant of the effect she had on him, and padded over to sit down beside him. She poked his arm and glowered. "Stop trying to make us not do this," she said. "We were worried about you… it hurt to have you missing like that. I – we – thought you would have died."

"Ah…" Guilt mixed with shame at that, but it was the desperate desire to have her silver eyes stare at someone else that made him capitulate. "I guess…"

"Well, it's only Arc who wants to complain about this," Weiss said, "I think the rest of us are all in agreement of how much a danger this person is. Miss Goodwitch looked worried about him, and I think that's reason enough for us to be on our guard."

"I can't help but agree," Ren said. "Though I've yet to see him myself, it appears as though he's interacted with members from both our teams. I'd rather not take any further risks."

"Blake won't say what happened in hers, though…" Nora whined.

"He threw me into a tree," Blake turned a page in her book. "That's all that happened."

Phew, well at least there was one person not exaggerating what he'd done. Still, she was being a little quiet and seemed to have stiff shoulders. "Did he hurt you?" he asked, a little concerned. He'd been in a rush, not to mention angry. He hadn't hurt her, had he?

"I'm fine," the girl said. She glanced up from her novel, amber eyes meeting his. It was perhaps the most expression she'd shown for the whole discussion, and he caught the barest hint of a smile behind it. "Thank you for asking."

"Well, it looks like we all got fairly lucky," Yang said. "Blake wasn't hurt, and I managed to arrive before that monster could do… could hurt Ruby. Apart from a few wasp stings, we got out in one piece."

"It could have easily been different, though," Weiss warned. "He seemed in a rush, distracted… he fought to delay us and then escape, possibly to catch up with the Beowolf that abducted Arc." She looked towards him with a small smile. "You're lucky we managed to distract him, Jaune."

"Yeah, lucky me…"

"Objection!" Nora interrupted suddenly, hand in the air.

"What could you possibly be objecting to? That Arc was lucky to survive?" Weiss sighed and planted her hands on her hips.

"Not that," Nora said. "We need a name for this person. If we're going to hunt it down, it needs a name."

"I think it's more of a he, Nora." Ren sighed. "Also, that's not an objection; it's more of a motion."

"Renny, you can't just go around assuming a monster's gender like that."

"It wore boxers."

"And I can't? Really, Renny, we don't live in the dark ages." The dark-haired man raised a hand, then seemed to think better of it. He sighed and waved for her to continue. "As for a name," Nora cheered, "I was thinking something like the Grimminator."

Jaune's face twisted. That was… not a great name.

"How about Grimman?" Ruby suggested.

"That's cute, sis, but you can't just mash words together. What happens if you shout it and we think you just mean a normal Grimm?" Yang grinned to show she meant no malice, even if Ruby pouted regardless. "I think we should go with a more human name. It might take away a little of the mystery, plus no one would be able to tell we're talking about something we're not supposed to be. It would be like a code word."

"That's a good idea," Jaune said, eager for any chance to avoid a terrible name.

"Timmy!" Nora slammed a fist into her mattress. "No one would expect so wild a monster to have a name like that. It would be perfect!"

"That makes no sense, though," Yang complained. "It should be something relevant. How about Grimbald, or hentacle?"

"Yang," Ren sighed. "That was terrible."

"I wonder what his tentacles feel like," Nora mused, switching topics faster than he could keep up with. "Are they rough and hard as he slams you around against your will, or is it more of a sticky, slimy gross violation of your most private places?"

"Neither, actually. They were surprisingly gentle."

All sound in the room died. It wasn't because of Ruby's words, for despite all expectation – and Nora's implicit question being directed at her, Ruby hadn't opened her mouth. As one, everyone's heads slowly turned to the person had had spoken, whose eyes were wide and mouth clamped shut.

"Blake?" Nora whispered, before her eyes lit up. "Oh, _Blake~_ You never told me you had a run in with Hentacle's tentacles!"

"I have no idea what you mean."

"Is that why you switched your book? Ooh, the beast from beneath the-" Nora didn't get to finish, for Blake slammed the book under her pillow and glared at the ginger girl. Her gaze seemed to demand answers. "A good partner always knows what their partner is doing, even when they want their 'alone time.' And I'm a _very_ good partner, right Renny?"

"A-a-alone time?"

"She always knows, Blake."

The dark-haired girl's face turned increasingly red, as she looked between her partner and her leader with wide eyes. "A-Always?"

"Always. I'm sorry, Blake."

"Kill me now..."

"Oh, it's too early for that, Blake," Yang giggled. "You can tell us more about it later."

" _Does Blake have some kind of secret, Remy?"_

" **No idea. It certainly sounds like something she wants to keep hidden from her team. I'd try not to get involved. You know what Coral always says; curiosity killed the cat."**

" _There's no cat here, though."_ he pointed out. Hm, maybe he should keep an eye on Blake, just for research purposes, of course. It was all about fitting in, and to do that, he had to know what was normal behaviour.

"Either way, Rubes," Yang said. "That guy – before I arrived – he didn't do anything… bad to you, did he?"

"Bad?" Ruby asked. "Is this that tentacle hentai thing, again? Are you going to tell us what it means?" Jaune nodded along with his friend and leaned forward, eager for the same answer.

Yang, sadly, seemed a little less so. "Ah… maybe when you're older, you know? Just… did he do anything unusual, anything that felt weird?"

Ruby's face scrunched up, likely at being dismissed in such a manner, but she soon adopted a thinking pose and hummed to herself. "It wasn't… he didn't hurt me," she said, "At least not other than throwing me into you. Blake was right," she added, "He was almost… gentle. It tingled a little, but…" Ruby glanced down, cheeks going a little red. "It felt..."

"Bad?"

"No," Ruby protested. "It almost felt kind of good."

 _Hey, that's good news_ , Jaune cheered internally. Blake was uninjured and he hadn't done anything to offend or upset Ruby, apart from the whole accidentally kidnapping himself thing. _She said it felt good too. Maybe I should do it more often, that might make some kind of peace between them and my Grimm form._

Yang… didn't seem to agree. Her face was pale, eyes wide as they stared at – or perhaps into – Ruby. She leaned to the left, and for a moment he thought she might fall. "No way," she whispered, aghast. "This can't be happening… Blake, I can understand, but my little Ruby!?"

"Excuse me?" Blake gasped.

Yang didn't hear her teammate. All she kept repeating were the words, "Not like this," over and over again.

"Let's move away from that topic," Pyrrha laughed nervously and gestured for Ren to go and help his partner, who was fast approaching catatonia. The young man did so with a sigh, leaving Pyrrha to turn to her own partner. "Ruby, I think… maybe in future, it might be a good idea _not_ to engage that person on your own."

"Why not?" Ruby pouted. "I can fight."

"It's not fighting she's worried about," Weiss sighed.

"Then what is it?"

"Uh…" The heiress looked aside. "Ask your sister… when you're older."

"You're all rubbish! You won't even tell me or Jaune what tentacle hentai is."

"Yeah," Jaune chipped in, sharing a nod with the younger girl when she looked his way. "I think we have a right to know if Ruby has been tentacle hentai'd."

"No one's been tentacle hentai'd," Pyrrha said. "It's, that's not even a word. Look, just stay with my next time, okay? We'll take down Hentacle together."

" _Why is my name Hentacle now? That sounds terrible!"_

" **You're asking me? Jaune, they're all insane. I gave up on following this conversation ten minutes ago."**

" _Wait, but then what have you been doing?"_

" **Meh, sleeping, mostly."**

" _You son of a-"_

Weiss stomped a foot down on the floor, bringing the room to silence and also interrupting his thoughts. His partner looked frustrated, but more with the clamour than anything else. "Enough," she snapped. "We need to be organised about this if we're to have any chance whatsoever. What we know is that this, Hentacle, seems interested in abducting huntsman. If we take Jaune's case as an example, then it's possible he might return for him again."

"What do you think his goal is?" Pyrrha asked.

"Ooh, maybe he wants to devour all the virgins," Nora suggested. "That's why he's gone for Ruby twice now."

"Eek!"

"Nora," Ren growled. "Ruby, I'm sure he's not going to eat you. Honestly, he's made no attempts to harm any of the girls in our group."

 _Thank you, Ren_ , Jaune thought silently. It was good to have a voice of reason in the crowd, since his had gone mostly ignored. Really, Ren was a pretty cool guy. He might even be a good fit for one of his sisters.

"In fact," Ren went on, "The only people he's tried to abduct have been men, including Winchester."

 _Okay, now I'm setting you up with Coral, Ren. You fully deserve it._

"Snrk, you mean when Cardin was talking about how the monster tried to molest him?" Yang giggled and snorted into her hand. "You took that seriously?"

"At first, no, but after listening to Weiss' encounter, I realised she _did_ see him approach Team CRDL. It made me think, and then I realised how he's repeatedly captured but released Ruby, and why he sought to escape rather than to fight you."

"Yang," Blake whispered, "He's not wrong. It would also explain…" the dark-haired girl didn't finish, but did look down to the book beneath her pillow.

Wait, it explained what? What was being said about him? Jaune looked between them all, but the rather surprised expression on their faces didn't give anything away. Did he argue against this? Did he agree? The decision was taken out of his hands.

"Unacceptable!" Nora roared. "He might come for Renny – I won't allow Hentacle to take your purity, Renny. I won't allow it! Yang!" Nora slammed a finger out to point at the girl. "You are now entrusted with the sanctity of Renny's family jewels. Do not let any Grimm monster defile them."

"Ugh… okay?"

"We shall have to do the same for Jaune," Weiss sighed. "It sounds strange, but there's no denying there have been two attempts to kidnap him now, once during initiation and now again in Forever Fall. We'll need to keep an eye on him and be there should he need our aid."

"Really, guys," he laughed, "I'll be fine. I can look after myself." Seriously, what jewels were they even talking about?

"I'll do it," Pyrrha volunteered. "I'd be happy to."

"Me too," Ruby joined in. "No monster will get close to Jaune without getting through me first."

"Gods," Yang grumbled, "at this rate it's a race as to who will defile my sister first, argh… dad is going to kill me."

"Yang, Jaune isn't going to defile me," Ruby sighed, hand on her face. "Right, Jaune?"

"Sure," he said. "I wouldn't do anything to Ruby she didn't ask me to."

For some reason that didn't seem to calm the blonde any, who looked between the two of them and then fell back onto her bed, one arm held across her eyes. "I'm doomed," she groaned.

"I think we're all getting distracted," Weiss crossed her arms and sighed once more. "How about we call this meeting off for now? We have a name for the monster, and we also know we need to keep an eye on Ren and Jaune, lest they be targeted. We might need to keep an eye out for Team CRDL too, as much as it pains me to say that. For now, though, we should probably take a break. I'm not sure Xiao-Long can handle any more revelations."

"I've heard too much," the blonde said. "My baby sister… why…?"

Ruby rolled her eyes at him, but otherwise ignored Yang. They shuffled out of the room a moment later, each splitting up for their own things. That left Ruby and he in the corridor, without task or direction.

Well, that… hadn't exactly gone to plan. _It's not like it makes anything worse, though. I already knew they were going to try and find my Grimm-form, or Hentacle. I just need to make sure I know what their plans are._

"Ugh, that meeting was weird," Ruby complained. "I'm sorry about Yang; she can be really weird sometimes. I still don't know why everyone cares so much about what those tentacles felt like, though. Do you?"

"No idea."

"What are you going to do now? I want to go and do some maintenance on Crescent Rose. He's firing okay, but I'm worried something might have been knocked loose when I fell in the forest."

"Fair, I suppose," he shrugged. "I was just going to wander around. I didn't have anything planned. Why?"

"Well, actually, I was wondering if you could do me a little favour?"

/-/

Headmaster Ozpin of Beacon Academy let out a long sigh and poured a new cup of coffee for himself. The thermos was half-empty, and while he might once have espoused the virtues of optimism, the tall pile of discard books and empty flasks before him had long since drained that away. With a sigh, he closed the current tome with a hefty thump, leaning back to take a long sip of thick, black, caffeine. It wasn't even his preferred brew, but that was never a good choice when there was research to do. He tended to be… indisposed, after a cup of that wonderful brew.

Fairy tales - oh, how he despaired of them.

They were endless, like the Grimm that swarmed across the world, except based in black ink and lettering, and they didn't tear out your entrails so much as your eyes – and oh, my, he really was more tired than he'd thought, it seemed. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and took another drink. Maybe it was time for a break. Yes, that sounded like a wise option. Necessary, even… if he had to read another story of children being abducted by the Grimm-boo monster, he'd go insane.

The tales were common-place, ubiquitous across Kingdom, culture and even time itself. There were recent ones, but also folklore from the distant past, all of which spoke of Grimm that abducted and stole away unruly children, usually for purposes unknown, though it was assumed it was to eat. Grimm didn't need to eat, of course, but that was probably easier to explain to a child than gory murder.

At least, he had thought that the case. It was easy to dismiss the tales as cynical attempts to keep children in bed, but then again, was it not easy to dismiss the tale of the Maidens, too? Nothing could be discounted, not when one of his students had been abducted _twice_ now. It was possible – dangerously so – that people taken away by the Grimm in the past had been put through fates different to what they had first thought. It was also possible that this phenomenon was to occur anew. He needed to prepare.

There were calls to make.

He pushed down on the table to help himself up, and staggered to the side. The various books and thermos flasks spoke of how long he'd sat there. Decorum demanded he clean those up… practicality said one man couldn't clean up twenty thermos flasks and over forty books. A librarian attendant looked his way, then sighed and motioned that he could leave it. Sometimes it was good to be the headmaster, though he'd make a note to send a nice gift their way, perhaps a new cappuccino machine for their staff office.

A commotion by the main desk caught his ears before he could leave, however. It looked like a student, Mr Arc if he wasn't mistaken, being told off by the woman behind the desk. He bowed his head apologetically – which at least spoke well of his upbringing, before he went off to stand by a set of shelves and peruse the books.

Ozpin paused, thoughts of leaving dismissed. He did have to interview the young man on what happened at Forever Fall… why not get that out of the way right now?

"A pleasure to see you here, Mr Arc," Ozpin said, approaching the young man with a polite smile. "How are you finding Beacon?"

"Oh, good afternoon, sir," the young man nodded. "I'm doing well and Beacon's amazing. How are you?"

 _Exhausted_. "Very good, thank you for asking. I wanted to come over and have a quick chat with you, Mr Arc, to save the need for us to do it later."

"I'm not in trouble, am I? I don't think I'm behind on lessons."

"Nothing of the sort," Ozpin chuckled. "In fact, I've never heard Bartholomew speak so well of a student before. No, I wanted to speak about what happened at Forever Fall."

"Did something happen?"

"The abduction attempt, Mr Arc… the Grimm creature with the tentacles?"

"Oh, that," Mr Arc laughed and scratched the back of his head. "It's not really a big deal, sir. I was able to get free without any trouble. There wasn't ever any danger."

Hm, his casual dismissal felt honest, if a little misguided. Arrogance among students wasn't uncommon, but spoke perhaps more of over-confidence, or a general lack of regard for his own safety. Either way, Ozpin made a mental note to warn Glynda. It couldn't hurt to be prepared.

"I would not call it nothing, young man. Our world is a dangerous place, with many who would seek to do it harm. While no lasting harm came of your encounter this time, that's not to say someone will not be hurt in the future. It might be you, but it could just as easily be your teammates."

"I wouldn't let that happen, sir."

The certainty in those words was so sudden, Ozpin felt himself pause. The student's eyes were sharp, lips set in a thin line. It was a good look, he felt. It was the look of a potential huntsman, steadying himself – one determined to protect his companions.

"I'm glad to hear it," he said, "but be wary, Mr Arc, some foes may be too much for us, even at the best of times. Better, perhaps, to avoid such situations altogether."

 _Perhaps I shall need to keep an eye on the young man myself. If our foes seek him, enough so as to try and capture him, then it would be prudent to keep him out of their – out of her – clutches._ He was no closer to understanding why, of course, but as his old friend James was fond of saying, sometimes you did not need to know the reason. You simply needed to know what the enemy desired, and how best to keep that out of their hands.

Perhaps it would be wise to call in some help for the task too? He would have to think more on that later.

"Tell me," he said, "did you see the Grimm-like human yourself?"

"Not at all. I was carried away by the Beowolf, but I managed to break free and kill it."

No lie, at least none that he could detect – and the young man seemed forthright enough to trust, or perhaps that was too basic to mistrust. Not everyone could be a tactical genius, but Mr Arc seemed particularly adept at wearing his emotions on his sleeve.

"With your bare hands? That is impressive."

"Ah, well, it wasn't that big."

"Miss Rose's report suggested it was at least seven feet tall."

"Only when standing," the student chuckled. "It was much smaller when it was on all fours. I've seen way bigger."

Ozpin wasn't sure what to say to that. Most Grimm were measured head to tail, and on all fours or not, a seven-foot Beowolf was a seven-foot Beowolf. He'd have called it a needless boast, were it not for the fact the boy was here and alive, and had apparently killed a Nevermore in just as simple a manner. _Is that why they want him? Does he have some power they desire – or dare I say – a power they fear?_

He would need to researc- oh dear…

Ozpin cursed under his breath. More blasted fairy tales. They would be the end of him. For now, however, the solution was clear. Mr Arc needed to be kept within Beacon. Whether or not some power hid within him, it was their duty to look after their students, and this was clearly a dangerous plot in store. The faculty would need to be alerted, made aware that Grimm might attack and that they might seek to abduct the rather oblivious, yet powerful, young man.

"If you don't mind me asking, your skills seem to be quite adept for the job. Where exactly did you learn how to face the Grimm unarmed?" He half-expected some hesitation, but again the boy surprised him, if only by answering immediately.

"Oh, well, there were a lot of Grimm back home," he said. "Sometimes they'd knock me down and I had to wrestle free, but I guess I picked most up from my family."

He had to wrestle Grimm? That sounded like something Peter would say, except that the look on the young man's face held no sign of a lie. "You lived in quite a dangerous location, then?"

"Eh… I guess some people might call it that. It wasn't so bad once you got used to it. My mother was really big on making sure I knew how to not get hurt."

The constant presence of Grimm, the fact he needs to get used to it, and a general disregard for danger. The boy's records stated he was from outside the Kingdoms, but this suggested a frontier town that had been destroyed by the Grimm. It might explain his attitude, and his rather specialised skillset. Gaining students who had lived and survived in the wild was honestly not as uncommon as it sounded. He could recall the Branwen siblings with little better a history, and they had proven themselves in time. One could never underestimate the human desire to survive, or how far one could go to achieve it.

"At least you had your family," Ozpin comforted. "Many are not so fortunate."

"I know. Honestly, I'm fairly lucky with that. Even if things weren't always great back home, I was never alone."

Ozpin smiled, pleased and – if he was being honest – a little impressed with the young man's maturity. It would have been so easy in his shoes to be boastful, and yet much like Bart claimed, the boy was an eager and dedicated student.

One thing did catch his attention, however. Mr Arc – and his family – survived in dangerous territory which sounded like it had been overrun by the Grimm. Their negativity would have drawn more for sure, which begged the question of how they were still alive.

It was a question which provided its own answer, as troublesome as that was. _If this creature hunted him before even Beacon, it would explain how he and his family survived whatever disaster took his home. The Grimm sought to capture him, and his family must have protected him long enough to send him here, to learn how to protect himself._

Some kind of secret organisation? Some sort of religious cult that sought to protect a power passed down through a bloodline? He recalled that there was once such an organisation for the Maidens, but that it had fallen to power plays and arrogance. It was possible that whatever _they_ sought, Mr Arc's family had defended in secrecy. That meant one thing for Ozpin, and that made him sigh. More research… more delving into legends and more accursed fairy tales.

 _I'll have to increase the coffee budget again,_ he thought. _I've a feeling I'll be hooked up to an IV of the stuff soon enough._ He'd have asked Glynda to help him, but even he wasn't that cruel.

"Well, thank you for talking with me, Mr Arc." he said, not half as thankful for the new leads as he made it sound. "I appreciate the time."

"Oh, it's no problem, sir. I was just looking for something."

"That is why many come to a library," Ozpin chuckled. "Might I enquire as to what it is? I couldn't help but notice your discussion with the head librarian earlier. I might be able to help if she could not."

And honestly, the distraction would be welcome.

"Really?" The young man's eyes lit up, and Ozpin had to stifle a laugh at that. Ah, it was nice to see someone who desired to learn so. "It would be amazing if you could. I've been searching for so long but can't find any books about it."

"I shall help you if I can, Mr Arc. What is it you were looking for?"

"Tentacle hentai."

A long moment of silence passed between them. In the distance, a bell tolled the hour and various students walked by.

"Ah," Ozpin eventually said, certain he must have misheard. "What was that again?"

"I'm looking for some tentacle hentai," the young man repeated, without a lick of embarrassment. "Do you know where I can find some?"

Well, it looked like he hadn't misheard after all. He didn't know whether he should be offended at the question or impressed by the boy's forthrightness. He settled for awkwardly bemused.

"I'm afraid I do not, Mr Arc. I don't believe there would be any of… that kind of material in the library."

"That's what the librarian said too," he sighed, "But I thought a library was a place filled with information. I tried to look it up on the terminals too, but it came up with some kind of error message."

"I believe that would be a blocked site, Mr Arc. We do not encourage our students to use school-equipment for such… interests."

"A block… like a censor?" the young man mumbled. "Some kind of information control?"

"Mr Arc, might I suggest… it feels as though your energy might be better invested into other things than… than what you're looking for."

"What do you mean?" the student asked.

Ah, what a conversation… Ozpin hesitated as he struggled for an answer. This wasn't the kind of thing he could throw Glynda's way, since by the time the students reached their hands, they were usually at least somewhat wise in the ways of the world. No amount of sex-education training had prepared him for this. He would need to wing it… not an appealing thought.

"I understand that someone your age might feel certain… frustrations," the headmaster began, wincing at the final word. "It is also normal, perhaps even expected, that you would seek material with which to _relieve_ those urges." Oh gods, that was the wrong word. He cringed and wished Peter could be here to do this instead. "I simply believe that a young man your age might be better served looking elsewhere for their entertainment. Perhaps socialise with your teammates and spend some time with them?"

"Oh, this is," Jaune said. "Ruby asked me to find some because she wasn't able to. We were going to check it out together."

"Miss… Rose…?" Ozpin's face fell as an imagine came into his mind, of either the girl's father – or worse, her uncle – finding out about this. Children experimented, and they grew up in time, but the last he'd heard, Taiyang hadn't exactly accepted that fact of life. Certainly not when it came to his precious daughters, anyway.

He wasn't sure Beacon could handle that… or that he could handle the resultant paperwork.

"I _really_ think the two of you should look elsewhere," Ozpin winced, "and maybe with Miss Xiao-Long in tow." That way the older sister could maybe act as a chaperone, and he wouldn't have to imagine the impending calamity. "I can understand your curiosity, especially as you grow up, but this is a school, Mr Arc."

"Well, yeah… aren't we supposed to learn about things here?"

"Subjects, yes, not… this. We teach about Grimm, about what it means to be a huntsman and the cultures of our neighbouring Kingdoms."

"I thought tentacle hentai came from Mistral?"

Ozpin wanted to slap a hand into his face. He just had to mention culture, didn't he? "Mr Arc, there are _many_ things that come from Mistral, some of which we welcome more freely than others. This… this is not one of them."

"No tentacle hentai, then?"

"No… no tentacle hentai."

The young man's face fell. "Ah, damn… Ruby will be disappointed. We were going to learn all about it in all-night study session."

"Too much information, Mr Arc. I do not need such details."

"Well, if it's not here, then it's not here. Thanks for your help either way, headmaster." The blonde student shrugged his shoulders, but managed a smile. "I'd best go tell Ruby. Have a nice day, sir."

"You too, Mr Arc," Ozpin mumbled, one hand massaging his brow. The pain only went away when he did, which left the man to sigh and wish he'd scrapped the whole idea up front. _I found out a little about his past, some information on what occurred at Forever Fall, and then more than I ever wished to know about his current endeavours._ He shivered at the thought. Gods, the boy was seventeen and the girl fifteen. Kids, these days.

With a sigh, he strode up to the main desk, to address the librarian that nodded a greeting to him. "Headmaster," she said. "How can I be of help?"

"Samantha, is it not?" He waited for her to nod and smile. "I think it's about time we saw to removing the… adult section of the library."

The girl's face froze, but she recovered with admirable grace. "W-Whatever do you mean, sir? Naturally, the library only caters to educational nee-"

"I'm more than aware of the predilections of some of our students, my dear, as I am on how the librarians saw fit to provide access to such material." The poor girl's face turned crimson, but he smiled to lessen the blow. "While I have no fault over such things, I think it might be turn to bring that to a close… before impressionable eyes come across it."

"I understand, sir," she sighed. "I'll have the books removed."

"Thank you, Samantha." Ozpin nodded and moved away. Hopefully, she'd get the books removed promptly. It wouldn't do for Taiyang to hear how his innocent daughter stumbled upon it and became… curious.

Frankly, if Mr Arc wished to indulge her, then he could be the one to try and explain himself to two over-protective grown men.

His job was just to protect the boy from this Grimm creature.

Which, now that he thought about it, really needed a name. Hm, what was that movie he'd seen Peter and Bart watch the other day? His mind recalled the scene, and then the title, prompting a considering nod. That could work, if the two names were mixed.

 _The Grimminator. Hmm… it does have a nice ring to it._

/-/

Jaune hummed as he looked down at the message on his scroll from Ruby.

 _Never mind,_ it read. _We'll just have to find some other way. The others definitely know what it is, but Yang won't tell. I think we should try Blake. If we keep bugging her, she'll tell us eventually, and from what Nora keeps saying, it sounds like Blake knows a lot about this stuff._

Hm, not a bad idea. Jaune typed in a reply, little more than a promise to help her corner Blake some time for answers. At least she wasn't upset he'd failed in completing her favour.

" **This is strange,"** Remy mumbled. **"It's like they're purposefully keeping this stuff away from the two of you. It was easy enough to write off with the teams, but now the headmaster – and the computers themselves blocking it?"**

" _I know, Remy. It sounds just like what Uncle Watts taught us, about how Governments can control the flow of information to influence the opinions of those beneath them. Do you think Vale is doing that to us?"_

" **Not to us, specifically. They don't know about us. It's possible they might be doing it to others, though. But for what purpose?"**

Jaune wracked his mind to try and recall his uncle's lessons, which was hard because they could be boring at times and were never as exciting as Big Sis Cinder's or Uncle Tyrian's. Well, Tyrian's were only exciting in the hard-racing-panic kind of sense, but at least he never fell asleep during those. From what he could remember, those in power usually only controlled people for one of two reasons; to maintain their own power, or to maintain a current political leaning from the people.

" _Wait,"_ Jaune paused in the middle of the hallway. _"Remy, think about it – what's the one thing in this world which has tentacles?"_

" **Cephalopods? We did read about those in that other book."**

" _Okay, yes, fine, but I meant Grimm, and more specifically, us. The Kingdoms are always pushing the Grimm as evil and bent on destruction-"_

" **Which your mother is."**

" _\- but maybe it's possible they're hiding this tentacle hentai stuff because it shows the potential for peace between Grimm and humans. Why else would they censor it from impressionable students?"_

" **That's… not a terrible thought,"** Remy pondered. The parasite swirled around within him, and he felt it settle near his left shoulder, but not break the skin. **"Didn't Uncle Hazel say they do the same with faunus, too?"**

" _Yeah. I mean, I can't think of what else this would be. Tentacles are in octopus and squid sure, but I doubt they'd censor seafood recipes or cookbooks. It has to be something they don't want us to see, and this is all I can think of."_

" **It could also be something else Grimm-related,"** Remy warned. **"What if it's some kind of science experiment they do on our kind, to try and understand and recreate our powers?"**

Jaune gasped. That was… that sounded horrible.

" **Either way, Jaune, we need to continue looking for this. Cornering Nora's teammate and extracting answers should be a priority!"**

" _Right. I'll get Ruby involved too. If this is something which could show the Grimm in a good light, I think she would be the most likely to believe it. After all, she said my tentacles felt good."_

" **There was something about the way she said that which bothere-"**

"Oof!"

"I'm sorry!"

Remy's words were cut off as something collided into him. He staggered back but caught himself before he could fall. The other person wasn't quite so fortunate, however and stumbled against him. His arms wrapped about them.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "Did I bump into you? I'm really sorry." Something tickled his nose, and it took him a second to realise it was the fur from a long, brown ear.

The girl's brown eyes stared back up, wide and nervous. "H-Hello," she whispered.

 _It's the girl from the cafeteria,_ he realised. The faunus whose ear Cardin had grabbed onto. She looked a little different, though it took him a moment or two to place it. For some reason, she'd gone without her tights, drawing attention to her legs.

"H-Hi," she said again. "Um… I… uh…"

Was she still frightened of him? The thought was enough to sting, but he forced it down and smiled as kindly as he could at her. This might be a chance to show the poor girl he wasn't scary. He was a totally normal guy, after all.

"Hello there," he said, "It's Velvet, isn't it?"

"Y-You know my name?" she asked, eyes wide.

"Ah, well, you introduced yourself when we met in the cafeteria. I'm sorry, was that too casual? I can call you Scarlatina if you want?"

The girl shook her head wildly. "No," she said. "No, no, I don't mind. You can… uh… you can call me whatever you want – whatever you want at all."

Whatever he wanted? That sounded like the kind of begging Tyrian would brag about his victims making, that they would do what he wanted, whatever made him go away and leave them alone. Jaune's smile faltered and he stepped away, allowing the girl to stand.

She glanced away, eyes on the floor or the wall past his shoulder, never once meeting his eyes. Her cheeks were dark too, and he noticed her breasts rising and falling in fear. "So," she said, "I, uh… well, I was wondering…" She trailed off weakly.

She was trying her hardest to act normal. It was admirable, really. It spoke of great courage and bravery, of someone who wouldn't be cowed – even when she was intimidated. He smiled at her, as friendly as he could.

"I'm sorry for bumping into you, Velvet," he said, stepping past her. No matter how hard he tried, she was still clearly agitated around him. It was best to leave her be. "You look better than you did the last time," on the floor and upset, "I'll see you around."

/-/

Velvet could only stand and watch as he walked away. She considered bashing her face into the nearest wall, but didn't think the wall deserved it. _I'm such an idiot, I can't believe I wasn't able to say anything. What am I, a huntress or a frightened rabbit?_

"It didn't work," she sighed.

There was a rustle of newspaper, as the figure that leaned against the nearby wall lowered their upside-down Vale Daily News. Coco adjusted her glasses with one hand. "Nonsense, bun-bun. It was first-contact and that's important. You can't chase after a guy if he forgets who you are."

"Coco, I made a total fool of myself… I just stood there and stuttered like some little child."

Bad enough that she'd let herself be bullied by some first years, but now she – who should be older and far more mature – now found herself reduced to a nervous wreck by another first year. Sure, he had a kind and beautiful smile, and when it came out her legs felt weak, but that was no excuse!

"Seems to me like you need some practice," Coco said. "If he makes you nervous, then we'll have to build up your immunity."

"Coco, no…"

"Coco, yes! We need to expose you to him at every possible chance, until you can not only talk to him without stuttering, but push him up against the wall and ravage hi-" Coco's treacherous mouth was cut off as Velvet slammed a hand over it and pinned her against the wall. Two other students wandered by, and looked more than a little confused, but Velvet just smiled winningly at them. Only when they left did she lower her hand.

"I meant practice on _him_ , bun-bun. Have to say, though, your pinning technique is good."

"Can you… not talk like that so loud?"

"Oh, I'm just playing with you, bun-bun," Coco laughed and threw an arm around her shoulder. "Still, first time I've seen the guy and… well, he doesn't look all that bad, but I'm not sure I see the whole hero thing you were going on about."

Velvet sighed, and then instantly cursed when she realised how dreamy it sounded. "You didn't see him in the cafeteria," she said defensively. "He was… you wouldn't understand."

"Apparently not… ah, young love."

"You're the same age as me."

"Anyway," Coco ignored her point entirely, "This wasn't a bad test run. I know what I'm working with now, which isn't much, I'll be honest bun-bun, but we'll soon win you your man."

Velvet felt the blood run to her cheeks. "That's too much, Coco. I just want to… maybe talk to him, you know? Get to know him."

"Push him down into a mattress?"

"I didn't say that!"

"You did," Coco smirked. "Last night, while you were asleep. Did you know you talk in your sleep?"

Oh gods, no… she could feel her world cracking into a million pieces. Velvet's face transformed into an expression of horror as she stared at her teammate. She… she couldn't control her dreams! That wasn't her fault!

"D-Did the others hear?" Velvet asked.

"Let's move onto a different topic," Coco laughed nervously. "About this guy, we need to get you and him together in some more casual situations."

"Coco," she begged, "You didn't answer my question…"

"I'm thinking you could try and sit with his team at lunch, or maybe we can find out what his hobbies are and see if it's something you two have in common."

"Coco… they didn't hear, right?"

Coco stopped and looked at her, and Velvet sent back her most pleading look. _Please,_ she begged. _Please tell me that it was just her teasing me and that I didn't do something like that_. A bead of sweat ran down her teammate's forehead.

"Coco?" she tried again.

"Mutual hobbies are important," Coco said with a wince.

Velvet's head fell into her hands. Her life was officially over. "Kill me now," she whimpered.

"Hey, it's fine. I mean, I'm sure they wouldn't have paid attention or anything. Fox and Yats wouldn't do anything…"

Oh gods, now it made sense why Yatsu was so stone-faced as he sharpened his sword that morning. Velvet's eyes grew wider as she remembered the wide-set frown on Fox's face too. They'd made excuses to leave earlier, saying something about going on a hunt.

"Please," Coco gasped, turning to Coco. "Tell me that they're not going to hunt him down and try to interrogate him."

"They're not going to hunt him down."

"You could at least _try_ to sound like you believe it!" Velvet cried.

"Yeah, bun-bun… even I'm not a good enough liar to make you believe that."

A groan escaped her, panic settling in somewhere around her toes and then quickly escalating up to the tips of her ears. She was doomed… she was actually doomed.

This was officially the worst day ever.

"Look on the bright side," Coco said, and clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Your boy-toy said you looked `better` than you did before, and the only change is you wearing no tights. I guess he likes your knees, after all. You go, girl."

This was officially the best day ever.

/-/

"And this will be your room," the stern woman with glasses said, indicating the rather cramped dormitory with four beds within. Cinder opened her mouth to speak, but could only sigh when Roman's tool – the strange girl, Neo – pushed past them and dove onto one of the beds. The multi-coloured girl bounced up and down atop the mattress, and seemed delighted by its sponginess. That didn't stop her testing the other three, however, as though to find out which was the best one.

"I apologise for her, Miss Goodwitch," Cinder said diplomatically. "Neo can be eccentric at times, but I assure you, she's simply as excited as we are to study here."

"I will accept that, but do ensure no damage comes to the furniture, Miss Fall. Or it shall be you who pays for it."

Insolent woman. Cinder felt a flash of fury but hid it behind a polite mask. "Of course, please don't worry. I'll personally make sure there is no damage."

The pink, brown and cream-coloured girl flounced back on one, apparently pleased with it, for she staked her claim by laying down and spreading her arms and legs wide. Once-upon-a-time, the plan had been for the girl to come in disguise, but their earlier entrance removed the need for such. Roman had not made her public yet, and so her appearance was unknown. It would be easier this way.

Well, not easier for them, of course, but her _darling_ brother had seen fit to ruin the original plan.

"Lessons begin tomorrow, and I have forwarded details to your scrolls," the blonde teacher went on, eyeing them all with the look of a woman who suspected they were only half listening. Well, she wasn't wrong. "I have seen your records from Haven and expect good things from you all. I assure you, our standards are just as strict, so do not take this time to ignore your studies."

"Yes, ma'am," Mercury and Emerald called in unison.

Miss Goodwitch seemed impressed. Enough so, that she nodded at Cinder and stepped away and out the room. Before the door closed behind her, however, she called back. "Oh, and Miss Fall. I can't help but notice that your skirt is… a little short. Please see to lengthening it or buying a new uniform. I don't believe our students can handle the distraction."

Damn Coral and her ways. If the girl wasn't the daughter of her mistress, insanely powerful in her own right and one of seven sisters that would happily band together to punish her, then she would have immolated the girl long ago.

As it was, it was all she could do to smile and make her excuses, waiting until the teacher was gone before scowling at her companions.

"So, this is Beacon?" Mercury chuckled. "It doesn't seem all that different to Haven. The scenery, sure, but there's still nagging teachers everywhere."

"It's a school, idiot." Emerald snapped. "Not that I expect you would have ever attended one."

"That's a bit rich, isn't it, coming from you? At least I lived in a house."

"You-"

"Enough." The single word, spoken with a commanding edge, was enough to bring the two of them to immediate silence. The sound of a mattress straining and the bathroom door slamming reminded her that Roman's little pet wasn't quite so simple a matter. She would need to be watched. "We're here in Beacon and we have a day before lessons," Cinder said. "We should take this time to try and locate our target."

"Jaune Arc, right?" Mercury stood up and followed her to the door, which swung open at the press of a button. "We taking the mute with us?"

"No," Cinder said. "The less she knows, the better. Her loyalty is firmly to our dear friend, and his is in question. She is a necessary evil, for now. We should do our best to keep her away from him."

"Understood," Emerald said. The green-haired girl looked about the corridor, and much like she'd been trained to, smiled at each person who looked her way. Cinder nodded. They were to fit in, after all. Thanks to Jaune, they'd be here for far longer than first anticipated.

"How do we find this guy, anyway?" Mercury asked. "We know what he looks like, but it isn't like he's going to come up to us."

"No," she said. "He won't. Jaune will be here in disguise and staying low. I personally trained him on the importance of such. He will do his best not to draw attention to himself an-"

"You hear about that Arc, boy?" a random passer-by said to her friend. "I heard he got dragged away by a Beowolf and killed it with his bare hands!"

"Yeah, well I heard he saved Cardin Winchester and his team from being molested by some sexual predator."

"Wait, the same guy he turned down in the cafeteria last week?"

"The very same," the first smiled. "Maybe there's something more going on there, you think?" The two girls giggled loudly and moved further on down the corridor, out of sight.

"So…" Mercury drawled, "Staying low?"

"I said he'd _try_ to stay low," Cinder growled, one hand pinching the bridge of her nose. "I never said he'd be any good at it."

Her sweet, little, brother had some _serious_ explaining to do.

* * *

 **Not every chapter can be an explosion of tentacle action and Cardin-molestation. While I'm aware that 99% of you (the other 1% being clinically insane) are here to see the glorious continuation of Cardin-chan's efforts to woo Grimm-sempai, I'll just point out that absence makes the heart grow fonder.**

 **But what's this, Cardin-chan, a challenger appears? Fight on, in the name of love and justice!**

 **Honestly, it always feels a bit apprehensive after a huge chapter like the last. In terms of story structure, last chapter was a climax (or disaster), and this chapter is the follow-up (or reaction, dilemma, decision). They're necessary, of course, and a story doesn't work without them (you can't have every chapter an explosion of action, after all). It's just that it works in traditional writing because the reader can turn the page, while in fanfiction, the reader has to wait for the next chapter.**

 **But hopefully there were enough lulz to make it bearable.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 5** **th** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	13. Chapter 13

**Here is another chapter of White Sheep, I hope you enjoy. We move into the next story arc now, but enough prattle from me.**

 **College Fool only really got a chance to beta half of this due to problems on my end. My car has started to play up and may need to be replaced soon, which means all sorts of irritating drama as I try to find time for that. Cars are not my forte. Never been interested in them and can't even tell what brands are good or bad, etc...  
**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 13 – While Shepherds Watch**

* * *

"Oh, thank god," Yang gasped as she staggered out of the classroom. "Any longer listening to that and I think my brain would have abandoned me and run off to Vacuo. Oobleck's class is the _worst_."

"Hey," Jaune complained, feeling a little offended on behalf of his favourite teacher. "I think he's a good teacher. He's really passionate about his job and he definitely knows his stuff." Plus, the man was always willing to go off on a tangent and explain something, so long as it was history-related. He could have made them work from books but didn't.

"Jaune, you're one of the only people who can actually understand him," Pyrrha giggled.

Really? Jaune looked towards the others in confusion, but they all nodded along. Well, all except for Blake, who was engrossed in another one of her books. "I'm not sure what's not to understand," he said. "I mean, he just talked about the faunus war. I didn't think it was anything too hard."

"Less the content and more the delivery," Yang sighed. "He talks at a thousand words per minute. I've no idea how you can keep pace."

"One of my Uncles, Watts, used to get just as fast when he talked about the things he was interested in." Usually politics, though the focus was more on how to subvert and manipulate than to actually work in it. "I guess I must have picked it up from him."

"It's still not good that a teacher speaks too quickly to be understood," Weiss said. "He should slow down to the level most people can work at. How are we supposed to learn, otherwise?"

"Read?"

"It's the principle of the matter."

"Enough about lessons," Nora decided. "We've got all afternoon off and the evening too. We should do something. We should have an adventure, visit Vale, or maybe hold another game tournament. Renny wants to face off against Jauney again, don't you?"

"I wouldn't go that far," Ren chuckled. Despite that, he didn't say no, and he shot an expectant look towards him. Jaune wished he could accept, but…

"We've got team training," Ruby said, crushing Nora's dreams in an instant. "Sorry."

"Wha-? But there's no class."

"That's no reason not to try and improve ourselves," Weiss lectured. "We're going to do some personal training our own to identify weaknesses and see how we can address them as a team."

Jaune nodded along, having known the general plan from the morning. What Weiss didn't say, and what he was secretly looking forward to, was that she'd actually organised the training to help him after his loss against Cardin. She phrased it as the reputation of the team, but Ruby had been quick to point out it was more likely because Weiss cared about her partner and didn't want to see him knocked around. He could still remember the look on Weiss' face when he asked if that was true. She claimed it wasn't, and that she was simply making sure he wasn't a moron, but they did say actions spoke louder than words. Maybe she _wasn't_ as cold and demanding as he'd first thought. Maybe she just pretended to be like that, and in reality, she was as sweet and kind as his mother.

" _We_ can still do something," Yang grinned and knocked her arm against Nora's. "This could be a good chance to train Blake up for a rematch on our next game night."

The girl in question heard her name mentioned and stashed her book away, eyes wide. "What? Yang, you trait-"

"Great idea!" Nora cheered and hooked an arm around her partner's neck. "Come on, Blake. We'll make a master out of you yet."

Yang had the good grace to look guilty as Blake was dragged away, though not too much. She waved and headed off after her team, Ren shaking his head as he brought up the rear, but sent Jaune a polite, if competitive, nod. It was nice to see them all getting along so well. Not to mention how Nora was willing to go out of her way to help her partner like that.

"Ruby, your sister is a pest," Weiss said as the four of them walked together down the hallways and towards the training areas.

"I know…" Ruby sighed. "You should try living with her. She used to tease me all the time when I was younger. She was the worst!"

"I know what that feels like," Jaune said. "I guess older sisters are the same no matter where you are."

"You have an older sister too?" Ruby asked. "Is she like Yang?"

"Some of them are, especially physically. Most of them have blonde or white hair," and all of them could change that at will, but he didn't want to mention that. "With Yang's eyes and hair, though, she could have passed as one of them pretty easily. Then again, Weiss could too."

"Xiao-Long and I look completely different! How does it even make sense for us to look related?"

Oops. He'd forgotten about the skin colour difference, which was a bit of a non-point because when they transformed, their skin turned to almost snow-white. Luckily, Pyrrha came to his rescue.

"Some of them?" the redhead asked. "Do you have many sisters, Jaune?"

"I have seven," he said proudly. "Well, eight, I guess – but only seven are biological." The news didn't _quite_ get the response he'd expected. Ruby and Weiss stared at him as though he were insane, while Pyrrha's cheeks had turned a dusky red.

"W-Wow," she said. "That's… well, that's a big family."

"Seven!?" Weiss echoed. "How could… I'm not even sure how a single woman could handle that, not to mention the timing. Do your parents not even know what contraception is?"

"Contra-what?"

Weiss slapped a hand to her forehead. "You have _got_ to be kidding me."

" _Remy?"_ Jaune asked internally.

" **I've not heard of the phrase… perhaps a weapon of some kind?"**

His delay in answering was enough for Weiss, who groaned into her hand. "This makes far too much sense. Arc… Jaune… I know you are a little sheltered, but you _do_ know what sexual intercourse is, correct?"

The blood ran to his cheeks but he nodded. "Of course I do. I'm… I don't know much about the outside world, but I know how things work. Besides, mom and dad have sex all the time. It's kind of hard to _not_ know sometimes."

Plus, his mother was always trying to get him interested in Cinder. Then there was Coral… which was about enough said, to be honest. He still shivered when he recalled asking her what she was reading one day and her invitation for them to read together. He should have known… she never smiled like that normally.

"Somehow, your parent's enthusiasm doesn't surprise me. Not with that many children. Still, thank the heavens for small mercies. I thought I'd have to give you the talk for a moment there."

"What's the talk?" Ruby asked innocently.

Weiss looked horrified, but quickly scowled when Ruby tittered and covered her mouth. In the background, Pyrrha smothered her own giggles. "Very funny, Ruby." the heiress growled. "Jaune, contraceptives are what people use to prevent pregnancy or to prevent someone getting with child. Maybe your mother called them something else?"

"Wait… you can _prevent_ pregnancy?"

"Or, maybe you really don't know," Weiss sighed. "This explains far too much."

"No! I mean, I'm pretty sure my mom never knew."

" **Jaune,"** Remy sighed. **"This is Salem we're talking about. Even if she knew, I'm not sure she would condone of such things. You** _ **do**_ **remember what she wants you to do, right?"**

" _Crush the world under my heel?"_

" **And…?"**

" _Provide at least fifty grandbabies."_ He mentally sighed. Okay, yeah, when put like that, maybe his mom _did_ know what they were, but if she did, there was no way she would have ever told him. Not if it got in the way of her plans.

"This is madness." Weiss shook her head. "I suppose this answers how you have seven sisters, even if it doesn't answer _why_ she wouldn't know anything about this. Your mother runs a real estate business, does she not?"

"Yeah, but… well, I don't think mom was the kind of woman who ever expected to have children." That was certainly one way of putting it, given that she was the Queen of all Grimm. The whole `destroying the human race` thing tended to put a damper on good relationships, or so she said. Jaune smiled and continued. "I know that Sapphire, the eldest, was an accident, but… well, I guess mom was so amazed that she could actually have a child that she didn't want to stop."

When he looked up from the short story, it was to see the three girls watching him with awed expressions. "W-Well," Weiss stammered and glanced aside. "It's hard to fault something like that, I suppose."

"That's so sweet," Pyrrha said, and it honestly looked like she might cry for some reason.

"Is that when your dad swooped in like the heroic huntsman and swept her off her feet?" Ruby asked. "I bet he saved her from some evil Grimm and won her heart, just like in the fairy tales."

Uh…

How was he supposed to answer that one?

"Well, he didn't _save_ her from some Grimm per se. Mom's not exactly one to feel threatened by them."

"A strong woman," Weiss looked impressed.

"You could definitely say that… I mean, I wasn't around when it happened, but from what I hear, she actually captured my dad trespassing on her land."

"Oh my," Pyrrha gasped. "Wasn't he a huntsman, though?"

"Yeah, but… well, I guess you could say he worked for the competition and mom was worried he was there to spy on her for them."

"Industrial sabotage," Weiss growled. "We are no strangers to it. Was it true? Was he working for her competitors?"

"He was," Jaune confirmed, to a surprised sound from Ruby and Pyrrha. Well, it was true. Actually, from the exact story, he could remember that his father apparently saw a woman surrounded by Grimm and rushed in to save her, only to be picked up by her instead. Apparently, it had been too dark to see properly, but his dad did tend to look a little embarrassed whenever Salem pointed out it was the middle of the day. "Anyway, mom kept dad in her dungeon for a few da-"

"Your house has a dungeon!?"

"Well, sure… yours doesn't?"

"No!" Ruby answered. "Whose would?"

Weiss coughed awkwardly, and then flushed when Pyrrha and Ruby turned to stare at her. "It's more of a security wing," the white-haired girl admitted, "but it does have cells and… well, people who handle the interrogation."

"Ugh, Weiss…" Ruby groaned, head in her hands.

"I never said I condoned it!"

"Right, so, apparently, it's normal to have a dungeon," Ruby sighed. "What happened next? Did he fight his way out?"

"No. He wouldn't have been able to. From what I'm told, mom basically found out what she wanted from him and was trying to figure out what to do with him. Dad asked her if he could have one request. Mom was amused at the idea and decided to grant it, just to see what it was he wanted."

"What was it?" Ruby asked.

Jaune's cheeks darkened and he coughed. Ruby didn't seem to immediately get it, so he did it again – a little more obviously. It took a few seconds, but they all seemed to gather what Nicholas' wish had been at the same time.

"Oh my," Pyrrha gasped.

"For the love of…" Weiss sighed and covered her face with one hand.

"Yeah," Jaune chuckled, still feeling a little awkward about it. "So, mom granted his final request and… well, decided that she wanted to grant it again later, I guess. A few months of granting and she got pregnant and…" he waved one hand, "the rest sorted itself out, I guess."

"That has to be the worst way I've ever heard of two people meeting one another," Weiss said. "I take it your father no longer works for her competitors?"

"No, he still does."

Weiss threw her arms in the air and turned around, apparently done with the insanity. That left Pyrrha to laugh nervously and ask, "Isn't that a bit… doesn't that strain the relationship?"

"Mom has a no work at the table rule," he explained, "at least when dad is home, anyway. It can be awkward at times, but there aren't that many arguments. They never talk about what the other is doing, and honestly, whenever dad visits, he spends time with us or he spends it with mom, and I don't think much `discussion` is involved when they're alone in a room together."

Pyrrha looked like she might faint. "And everyone is okay with this?"

"Eh, not everyone. Dad and Uncle Tyrian practically hate one another, but that's because my uncle keeps talking about how my mom is a goddess and he wants to worship her. I think that gets on dad's nerves." Especially whenever Tyrian made blatant mention of the cruel things he'd gotten up to in order to earn her favour.

"Oh my," Pyrrha repeated, for what felt like the tenth time. "That's… I can't believe he'd say that, and right in front of your father. How bold… that or just blunt."

"Oh, uncle Tyrian is definitely blunt," Jaune agreed. "But other than that, it's awkward at times, but mom and dad don't let work come between them. He does keep it all secret from the people on his side, though. They probably wouldn't like it very much if they knew about it."

"I hope you don't feel offended if I say your family is… a little strange sounding."

Jaune laughed and waved a hand. "Don't worry about it," he said. "Even I know we're a little different from most people. Mom never expected to be a mom and it kind of shows, while dad didn't exactly imagine he'd meet her, either. Honestly, I'm lucky I turned out the way I did."

"This is lucky?" Weiss asked. "I dread to imagine what unlucky might have been."

"Well, it wasn't like anyone knew how to raise a child, let alone eight in quick succession. I remember Uncle Watts telling me mom didn't know what to do or think when she found out she was pregnant. When Sapphire, that was her first, was six, she said she wanted to read some books. Mom instantly panicked and bought an entire library for her." The same one he spent most of his days reading through, in fact. "She didn't ask what books Sapphire wanted, just… bought thousands. Fantasy books, children's nursery rhymes, cookery books, auto biographies of famous politicians." He shrugged. "Apparently it wasn't unusual for her to go a bit crazy at first and over react to everything. She's calmed down a lot since then, though."

"That's adorable," Pyrrha crooned with a soft smile. "I don't think it's unusual for new parents to spoil their children, especially if they're not used to having any or didn't expect they would ever be able to."

That probably made sense, especially in his mother's case. He could still remember the disaster when he'd read a fairy tale about the tooth fairy and professed wanting to meet it. She'd instantly gone and created a new subtype of Grimm, then let it into his room in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, it went for the teeth still in his mouth and he'd woken up to it trying to crawl between his lips.

Cinder had been forced to put up with him sleeping in her bed for weeks, all the while Salem sulked and brooded in the background. He'd never asked to see the tooth fairy again. Back then, it had been terrifying, but nowadays, it brought a smile to his face. "She tries her best," he said. "You can't always say mom knows what to do, but she puts all her effort into every little thing she does, even raising us."

"You sound like you really love her." Ruby said, with a wide and happy smile.

"I do," he said. "I disagree with her… business goals, but I love her all the same."

"Your father disagrees too, apparently, Weiss said with a roll of her eyes. "What a complicated mess. Oh, thank god, we're here. I'm not sure my brain could have taken any more of this. How did we even get onto this topic?"

"You were asking Jaune about condoms," Pyrrha supplied.

"What's a condom?"

"It's a contrace- oh, screw it," Weiss said. She jerked a thumb towards the separated changing rooms. "Jaune, get changed and ready to meet us in the training zones. Try not to start a family en route if you can help it."

"Weiss!" Ruby giggled. She waved at him too as she slipped into the women's side, leaving him to head in alone.

" _Well, that was a bit of a weird conversation."_

" **It was handled well enough."** Remy said, as Jaune started to get changed into his combat gear. **"Nothing you said was technically a lie, other than that I'd add how Cinder isn't exactly fond of your father, either."**

Jaune blinked and looked up, even if Remy was technically inside him. _"She isn't?"_ he asked, surprised. _"Why do you say that? Dad adores her. He hugs her all the time."_

" **I think that's the problem. Your `big sis` is hardly the touchiest of people."**

" _I'd disagree on that."_

" **I meant touchiest as in touchy-feely, not irritable."**

Oh… in that case, he totally agreed. Well, it wasn't like she would do anything to his dad, or that uncle Tyrian would, either – or that any Grimm would, in fact. Whether he realised it or not, Nicholas Arc was pretty much the ultimate huntsman now. The only way he was going to die would be if he tripped over and broke his neck trying to fight a Beowolf which kept conspicuously missing him with its claws. The worst part was, he didn't think his dad realised.

" _Hey Remy… do you ever think I'll find someone like that?"_

" **Like what?"**

" _Like how mom did."_

" **Someone to kidnap and torture into a state of sexual submission?"**

" _A little less on the torture and kidnap, a little more on the love and family…"_

" **I don't see why not. You're surrounded by plenty of girls here. Maybe one of them will come to think of you in that way."**

" _Do you think so?"_

" **No,"** Remy deadpanned, **"but hey, can't hurt to dream, right?"**

"You suck, Remy," Jaune sighed out loud and strapped Crocea Mors to his waist. He checked himself in the mirror and struck a pose. He looked… okay, he guessed. It wasn't like he had a lot to compare himself against, or any idea of what girls really liked. What he knew they _didn't_ like, however, - and Weiss especially – was to be kept waiting. He pulled away from the mirror and jogged back towards the door, slipping out.

He crashed into someone.

"I'm so sorry," he stammered. He'd bowled the person straight over and was laid half on top of them. "I wasn't paying much attention. It's my fault." He pushed himself up off the person and held a hand out. "Are you okay… erk…"

" **Uh-oh…"**

"I am fine," the beautiful woman said. "How are you, Jaune? It wouldn't do for you to have hurt yourself. Not when we have so much to talk about."

" _Remy, you're my advisor, right? I could really use some life advice right now!"_

" **Rewind time and reconsider your choices?"**

Not helpful, but probably about all that would save him. Jaune cringed as he felt Cinder's look him up and down, a quasi-critical, quasi-concerned inspection. "Well, you're in one piece and still alive," she said. The tone of her voice made it clear she'd expected neither. "How long that will last once your mother gets hold of you is up for debate, but there's something to be said for making it this far."

A faint spark of hope fluttered to life inside of him. "There is…?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes. That you're a reckless fool."

The guilt he felt at her disappointment was crushing, more so because of how much he wanted to avoid it. She'd always had that power over him, the same way his mother did. Angry words and critique stung, but nothing was worse than his big sis looking down on him with that look which said he hadn't upset her… he'd just disappointed her.

But this was his choice, his decision, and disappointment or not, he was going to see it through. He forced himself to meet her eyes, those golden orbs that pierced into his soul. "I'm not going back, Cinder," he said, with far more confidence than he actually felt. "You can't make me return home. I've made my decision and I'm going to see it through."

He knew she would be angry. He knew she would be annoyed at his stubbornness. She raised one eyebrow at him, and that was enough to make his mouth feel dry. She opened her mouth, and he awaited his damnation.

"Okay."

Wait, what!? His surprise – no, his absolute shock – must have shown on his face, for she smirked down on him with her superior gaze.

"If you're so keen to make that decision, so be it. It is hardly my place to decide your future. Of course, your mother will be upset… perhaps even annoyed."

And that thought terrified him more than he cared to admit. He squared his shoulders, however, taking what strength he could from the fact she hadn't dragged him out of Beacon already. "Let me deal with my mother," he said. "For now, I want to continue here at Beacon. You can go back and tell her that."

"Actually, I cannot."

"Eh?"

Cinder took a step back and held her arms out wide. "If you haven't noticed the uniform, I'm now a student of Beacon Academy as well. As such, I'm not going anywhere, Jaune."

Oh crap…

" **I really think it would be a good time to start re-evaluating those life choices, Jaune. How about we re-evaluate our stance on this too, as in standing elsewhere – say, a hundred miles away?"**

He wished he could.

"In fact," Cinder purred. "We could use someone to show us around Beacon… teach us where the various points of interest are. Why not come with us, and then we can have a nice, private talk in my room afterwards. It would be a good chance to… clear the air, as it were."

Jaune's eyes roamed the corridor in a panic. Yep, she was angry, alright, she was just hiding it like she always did. For a moment, he'd dared to think otherwise. Wow, Weiss was right, he _was_ naïve. Still, it was his big sis and he couldn't refuse her, could he?

"Jaune…?" a voice from a little further down the corridor piped up. Pyrrha stood there, her weapons in hand. "Is there a problem?"

Oh, right, the training! He slapped a hand against his face and turned to Cinder. "Ah, sorry, I need to get some team training down. How about I come by later this afternoon to talk?"

Cinder's smile didn't fall, but her eyes did become a little sharper. "I _really_ think we should talk now, Jaune. I'm sure your _companion_ can wait."

And make Weiss wait? He didn't think so. "Sorry Cinder," he laughed and turned away. "I really can't keep my team waiting. I'll catch you later, though." he called as he jogged over to Pyrrha. By the time he reached them, Ruby had stepped out as well, and was eyeing Cinder with a wary eye.

"Who was that?" Pyrrha asked.

"Just someone I know from before Beacon," he answered. "Don't worry about it."

Ruby and Pyrrha's eyes narrowed, but neither said any more.

/-/

Cinder Fall was not a woman used to being… dismissed. Not from the most dangerous of criminals, not the worst of murderers – and certainly not from Jaune. It was not a welcome sensation, and it was all she could do to stand there, flabbergasted, as he walked away with those two little girls. _He'll meet me later?_ _Later!? Since when does he not do anything I suggest?_

"So, that's the guy?" Emerald asked nervously.

"That is he," Cinder said woodenly, still a little shocked.

"I thought he was supposed to be wrapped around your finger," Mercury added.

Her temper flared. She spun about to stare at him. He flinched back, but not fast enough to avoid her ire. "Do you have something to add, dear Mercury?"

"Um, no… nothing."

"That's what I thought."

Jaune _was_ wrapped around her finger. She'd spent the better part of seventeen years ensuring it was so, even beyond the relationship he had with his real sisters, he craved _her_ regard more than any other, bar except his mother and father. Her words carried weight. A subtle compliment here, a warm look there, all designed to ensure he worked in her best interest.

All of that, _compromised_ by some little… Cinder gritted her teeth together and tried to hold back the snarl that threatened to break loose. She was not angry. She was not… bothered by this development. It was a setback; that was all. They were interfering with her plans, the carefully laid schemes she had worked on for over a decade.

And really, what did it matter if he made a few little acquaintances? They would help to distract and perhaps even protect him while he was in Beacon. It was nothing to be concerned about. It was not like they would replace her position in his life.

Her hand twitched.

"Mercury, Emerald…"

"Yes ma'am?"

"I believe we need to find out as much as we can about these _friends_ of his."

"Isn't it our job to protect him?" Mercury sounded confused. "I thought you said we didn't have to try and convince him to return because we _want_ to be here. What's the point of chasing after them?"

"His friends might become a threat to his safety," she said, "in which case, they must be watched as well."

Mercury looked like he didn't quite believe her. He knew better than to argue, however. His belief was not necessary, only his service. She knew the truth of her own actions, and if he thought it petty jealousy, he was sorely mistaken. She was not a woman to feel threatened by school children. The very thought was preposterous. It was idiotic.

She was simply gathering information on those affiliated with Jaune. That was all. He'd caused her enough trouble as it was without some nasty surprise catching her off guard. She wished to be prepared, nothing more. Jaune could surround himself with as many people as he wished. _She_ was still the woman who helped raise him. She was still the most important unrelated woman in his life - no, the most important _person_. She ranked even above his beloved uncles.

Nothing would change that.

"Man, what a drag," Mercury sighed. "Still, at least that redhead was pretty hot. He's a lucky guy being teamed up with someone like her."

Cinder's eyes narrowed.

Yes, that new team of his certainly deserved some investigation.

/-/

Pyrrha slouched on the outskirts of the training ring, her body covered in sweat, but a contented feeling inside her. The victory over Ruby was expected, perhaps, but the difficulty in achieving it was not. Naturally, she hadn't used her Semblance, but it was still a welcome surprise to find that Ruby's speed gave her a natural advantage. It was just another example of how she wasn't quite so exceptional or special as everyone else claimed.

Although honestly, given what was going on in the ring, that title might as well belong to someone else anyway.

"Hit me!" Weiss roared, all pretence of patience gone as she stood before Jaune with sweat dripping from her hair. Her shoulders rose and fall as she panted for breath. "You can't just defend all day. We've been at this for almost an hour."

"I'm trying!"

"Try harder!"

Jaune sighed but hefted his blade and charged in. His every movement telegraphed his attack, and even as exhausted as she was, it was a simple matter for Weiss to deflect and push the attack aside. His sword struck the mat with enough force to dent it, but when Weiss _slammed_ her weapon down atop his head, it had the same effect it had for the last forty or so minutes. None… or rather an amount so low on the aura meters that it might as well have been none.

"I said, hit me!"

"I just tried. You blocked it!

"Of course I blocked it, you ignoramus. Who in their right mind is going to sit there and take it!?"

"But then… how am I supposed to hit you?"

Weiss' patience snapped for what felt like the tenth time. With a vicious growl, the girl summoned numerous pillars of ice and started to chase Jaune around the arena with them. Pyrrha would have been worried if this hadn't happened fifteen times before.

"His fighting style is definitely… unique," Ruby said.

"I'm not sure it's even a style."

"That's why it's unique."

Pyrrha chuckled and wiped some sweat away from her brow. "I can't argue with that. You did well, by the way, Ruby. I was hard pressed."

"Not good enough, but I'll get better," Ruby chimed. The younger girl shot her a cheeky glare. "I have two years to catch up, after all."

It was surprisingly how proud she felt at her partner's attitude. So many others whined and complained, especially about fighting one as strong as Pyrrha Nikos, but Ruby took the loss on the chin and wanted to get better. If this was how strong she was with two years less training, then she had a feeling Ruby would achieve it.

"Hey, Pyrrha…" Ruby mumbled.

"Hm?"

"What did you think of that woman outside?"

Pyrrha's smile fell, replaced with a deep-set frown as Ruby touched on the same topic that plagued her mind. "The one Jaune was talking to? I'm not sure… I don't think I've ever seen her before. He said she was someone he knew before Beacon."

"But he didn't _know_ anyone before Beacon," Ruby pointed out. "Didn't he live out in the wild lands with his mother?"

"With her business, Ruby. Remember, he said she had several estate agents working for her. That woman might be one of their children, perhaps someone he grew up with."

"A childhood friend?"

The innocent idea was like an arrow to Pyrrha's heart. She could even imagine that woman, beautiful with ashen hair, stood with bow in hand. _You're over-reacting,_ she told herself. _He only talked to her. He didn't even do anything, yet you're jumping to conclusions. Don't be silly._

"There was something about her," Ruby mumbled. "I don't know what it is… but… but I don't like her." Ruby sounded surprised at her own admission, but her face twisted into a fierce pout nonetheless. "I don't like her one bit."

Ouch, there came the second arrow – this time fired by Ruby, and lodged beside the first. She'd almost forgotten her partner's feelings towards him, which echoed her own so well. Could she really step forward to try and steal her first real friend's crush like that? Ruby had been so good to her, so patient and kind… everything she'd ever dreamed for in a partner. Did she repay that by stabbing her in the back like this?

"Well, maybe it's nothing," Pyrrha said. "She might just be a person he bumped into the day before Beacon, like your sister."

"Maybe…"

The sound of cracking ice and a whoosh of flame made Pyrrha look back towards the fight, in time to see Jaune struck in the chest by a great fireball. It consumed him from head to toe, and caused a great explosion that blasted air out of the arena and towards them. Fifty minutes earlier, Pyrrha would have gasped at such force used in a friendly spar.

Now, she tilted her head and wondered how much lien such an attack cost. Was it even worth it at this stage?

"Hey," Jaune coughed and hacked as the smoke cleared. "I thought I was meant to attack you. Is this dodging practice now?"

"Dodging practice?" Weiss seethed, shoulders rising and falling with each laborious breath. She looked like she wanted nothing more than to go over and wring his neck, but knew how fruitless it would be. "It would be dodge practice," she said, "if you even dodged! You haven't managed to avoid a single attack since this started!"

"Well, maybe you're just really good."

The compliment didn't do much for Weiss. Her entire body shook with rage, before she lunged in to try and skewer him once more. Jaune's defence was… well, it was about six foot something of aura and muscle.

Admittedly, it was a pretty good defence. The sword he waved around was an added bonus, though it neither blocked a single one of Weiss' rapid attacks, nor managed to strike the agile fighter. It might as well have been a paperweight for all the good it did. Pyrrha's eyes narrowed at that. _There's no way he's as unskilled with that as he acts. Jaune was able to defeat that Nevermore, not to mention cut down the Deathstalker. The simple fact he's here at Beacon means he must be hiding his strength, but why? I can understand acting weaker to not draw unwanted attention, but is it really worth it to do that to us?_ Weiss's howl of fury as she chased him around the arena was enough to make them flinch. _Okay, maybe he's just doing it to tease her._

"Didn't Jaune say he ran away from his home?" Ruby asked.

"Yes," Pyrrha answered, eyes still on the duel. "Why?"

"Well, if he ran away from home, then why would he come to a place where someone _from_ his home studied? Wouldn't that just get him caught by them?"

"True… maybe they weren't students here, though. We're already a few weeks in and this is the first time we've even seen him talk to anyone not on our team. Well," Pyrrha giggled, "other than Cardin. Maybe they're a new team joining the school."

"To find Jaune," Ruby finished. "But… wouldn't that mean they wanted to take him away?" Ruby's voice shook. Her eyes were wide as well, with a panicked light that spoke of intense worry.

Pyrrha felt nervous too. It wasn't something she'd considered, but now that Ruby pointed it out, her gut started to twist. Whomever that woman was, she was from her teammate's previous home, which meant she'd likely come to Beacon _because_ of Jaune. Whether that was to try and take him back home or for something else, it spoke of changes for their team. Sometimes change was good, like when she'd come to Beacon and discovered her wonderful team… but if a change threatened that? She didn't like the idea one bit.

Ruby clearly didn't either, if her expression was any indication. Even though the woman was nowhere to be seen, the shorter girl glared in the direction she'd once been.

"I'm sure Jaune won't abandon us," Pyrrha said. "He came here for a reason, after all. It wouldn't make sense for him to make that big step, then give up the moment someone from his home appears."

"I-I know," Ruby stammered. "I'm just… what if she tries to take all of his time away from m-us?"

 _Is she jealous?_ Pyrrha wondered. _I suppose it makes sense. If Ruby has feelings for him, she might feel threatened by that woman. Compared to Ruby, that woman was definitely a little more… developed._

"It will be okay, Ruby," Pyrrha whispered. "Whatever happens, I'm sure she won't be able to take his eyes away from you."

"His eyes…?" Ruby blinked and tilted her head to the side. "Why would I be worried about his eyes being on-" Ruby panicked. Her cheeks quickly turned crimson. " _Pyrrha_!" she gasped. "I didn't mean it like that. J-Jaune's a friend, not… not like that!"

"It's okay, Ruby," Pyrrha winked. "I'll keep it a secret."

"What? No! There _is_ no secret!" Ruby growled under her breath and tried to look intimidating, which wasn't helped much with how red her cheeks were. "You've got it wrong," she said, "I don't like him that wa-"

A muffled thump cut through Ruby's protest, drawing Pyrrha's eyes back to the arena. Oh, had the fight finally come to an end?

"Does this mean I win?" Jaune asked, stood near Weiss' form, which was face-first on the floor. The poor girl was covered in sweat, and her entire body heaved as she drew in great gulps of air. Even through that, however, she managed to stir at the innocent question and slap Myrtenaster weakly against his leg.

"We should go help Weiss," Pyrrha chuckled.

"P-Pyrrha, you _do_ believe me when I say it's not like that, right?"

"Of course," she lied. She wasn't sure whether her partner believed that or not, but the younger girl did follow as she strode into the ring and crouched down beside the technically defeated opponent. It had to be technical since Weiss' aura meter was still in the green, and very much so at that.

It was the exhaustion that did her in… a full hour of intense combat against an opponent who seemed to have a limitless amount of stamina. In all honesty, Pyrrha was impressed Weiss managed to go on for so long. She doubted she could have managed that. "Are you okay, Weiss?" she asked.

"R-Ran out of… dust…" Weiss said. Each word was gasped between desperate breaths of air. "Just… shrugged it all… off…"

Poor Weiss… it really was an amusing sight, but the girl didn't deserve to be laughed at. Pyrrha placed both arms beneath the heiress and lifted her up. She was surprisingly light, built for speed in a manner similar to her own partner. Come to think of it, this meant Jaune had carried Ruby back to their rooms and now she'd carry Weiss. A mischievous part of her wondered if she should ask Weiss not to give her a love bite, but she doubted Weiss – or Ruby – would appreciate the reminder.

"Hey, this means I won." Jaune cheered.

Weiss growled weakly and tried to hit him with one arm. When that didn't work, the pale limb flopped uselessly at her side. "I hate him," Weiss whispered. "I hate him so much."

"You don't mean that," Pyrrha said.

"Right now, I think I do… I want to stab him so badly."

"That's probably just frustration talking. We'll need to find a way to improve his training, though. I don't think Miss Goodwitch will appreciate his fights taking up the entire lesson."

"Forms," Weiss sighed. The heiress was still limp in her arms, and her eyes closed as she tried to regulate her breathing. "He needs to learn sword forms. He… seeing him swing his weapon around like that makes me infuriated."

Pyrrha hummed at the thought. Weiss was probably onto something there. Whether Jaune hid his ability or not, it was pointedly clear his physical conditioning wasn't an issue. "That's not a bad idea. We'll figure something out, Weiss, maybe after you get a rest."

"A rest… sounds good. Can you…?" Weiss trailed off, unsure how to ask.

Pyrrha thought she understood, though. She nodded and turned to the others. "Training is over for the day. Good work everyone. We're headed back to get some rest, but other than that, I think we're free all day."

"Yes!" Ruby laughed. "Maybe I can see if Nora's finished training Blake to play games better." Ruby's silver eyes took on a competitive edge, one more competitive than the looks she'd given her in their fight. An idea seemed to from in her head, though, and she turned to Jaune with a wide smile. "Do you want to come along again? I bet Ren would be up for a rematch."

"Ah, well, I can't," Jaune balanced on one leg and tried to look inconspicuous. The fact that Pyrrha could _tell_ that spoke of his failure. "I've got… uh… I've got something to do on my own for a bit."

Something to do…? Confusion settled over her for a moment, but it didn't take long to guess what it was. He was going to see that girl they'd interrupted him speaking with earlier. Pyrrha wasn't sure what she thought about that, but she was fairly sure what _Ruby_ thought, since the girl's cheeks puffed out and her eyes glared at him. _So much for not being jealous,_ _Ruby_ , Pyrrha thought with a smile.

"I could come with you?" Ruby offered.

"No, no, there's no need. You should go and enjoy yourself. I'll be back later. I just need to read something… in the library." His excuse was as unconvincing to Ruby as it was to Weiss and herself, apparently, for they all raised eyebrows in his direction. Jaune didn't seem to notice, however. "I'll see you all later," he waved and headed back to the changing rooms.

Ruby let out a long, frustrated breath as she watched him go.

Weiss sighed. "Okay," she said, "I'll bite… what was that about?"

"We'll tell you all about it on the way back to the dorm," Pyrrha said, moving to the side and signalling for Ruby to follow.

"Whoah, whoah," Weiss said. "You're not going to carry me through Beacon like this, are you? People will say things!"

"I can put you down if you think you can walk." Pyrrha offered.

Weiss' silence was telling. She tried to move one of her legs but the effort seemed too much. With a growl, she gave up. "If anyone asks… please tell them you did this to me. I don't think my ego could handle them knowing the truth."

"I'll tell them it was an epic and powerful duel," Pyrrha chuckled, "and that you came close but for my vast experience."

It was the least she could do, after all. Still, as the three of them made their way back towards their dorm, Pyrrha couldn't help but think on their missing teammate's unusual absence. Ruby still looked irritated, in the way a scorned puppy might, but Pyrrha didn't feel much better.

One thing was for sure. That new team deserved some investigation.

/-/

It took Jaune over an hour to get changed back into his uniform. Okay, maybe that was stretching it a little bit. It took him five minutes to get changed and then fifty-five to realise he couldn't hide in the changing rooms forever because his big sis would get annoyed and come find him. It was a nice dream while it lasted, though. If only the spar could have lasted longer… say, until ten at night so he'd have an excuse to not talk to her until the morning.

He took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves. Delaying this would only make it worse. Cinder wasn't exactly the most patient of people, especially when she was in a bad mood. Did running away, blocking her scroll number and then likely ruining all her plans count as enough to annoy her?

Eh… he had a suspicion it might.

In fact, the moment he'd nervously unblocked her number, a message popped onto his scroll with a little pinging noise. It was her room number in Beacon, along with a single word; "Come."

" **Technically speaking, you outrank her. You could try pushing that."**

" _Are you insane, Remy?"_

" **No more insane than you, delaying the issue. You realise she'll be angrier the longer she has to wait."**

He knew that. He was just… wondering if Weiss was okay, and if he should maybe go back and make sure Pyrrha got her back to the dorm okay. In fact, yeah, maybe he should go do that right now. It was always best to be safe, right?

It took a monumental force of will to reject that fear and keep moving forwards.

 _It's going to be okay,_ he told himself. _Cinder already agreed to let me stay here, so she can't go back on that._ His big sis was many things, but a liar was not often among the list. She was too self-assured, too confident to bother with such, especially around him. That still didn't mean she wouldn't chew him out, though, especially for doing all of this without informing her or leaving as much as a message.

It took him another thirty minutes to find her dorm, though again, that was due to him dragging his feet and finding every conceivable reason to be distracted along the route. If a bird chirped, he wanted to make sure it wasn't injured, if there was someone a hundred metres away, he'd stop to hold a door open for them. Cardin had even crossed his path at one point, and Jaune had been about to run up and talk to him but for the man seeing him, going white, and then walking quickly away with his hands over his rear end.

Weird…

Either way, no distraction proved strong enough to stay his path, and eventually he came upon the portal to the abyss that was her dorm, shared with a team, no doubt. Come to think of it, he hadn't even introduced himself to the two that were with her earlier. That was pretty rude… he should do something about that. Yeah, maybe he should go off and come up with a way to apologise to them and then come back when he had something, maybe in a few months' time.

" **Just knock on the door,"** Remy groaned. **"Maybe she'll be merciful if you stop faffing around."**

" _Easy for you to say…"_ Jaune growled. Even so, Remy was right. This would only get worse the longer he waited. He swallowed his fear, ignored the parasite squirming inside him, and reached out to knock on the door.

It swung open almost immediately.

"Hello Jaune," Cinder greeted. She was leaning with one hand on the door frame, the other having opened it. His big sister smiled… the same smile she wore when she was pleased, but also the same one she wore when she was angry, in a bad mood or about to tear him to pieces over something. He wasn't sure if it was just an expressive smile, or whether he was just terrible at reading her. "It's good that you could make it… finally."

Panic, panic, panic – it was like a siren going off in his head. She was irritated; all Jaune's to battle stations. His brain, trained to an almost instinctive degree by not only Cinder but his mother and sisters, went into the standard operating procedure for when he'd done something wrong or upset them. "Hey Cinder. Wow, you look beautiful in that uniform. How are you doing?"

Her smile grew, but it wasn't for the right reasons. It spoke of someone who knew _exactly_ what he was trying and found herself amused by the helpless gesture. "I'm doing well, and thank you. How are you?"

"Me? I'm great. I mean, not as great as you, obviously, but who is? Did I mention how stunning you look in that uniform?"

"I think you might have." Her lips curled up as she tilted her head to the side, to better allow her raven tresses to fall across her face. "Would you like to come in so we can have a private chat?"

Nope.

" **Nope."**

" _Nope."_

"Sure," Jaune said. "I mean, we _could_ , but didn't you say you wanted a tour around Beacon? Maybe we should do that and talk at the same time."

"That would make it difficult to speak on certain topics, don't you think?"

He did. That was kind of the point. "True, but we could always do that another day. It would be terrible if you got lost tomorrow morning and missed class."

"Tomorrow is a weekend."

"-missed breakfast." he amended.

"One of the teachers, Miss Goodwitch, was kind enough to supply us with a map."

"It's not quite the same as knowing the route yourself, though. If you got lost, you might not get enough food and I wouldn't want you to get sick and feel bad. It would ruin your complexion, which, I might add, looks perfect today."

Cinder's smile grew. "You seem nervous, Jaune. Is there something bothering you?"

"Me? No, pft, no way – that's crazy."

"Then come on in."

"It's just, isn't it a great day? We should go outside, smell the gardens an- erk." Cinder's hand weaved itself into his tie, coiling the fabric between her fingers as her eyes danced before his. He swallowed and did his best not to panic. "Or we could talk right here, in the hallway?"

"I'd much rather speak inside, Jaune," Cinder said, in a deliciously dark and positively terrifying way. "After all, it's been so long since we've spent time with one another. We have much to catch up on…"

Her hand tightened as she stepped back and drew him within. The door, his last chance of escape, slammed shut behind him.

"It was all Remy's idea!"

" **You son of a bitch!"**

/-/

Yatsuhashi Daichi looked about cautiously as he lowered the newspaper he'd held in front of his face. Beside him, another newspaper lowered, as his companion, Fox revealed himself. The tanned student's eyes were locked on the door the first year had passed through, as were his own. A gentle huff escaped the large man, who rolled his newspaper up and stashed it under a muscular arm.

"It seems our target has eluded us for now, my friend," Yatsuhashi said.

"Hm," Fox agreed.

Their quarry, the elusive Jaune Arc had been difficult enough to find, but now appeared out of their reach. That might have frustrated lesser men, but balance was something he had attained long ago. Fox, apparently, did not quite share the same point of view, for he scowled and crossed his arms.

"Worry not, Fox. The man who rages when a fish escapes the line is the man who goes home hungry."

"More philosophy, Yats?" Fox rolled his eyes, as unimpressed with the philosophical words as he ever was. All sudden movements and impetuous emotions, Fox was much like Coco in that regard. There could be no faulting them, however. They were, after all, his beloved teammates.

"We will corner this first year another time," Yatsuhashi said, "and then enquire as to his intentions towards our dear Velvet."

Fox nodded, and seemed to calm down a moment. Fox tossed the newspaper aside.

Yatsuhashi caught it easily. It would not do to cause undue trouble for the janitors. Still, as he looked back to the door where they witnessed Velvet's `interest` be dragged away by an admittedly stunning woman, he could not help but feel some uncharacteristic concern. The look on her face, the words – not to mention her sultry smile, for a moment, it had been enough to make even his blood race.

"To be clear," Fox said, "We're not telling Velvet about this, right?"

Yatsuhashi looked towards his companion with a surprised frown. To conceal information from one's teammates was a grave suggestion. He was about to explain so, and to ensure Fox knew the way of being a good teammate, only to pause. His eyes traced back to the door.

He then imagined Velvet's reaction.

"I… believe you speak wisdom here, Fox."

* * *

 **Cinder has arrived, Fox and Yatsu are after Jaune and Blake is being forced to become a better gamer. One of these is perhaps more important than the others, but soon you shall Blake take on her mantle as the Gamer, as this completely reverses into a Gamer fic with Blake as the protagonist. Or not…**

 **Anyway, I can imagine that a lot of people wanted to see the Cinder x Jaune conversation, but I felt it would have done it a disservice to try and rush and squeeze that into a thousand words or so at the end, here. It can be the highlight of next chapter and get the content it deserves. When it comes to Cinder, I'll pre-face with the same advice I gave people in Stress Relief. She is a liar, so you'll need to look at what she "does" and not take what she "says" at face value. Actions speak louder than words, after all.  
**

 **On Jaune's Intelligence**

I just wanted to answer some repeated concerns from some and explain why Jaune understands some things but not others. I did mention it in dialogue in chapter 10 or 11, but some seem to have missed it. Jaune is… book smart, but has no common sense. A lot of people have asked how he even knows what sex or children are if he doesn't understand well-known things like "sleep with" or "hickey".

The thing is, much of that comes from knowledge gained in a social environment. As an example, I was around 9 when I learned what a blowjob was, and it wasn't from Sex-ed or my family. It was from a friend telling me about it on the playground during lunch (ironically, he got it wrong and said it was when you blow in a woman's ear mid-climax. ikr?). Anyway, the point I'm making is that we get a lot of our understanding of slang, shorthand and social norms from – you guessed it – being in socially rich environments. That's why some people who are home schooled all their life can come across as very repressed or have unusual views, because they simply haven't developed in the same way and don't understand a lot of things other people take for granted.

Jaune knows what sex is, and he knows how reproduction works – but if someone asked him to "show them a good time" then he would suggest they go play video games. Similarly, if someone asked him to "sleep with them", then he will get into his pyjamas.

He's just being literal because he has no experience of anyone being anything but that with him. Another example is the contraceptives dialogue I put in here. By the end, Jaune knows what contraceptives are, but still doesn't know what a condom is, because understanding the word "contraceptive" doesn't mean you know every little detail about them, or the different types of them.

I hope that helps people understand a little.

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 12** **th** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	14. Chapter 14

**So, here the chapter is – a day late because of my parents being burgled. Thanks for understanding, and I worked to get this out today without too much disruption. We don't know much about what happened yet, other than that they clearly knew my family were away – even though I visited the house every day to make it look occupied, empty bins and such. They do have a guard dog, by the way, but that lives with me while they are on holiday, as it can't exactly fend for itself for four weeks.**

 **Anyway, police and insurance are being about as useful as you'd expect, with warnings not to expect anyone to be found or prosecuted before they even TRY to look, and insurance already determined to weasel out of it. Maybe the whole robbery is fake news, or maybe I'm just stating alternative facts to them – who even knows!? They'll cave, especially since my parents have CCTV. On the other hand, it proves as useless as usual since the crooks wore hoodies to cover head and wrapped cloth or bandannas around lower face. One even gave the camera the middle finger.**

 **It's a pain in the ass to be honest, and I hate it all so much, but it's a reality of living in the countryside, because there's just too much open space and noise doesn't travel. Houses tend to be worth more too, and thus better prospects for thieves. All you can do is grit your teeth and keep going.**

 **Enough angst…**

 **To the one who asked, yes I write fics the night before in most cases (except NTF, it's too long for that). I tried to reply to your review, but you have PM disabled.**

 **Note: you may have received two alert emails because the site went a little crazy. There are not two chapters.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 14 – A Sheep among Wolves**

* * *

"It was all Remy's idea!"

Cinder rolled her eyes and ignored his silly attempt to shift the blame. She also had to resist the urge to point out that Grimm neither needed nor had names, but that was an argument she couldn't be bothered to get into. If he wished to name a parasite within his body, then so be it. She had bigger fish to fry. She ran a hand through her hair, and smiled when Jaune swallowed and looked nervous. She still had power over him. Good.

"I get the feeling you're a little upset with me," Jaune said with a little wince.

"Do you?" she asked. "My, your time here must have made you very perceptive, Jaune. You're right, I _am_ upset. Fancy that." She tilted her head back so that she could look down her nose at him, a subtle thing to suggest her advantage. Like always, he bowed his head. "Do you have _any_ idea how dangerous this was? You could have been killed before making it this far, and I dare say it's Salem's own luck you even survived this long."

"I did-"

"No." She cut him off with a finger against his lips. "No excuses. You are the prince of the Grimm, Jaune. You're not a normal human, you're not a huntsman, and you're certainly not equipped to study at a place like this! Why would you even do this?"

"I-"

"Your silly dream, of course," she sighed. "Become a huntsman, just like your father, even if it makes zero sense because of what you are." At any other time, she might have kept such truths to herself, but she had checked the room personally for bugs and found none. Mercury and Emerald knew better than to speak, and she could kill the other and Roman included if they became irksome. "This isn't a game and your mother is worried, which translates to her being furious – enough so as to nearly _invade_ Vale and slaughter everyone!"

His eyes widened. "No, she can't!"

"Can't she? I think she can and you know it. Luckily for you, she won't – but only because I convinced her otherwise."

"You did!?" His face lit up and he covered the distance between them before she could dodge, summon a wall of fire or use Emerald as a human shield. His arms clamped about her waist and his face pressed against her neck. "You're the best, big sis!"

Cinder's teeth ground together as she tried to ignore it, only for her eyes to widen when she heard a snigger behind her. Whether it was Emerald or Mercury, she didn't know, but it quickly reminded her that she wasn't alone in the room. Her hands slapped down onto his shoulders as she tried to push him away, but he only clung on tighter. "Let go, fool," she snapped. "I didn't do it for you!"

"You did it for all the people of Vale?" Jaune gasped, putting two and two together and somehow coming up with a six-digit sum. "I always knew you had a heart of gold. You're the best, kindest and most wonderful woman I've ever known!

Did it for the people, kindest? Cinder felt sick to her stomach, even before she managed to pry a super-heated hand between them and start to leverage him away. Much like the rest of his family, he was stronger than he realised, so it took far more effort than any human would have – and left her looking a little out of breath when she finally escaped. _Note to self, invest in a crowbar._ She spared a furious glare back to her minions, just in case they thought this was a laughing matter.

Both steadfastly looked away – but both also wore barely concealed smiles. Damn him!

"No hugs," she ordered. "Not in here and certainly not in public! Don't think you're off the hook either," she added. "After what you did, I'm going to make yo-" she paused as a peculiar scent caught her nose. "Where were you before this?"

"Um, training?"

"Did you have a shower?"

"I had a short one bac-"

"Do you think you can rub all over me smelling like that?" Cinder's hand snapped to the side, finger pointed towards an adjoining room. "Take a shower, right now. Really, you're out of my sight for all of a few weeks and you already start to fall to pieces." She scowled as him as he skulked over to the bathroom. "There's a towel inside and don't forget to wash your hair!" she called as the door clicked shut. With a furious growl, she turned around and grumbled to herself. "What an idiot. Does he not even-?"

Emerald and Mercury's shoulders shook as they refused to look at her.

Her eyes narrowed. "Does something amuse you?"

"N-Nothing, ma'am," Emerald struggled to say.

"No, ma'am," Mercury managed, a little more in control of himself. "We were simply paying attention to how you discipline the target." For some reason that made Emerald lose it for a second, and the girl clamped both hands over her mouth. Fools, the both of them… she had no idea what silly thing had tickled their fancy, but she didn't have the time for it.

"I shall be setting some ground rules in regards to him," she said. "These apply to all of us, you included, Neo." Cinder looked the girl's way in time to see the girl look away from the shower her little brother had entered. The sudden interest in Jaune made her suspicion flare, but there was little she could do about Neo _or_ Roman. _Those two are necessary for now… I will deal with them later._

"We're listening," Mercury said.

Cinder nodded but waited for the sound of running water before she spoke. "First of all, there's to be no mention of our plans here, or about the maiden. As far as he is concerned, our purpose here is to protect and help him – nothing else. I don't want any mention of Roman, of the White Fang, of Grimm, invasions or anything of that nature."

"Isn't he on our side, though?"

"Yes and no," Cinder sighed. "Jaune is many things, but capable of keeping a secret is not among them. He has a bleeding heart, even before he's made friends with these _people_. There's too much risk and he's the kind of person who would spend the next few months trying to convince us to change our plans just because it might hurt a few people."

Cinder waited for any questions, but the two only nodded. The girl laid on her bed in the background seemed to perk up a little. Cinder's eyes narrowed but it wasn't like Neo could _tell_ him anything.

"Secondly, he is to be protected at all times, but that's going to be socially as much as it is physical. I don't even doubt for a second, he hasn't done something to screw himself over, so it's going to be our – or more specifically, _your_ – job to drag him out of any bad situations."

"How are we meant to do that?" Emerald asked. "It's not like we can follow him around every second of every day."

"I don't see why not," Cinder said with a devious smile. "After all, it's normal for friends to be close, is it not?" The green-haired girl looked agonised, but Cinder had no mercy. "The two of you are to befriend him in your own time, using whatever method you deem fit. Get close to him and those he calls friend, and make sure to report anything you hear back to me."

"You want Mercury to try and befriend normal people?" Emerald asked. "Ma'am, with all due respect… it's _Mercury_!"

"I'm sensing a little jealousy, Em. Don't worry, green may be your colour, but I won't leave you for just anyone."

"Die in a hole, please."

Cinder's patience snapped before it even had a chance to be tested. Now was _not_ the time for their petty banter. She cleared her throat, and nodded when they both felt into immediate silence. A quick glare for good measure ensured they would not interrupt her again. "The _third_ task," she said, "is to make sure no Grimm are able to abscond with him. I have already informed you of my mistress' plan for him, but that _cannot_ be allowed to happen. Remember, our goal here is the maiden – not to return Jaune home as expected." She looked between the two of them with a stern eye.

"So, he's just a tool for the plan?" Emerald asked.

"Exactly," Cinder smirked. "While my position may label me as his sister, it does not denote any familial feelings. He is a pawn, nothing more, albeit one we cannot allow to be captured."

"Understood," Mercury grinned. "Heh, for a minute, I thought you actually cared for him. Still, if he's unimportant, wouldn't it be easier to get rid of him? We could claim a huntsman did it."

"No!" Cinder felt a flash of anger but forced it down. "I am the one in charge here, and you shall follow my orders. He is not to be harmed."

"My bad," Mercury apologised. "It was just a suggestion."

"Not one worth considering. Remember, keep him safe, keep him happy, and keep him blissfully unaware." Cinder paused as she noticed their wide-eyed expressions. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Keep me blissfully unaware of what?" Jaune asked from behind her.

"Blissfully unaware of what fate you would have suffered had you taken any longer to get here," she recovered, turning with a nervous tick above her eyebrow. Those fools; why had they not warned her he was standing right there? "Are you finished with your shower?"

"Yeah," Jaune nodded. "I didn't have any spare clothes so I got back into mine."

Cinder hummed as she looked him up and down. Hardly presentable, but the best she'd likely get. At least she didn't need to sic his stupid mutt on him like she had back when he'd been younger and treated bath time like it was the apocalypse. "Good enough. For a moment, I wondered if I'd need to wash you myself. Now that you're finished, we can get back to my explaining how much of a colossal idiot you are."

"Cinder, sis… I know what I did was wrong, especially the part where I didn't tell you, but you don't need to worry. I'm fine, see?"

Worry – about him? She wanted to throw back her head and laugh, but it would be a waste of time. She didn't care whether he risked his life or not, the silly fool, but he'd gone and compromised her plans for the maiden and Vale. The blasted city, maiden included, had been a hair's breadth from being crushed under Salem's heel. All of that because _he_ decided being the supreme ruler of all evil wasn't quite as cool as being a stupid huntsman.

She snorted instead and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. "I take it that you've not run into any problems, then?" she asked sarcastically. "You've not done anything strange or bizarre to arouse suspicion?"

"Uh…" A bead of sweat dribbled down Jaune's brow. "No?"

"Hm, strange… it must have been some other tentacled human-like Grimm monster I've been hearing about, then. Has Coral popped on by when I didn't notice? I did hear a rumour about it trying to sexually assault some young men."

"I didn't sexually assault anyone!" Jaune gasped. His face went white a second later, and not in a hereditary way. "I mean, not that it was me or anything…"

"Jaune…"

"It wasn't me."

"Jaune…" she echoed, this time with a dangerously raised eyebrow.

"It was maybe me?"

Cinder's shoulders fell as she let out an explosive sigh, tinged with all the frustration she had cooped up inside of her. She kept her eyes on him, glaring down as he shrunk before her. "Less than three weeks," she said, "and you've already managed to alert all of Beacon, and possibly all of Vale, to your presence. I dread to imagine what you would have achieved in as many months. You're not fit to be around normal people, Jaune. You don't know anything of interacting with them. You stick out like a sore thumb."

"That's not fair," he protested. "I've… okay, maybe I was bad at first, but I'm not an idiot, Cinder. I'm learning and I'm getting better. No one even notices anymore."

"Really? This, I have to see. Very well, why don't you go and introduce yourself to one of my teammates." Cinder turned and gestured towards Mercury, who looked startled for a moment but dutifully stepped forward to stand beside her. "Go on," Cinder urged. "Show me how you would normally speak to someone you've just met."

Jaune nodded at her and took a deep breath. He looked towards Mercury, but there didn't seem to be any panic in his eyes. Hm, a decent enough start, she supposed. The blonde stepped forward and held a hand out. "Hi, my name's Jaune. Jaune Arc."

"Mercury Black," her underling said, holding one hand out to shake her little brother's.

Hmm… maybe he wasn't so bad at this after all. Cinder allowed herself to relax.

"You have really nice knees."

Or not, as it were. One hand came up to massage the bridge of her nose, even as Mercury looked about awkwardly.

"Ouch, burn," Emerald snickered.

"Jaune," Cinder sighed, "why did you mention his knees?"

"Um, because he has nice knees?" It proved the final straw for Emerald, who fell back on her bed with muffled laughter. Mercury took the time to send her a pointed glare, but she didn't even notice.

"Jaune," Cinder sighed and strode forward. She knelt down and gripped the bottom of one of Mercury's trouser legs, pulling it up. "Mercury does not even _have_ knees." She waited for the embarrassment, the apology and perhaps even the admission that she was right. What she got instead was neither of those things.

"He has _robot_ knees?" Jaune whispered. "I take it back, you have _awesome_ knees."

"Heh, thanks," Mercury preened just a little. "Most people are put off by them, but they're pretty useful."

"Why would anyone be bothered? They look absolutely amaz-"

"Jaune," Cinder interrupted with a growl. "You're missing the point. _Why_ did you comment on his knees at all?"

"It's a custom of Vale," he said. Jaune looked at her with a cocky smile and rolled his eyes. "Seriously, did you not even know that? Maybe I'm better at this than you are."

She… she had no words. Something sounded like it might come out for a moment, but it turned out to be a breath of air while she ran her tongue about the inside of her teeth and tried to understand what her idiot adopted brother had just said. "This custom… Jaune, how many people have you said it to?"

"A few, I guess. Probably every girl I know, as well as a few others. I might have said it to some guys as well, but I can't remember the exact number. Why?"

"Just…" Cinder tried to hide her wince but wasn't quite able to. "Forget it. It's nothing…" It was too early in the day to deal with this, even if it was mid-afternoon. In fact, it was too early in the year to deal with it. If he wanted to run around making himself look like he was checking out people's legs, then more power to him. At this point, it would only look more suspicious if he suddenly stopped. "I might as well introduce you to the rest of the team. That's Mercury Black, as you know, and this is his partner, Emerald Sustrai."

Emerald didn't move from her bed, but did shoot him a fake smile and a wave. Jaune, naturally, didn't catch the duplicity and looked thrilled to wave back.

That idiot…

"We also have out fourth member, Neo." Cinder waved a hand towards the lazy girl, only to pause when she noticed the bed was empty. Where had the girl gone? Had she slipped out without them noticing?

"Oh wow, you're friendly." Jaune laughed.

What? Cinder's head snapped back so quickly her muscles spasmed. Jaune was stood in the same spot he'd occupied before, but before him now was the small form of Roman's enforcer, her tiny hands wrapped about Jaune's as she pumped it up and down and smiled at him.

Her paranoia kicked in immediately. The girl hadn't so much as paid attention whenever she said something, and seemed here on sufferance. For her to suddenly be interested in Jaune, spoke of hidden intentions. _This reeks of some kind of plot. What are she and Roman planning?_ Her hackles rose when the multi-coloured girl didn't leave his side. Instead, she hovered beside him, one hand clutched to his belt as though to not let him escape. Mismatched eyes stared back at her innocently, but Cinder's narrowed. _I'm watching you…_

"Aw, she's adorable," Jaune cooed and patted her head with one hand. The psychopathic murderer, for Cinder knew her to be one, acted as a puppy might and butted her head against his palm. "Big sis, why didn't you tell me y-"

"Your eyes should be on me!" Cinder snapped. _She_ was the one talking to him, she was the leading influence in his life – and if he thought he was in the clear after his little runaway episode, he was woefully mistaken. "Whether you believe yourself ready or not for this, and you're clearly not, it doesn't change the fact that you've made huge mistakes already. Your Grimm form is an obvious example."

"I didn't mean to reveal it. Mom sent a Beowolf after me."

Cinder's heart froze but she recovered quickly. So, Salem's special Grimm had arrived already. Clearly, he'd managed to fight it off, which was a lucky break. She could only hope she or her team would be around when more came, so they could prevent them stealing him away. "How many people saw you?" she asked. "We can try to keep it quiet if we have a rough idea. Obviously, there's nothing that can be done about the media, but they will lose interest when the next scandal hits. How many people in Beacon actually saw you in person?"

Jaune's face scrunched up as he tried to remember. She waited patiently when he counted out five fingers on one hand, but her eyebrows began to twitch when he moved onto his other, and she began to growl when he gave up on using his hands to count at all.

"You _must_ be joking," she groaned.

"Things didn't exactly go to plan, okay?"

"Did you even have a plan?"

"Of course," he said. "The plan was to come to Vale and become a huntsman in Beacon."

"And then…?" Cinder asked. "You _do_ have a plan beyond simply sneaking into this school, don't you?"

"Er…"

"What were you going to do when you graduated? How do you plan to balance your career as a huntsman with your family? What will you do if your secret is ever found out? What happens when you are asked to face and kill your sisters?" At each rhetorical question, Jaune's shoulders slumped a little more. "Yet again, you fail to look at the bigger picture," she sighed. "You can't just do things like this on a whim. This is exactly why your mother doesn't trust you to be out without my-"

"I do have a plan," Jaune whispered. "Or at least, I have a goal."

Oh? Cinder hid her surprise. Had he started to finally grow up and pay attention to her lessons? It was about time. She tilted her head back and regarded him. "Go on, then," she said. "Let us hear this end game of yours. I'm curious as to how it will solve all of your problems."

Jaune Salem Arc, her mistress' son, squared his shoulders. He looked up into her eyes and for a moment she imagined she could see the man he might once be. The fear had fled, replaced now with grim determination. He opened his mouth. "I'm going to make peace between humans and Grimm!"

There was a long moment of silence, in which Jaune's words seemed to echo about the unnaturally quiet room.

Cinder wasn't a woman used to being lost for words, nor one who was caught off-guard in such a manner. Her little brother had achieved both, though unfortunately for him, not in the way he might have wished. When her senses came back, it was just in time for her to bring one hand up to cover her face. "Jaune…" she sighed.

"People and Grimm getting on?" Emerald asked, and to the girl's credit, she _tried_ to sound like she wasn't scoffing at the very idea of it. "That's… interesting."

"That's one way to put it," Mercury said.

Jaune, of course, failed to notice the sarcasm. Then again, she'd be surprised if he knew what sarcasm even was. "If I can prove to both parties that they can live in peace, then there won't be any need for me to fight against my family. It also won't matter if my secret gets out or what I do when I graduate from here. It will solve all the problems _and_ bring peace to Remnant. It's perfect."

"It's madness is what it is," Cinder said. She looked down on him, but for once he met her challenging gaze. Where had all this defiance come from? Were these people already such a bad influence on him? No matter. She couldn't let this stupidity continue. "The Grimm have been the natural enemies of humanity since history began, Jaune. You cannot simply change that."

"Why not?"

"Because it's a fact of life," she exclaimed, throwing her arms wide. "Grimm hunt and kill humans, while humans constantly fight to exterminate Grimm and claim the land they inhabit. Even before your mother is brought into the equation, the two are natural enemies."

"Maybe," Jaune admitted, "but isn't it worth trying? We won't know if we don't give it a go."

Cinder's head throbbed, the onset of a headache palpable as she tried to fathom the depths of his stupidity. Did he even hear what he was saying? Where had she gone wrong in educating him? Okay, perhaps outsourcing a large proportion of that to leaving him in the library wasn't the best idea, but she doubted any of those books contained ideas this asinine. "It won't work," she said. "There's no way to even communicate between the two factions, let alone foster peace. Humans and Grimm do not get along together."

"Mom and dad do…"

"That's a ridiculous outlier," she growled, "not to mention a terrible example – your mother and father's relationship is _not_ normal."

"Well, how about you and the Grimm?" Jaune pointed out. "You're a normal human, big sis, and they don't attack you."

"That's different and you know it. Your mother isn't going to extend the same protection to the people here. If they attempt to reason – or fight – the Grimm, then they will die. You need to pick a side."

"I don't want to choose between them."

"Then maybe you should have thought of that before you attempted this insanity," she snapped. "You've put yourself in a situation where you will need to fight your friends or your family, and that's not going to change. Your plans of brokering a peace are not only doomed, they're completely nonse-"

"You believe in me?" Jaune asked, paying no attention to her whatsoever. He sounded amazed, but also a little touched.

Neo bobbed her head up and down, a saccharine smile on her face.

Cinder saw red. "Stop that. Get off him!" She reached forward for the girl, only to growl when Neo ducked behind her little brother and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Whoah, whoah," Jaune waved his arms to stop her. "Sis, stop! Look at her; you're scaring her so much she can't even speak!"

Scaring her- can't speak? Neo!? The idea was laughable, but before she could point that out, her mouth fell open as she watched the clever little snit look up at him with watery eyes and bury her face in his stomach. _Why, that manipulative little-_ She growled and took a threatening step forward, prepared to _tear_ the girl away from him, but for Jaune's expression hardening.

"Cinder, stop it!"

"Jaune, you _cannot_ be serious. She doesn't believe in your idiotic plan; she's manipulating you."

"It's not an idiotic plan. Just because it's not been tried before doesn't mean it won't work!"

"This is the real world," she snapped, "not a place for your childish fantasies. This is _exactly_ why you've never been allowed away from home like some of your sisters. You're too idealistic, too naïve and prone to rash decisions – just like this one!"

"That's not fair! I'm learning – I'm getting better!"

"Oh, you're getting better, are you?" Cinder mocked. "I'm sure that will make all the difference when you get yourself killed."

"I'm trying my best!"

"Your best isn't good enough!"

"It never is!" Jaune roared. The blonde stomped one foot, and for a moment his eyes flashed black and red, but he dragged it back under his control. "It's never good enough for you." With a frustrated snarl, he turned away and stomped towards the door.

"Don't you turn your back on me, young man!" Cinder snapped.

Jaune paused for a second, but huffed and pulled the door open. It slammed behind him as he left. In the silence left behind, her furious breathing filled the room. In and out, in and out, as her eyes flashed and her hands curled into fists.

That… that absolute _moron_. How dare he? How _dare_ he ignore her like that? He would ruin everything – he would get himself killed. She didn't care in the slightest about that, of course, but it could cause problems with his mother, so that was something to be avoided. Her concern for him was professional at best – nothing more. _When I get him back home, I'll bend him over my knee and make him regret this. He'll learn to show me the respect I deserve. Over ten years of my life put into raising him, and this is the thanks I receive?_

There was a nervous cough behind her.

"What!?" Cinder snapped, spinning to pin the offender with a murderous glare. Emerald wilted under it, sat on her bed with one hand over her mouth.

"N-Nothing," she whispered. "I had something caught in my throat."

Cinder scowled and turned to Mercury, "Anything to add?" she asked.

"No, ma'am," Mercury said, face locked onto the wall beside his bed and back unnaturally stiff. They both looked like they would have liked to be somewhere else, but neither dared move towards the door.

 _Deep breaths,_ she reminded herself, closing her eyes to calm herself. She wasn't used to feeling so angry, even less so to displaying such emotion. He'd managed to get beneath her skin, however. Curse him for that as well but he wouldn't ruin her plans any more than he already had. "The two of you have your orders," she said in a calmer voice. "He is to be protected, but do not reveal our plans to him." Amber eyes narrowed dangerously. "As for you, Neo…" She paused and looked about the room. "Where is she?"

Emerald looked to Mercury, who looked back to her as if to say she should be the one to answer. They both flinched when they heard Cinder's foot tap on the floor, however. The silver-haired teen turned to her with a nervous smile. "She… uh… she went after him."

Cinder's teeth ground together.

/-/

"I'm just saying it's weird," Ruby whispered to Weiss. The two of them were sat in the cafeteria, along with the rest of their team sans Jaune, and all of Team Ribbon, who had joined them for dinner. "It's been so long since we saw him. What if she's kidnapped him or something?"

"Ruby, while I appreciate that it's been a while, I think it's a little early to jump to a conclusion like that." The heiress poked at her food with her fork. "Really, you and Pyrrha only saw him talking with her. We don't know enough to make assumptions."

"It sounds to me like someone's jealous," Yang interrupted, resting an elbow atop Ruby's head and looking down at her. "Ah, young love – it really is too cute."

"Yang, I've told you it's not like that!" Ruby sighed, for what felt like the tenth time that day alone. Before, she might have flushed at the suggestion, but she'd heard it too much in the last hour alone. "I'm not in love with him. He's just a friend!"

"A friend who is-"

"A boy," Ruby sighed, "a boy who is a friend, a boyfriend, yes, I know – you've said _that_ at least five times as well." The joke was old before it even began, and Yang's repetition didn't really help matters. Besides, she was telling the truth. She didn't like Jaune that way. She liked him, but she didn't _like_ him. There was a big difference.

What did she have to be jealous of, anyway? Jaune liked her – and she did mean _like_ there. Blood crept to her cheeks at the thought, but she did her best to hide it because Yang would totally misunderstand, like she did every other time. What was she supposed to do, though? She'd never had a guy interested in her before – she was the dorky younger sister of the hottest girl in Signal and her impressively bad social skills hadn't exactly helped. Having Jaune, her first real friend, constantly compliment her eyes, weapon and legs? Ruby's cheeks flushed, despite her best efforts to not let it.

She wasn't ready for this!

"Yeah, see… if you want to convince me, you'd best stop lighting up like that," Yang cackled.

"Oh, give it a rest, Xiao-Long," Weiss sighed, coming to Ruby's defence and earning a grateful smile for it. "Ruby, I'm sure Jaune will be fine. What's the worst that could happen?"

"She drags him back home and away from Beacon," Ruby said instantly. "He _did_ run away, remember? If this girl worked for his mom, what if she sent her to pick him up?"

"If she's a student here, she must be of similar age to ourselves," Weiss pointed out. "It's unlikely she'd be an employee, not unless his mother follows particularly poor employment practises."

" _Ahem!?_ " Blake coughed meaningfully in the background.

Nora's hands slammed down on the table as she stood up, eyes wide. "Blakey? Are you okay – are you sick!?"

"What? No, Nora, I'm-" The girl was cut off as Nora rushed over to hug her, place one hand to the girl's forehead and scream something about medicine, bed rest and Ren's famous chicken soup. Ruby blinked at it all but turned back to Weiss with a shrug.

"I have no idea," Weiss agreed. "Anyway, my point is, she's more likely a daughter or family member of one of his mother's employees. I doubt she could order this person to come and find Jaune. She probably came here of her own volition."

"So, what you're saying is that we need to find her reason," Ruby said.

"What? I didn't say that at all. Are you even listening?"

"Thanks Weiss. You're the best."

"I give u- ah, speak of the Grimm…" Weiss nodded behind Ruby, who turned in time to see their missing teammate in one piece, entering the cafeteria. She held one arm up to wave for him. It took him a second to catch it, but he waved back and moved over when he did. It wasn't until he got closer that she caught the look on his face and instantly quailed.

"Yikes," Yang said once he reached them. "Someone's in a bad mood."

"Huh?" Jaune blinked and looked at them. It looked like he'd been shouting, so red was his face, and his eyes were narrowed, eyebrows drawn down. "Oh, sorry, I'm… uh, I guess I am. It'll pass though, I promise."

Ruby cheered up a little when she realised he wasn't upset at them. His smile was a little tired, but definitely honest and she patted the space beside her on the bench for him to sit on.

"Thanks, Ruby," he said, sitting down.

"No prob-" Something bumped into her and pushed her aside, and before she could finish her sentence there was now _another_ person between him and her. "-lem…?" Her silver eyes blinked as she looked at the girl, who was smaller than her – _Ohmygodyes –_ but who somehow still managed to have a more womanly figure. Ruby glowered at that, but she'd take what victories she could.

Still, something unsettling pooled in her stomach as she realised the girl had knocked her aside. Had she eaten something a little out of date?

"Okay, I'll bite," Yang sighed. "Who is this?"

"Oh, right," Jaune slapped a hand to his forehead. "Everyone, this is Neo. She's… someone from back home, I guess." He then turned to each of them in turn and gave their names to the girl with the strange multi-coloured hair. She nodded and smiled at each one, though there was something about the smile that didn't quite seem to match her eyes.

"She's rather quiet," Pyrrha said. The girl brought two hands up to her neck, but Jaune beat her to it.

"Oh, she's just shy," he laughed. "She speaks a little at home, but you know – it's hard being somewhere completely new."

The girl blinked and looked at him, then tilted her head to one side. A second later, she shrugged and turned to them, nodding happily. Okay… that was a little weird, but maybe this girl was even more socially awkward than her as well. Small, socially-awkward, shy and cute, it almost felt like she was looking in a mirror – except she was a childhood friend, and had a better figure too. Was… Ruby swallowed… was Jaune going to spend less time with her now that his old friends had come to Beacon?

She didn't like the sound of that.

"Is that entire team from your home?" Pyrrha asked. "You said the taller woman was, but I thought you didn't grow up around many people."

"A-Ah, well, I didn't. Mercury and Emerald – that's the silver-haired guy and the green-haired girl – I never knew them before, but Cinder and Neo come from home, I guess."

"Are they daughters of your mother's estate agents?"

"Sure, why not. Well, Neo is, but Cinder was more adopted than anything."

Cinder... That must have been the name of the beautiful woman with the dark hair. Even now, hours later, the memory of her sent envy rushing through her. Now _that_ was a figure she could admit to being jealous of, and she imagined Yang would say the same. "Did the two of you have a fight?" Ruby asked. "Is that why you're upset?"

"Well, I…" Jaune twisted in his seat for a moment before he sagged and let out a long sigh. "I guess we did," he admitted. It's nothing to worry about. We just… we kinda disagreed on what my future should be."

"Your future…?" Weiss asked, suddenly a little more interested. "Was she trying to determine it for you?"

"Well, my mom always had plans for what she wanted of us, you know how it is. I never really wanted to follow them, which was why I ran off to Beacon. I guess Cinder agreed with my mom's point of view more than I thought." He looked down at the table, lost in the woodwork for a few seconds. "It's nothing to worry about though – I'm not going anywhere. I just got upset. I'll be fine in a bit."

The new girl tugged on his arm and looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Ah, not that Neo ever tried anything like that," he laughed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to suggest that."

The girl smiled up at him and bobbed her head up and down.

"Oh, oh, I know what'll make you feel better," Nora crowed. "We're heading into Vale tomorrow to go and watch the people arrive for the Vytal Festival. You guys should totally come with us. We can stop off at an arcade~"

"Oh yeah," Yang said, "That sounds like a pretty cool idea. You guys should come with, the more the merrier, right guys?"

"Yeah!"

Ren shrugged.

Blake sighed.

"They said yes!" Nora cheered.

Ruby didn't think they'd _said_ anything, but Jaune laughed either way. "I wouldn't mind," he said. "The last time I was in Vale, I didn't get much time to actually look around. Maybe you guys could show me around a little more?"

"We don't know either, but we can get lost together. It'll be epic~"

"I know my way around," Yang laughed. "Ruby and I come down to shop occasionally. What do you say, Rubes – come with us all?"

Ruby turned to Pyrrha and Weiss.

"It sounds like fun," Pyrrha smiled. Weiss didn't answer, lost in thought, but she nodded her head distractedly, and when you were dealing with Yang that was often enough.

"Sweet! We'll make a date of it. The arcade will be cool; Blake's been learning how to play. She might even give you a run for your money, Rubes." Blake groaned but didn't bother to argue.

"It _does_ sound like fun," Ruby said. She turned to Jaune with a wide smile, only for it to fall when she caught him patting Neo atop the head. Ruby's cheeks puffed out but she forced herself to remain calm. "Jaune, you could have another match against Ren in the arcade," she said. "It'll be fun."

"Hm, I wouldn't mind," Jaune perked up at that and looked towards the other man at the table.

"I suppose it wouldn't be a bother," Ren said.

"Pft, Renny's going to beat you this time, Jauney. He's been practising every single night for this. He stays up late, just to get better to beat you."

"Nora, I wouldn't go that far," Ren chuckled and placed one hand on her shoulder. "It's just a game, after all. This isn't a competition."

"But Renny, you were watching professional players last night until three in the morning. I saw you awake in bed with a notebook."

"Y-You were imagining it, Nora."

"I don't think I was…"

"She wasn't," Blake said.

"I saw it too," Yang added. Ren coughed into his fist but managed to remain composed, even under the close scrutiny of his teammates. Ruby giggled at how funny her sister's team was, but also felt her mood lift a little as well.

So what if Jaune went off to spend time with some leggy woman, and what did it matter if he had a shy, childhood friend who ticked all the same boxes she did. She was still his teammate, which meant she could go out and spend time with him and everyone else. They could have fun at the arcade together, two best friends playin-

"Oh, Neo, you want to come as well?" Jaune asked, looking down to the girl who tugged on his sleeve. She smiled widely and nodded. "Neo can come too, right?"

"Sure," Yang smiled.

"S-Sure," Ruby echoed, teeth grit together and eyes flashing like naked steel. She wasn't jealous, she wasn't upset. She was totally A-Okay with this girl coming along to steal what time she had with her best friend. That was cool. No, it was better than cool; it was fan-flipping-tastic.

"Ruby," Weiss hissed under her breath. "Ruby!"

"In a second, Weiss," Ruby grumbled. She needed to finish her glare. Unfortunately, the heiress didn't seem to agree, for a hand settled in the back of her head and dragged her back. She was presented with Weiss' face, and Pyrrha's close by, the girl leaning in to listen. "What?" Ruby snapped, and then sighed when the two looked at her, wide-eyed. "Sorry… I didn't mean it."

"It's fine," Weiss said. "I just… what he said earlier, about his mother dictating his life for him, running away, about a future this girl didn't agree with." The heiress leaned forward, her eyes narrowed. "I think I know what it means."

Ruby and Pyrrha shared a quick look and leaned closer.

"It sounds," Weiss began, "like an arranged marriage."

Pyrrha gasped, but smothered it a second later. Ruby, meanwhile, had no such control and nearly fell off her chair. " _What_!?" she hissed. "Like, an actual arranged marriage? Who even does that anymore!?"

"You'd be surprised how many people do," Weiss sighed. "It happens a lot within dynastic families, those that want to pass a name or business down the line. The family likes to make sure that power and wealth remain within it, after all, and Jaune _did_ say his mother owns a lot of land. It would fit."

"Have you faced similar?" Pyrrha asked.

"Not quite, but close…" Weiss glanced away and sighed. "My father could be quite controlling as well, and I fully imagine he would have suggested it in time. He didn't even want me to attend Beacon. In a way, Jaune and I are quite similar in how we came here without the permission or blessing of our families."

"Weiss…" Ruby whispered.

"It's fine, I don't regret it. The point I'm trying to make is that his family might have done the same, and if Jaune was home-schooled and didn't have much interaction with the outside world, then it's more than possible his mother might have tried to move things along, as it were."

"I'm not so sure," Pyrrha said. "From what we know, his mother is a really kind and sweet woman. She also obviously loves her husband," Pyrrha paused to flush a little at that, and Ruby didn't blame her. She still felt a little awkward about _that_ story. "If his mother fell in love herself, then wouldn't she want the same for him? I don't think she would force someone on him if he said no."

"Hm, that's a possibility," Weiss said. Her eyes darkened a moment later. "Then again, it might not be _her_ who is pushing for it."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it, Pyrrha… we know his mother has several people under her employ, and that she's wealthy and powerful. If this Cinder woman is a daughter of one of his mother's employees, then it would be a perfect chance for her to get close to him, maybe to try and marry her way into his money."

"A gold digger!?" Pyrrha gasped. Ruby's partner looked furious at the thought of it.

Ruby… she felt angry too, more so than she had for a long time. Jaune was her friend, her first friend at Beacon and one of her best. To imagine someone trying to force their way close to him, just to take advantage of him for their own personal gain? Her small hands clenched into fists and she took a deep breath. That was wrong. It was very wrong!

"I've seen it happen before," Weiss scowled. "You wouldn't believe how many people on the Board of Directors wanted to `introduce` their sons to me, or even their daughters. Just being a close friend of the boss' child can put you in a position of power. People will use anything to try and get ahead in life, even the feelings of other people."

"I know that full well," Pyrrha's eyes were shut, as she relived some distant memory. "More than I care to…"

Ruby leaned in a little closer. "Do you think that Neo girl is as well?"

"No," Weiss shook her head. "He seems indulgent of her, and he's obviously not upset to be close to her. I'd say she seems more like a younger sister to him."

Ruby's left eye twitched. "That's nice," she gritted out.

"Of course, I could be wrong," Weiss said, doing a quick reverse and shrugging her shoulders. "Perhaps I'm overthinking it, or maybe I've missed the mark. I suppose we'll have to ask him."

"Would he tell us, though?" Pyrrha asked. "I mean, he came back angry, which fits the theory, but if it's a personal problem, I doubt he would talk about it."

"Then we ask someone else."

"Who?"

Neo smiled as she pushed her face in amongst theirs.

"Wahhh!" Ruby cried, nearly falling back but for the girl catching her. "N-Neo," she gasped. "Don't sneak up on us. Wait, were you listening!?" The girl shrugged, not ashamed in the slightest. Ruby was about to tell her why that was wrong, but for Weiss gripping her arm.

"Wait," the heiress said, "she can tell us. Neo… you're a friend of Jaune's, correct - a friend from his homeland?"

The girl paused to think for a few seconds, before she shrugged her shoulders and nodded.

"That means you know this Cinder woman, right?"

Another nod, this one a little more intrigued. Ruby lost her patience, pushing Weiss' hand off as she leaned forward.

"Is she trying to seduce him?" she asked. "Is she some kind of horrid witch trying to take advantage of him for her own selfish desires?"

The girl blinked and looked at her for a long moment. The smile that slowly crept across her face was a little creepy. Too filled with teeth, and wide enough to split her face in two, if Ruby hadn't known better, she might have almost called it vicious.

"Well?" Ruby pressed. "Is she?"

Neo looked them each in the eye, and nodded her head.

/-/

Cardin glanced about the dark room and wondered where he was. Some back corridor of Beacon, had there been a power cut? He grunted and put one foot before the other, one arm held out to feel for a wall to guide himself, but there didn't seem to be one nearby. _You'd think Beacon could pay their energy bills,_ he groused to himself, moving on in search of light but keeping a hand in front just in case. No one would get to see Cardin Winchester flat on his ass because he'd walked into a wall. He had a reputation to maintain… or the tatters of one, at least.

The corridor continued on for a few minutes, or what felt like minutes. His pace was slow and cautious and he had to concentrate to make sure he kept going in a straight line. He wished he had his scroll on him but for some reason it was missing.

"Cardin…" a soft voice whispered. He paused.

"Who's there? Russ, is that you?"

There was no response from the darkness, but for the echo of his voice. When the voice didn't return, he shrugged and moved on. Maybe he'd imagined it. It was dark enough to make a man think strange thoughts, but he wasn't one to get worked up over the bogey man. He was a huntsman – he hunted monsters down. Not the other way around.

"Caaardiiin…"

His heavy boots came to a stop, in the middle of the darkness itself. There was no denying that one, not when it sounded much clearer than the last. The way it dragged out made him roll his eyes. "Real funny, guys, why don't you jump out with a sheet over your head next?" He crossed his arms and turned towards where he half-thought the voice came from. "I'll give you guys hell in sparring if you don't turn the lights back on."

His teammates didn't respond, and as the seconds dragged on, he began to wonder if it was even them at all. He had plenty of enemies in Beacon, jealous idiots who dreamed they could be half the man he was or stupid animals who wanted to get their own back. It would be just like those beasts to attack in the dark, make use of their night vision as opposed to facing humans like true warriors.

"… ears…"

"Come on out," Cardin challenged. "If you want to start something, I'm right here."

"Touch…"

"What?"

"Touch them…!"

Cardin's pulse raced. He spun around but saw nothing, only to feel something behind him and turn back. There was nothing... "This isn't funny," he growled. "You think this is a joke?" He reached for his weapon only to find it absent. What the hell. Why didn't he have his weapon or his scroll? He reached for his pockets, only to pause when his hand met skin. "W-Where are my trousers!? Why am I naked?"

Two hands fell on his shoulders from behind. His heart leapt up into his throat, and as he turned around, his eyes widened in abject terror.

"Touch my ears," the horrific monster begged. Its red and black eyes bore into his. "Touch them-" Its tentacles rose and twitched in the air. "-and I'll touch yours~"

"Arghhh!" Cardin surged forwards with a cry, only to pause as warm air and bright light assaulted his senses.

He looked left and right, to see the warm grass of Beacon's gardens beneath him, and some students in the distance. One or two looked his way, having no doubt heard his startled cry. They giggled and moved on. Cardin panted and lowered his hands down into his lap. A nightmare… he'd fallen asleep on the grass and had a nightmare…

"How pathetic," he growled. With a grunt, he pushed himself up, an almost timid glance to check he was clothed. He was, of course, in his armour after a good spar with his team. They'd broken off for food, but he'd fought against all three and the grass had looked soft and inviting. One hand rubbed against his face. His skin felt clammy. "Kids have nightmares, man. This is ridiculous. I need to get it together."

The subject matter hardly helped, what with the image still fresh in his mind. He shivered at the thought of it, and then the memory, back at Forever Fall. No one believed them about that… no one believed what he'd seen with his own eyes.

That was fine, though. They laughed at him, they called him crazy – but they'd see the truth in time. "I'll show them," he growled and pushed his way through the trees. "I'll show them I'm not crazy. I'll prove what a monster he is, once and for all. They'll eat their words."

He'd make that bitch Xiao-Long do it on her knees, with her forehead pressed to the ground. Accuse him of being a fag, would they? He'd show them what a real man was made of. He'd even show Glynda Goodbitch – and make her publically apologise for doubting him and his team.

"But best of all," he growled, "I'll get my own back on that bastard. Just you wait, Arc… I'll make you rue the day you crossed me. I'll show everyone what kind of man you are…"

Cardin Winchester pushed on through the crowd, lost in rage. Such was his focus that he didn't even notice the person he'd bumped into, nor how they stopped to watch him leave. Reddish eyes blinked from behind green locks. The dark-skinned girl sighed.

"Great… this day just gets worse and worse." Emerald flicked her scroll open and dialled a number.

" _Yo babe,"_ Mercury answered, as aggravating as ever. _"Miss me already?"_

"Not even close. We have a problem."

" _What, already? It's not even been a day. How do we have a problem already?"_ Emerald sighed, in complete agreement with the sentiment. _"Please tell me it's not about that Jaune guy, I don't want to bring him up in front of Cinder for at least three weeks."_

"Okay, it's not about him."

" _It's about him, isn't it?"_ Mercury sighed the sigh of a man not paid enough for this. _"How bad is it?"_

"Someone knows the truth and maybe wants to expose and kill him. Does that sound bad to you?"

" _We telling the boss?"_

"If you feel brave enough, go ahead," Emerald offered. She wasn't… not after she'd seen the mood Cinder was in. Neither of them had ever seen her angry before, irritated, sure – but not like _that_. She didn't want a repeat and she doubted he did, either.

" _Welp, on our own it is!"_ Mercury said. _"I'll be over in a sec, let me just grab my shoes."_

Emerald hung up and stored her scroll away, content to wait for her partner before they had to track this idiot down and figure out what to do with him. Not even a single day at Beacon and she'd already been through enough shock to shorten her lifespan by several years.

It was official. Beacon sucked.

* * *

 **Tried to make Cardin's thoughts just that little bit more antagonistic than usual, along with harsher language since he seems the type to use it, just to sound cool. As for Cinder, ah, you are a delight to write at times.**

 **Of course, she is different from canon in that her history is a little different. I had someone ask her age in comparison to Jaune's in a PM, and how she related to Jaune when he was younger. That will all be revealed in time, but I'll say that she** _ **is**_ **a little older than him, and I think she is older in the show, as well, but pretending to be the same age as RWBY's team. Not by too much, I would imagine… maybe 19-22.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 19th April (Back to Wednesday)**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys. I just wanted to make you all aware of something, so please do read this – even if you normally don't. I'll Tl;dr it right now, and then explain. Ahem…**

 **This fic will, after this week, always be updated on a Thursday instead of a Wednesday.**

 **Now for reasoning. It's still going to be once a week, but the current deadline system doesn't work well with this. Originally, WS was supposed to be 5k a chapter at most, but it has ballooned out from that and also become quite the popular story. As such, I don't want to rush it, which is what I currently have to do. I slam this out Tuesday night – after Entertainer – when I'm already exhausted. College Fool rarely gets to see more than half, and that's a shame too.**

 **Last week, the burglary mixed things up, but I actually found it** _ **easier**_ **to write this for a Thursday. College Fool got to see the chapter, I had time to go over it for mistakes, and the whole thing flowed better. As such, I've made the decision to make Thursday the new update day for this fic. Here it is on Wednesday this week, but from now on, it will be Thursdays.**

 **This is actually quite an exciting step for me (which is ironic, since to everyone else it's a mere one day change). College Fool really does help, however, and a chance to have an extra day to write this and for CF to see it is going to let me** **up the quality.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 15 – Fleeced**

* * *

Yang didn't know what to do.

It felt like a recurring theme, really.

She hadn't known what to do when it was time for them all to go out and hit Vale, and she opened the door to come face-to-face with another bouquet of flowers. She hadn't known what to do when Jaune looked at her expectantly, and she hadn't known what to do when she noticed several people in the corridor, watching the event with starry-eyed expressions.

She'd just sort of… gone with it. The flowers now had a new home within the grenade canister, the old ones having finally died the day before, and against all odds, the trip to Vale had now somehow become maybe, kind of, perhaps a date. She wasn't sure if it was official or not. She was confused, a little out of her depth, and currently walking with one hand linked with Jaune's.

She didn't know what to do!

He hadn't even asked her out, or at least not in any way she'd noticed. He'd just sort of come with flowers, complimented her, and then – while she was reeling – asked if she was ready for their date. She'd said yes, mostly because her brain had only been functioning at half-power, the rest suffering its own thermonuclear meltdown. Also, Blake could go to hell. Yang had looked to her for advice, only to see the dark-haired girl hide herself behind Nora. So much for teammates looking out for one another... she would remember this betrayal, the next time Blake needed a hand.

 _Okay, take deep breaths,_ Yang thought. _Ignore his cologne too, even if it does smell kind of nice. No, bad Yang!_ She allowed Jaune to guide her, ears still tuned out from the others as she focused on calming her raging heart. This was okay, this was fine – she was in control. Okay, she wasn't, but she could pretend she was! There was nothing unusual about this. She was only holding hands with the guy, and that wasn't a big thing at all. Heck, she'd wrestled with guys in Signal and there'd been less drama. Holding hands was a thing she'd done with her dad when she was younger – it wasn't anything special.

And so what if he brought her flowers, twice now, and unlike any man had before. And so what if he complimented her and smiled, or held doors open for her to pass through. He treat her like a woman instead of a girl – or worse – a tomboy, but so what? That wasn't anything special, was it?

The thousand little voices screaming in her head said otherwise. They said a lot of things, really, since her mind was a battlefield at that very moment.

 _Didn't you always dream of finding prince charming?_

 _I'm not prepared…_

 _He's a perfect gentleman. He doesn't see you as a violent brute._

 _S-Shut up, me!_

Oh gods, she was having a conversation with herself – that wasn't a good sign. Yang's eyes strayed to her right, in front and behind… anywhere that wasn't to the left where six foot of blonde held her hand and smiled honestly every time their eyes met. He even _looked_ happy every time their eyes met, and that had butterflies fighting to the death in her stomach.

Would it really be so bad if this was maybe a thing?

Yang caught silver eyes looking her way and instantly felt it might be. Did the scenario feel familiar in some way? It certainly did. How many times in Signal had Ruby made a friend, only to introduce them to her and have them replace the younger sister for the older, cooler and more popular version? How many friendships had Yang accidentally ruined, no matter how hard she tried not to?

Ruby never held a grudge, and dad always said they couldn't have been very good friends if they did that, but it didn't stop Yang remembering each and every time. She'd promised to never do that again, which was why the original plan had been to ditch Ruby in Beacon and force her to make some genuine friends of her own.

And it worked! It worked really, _really_ , well. She had Jaune, Pyrrha and Weiss, a whole team of friends willing to support her. She also had Jaune, a guy – perhaps the _first_ guy – to show genuine interest in Ruby in _more_ than a friendly manner. Yang could still remember how he'd complimented Ruby's eyes and legs, how he'd claimed to `like what he saw` and how he `wanted to get to know her better`. She could even remember Ruby's adorable questions about what she was supposed to do to find out if a guy liked her.

It was her little sister growing up, stretching her wings, and with a guy Yang could actually approve of. Jaune was _way_ too innocent to do anything nasty to her – and had even been a perfect gentleman when Ruby gave him a love bite. _I mean, Ruby was probably hoping for something a little more, but still – I'M pleased he was a perfect gentleman._

Except that now, she had his hand in hers, in front of her sister, who couldn't stop looking their way and shooting her strange looks.

 _I'm sorry!_ Yang wanted to shoot back. _I didn't mean to!_

How could she have known his interest would switch to her? Had she flirted with him? She didn't think so, except… no, she'd teased him once or twice. They joked together a lot as well, and he was one of the few people to laugh at her jokes but… had that been the first signs of his attraction?

She hadn't stolen Ruby's first friend at Beacon… she was stealing Ruby's first crush.

She didn't know what to do!

No… she did. She needed to fix this, and as soon as possible. This was Ruby's chance for happiness and she'd been the first to show an interest in him. She needed to make it so that Jaune fell for her little sister again.

/-/

Ruby didn't know what to do.

Yang kept sending her weird looks and wouldn't ever meet her eyes when she tried to look back. Her big sister's cheeks alternated between white and red, with occasional nervously pleased looks towards Jaune, who seemed all but unaware of what effect he was having on the normally confident girl.

Ruby knew, however, and that was what left her with such problems. Jaune thought it was a date, again – and it was Yang's fault, again. She'd said the magic word, and Jaune, being somehow worse than her at social cues – _squeee_ – had taken it as meaning Yang was inviting him on a date. He'd done it the last time, and she hadn't had the heart to explain the reality to him.

Okay, and maybe a part of her had also been a little vindictively amused at watching her big sister squirm, but who could blame her? Yang barely _ever_ got teased, and it was always herself who bore the brunt of it. Revenge had been sweet, blonde and six foot something. It had seemed so innocent too.

Now, it seemed anything but. Yang had gone past shock and was lost somewhere in catatonia, but unless Ruby read her face wrong – and she was fairly sure she hadn't – Yang wasn't as displeased with the idea as she had been before.

Yang, her sister, maybe liked Jaune, her friend, as more than a friend.

That…

That was awesome!

It was great news, wonderful, because it all fit together so well and meant she could be with them both and happy, and rainbows and other crazy stuff Ruby didn't really care about because it didn't explode, fire shells with pinpoint accuracy or cause a Beowolf's internal matter to become external matter.

Point was; it should have been a good thing that Yang liked Jaune.

Except for the rather one, bad, thing…

Jaune liked her, Ruby Rose. He always complimented her, always spent time with her and even got nervous and looked away every time she met his eyes. That was like; _the_ list of ways you knew someone liked you. She knew because she'd checked, and Yang had even confirmed each one. It also kind of helped make it obvious that he'd as good as _said_ he liked her that way and that he wanted to get to know her more. If it had gotten to the point where even Pyrrha and Yang picked up on it, then it had to be true. Jaune liked her… as in _like_ liked her.

Ruby's cheeks darkened at the thought. Her dad, uncle and Zwei could never know!

The whole date thing was funny before, back when Yang's embarrassment was innocent and no one's feelings were going to be hurt, but if Yang was starting to develop feelings for him now, then things were getting complicated. She knew Yang hadn't _meant_ to ask Jaune out on a date. If it had just been that, she could have laughed at Yang's misfortune and remembered this for prosperity. Unfortunately, Yang's reactions were _way_ out of whack for what was normal. She _never_ got this worked up about anyone else, even with the guys her sister hung out with in the past.

Jaune was different, special… perhaps because unlike those old people who fancied Yang, they didn't look at Ruby like she was some irritating hanger-on. Yang hated that, and wouldn't put up with anyone who considered Ruby a burden. Jaune didn't, and what's more, he treat them both wonderfully.

Had that sparked Yang's interest?

 _The problem is whether Yang realises Jaune is into me or not_. _Argh, this is terrible._ Ruby shook her head in panic. _The first guy Yang is really interested in and he's only here because he misunderstood what she meant._ Her sister would be _crushed_ if she realised that. And worse – Yang seemed to have an idea of it, because the looks she shot her were nothing short of agonised.

 _I'm sorry,_ Ruby wanted to shoot back. _I didn't mean to!_

She'd stolen her sister's first real crush.

But Ruby… she knew _exactly_ what to do. It was simple, really. She'd seen it in movies _all_ the time, and it always seemed to work. She needed to try and convince Jaune to fall out of love with her, and into love with her sister.

Honestly, that shouldn't even be hard, since Yang was pretty much perfect. She was tall and leggy, with big breasts, a full figure, long hair and other things Ruby had never been able to get. She'd even drunk milk like her dad told her to, and nothing.

It was just a shame Jaune hadn't ever really shown any interest in that.

 _Okay, think, Ruby. Yang's awesome, we know that. Given enough time, she could get him on her own, so all I need to do is play interference and make sure nothing gets in the way. That includes me, of course, but I can avoid doing anything to make him like me. Hmm, who else is a threat?_ Ruby's eyes trailed over the group. Weiss was his partner, but she didn't look like the kind of person to fall in love with anybody. Pyrrha was really pretty but there was no way she liked Jaune. Surely, she would have told Ruby by now. _Nah, it's fine. I'd hate to accidentally hurt Pyrrha if she liked him, but she would have told me if she did._

No problems there.

Team Ribbon were fine too, since Ruby was sure Nora had… something with Ren. What that something was, nobody seemed to know, but it was definitely a thing and also definitely something Ruby did _not_ want to get involved in. Blake didn't seem interested in Jaune, and she just read her books most of the time. No problems there, which was awesome. She didn't want to hurt any of her friends.

That left the not-friends, and to her frustration, that list was a little – okay, a lot – more extensive.

There was the Cinder woman for one, who they'd had confirmed was some kind of gold digger at worse and arranged marriage prospect at best. She was… she was going to be a problem, Ruby could tell. Long legs, slim figure, body as beautiful – if not more so – than her sister. To make matters worse, she had no idea how to approach that problem, either. Jaune seemed angry at her for now, though. Maybe that would work itself out?

 _I'm not sure about Cardin,_ she mused. _I thought it was just a joke at first, but he pulled down Jaune's trousers._ Ruby's eyes clenched shut as she tried not to remember or visualise anything about that. _He also pretty much stalks Jaune… I'm starting to think he might actually be serious. Maybe I should add him to the list just in case._

It couldn't hurt to be safe. That left the one other person, however, and the one Ruby worried about the most. Following at the back of the group, eyes locked onto Jaune's back, the multi-coloured form of Neo had an almost calculating expression on her face.

Those mismatched eyes flickered over to her, and narrowed.

 _I'm onto you._

Ruby glared.

Neo grinned back.

/-/

Jaune couldn't help but be amazed when they reached the arcade. He'd heard about them, of course, but in his mind he'd imagined a smaller thing fit for maybe ten or more people, in which their group would take up most of the space. What Ruby led them to however, was a humongous structure several floors high, with bright lights and various beeping noises pouring from opened windows. There were easily a hundred or so people milling around the bottom floor and entrance, and it looked like several hundred more could have fit inside.

" **This is the end of us, isn't it?"** Remy asked. **"You're going to enter and never leave. Someone will find you dead four days later, having refused to leave and eat."**

" _N-No… I mean, I'm on a date with Ruby's sister. It would be rude to run off and play games when I'm supposed to be making her happy."_

" **Any progress on that, lover boy?"**

None at all, and he grumbled under his breath since the parasite knew it. His experience of dating was what he'd read in his books, and what his mom had told him. The latter was… perhaps a little more specific than what he needed or wanted. Salem never said how to date, only how he was supposed to end the date, that being with his date pregnant. _I think I'll skip out on mom's advice this time,_ he thought. He'd gone with his dad's instead, the old `be confident and hope for the best` angle, which sounded bad but had admittedly worked out pretty well for the guy.

Still, he couldn't believe Yang had asked him on not one, but two dates now. Did that mean they were official?

"What should we do first?" Pyrrha asked. "I'll admit, I haven't spent much time in arcades like this, but it _looks_ fun."

"Me neither," Blake sighed. "It's loud in here… isn't there anywhere for me to read?" The black-haired girl looked around, but crucially missed Nora, who snuck up behind her and grabbed her in a hug. It was a very tight hug, and one that seemed to cut off Blake's oxygen supply, for she waved her arms and started to go blue in the face.

" **Ah, one of Amber's hugs, variant three if I'm not mistaken,"** Remy said.

" _I'm surprised Nora knows it."_ Jaune nodded.

"Silly Blakey," Nora laughed. "You can't come to an arcade and read. We need to explore, develop your gaming skills." The orange-haired girl paused. "Develop your social skills too, I think. Ooh, ooh, and we need prizes!"

"I believe what she needs most is oxygen," Ren said, gently prying the girl from his friend's arms. Blake fell to her knees and panted for breath. "For those who aren't aware," the young man went on, "you can win tickets on the machines here, which you can exchange for prizes at the main kiosk. The more tickets you have, the better prize you can trade them for."

"What's the exchange rate?" Weiss asked shrewdly. She blinked when everyone stared at her. "What? It's a valid concern!"

"It's more for entertainment, Weiss," Ruby giggled. "You'll definitely lose money on how much the prize costs, but it's about having fun and the competition…" The girl's silver eyes grew wide and she slammed a fist into her open palm. "That's it! Jaune and Ren should compete for the biggest prize."

"We should?" Jaune asked. Well, it _did_ sound like fun.

"Absolutely," Ruby agreed. She smiled at him from the corner of her eyes. "Plus, you should win a prize for Yang, right?"

"T-That's not necessary," Yang laughed and waved one hand before her. She would have waved two, but he still held her other hand in his. For some reason it felt overly warm. "Jaune doesn't have to do that. Ha ha, I mean, that's crazy – we're just having fun, right?"

"It's perfect!" Nora cried. "Ruby, you're a genius!"

"Yep."

"Renny and Jauney need to have their epic competition, but they keep drawing in games. If we have a race, whoever can win the main prize first, then we'll finally know for sure." Nora pointed towards a glass cabinet, where a large cuddly Beowolf toy sat on its hind legs like a dog. It reminded him of Mannie, and more than that, it looked cute and adorable in a way he hadn't thought most humans would depict Grimm. "If Jauney wins, he can give it to Yang. If Renny wins, he can give… he can give…" Nora's took a deep breath before she continued. "He can give it to the most important woman in _his_ life!"

"Guys, wait," Yang protested. "You don't need t-"

"It's not a bad way to judge things," Ren said. "What do you think, Jaune?"

Honestly, it sounded like it could be fun. He'd never won a prize before, except for the occasional things Uncle Tyrion brought back, in which case the prize was often horrifying and, if he was unlucky, still half-alive. Still, Ruby was right as well. He definitely needed to win something for Yang. "I'm game," he said. "I'm not familiar with most of these games, but I'll do my best."

"Most are just tests of skill or reactions. Most of them are fairly self-explanatory when you see them. Throw a ball in the hoop or hit the Grimm with the foam mallet, that kind of thing."

Jaune was a little surprised at how calm Ren was. It sounded like he knew his way around the arcade, or at least was used to them. "Do you come to places like this a lot?" he asked.

"I'm friends with Nora," Ren said, as though that explained everything.

To be fair, it kind of did.

"On the count of ten!" Nora yelled.

"She can be so very dramatic," Ren chuckled. "I'm sorry you got roped into this silly competition, Jaune."

"Don't worry about it. It sounds like good fun." Jaune grasped the other boy's hand in his. "Besides, it doesn't mean we're enemies or something."

"Of course not," Ren laughed. "It's nothing more than a friendly competition."

"Precisely."

The two laughed between themselves.

"Two-" Nora's voice called.

Ren's eyes narrowed to slits.

Jaune's did the same.

"On- and there they go…" Nora laughed, her hair flapping to the side as the two of them sped off. The ginger-haired girl giggled as she reached over to snag Blake's collar, right as the girl was about to creep away. "Come on Blakey, it's time to test your skills."

/-/

Jaune's fingers hammered down on the buttons in time with the brightly-coloured flashes on the screen. He bit down on his lip, angled his head to the side (as though it might help), and narrowed his eyes.

" **Jaune…"**

" _I've got this,"_ he whispered.

" **Jaune, pull out!"**

" _I'm so close!"_

" **You'll never make it!"**

He ignored his advisor and gambled all his points on the final level. He could have cashed out then and there for fifteen tickets, but the jackpot promised fifty, albeit he had to slap the coloured buttons in time with an ever-increasing complexity. It was a risk… he knew that.

But he also knew he'd seen Ren with a huge roll of tickets, and that was something he couldn't accept. The lights flashed, the colours flickered, and his hands darted across the dash, slamming into each one in turn.

Blue, red, blue, green, red, yellow, white, blue, red- Jaune's eyes narrowed even further as he focused. The screen flashed, red, he slapped the red key. It went blue, he slapped the blue. It flashed white-

His hand missed the white key.

No!

Time seemed to slow as the inevitability of his failure loomed in on him. In his mind he imagined Yang, a pained smile on her face as she told him it was okay that he ruined her first date by failing to win a toy for her. He also imagined his mother shaking her head, Ruby in tears and for some reason an Ursa on the back of a Beowolf, but the last one seemed less pertinent to the current disaster. He'd failed…

" **Not yet, you haven't!"** Remy roared. It was a roar both within his mind and out, as the tiny parasite powered through his body and burst from the surface of his hand. Its tiny body hissed as it extended its mandibles to the sky.

-and then bodily slammed its face down onto the white button.

"WINNER!" the machine announced. It whirred and clicked as tickets were disgorged from the slot at the bottom. Jaune sagged in relief, even as the parasite quickly wormed its way back under his skin.

"Remy…" he whispered.

" **This isn't over yet, Jaune. We're a team, and no pink-eyed wannabe is going to beat** _ **us**_ **at this kind of thing."**

" _You're right,"_ Jaune nodded and steeled himself. _"We'll win this!"_

" **Damn straight. We'll show him he's no match for our combined skill, be that on the button game, hoop-toss or that violent what a Grimm game."**

" _Yeah, we'll-"_ Jaune cut off as he felt something tug on his sleeve. He blinked and glanced down in time to see Neo smile back up at him. "Oh, hey Neo. Is something wrong?" The girl shook her head and held out one hand, a small line of tickets dangling from her fist. "For me?" he asked.

Neo nodded.

"I shouldn't acc-"

" **Take the tickets!"** Remy roared.

" _W-What the hell, Remy? I thought you said we were going to beat him through skill?"_

" **I said we were going to win! I never said we needed to do it legitimately."** Jaune could imagine the parasite rubbing its little claws together, but he was less sure. It felt like cheating… even if using Remy in the first place was probably already that. He was about to reject the kind offer, but for the parasite speaking up. **"It would be a real shame if Yang didn't get a gift from you… a real shame…"**

"Thanks, Neo!" Jaune stuffed the tickets into his pocket and rubbed a hand over the top of her head. She smiled proudly and jogged off. That left him to tally the number he had in his mind, picking his way through the crowd and towards the prize area. _Hmm, I think it was two hundred and fifty tickets for the main prize, and we're around two hundred now._

Jaune stepped aside to walk around a small child crying to his mother about how someone mugged him for his tickets. Yikes, it sounded like some people took the whole thing even more seriously than he did.

In the distance, he caught Ren hunched over a machine, Nora cheering behind him. Jaune cursed and hurried on, nodding to Ruby as he slipped in next to her on what had to be the easiest, but also the most horrifying game in the arcade.

Whack-a-Grimm…

 _At least it's just a foam mallet,_ he told himself. Plus, the Grimm heads came back up, so it wasn't like the game was promoting actual violence against them. Also, Ursa and Beowolves didn't really live underground, but by this point he'd given up on understanding the people here for the day. He just needed to win. That was all.

"How's it going?" Ruby asked. "Do you have enough for Yang's gift?"

"Nearly," he whispered. His hand blurred out to strike the first Ursa on the head, and he whined in frustration at how slow it was to come down. The damn thing started off slow but sped up, which meant the beginning was torturous agony. What if Ren already had enough? "I just need a good score on this."

Ruby nodded and turned back to the watch him as he slapped down each mechanical Grimm-head as it popped up. The hammer made a loud squeak as he did, at odds with the fierce concentration and atmosphere. He felt sweat bead on his forehead but didn't dare wipe it away. Even a moment's distraction could prove catastrophic. Idly, he imagined summoning several tentacles, each with a mallet gripped in them.

He reached out to knock a Grimm on the left down, but cursed when the blasted machine decided to be random and brought one up on the other side. He reared back to try and catch it, but paused when a different hammer hit it.

"Heh heh," Ruby giggled nervously. "If it's for Yang, I don't mind helping a little…" Her small hand darted out at unnatural speeds to hit another, and then a third. "Or a lot," she added.

"Ruby…"

"Y-Yeah?"

"Let's do this."

Ruby's eyes sparkled, and such was his concentration, he didn't even feel afraid of them. One hand gripped the table, while the other wielded the hammer with terrifying force. Each blow shook the machine and the score grew higher. Ruby's darted in, beneath and between his arms, her Semblance-enhanced speed allowing her to reach to even the craziest of challenges the machine put forth. As the tempo increased, so did the points, and with the two of them working together, he was able to push it higher than ever before.

"Rarghh!" They yelled as one, both hammers meeting as they struck the final Beowolf down in unison.

There was a dull clunk from within the machine which heralded them knocking the mechanism loose, and the rattling whirr it emitted didn't bode well. Before it died, however, it spat out fifty tickets and a high score. Jaune drew a deep breath, eyes alight with the taste of victory. It was short-lived as Ruby's hands settled on his back.

"Go," she whispered. "Hurry!"

The prize! Jaune nodded, both in acceptance and thanks, as he pushed his way through the crowd and toward the jewelled throne where that most incredible of treasures lay. One or two children had their faces pressed to the glass, but none dared stand between him and the machine that would count and allocate his prize.

His hand slammed down onto it.

At the exact same moment Ren's did.

"Hmm…" Ren looked up to him, pink eyes meeting blue. "It seems we're matched again, Jaune. I take it you have the two hundred and fifty tickets required?"

"Yeah. You as well?"

"Naturally…" Ren looked to the machine and then back to him. "I guess that means our competition comes in as a draw. Somehow I can't help but think that sounds fitting."

"But there's only one top prize," Jaune said. He bit down on his lower lip. He'd worked so hard to try and win it for Yang, to fulfil the task almost every book he'd ever read had labelled as necessary for a date to be successful. You _had_ to win a prize for whomever you took, it was just the law. Ruby's words had only forced that message home. He wanted to win it for Yang, even if this whole date thing was just a case of him being polite and accepting her offer. She was a friend and he still wanted to make her date a special one. "I don't know what to do," Jaune said. Ren smiled.

"I do." Ren pulled his hand away and stepped back.

"Ren…" Jaune's voice came out small and brittle, mixed with emotion he wasn't sure he could place. Ren was… he was going to stand back and let him have the top prize? There was something in his throat, and Jaune had to swallow it down before he could continue. "Are you sure?"

"The competition is a draw," Ren said, with a pleased smile. "The prize, however… you have a good reason to want it and I respect that. I don't have a date to impress, and as Yang's partner, I'd like to see her happy too." On the outskirts, Jaune noticed Yang waving her arms wildly back and forth in front of her. He waved back.

"Ren, I… that's… I don't know what to say."

"Perhaps I'll find someone like that for myself one day," Ren continued, "but until then, I think you should be the one to take the main prize. I don't have anyone interested in me that way who I could give it to."

"N-Nora," Blake gasped, struggling in the orange-haired girl's suddenly iron grip. "Y-You're c-choking me."

"Has no one," Nora whispered. "Give gift away… nothing for poor old Nora…"

Jaune looked back to Ren and smiled. He took a step forward and held his hand up. Ren met it, the two clasping fists as their wrists met. Jaune didn't think he'd ever felt closer to another man than at that very moment. Ren wasn't just a friend… he was a brother. "Thank you, Ren," he whispered.

" _Remy. Make a note. We're going to introduce Ren to my sisters."_

" **Why? I thought you liked this guy."**

" _As a potential suitor, idiot."_

" **I repeat, I thought you liked this guy."**

Bah, Remy didn't know what he was talking about. His sisters were wonderful and Ren would be blessed to have one of them fall for him. He'd need to take a picture of the team leader later and send it over to their scrolls. _He's mature, so maybe Sapphire or Sable would suit him. He's fairly handsome too. I bet Lavender would blush up a storm. Hmm, that mysterious edge would probably get Coral excited too.  
_

So many options... well, seven - but he could always consider his Big Sis too.

Jaune shook his head and stepped back, releasing his new metaphorical (and maybe one-day marital) brother. He turned back to the machine and filtered his tickets through the slot. The number beeped to tell him he had the requisite amount, and then asked him to put the code in for the prize. He did so with shaking fingers. The machine flashed.

" _PRIZE NOT FOUND."_

"Eh?" Jaune looked up, eyes wide. The stuffed Beowolf toy, which had been there less than a minute ago, was nowhere to be seen.

Someone else had claimed it while they'd been distracted.

/-/

" _Report in_." The voice echoed in the receiver in Mercury's left ear, the familiar, sharp tone that of the one he took orders from. He would have replied, but he knew it was not he, Cinder wanted a report from.

" _They're at some kind of arcade,"_ Emerald reported. _"I've kept my distance as ordered, but they've been in there for a good three hours now, ma'am."_

" _An Arcade?"_ Cinder hummed. _"I see. I take it he is playing games with his new friends. Is Neo there?"_

" _She is."_

Mercury could practically _hear_ Cinder's frustration at that, even if not a sound passed through the call. He could also imagine Emerald cringing too. Honestly, he was lucky she'd drawn the short straw and been sent to stalk after Cinder's brother. It could have just as easily been him.

" _What is Neo doing, exactly? Is she making any unusual moves?"_

" _Nothing that I can see,"_ Emerald said. _"Honestly, she seems to spend most of her time glaring at the blonde girl he was holding hands wi-"_ His partner cut off immediately, but the damage was already done.

" _What was that?"_ Cinder asked, voice sharp. _"What was he doing?"_

There was no response from Emerald for a moment, and Mercury imagined she was hoping he would chip in and bail her out. He snorted silently. Yeah right, like he was going to do that.

" _He uh… he appeared to be holding hands with the blonde girl, ma'am. It looks like they're out on a date together."_

The blonde? Xiao-Long, wasn't it? Mercury whistled silently. That was quite the catch – he more than approved. Of course, he wasn't quite stupid enough to voice that opinion out loud, but maybe he'd pat the guy's back when he had the chance.

" _A date,"_ Cinder murmured. _"How nice… yes, that's nice. I'm pleased for him. I'm sure his mother will be thrilled. It's good that he's meeting other people. So… very… good."_

" _Um… ma'am?"_

" _Continue to track him,"_ Cinder snapped. _"Stay out of sight and if Neo attempts anything to harm him, deal with her. I have… I have research to do."_ There was a beep as Cinder cut herself out of the call, leaving the two of them behind. Mercury laughed.

"Nice, Em, real nice."

" _Oh, like you would have done any better. Are you even fulfilling your side of the bargain?"_

"I'm working on it," Mercury said, pushing himself off the wall he'd been leaning against and moving down the corridor. "Tracking this guy isn't easy when I don't even know what room is his. Do you have any idea how many strange looks I've gotten walking around asking for Winchester's room?"

" _Oh, suck it up."_

"Funny," he mused, "One of the girls I asked suggested I do that as well. Anyway, I'll find out what I can. Will you be okay if Neo goes rogue?"

" _Is that concern for me?"_ Emerald asked. He snorted.

"Hardly. I just wouldn't want to be lumped with your share of the work if you snuff it."

" _Pah, you're worried about me. What a little bitch."_

"If that's what helps you sleep at night, Em." Mercury spied his prey ahead and pushed a finger against his ear. "I've got to go. I think I've found him."

" _Whatever you do, don't cause a scene. Remember, we need to stay in Beacon for months yet. We don't need you getting expelled."_

"Heh… are you worried about me?"

" _Tch._ " Emerald ended the call with a loud beep.

Mercury pushed his hair back with a little grin. "She wants me."

He moved into the shadow of a small alcove before he reached the target. Winchester was with his cronies, and stood around someone else, and he didn't want to cause a scene. There was no telling what the guy knew or didn't know about the guy they needed to protect, but there was no point spooking him yet. He waited and watched, until the four guys walked off laughing.

He would have followed, but the figure on her knees in the corridor caught his eye. It looked like she'd been bullied, not that he gave a damn, but maybe she would know – and be more than willing – to share some info on the guy. Mercury pushed his way out and towards her, doing his best to pretend he'd only just come across the scene.

"Hey there," he grinned and held out a hand. "Need some help?"

"Oh, yes please…" The rabbit faunus took his hand and pulled herself up, and despite her rather frail form and the sight of her on her knees, he felt the calluses on her fingers. She was a fighter, this one. "T-Thank you for the help. Those four…" She shook her head. "They never learn." She seemed upset, and Mercury faked what concern he could.

"Were they causing trouble for you?"

"No more than usual. They're just racists." She sighed and smiled at him. "Thanks for your help, uh…"

"Mercury Black." He shook her hand with a grin. "I'm a new transfer student, only arrived a day or two back."

"Oh, really? My name's Velvet, Velvet Scarlatina. I'm a second year, so if you ever need any help finding your way around, feel free to ask."

"I will," he said. "Still, isn't it a bit weird for a second year to be bullied by a team of first years?"

"Ah well," Velvet glanced away. "I _could_ fight them off, but then they would just pick on someone weaker and they wouldn't be able to. There are also four of them and only one of me." Her excuse would have been a little more convincing had she an ounce of fear in her voice. He had the feeling it was more a point raised than a valid reason.

Still, it meant she knew about him.

"What's he like, then?" Mercury asked. "I feel like I've heard his name thrown about. Is he well known?"

"He's… somewhat infamous."

"I'm guessing not in a good way."

"More like a complicated way." The girl shrugged one shoulder. "Some fear him as a bully, but he's also a little bit of a laughing stock lately. Apparently, he sexually assaulted this guy out on a field trip."

Mercury's mouth fell open. "Seriously!?"

"That's what they say. I wouldn't have believed it myself, but Coco – that's my team leader – had a detention with Miss Goodwitch, and she saw him leaving when she arrived. Then she noticed the board was covered in lines saying, `I will not pull my classmate's trousers down, no matter how much I believe a monster hides within`."

He snorted. He couldn't help it, the story was pretty crazy. "Who was the lucky guy?"

"Oh, it was a first year called Jaune."

Mercury's smile fell. Oh dear… oh buggering buggery – this was going to be a problem. Did he tell Cinder? Okay, no, he could just imagine what her reaction would be to that. Hiding ashes was easier than a body, but it would still be a daunting prospect. "Jaune Arc?" he asked, just to be sure.

"How do you know his name?" Velvet's eyes narrowed. "I thought you were new here."

"Oh, I knew him from before," Mercury half-lied.

"You were friends with Jaune before?"

Friends? Uh… Mercury thought back to their only real encounter, which to be fair, _did_ involve the guy complimenting his prosthetics. In his book, that made the guy pretty cool. "Yeah, sure." he said. "Jaune and I go way back. Why? Do you know him?"

"Not as much as I'd like to," she smiled – with far too many teeth. She suddenly seemed a lot closer, and also quite a bit more self-assured. Mercury almost flinched back and couldn't help but ask himself whether she was cute, creepy or both. Okay, it was definitely both. "Jaune saved me from Cardin the first time but I never really got a chance to thank him." Velvet mumbled something under her breath but he didn't catch it. "Still, you can help me out, right? You can introduce us properly."

"Er…"

Did he really want to do that, really? It sounded like a lot of work, and if there was one thing he liked to avoid, it was work.

"I'll tell you everything I know about Cardin in exchange. I guess that's why you wanted to know about him, right? You must have heard about how he treats Jaune and you were worried."

"Well, yeah…" Not exactly inaccurate, given the circumstances – it was an excuse he could use if anyone asked, he supposed. On the flip side, it wouldn't be too hard to introduce the girl to Jaune, would it? Plus, she did seem to know a lot about this Winchester guy. Mercury sighed. "Okay, I guess I can bite. You better have some good information about this guy, though."

"Oh, trust me," Velvet linked her arm with hers and led him away. "You won't be disappointed."

/-/

Cinder sighed and flicked her ear piece away. What a complicated mess her little brother had gotten himself into. She didn't believe the rumour of a date in the slightest. He wouldn't know the first thing to do, and as for holding hands, he regularly held hands with her _and_ his sisters – despite Cinder's best efforts to break him of the sickening habit.

"He's gone and messed things up," she mumbled. "I can tell…"

Worst of all, she still didn't know Neo's goal in all of this. Had she expected the runt to be such an issue, she would never have brought her along, but Roman and Neo played their cards well and she'd been too distracted to watch them. Cinder hummed and poured herself a glass of red wine, slipped into the school in their luggage.

She could kill the girl and disguise it as her being called away by distant family… that would remove Neo easily enough.

Cinder sighed and downed her glass. How nice the image was, but it just wouldn't work. She needed Neo for the later stages of her plans, and needed Roman currently as well. Until such a time as they became expendable, she wouldn't be able to harm either.

Jaune would complain as well, she could just tell.

" _Don't kill her, Big Sis – she's nice and cute."_

" _Cinder! You're scaring her."_

" _Don't be mean to Neo, Big Sis!"_

She growled angrily. Damn him, damn her and damn Salem for even having him in the first place. Hopefully Emerald and Mercury would come up with something on his friends soon, that way she could approach them or deal with them as necessity demanded. She placed the flute down on the table and turned about – only to freeze.

Since when had there been a six-foot tall stuffed Beowolf teddy on Neo's bed?

/-/

Ruby sighed and sat back on the plastic seat near the dining area of the arcade. So close… they'd been so close, and yet it had all been stolen away at the last possible second. It didn't seem fair. Yang was sat opposite her, looking almost relieved as she cradled a far smaller fluffy dog teddy in her lap. With the main prize gone, Jaune had tickets left over. He'd decided to use them to buy them all some little things, since the two-fifty went a lot further with medium-sized prizes.

Ruby adjusted her own gift, a pair of star-shaped and glittered sunglasses. She'd been pleased enough with them, but left a little red in the cheeks when Jaune said they looked good on her and he thought she looked cuter with them on. He'd said it right in front of Yang too!

"Argh," Ruby sighed. "I can't believe he didn't win you the main prize."

"No, no, no – this is fine," Yang said. "I've told you before; it would have been awkward to have something that big in my room anyway. This is much more acceptable, especially since he got a teddy for Weiss too."

"That's the problem," Ruby grumbled under her breath. She didn't want Yang to get the same gift as anyone else. This was meant to be a date, and Yang should have gotten the bestest and biggest gift of all, to properly show everyone just how amazing she was. _I guess she must still be shy about the whole thing,_ Ruby realised. Yang had never really had a guy she'd been genuinely interested in before, so it made sense even her sister's vaunted confidence might have taken a hit. It was almost adorable, really.

Dad wouldn't agree – nor would Uncle Qrow, but Ruby thought Yang's stuttering was sweet.

"Sharing the prizes was a nice gesture," Pyrrha said. The redhead had a new hair ornament nestled between her red locks, a small, silvery flower made of metal that she'd weaved into her hair. She seemed rather proud of it. "I had a lot of fun today as well. I didn't realise how entertaining these kinds of games could be!"

"Yeah, they're great," Ruby laughed. "You were really good at the pinball too. How did you keep making the ball hit the right targets? It was amazing."

"Ah hah, well, you know…" Pyrrha trailed off with a nervous laugh. "Beginner's luck? A-Anyway, that's not important. What _is_ important is that this was a great outing!"

That cheered Ruby up, enough so as to wipe away her frustration. "We can come again sometime," she said. "Just me and you, or the whole team – there's no reason we can't do this or other fun stuff on the weekends." Pyrrha smiled down at her.

"That sounds grand. Thanks for convincing me to come, Ruby. I loved it!"

"Aww… shucks," Ruby's cheeks darkened and she waved a hand before her. "What are partners for, eh?"

"Nora!" Jaune's voice came over the din, as the blonde jogged up with another small teddy bear in his hands. This one was of a dark feline with a top hat, and he held it out towards her.

"For me…?" Nora gasped, clearly surprised, and perhaps even a little touched. She held one hand to her mouth and stared at Jaune.

"I noticed you didn't have one yet." He grinned. "I know it isn't much, but-"

"No! It's adorable!" Nora snatched it and crushed the thing to her chest with a wide smile. "Ooh, Jauney you're so sweet! If only a certain stupid someone would do the same…" Her words drifted off into a dark growl.

"Is Nora he- oh…" Ren walked up to Jaune and Nora, a rather large stuffed green octopus in his hands. He looked at Jaune with an almost intrigued expression. "You got Nora a gift?"

Jaune nodded. "Yeah. I didn't realise you were already working on one for her. Sorry if I got in the way."

"No, it's fine." Ren hefted the five-foot tall octopus on his shoulder. "I checked the other floors to find one with a main prize for her, but it seems you beat me to the punch." Ren shook his head. "I wouldn't want to devalue your gift, however, especially since Nora looks so happy with it. Here Blake," Ren sighed and deposited the huge thing in Blake's arms, causing the girl to stumble back with wide eyes.

"Uh… thank you?" It was hard to see her past the huge, green thing, and the tentacles that fell down over her legs.

"Well, that's everyone," Ren clapped his hands together. "I have a few tickets left over, but I think I'll go hand them out among whichever kids look the most miserable. You want to come?"

"That sounds nice," Jaune nodded, following after Ren.

"How sweet," Pyrrha smiled.

"A-A little help here," Blake pleaded.

"They're both great guys," Yang agreed. "I remember when Ruby was younger, she used to beg people for any of their spare tickets. She was really good at it too. She used to make her eyes tear up, and people couldn't wait to hand them over."

"Yang!" Ruby whined, embarrassed. "I was a kid!"

"Ruby, that was less than two years ago."

"S-Seriously you guys," Blake called. "I-I need help. I can't see past this thing!"

"What happened to Jaune's childhood friend anyway? I haven't seen her since we arrived."

"I'm not sure," Yang said. "Maybe she got bored and went home?

"Hel-oof!" Blake collapsed to the floor, brought down by the weight of the tentacle teddy, which splayed over her body. She pushed it off with a growl and sat up. "Nora, could you help me up… Nora…?"

"Yes, Blake?" Nora growled, eyes wide open and face twisted into a strange smile. It had a mechanical, brittle edge, as though she were less human and more clockwork machine. "What is it, Blake? How can I help you, Blake? Is Renny's gift to you causing you problems, Blake? Nora isn't burdened down by love like you, Blake. How can Nora help you, Blake?"

"Uhh…" Blake leaned away warily. "You're scaring me, Nora."

/-/

Mercury hummed an amused tune to himself as he pushed the ear-piece back in and called his partner. It dialled for a few moments, but eventually patched through. As ever, her greetings were delightful.

" _What is it now? This better be important, Mercury."_

"Nice to hear your voice too, Em." He paused, just long enough that he knew she'd start to get annoyed. Right about the moment he heard her patience start to snap, he spoke up. "I managed to find something on our man."

" _Really?"_

"You sound surprised."

" _That would be because I am. This is you we're talking about here. Please tell me you didn't walk up to him and ask him?"_

Mercury rolled his eyes and smiled at a few passing students. He tapped his finger against the device, sending a quick beat through that Emerald knew as a cue to stay quiet and wait. They'd done this enough times.

"I didn't ask him," Mercury said once the people had walked by. "I _did_ , however, find a little informant of my own."

" _Wait, what?"_

"I made a contact," he said proudly. His grin widened. "In fact, you might even call her a friend."

" _You, Mercury Black, made a friend? Don't make me laugh."_

"Now, now," he chided. "There's no need to be jealous."

" _I'm not… ugh…"_ Emerald groaned and he could just imagine her with one hand pushed against her face. _"Can you just stick to the script for a moment? Tell me what you were able to find out."_

Mercury crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall behind him. Velvet had proven quite the source, actually, enough so to more than earn what little he'd fired back. None of her questions had been particularly intrusive, just things on what Jaune was like, what kind of person he was and such. He'd answered as best he could and they'd even made plans to meet up in a few days' time and see if they had anything else to share. She was pretty cool, for a good guy.

"Well, I think I found the reason why our little problem wants to cause trouble for Jaune. How's that for information gathering?" He waited for her praise, but decided to carry on when he caught her muted growl instead. "Anyway, it turns out the reason Winchester is after our old friend is because he wants to get into his pants."

" _Wait… he's gay?"_

"Pretty much confirmed." Mercury inspected his fingernails. "I even decided to verify it by asking a few people after I'd spoken with my contact and they all confirmed it. Cardin Winchester is in the closet for the guy we're meant to protect."

" _That… that doesn't make sense, though. When I overheard him, he sounded like he hated Arc and wanted to make him suffer!"_

"Well, that's the thing, isn't it? Apparently, Winchester's one of those bullies who cares too much about their rep. Long, traditional family behind him, the kind that wouldn't approve of a fruitcake of a son." Mercury grinned. "Finding out he swings that way must have been a shock, and it looks like he's determined to take it out on our boy."

" _So… he's one of those people who likes someone but pretends they don't, and generally goes out of their way to insult and belittle their crush?"_

"Yeah," Mercury agreed. "Kinda like you."

" _Feel free to die at any moment, Mercury."_

"Heh, and let you take advantage of my body? Not a chance."

" _Idiot… so, this doesn't really fix anything, does it? We know why he is going to make a move against Arc, but he's still going to do it. That means we need to step in."_

"Yeah, I figured. I take it we're doing this on our own and not telling Cinder."

" _Do you want to tell her some guy is trying to half-molest, half-kill her little brother?"_

Not really, and not anytime soon. Mercury sighed and looked up towards the ceiling, in the dire hope it might have the answers to this conundrum. It did not, but it appeared someone had sketched their initials into it, along with a drawing of a penis.

"I take it we're going to think up some plan when you get back?" he said. "How long are you going to be, anyway?"

" _I'm already on my way back. They've finished at the arcade and I overheard them say they plan to walk to the sea-front, and then head back to Beacon."_

"So you just left them?" he asked. "That's a bit ballsy, isn't it? What if Cinder finds out?"

" _She won't if you don't tell her,"_ Emerald said. _"And you won't tell her if you don't want to accidentally ask Miss Goodwitch if you can screw her in the middle of class next week. Besides, what could they possibly get up to in the fifteen minutes it takes to walk to the docks and back?"_ Mercury shrugged and pushed off the wall.

"Yeah… I guess you're right.

/-/

"Quickly, after that rapscallion!" Weiss yelled.

"Why are we chasing him?" Jaune asked, sprinting alongside his partner with the rest in tow. The streets of Vale blurred past, along with people who ducked out of their way. Their prey was some blonde guy who looked like he'd been caught only halfway through getting dressed in the morning. Weiss hadn't really explained why they were following him, but she'd seemed worked up ever since they stopped by that burgled store a few minutes ago.

"He might be a member of the White Fang! We need to arrest him."

"You don't know that!" Blake yelled, and then nearly tripped on one of the octopus' tentacles. She caught herself agilely, but grunted under the teddy bear's weight. "You can't just make that kind of assumption."

"Then why are _you_ chasing him?" Weiss returned. "My team can handle this on its own."

"Uh…" Blake struggled for an answer.

"He _winked_ at Blake!" Nora yelled. "My partner just got propositioned!"

"N-Nora, nothing like that happened!"

"It was a wink-and-run." Nora growled and started to run a little faster. "I won't let him get away with that! If he wants to sass my partner, he can do it to her face. You can't just take advantage of Blakey and run away like it doesn't matter."

"You're completely missing the point!" Blake howled.

"Guys," Ruby called from up front. "I can barely watch where I'm going when you're all being so distracti-" Ruby shrieked as she collided with something. Weiss ran into her back, and Jaune into hers, followed by the others in quick succession with only Ren and Pyrrha being far enough back to dodge. Blake hit last, mostly because she hadn't noticed the pile-up at all thanks to her vision being mostly obscured by green fur. "Owie," Ruby groaned, somewhere at the bottom of the pile.

Jaune tried to ask if she was okay, but couldn't quite articulate the words past Yang's cleavage. The blonde girl giggled at the sensation, then shrieked and tried to kick him off. Weiss yelped as she took the blow instead.

Something shifted beneath them.

"Hmm, the people in Vale are certainly more enthusiastic than Atlas. Sensational!"

* * *

 **Oh dear… oh dear, indeed. So yes, to reiterate, Thursday next week and from now on will be the new upload date for White Sheep. That will give me actual time to work on it and get it across to College Fool.**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter, not to mention the shenanigans within. I'm not sure who I'm bullying more by this point, Blake or Nora.** **At least Neo won her desired toy, although I use the term `won` lightly. It's in the air whether she mugged children for tickets or just stole the teddy while everyone was busy with the bromance. Still, must be nice to have a teddy bear bigger than you are.  
**

 **I suppose I should also throw out a little shout-out to Cyberthehedgehog, since I did catch that little easter-egg reference to White Sheep in your latest artwork. Cute, lol.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 27** **th** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	16. Chapter 16

**The new Thursday schedule, ah, it certainly did feel easier to write this. College Fool even got to see it, though it was a lot longer at the time. Then again, CF did suggest I cut it down to where it is now.**

 **Let the hate flow through you…**

 **Nah, it got fairly rushed towards the end in an attempt to fit events into a word count, whereas how it is now flows a little more naturally. That's the kind of thing a Wednesday deadline didn't let CF bring up before, since I wouldn't have time to make so grand a change.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 16 – Normal Sheeple**

* * *

It took a minute or two to sort out the tangled heap of limbs and get everyone back on their feet. Jaune pulled Yang up last, but she didn't return his gaze for some reason. In fact, she seemed more content to cover her chest and rush over to her team, cheeks a dark crimson. He felt he should have asked about it, but his attention was more caught by the person Ruby had helped up and was currently apologising to. She was a strange girl, shorter than him with bright, orange hair that seemed almost strangely single-tone. Her eyes were a pastel green that seemed to stare a little too closely into Ruby's. They didn't cause him discomfort like his friend's did, but there was still something odd about them. She also seemed _far_ too interested in Ruby's apology.

"-and that's why we're sorry," Ruby said.

"There's no need to be sorry," the girl said. "This is my first time in Vale and I have already made contact with the local people. This is sensational!"

" **Contact,"** Remy snorted. **"That's one way of putting it."**

Jaune tried to smile at the joke, but there was still something that made his stomach flutter. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling - not painful, but rather one that felt odd… out of place. It was only noticeable because of how he'd never felt it before. _"Remy, is it just me or is there something a little off about her? Can you feel it?"_ He sighed and tilted his head as he watched her talk with Ruby. _"She just… I'm not sure how to explain it."_

" **Hmm, I'm surprised you noticed at all."** Remy adopted a lecturing tone. **"I feel it too, maybe a little more than you do, but I'm fully Grimm while you're still mostly human."**

" _What is it?"_

" **I've no idea. She feels different, somehow. Nice in a way… no, I'm not even sure it's that. I don't know. I… I think I like it."**

What? Jaune almost did an about take. Remy, the Grimm parasite, actually _liked_ a human? Other than him and his family, he meant, and they didn't count. It was enough to blow his mind. _"But I thought you hated humans?"_ he said in his mind. _"You're always bitching about them."_

" **I criticise,"** he corrected. **"I don't bitch."** He totally did. **"Besides, she feels different. I don't get the same vibe from her – I think she might actually be a… no, I daren't say it."**

" _Say what?"_

" **She… she might actually be an example of a** _ **good**_ **human. I-If such a thing even exists."** Remy spluttered to a finish and went silent, but Jaune's mind was already awhirl. Remy _never_ liked people – he always considered them selfish, egotistical and bitter… which was pretty ironic, but he didn't bother to point that out.

Wow… Remy actually approved of someone. Well, that was probably as good a reason as any to trust her. Jaune nodded minutely, to show he understood – even if he didn't. He shrugged and tuned back into the conversation between Ruby and the girl. Now that the feeling was placed, he could ignore it a little better, but he still wondered what it meant.

"My name is Penny," she said. "It is a pleasure to meet you all."

"Ah, yeah…" Ruby took turns to introduce Penny around the group, before finally reaching him. "-and this is Jaune. He's new to Vale as well."

"Sensational!" Penny rushed up to grip his hand and shook it. She had a powerful grip. "I worried that I was the only person who did not know the local area. It is difficult to acclimatise to this new environment."

"Tell me about it," he said, feeling a rare surge of empathy. He'd been there… oh, how he'd been there. "I couldn't believe how different things were when I first got here. I feel like I made all kinds of mistakes."

"Yes! Yes, I feel much the same!" Penny stomped one foot on the ground. It caused the pavement to crack. "I've met someone who has faced the same struggles as me, this is sensational!" She held her hands before her. "Did people look at you strangely when you asked for information on Vale as well?"

"They did!" Jaune's eyes widened and he took step forward. "I just wanted to ask directions, but they all ignored me."

"That was rude of them. Would it have taken so much to help?"

"I know, right?" Jaune nodded, but then paused as he felt a sudden rush of guilt. "Ah, well – most did, anyway, but there was this one girl who didn't. She was really sweet and helped me out. She was beautiful as well." Jaune turned to look for Yang, and caught her trying to hide behind Ren with an embarrassed expression. He waved at her. "Thanks for that, Yang!"

"Ha ha, yeah… um…" Yang grinned back and pulled Ren in between them. The young man sighed and rolled his eyes. Nora, on the other hand, seemed to be wearing a huge smile as she whispered something to Yang. "Nora! It wasn't like that!"

" _Sure_ it wasn't, Yang. I totally believe you."

Yang growled and leapt for Nora, who laughed and fended her off with the stuffed cat he'd won for her. Jaune watched them with a smile, but turned back to Penny when he realised she was silent.

"What about when you first arrived," he asked. "Did you think the people seemed really stand-offish as well?"

"Oh yes," Penny nodded happily. "I tried to approach some to introduce myself and ask if they wanted to be friends, but they gave me the strangest of looks. It was most confusing." She looked upset, but Jaune quickly placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I think they were just stupid, then." He smiled at her. "You were clearly just being friendly. Why would anyone react badly to that?"

"I thought so too, Jaune Arc." Penny's eyes sparkled as she looked into his. No, wait – were they actually glowing? That was a pretty cool Semblance. "I felt out of place ever since," she continued. "Perhaps I merely misunderstood the culture of Vale. I am more familiar with Atlas, or certain parts of Atlas. I am trying my hardest to be a normal girl."

Normal…

He couldn't believe it, he honestly couldn't believe it. Jaune's breath caught in his throat, but he smiled through the pain and looked into her eyes. It was like looking into a mirror, albeit one that didn't work very well because he didn't look anything like the girl – but the metaphor was still there somewhere. She was just like him. She'd gone through the same things he had!

" **What? Some kind of non-human pretending to be normal? Pft. Yeah, right. I'm pretty sure we hold the monopoly on that one."**

Jaune ignored his advisor and smiled at Penny. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll make it through. In fact, maybe I can help you. I've started to learn what it means to be in Vale and I can share some of that with you."

"You would? That is sensational! Jaune Arc, I would be happy to accept your offer of tutelage."

"It's just Jaune. That's what most of my friends call me."

Penny's eyes widened. "Then… does that mean we are friends?"

"Sure," he grinned and turned to his left. "Right, Ruby?"

"Eh!" Ruby jumped at suddenly being addressed, and fixed with expectant stares from both Penny and he. Ruby looked back to the others, in time to see them all wildly shake their heads. She turned back to him and giggled. "Uh… sure?

"Sensational! I have made not one, but two friends – both friend Ruby Rose and friend Just Jaune! This is the greatest day of my existence." She sounded so pleased with herself and he hated to interrupt that, but…

"Actually, it's just Jaune."

"Just Jaune," Penny repeated. "I understand. It would not be right to keep calling you friend Just Jaune." She turned to Ruby. "Should I do the same for you, friend Ruby Rose?"

"Ruby," Ruby said. "That's all you need to call me. Just use my first name."

"I understand, Ruby. Oh, this is a wondrous day."

"Ha ha, yeah… wondrous." Ruby swallowed and glanced back at the others. "Guys, a little help here!?"

"Why?" Weiss asked. "You seem to be doing such a great job already. I'd hate to intrude."

Ruby shot her a desperate look.

"There is one thing I am confused about, however," Penny said. "I do not understand why you were all in such a hurry when we collided with one another. Were you not eager to reach some destination?" The question was so innocent it took them all a few seconds to realise what she meant. When they did, it was Weiss who groaned and slapped a hand to her forehead.

"We let that criminal get away…"

"We don't know he was a criminal!" Blake snapped.

"A criminal?" Penny asked. "Oh no, if I had known, I would have been able to help."

Weiss ignored Penny entirely. She glared at Blake and planted her hands on her hips. "What was he, if not a criminal? You saw those officers chasing him, and we heard first-hand how that store was attacked by the White Fang."

"And the fact he jumped off a ship that just arrived doesn't suggest that would be impossible? You can't just assume all faunus are part of the White Fang, or that they were even involved in that robbery in the first place."

"Did I make any such assumptions?" Weiss asked. Her expression was nothing short of victorious. "I only said he was a criminal, and his own words as a stowaway prove as such. As for the White Fang, I can't help but believe the detectives working on the case would know more about it than us. I think it's fairly safe to believe their lead."

"And what if they're wrong!?"

"That's a lot of ifs, Belladonna. Why are you so interested anyway? It's just another set of crimes committed by a terrorist group. They're just a bunch of murderers and monsters. No better than the Grimm, really."

"You-"

"Hey!"

Jaune and Blake looked at one another, surprised to find they'd spoken at the same time. He gestured for Blake to continue, and she seemed pleased both with that, and the fact he'd spoken up to argue against Weiss.

"See?" she said. "Even your own partner disagrees with your blatant prejudice."

Did he? He'd just been about to argue with the whole Grimm being as bad as terrorists line. Surely terrorists and criminals were worse, since Grimm didn't actively break any rules or betray the trust of anyone. Sure, they would kill a human if one came into their territory, but both sides knew that. Grimm didn't lie, cheat or steal. Well, other than him.

"Prejudice…?" Weiss reared up. "I'm sorry, is that what we call statements of fact nowadays?"

"Argh, I've had enough of… of you! I'm going back to Beacon." Blake stormed past the heiress with an angry expression. It might have been more intimidating were it not for the large, green octopus that dangled over one shoulder. To Blake's credit, she did manage to turn in such a way as to make one of the tentacles whip out and catch Weiss across the face.

"F-Fine!" Weiss spluttered, and spat it out of her mouth. "Go then. I'm not even sure why you're so bothered, but it's no problem of mine."

"Blakey, wait!" Nora yelled. She rushed after her partner, but stopped to shoot Weiss a dirty look and stick her tongue out. "Hold on, Blakey!"

"I had best go as well," Ren said.

"Ha ha, well…" Yang laughed nervously and looked at them all. "I guess I'll see you all later." She rushed after her team as well, but paused before she went past him. "I uh… I guess we'll be cutting it short. Thanks for winning me the dog." Yang held up the gift he'd won her with a pleased smile.

"It's no problem, Yang. I had fun."

"Yeah, uh…" She kicked the dirt behind her and shot a worried look to Ruby. Jaune noticed Ruby nodding her head happily. "So, uh… I guess that's it. I'll see you around?" Yang looked like she was considering saying or doing something, but she took another look at Ruby and backed away. She turned, waved goodbye, and sprinted after her team.

"Jaune," Ruby whined. "Why didn't you kiss her?"

"Should I have?"

"Ye…" Ruby sighed and shook her head. "Never mind… I guess you can do it properly next time. Maybe Yang was just shy with so many people around."

" _Should I have kissed her, Remy? I didn't think we were that close."_

" **Ew, no. Why would you want human germs on you like that?"**

Okay, he'd forgotten who he was dealing with for a moment there. It wasn't like the idea upset him, not with Yang. She was really good looking, not to mention friendly, kind and helpful. _I don't know if I feel that way about her, though. I only agreed to this date because I didn't want to embarrass her. Then again, I did have a lot of fun. Uh… this is complicated._

He needed to ask someone for advice. Maybe his Big Sis would have some for him. He made a note to ask her later, then turned to those that remained. Pyrrha and Ruby were sending Weiss dirty looks.

"What!?" Weiss demanded. "I said nothing that wasn't correct."

"I think it was the way you said it," Ruby pointed out.

" _Should I do something?"_ Jaune wondered. _"This looks like it could lead to an argument."_

" **Meh, I'm sure they've got it all in hand."**

"Are you saying I _did_ do something wrong?" Weiss glared at Ruby. "All I said was exactly what everyone knows about the White Fang. They are enemies of the people!" She took a deep breath and looked away. "No. I don't have to explain myself. Not to you, and not to Belladonna either. I'm going back to Beacon."

"I'll go and keep her company," Pyrrha whispered to them as the heiress stormed away. The redhead waved as she rushed off to catch up with Weiss.

" **Okay, I stand corrected."**

"Well…" Ruby laughed and rubbed the back of her head. "That was… yeah, I'm sorry about that, Penny. That must have been awkward."

"Not at all, Ruby. I found it fascinating!"

"Uh…"

"My father says that friends often have fights. That must mean Weiss and Blake's relationship is _very_ close. I am jealous of how much they care for one another."

"Ah…" Ruby looked to him for help, but he shrugged back. Penny raised a good point and he'd definitely been present when his sisters had arguments like that. Maybe they _were_ closer than he'd thought. "Well…" Ruby sighed. "Sure, why not. At least you're not upset."

"I am eager to experience the culture and activities normal people of Vale get up to," Penny said. "If that is having an argument with a friend, then I am happy to see that too. You were all out in Vale to find this… rapscallion Miss Weiss spoke of?"

"Not quite," Jaune said. He sent Ruby a quick smile and she rolled her eyes at how quickly the day dissolved into chaos. "We came out to have fun. I'm new to Vale as well, mostly because I've been in Beacon since term started. Ruby and the others were showing me around Vale to help me get used to the area."

"Not that we got much of that done," Ruby said. "We went to the arcade and lost three hours or so there."

" **No time spent in glorious battle is lost!"**

" _You tell her, Remy!"_ Jaune cheered. They won! Okay, well, they didn't _beat_ Ren, but they didn't lose to him either, and surely the opposite of defeat was victory. It still counted!

"Would it be possible for me to come with you?" Penny asked. "I don't mean to intrude, but I know nothing about the area too and this is the first time I've ever made friends." She smiled at the both of them. "I don't want this moment to end now."

It was like a blow to his heart. The first friends she'd made… much like Ruby was the first he'd ever made. _She's just like me._ Jaune turned to Ruby.

"What do you think, Ruby? I'd like her to come along, but you're the one showing me around. If it's too much…" He trailed off, but made sure to look as adorable as he could as he looked at her. Ruby held his gaze for eight or so seconds, before she flushed and broke eye contact.

"T-The more the merrier," she said. "I'd be happy to show you both around."

"Sensational!"

"You're the best, Ruby."

"You guys…" Ruby squirmed but looked pleased at all the praise. "Okay, I guess I can teach you about Vale and show you around. You both ready for the Ruby Rose Vale experience?" Jaune nodded.

"I am," Penny said. "Friend Ruby, I am experience ready!"

/-/

"Do you think it was right of us to abandon Ruby and Jaune like that?" Pyrrha asked. The redhead sighed as she sprawled on her bed, luxuriating in the soft mattress after so long walking around Vale and standing in the arcade. Idly, her fingers played with the metal hair ornament Jaune won for her. It was very beautiful.

Maybe she could wear it all the time.

"A little late to bring that up, isn't it?" Weiss asked. "It's been four hours and Vale isn't on fire. I'm sure that means they're fine."

"Weiss, be nice. Ruby is a lot more mature than she looks."

"I was referring to Jaune and that new friend of theirs."

"Oh…" Pyrrha tried to think of a way to deny Weiss' words, but wasn't quite able to. "Jaune _is_ quite intelligent, you know?"

"Oh I know. Believe me, it's one of the few things that prevent me from suffocating myself with a pillow. I've seen his coursework, Pyrrha, not to mention his homework. Some of it puts even my own to shame."

High praise from Weiss, and it probably meant a lot that she would say it. Pyrrha smiled over at the girl. Most people would have called her frosty, but now that she thought about it, Weiss hadn't really been that to them… certainly not in the privacy of their dorm. She was strict, sure, but that was usually when she tried to teach Ruby some lesson she'd missed from moving ahead. That was the exact opposite of cold, since she did it to try and help a teammate.

"He does put a lot of effort into his homework," Pyrrha said. "Kind of a weird amount, really. He'll spend two hours or more on it, and just sort of sits there reading. I don't think he's ever scored lower than a ninety."

"Ninety-three is his lowest. I suppose it's just that he's never dealt with homework before. He seems to genuinely enjoy it, rather than see it as a chore he has to do." Weiss flicked a page in the text book she was reading, something about dust manipulation that Pyrrha really didn't grasp. It seemed Jaune wasn't the only intelligent one among them. In a way, their entire team was quite special. A championship fighter, someone elevated two years, heir of a dust company and Jaune – a young man with a powerful aura and bizarre background. "Hopefully his dedication will last," Weiss continued. "I just wish he could be as smart as he is intelligent."

"Is there a difference?"

"Intelligence is the collection of knowledge and information," Weiss said. "Or at least, that's how I consider it. Being smart is a matter of wisdom and common sense, of which my partner seems to lack. You can be a mathematical genius, but it doesn't make you smart if you don't know how to deal with everyday life."

"I suppose that makes sense." Pyrrha hummed as she thought about him. It was hard to remove the rose-tinted goggles, since she could admit she liked him more than anyone knew. Weiss hadn't said anything cruel, however, and it _was_ kind of undeniable.

Jaune was sweet, but he _was_ a bit of a dunce at times.

"He'll get better, I'm sure," Weiss said. "Most of the things we take for granted, he's experiencing for the first time. Honestly, we're lucky he didn't see a car on a road and rush out to see what it was." Pyrrha winced at the analogy.

"I'm sure it wouldn't have been _that_ bad."

"Maybe not, but it depends what he grew up around. If you had never seen a car in your life, and no one ever bothered to explain what one was, what would you think when you saw one?"

The analogy was an odd one, but Pyrrha kind of understood what she meant. _I guess we just take those things for granted. I don't remember my first reaction to finding out about things like that, but I guess I would have been excited as a baby. I guess that means Jaune is better than I was when I first saw one._ Maybe it wasn't so bad after all.

"Still," Pyrrha sighed. "I can't help but feel we should have stuck with them. I know that girl was strange, but it feels cruel to leave Ruby with two people who don't even know their way around Vale."

"Yes, because I'm sure an Atlesian and a Mistralian would have improved the situation."

"It's the principle of the matter, Weiss."

Weiss sighed and laid her book down. "Pyrrha, Ruby is a competent girl in her own right, and Jaune is an adult, even if he's new to Vale and much of normal life. I'm sure they will be fine." The heiress smiled at her, as though there was nothing to fear. Pyrrha smiled back.

"Are you saying that to make me feel better, or to convince yourself?"

Weiss sighed.

"Definitely one of those…"

/-/

It felt like hours later when Ruby led them to an ice-cream parlour. She had a strangely exhausted expression on her face, one which had gotten progressively more haggard as she led them from landmark to landmark, answering their constant questions. Both he and Penny wanted to know everything they could – _everything_ – and Ruby had been forced to deal with the barrage as best she could.

He'd been impressed, though. She always had an answer – even when she got a panicked look on her face.

When she'd brought them here, she'd panted for breath, told them to stay – and then begged them not to walk off or get lost while she got them some ice-cream. That was fine with him, since it gave him a chance to bring his new friend up to speed on the things he'd learned living in Vale. It would help her out and let her get used to the place quicker.

It was only fair of him, after all.

"-and that's why if push comes to shove, you should just compliment the knees," Jaune said.

"I see." Penny looked like she was taking mental notes. "I have to ask, though. Why do I compliment the knees in particular?"

Erk… crap, that was something he'd never found the answer out to. She looked so trusting and hopeful too, like she fully expected him to have the answer. He didn't want to disappoint her, partly because it would make her feel bad, but also because he didn't want to admit he was as clueless as she.

" _Remy, help!"_

" **You think I know!? You're the one who figured all of this out, genius. You tell her."**

"It's- it's their culture." Jaune pulled off his most confident smile. "I think it dates back in history or something, back to times when… knees were used in combat, maybe." Penny didn't look fully convinced, and he panicked as he tried to think of an answer. "Ah, well – haven't you heard that saying `go for the knees`?"

"Oh, I recall one or two people saying it. Hmm, I never realised the knees played so important a part in the history of Vale. Now that I think about it, `get down on your knees` means to surrender." Penny blinked. "Or that you want to please someone you love, but I never understood that function. Oh, and `down on one knee` implies respect." Penny's eyes widened. "Oh my, the knees really do play a large part in Valean culture. I feel so foolish for not realising it!"

"Yeah well, how can a person stand on two feet if not for their knees?" Jaune waved one hand imperiously as he bluffed his way through. Sure, he'd figured it out through trial and error, but he wanted to sound as smart as Ruby did too. She knew so much about Vale, that he didn't want to be left behind. "The knees support the body and allow us to walk on two feet, without which we'd be pretty much useless. If you think about it, without knees, we'd all be useless."

" **Unlike feet, ankles, shins and thighs - or, you know, any other integral part of the human body?"** Remy asked, voice thick with sarcasm. Jaune winced and looked to Penny. He expected much the same reaction, but she looked enthused.

"You're right… Just Jaune, you are absolutely right. I cannot believe I never saw this before. I am learning so much today, it's sensational!" She clasped his hand between hers. "Thank you, thank you, my friend."

"Aw, shucks," Jaune scratched the back of his head. It felt good to help someone like this, gratifying in a way he hadn't ever expected. _Penny really is like me,_ he thought. _If she's going to fit in, I'll have to take her under my tentacle and show her the ropes._ He grinned and placed a hand on her shoulder, spying Ruby coming out of the shop with three cones balanced between her hands. "Watch and learn," he whispered, and then walked towards the girl.

"Hey Jaune," Ruby smiled weakly and held her hand out. He took one of the cones from her and handed it to Penny, then took one for himself. She smiled in thanks, but failed to notice the quick wink he sent to the other girl.

"Thanks, Ruby. Hey, did I mention that your knees look really beautiful today?" He said it casually, so casually that she didn't seem at all prepared for it. Her cheeks flushed and instead of taking a bite of her ice-cream, she shoved it up her nose. She spluttered wildly.

"W-W-What? Jaune – don't _say_ that!" Despite her protest, the embarrassed look on her face made it clear she hadn't been insulted. He shot Penny a thumb-up. She nodded back, clearly impressed.

"I agree, Ruby," she said. "I have been unable to take my eyes off them all day."

"E-Eh!?"

"Me neither." Jaune nodded and pointedly looked down at them. One of Ruby's hands fell to her combat skirt as she struggled to pull it down and hide her legs from view. It looked like her face was about to implode.

"Y-You guys," she said, squirming. "Just… let's just eat our ice-cream, okay?"

Poor Ruby looked embarrassed, which he supposed made sense. He'd laid it on a little thick there, and it probably hadn't helped to have Penny join in. Still, it proved his point and Penny looked enthused to have learned the custom from him. He felt proud of that. Such thoughts were soon washed away when he started to eat the ice-cream, however.

"Hmm," he hummed. "Hmm… mmm…" He ran his tongue across it and gasped as the sharp, strawberry flavour invaded his mouth. It dominated his taste buds, waging a short and brutal war that left him breathless. "Mmm…"

He opened his eyes to see Ruby watching him in absolute horror. A few people around them had stopped to watch as well. One sat on the floor, like they'd just walked into a pole.

"What?" he asked.

"You… do you have to… those sounds?" Ruby's words didn't quite come out right, but he caught the gist of it.

"I've never had this ice-cream stuff before. It tastes incredible!" He didn't think his sisters had tried it before, either. The texture, the taste, the smell… he rolled his eyes back and groaned.

Ruby eeped.

"What about you, Penny?" he asked.

Penny smiled and looked at him, the cone still gripped in her hand, but the treat having melted down her fingers. It didn't look like she'd eaten a bite. "It was a very satisfying experience."

"Um, most people find it more satisfying if they eat it," Ruby said.

"I shall remember that for the next time."

"Would you… would you like me to buy you another?"

"No thank you, Ruby. I am full."

"Full? That doesn't even… no. You know what, I'll accept that." Ruby shook her head and gingerly nibbled on a piece of cone. "Jaune, can you maybe _not_ make those noises if you ever eat it again? Like, definitely not in front of anyone else at Beacon?"

"Why?"

"N-No reason…" Ruby rubbed her forehead. "I didn't expect the day to be so hard. I thought I was just going to show you two around… my head hurts." She rubbed her temple, and Jaune gasped.

"Should we take you to the hospital?"

"Ruby," Penny whispered, at the girl's side in an instant. "I can have you there almost immediately. I am transport ready!"

"N-No, I just… ugh… who wants to go see a movie?"

Jaune perked up. He'd watched a few that Uncle Watts brought back, but never actually seen the `cinema-experience` those videos spoke of. "Can we?" he asked, like an excited child. "Can we really!?"

"Sure," Ruby smiled indulgently. "I suppose a movie couldn't hurt."

/-/

Blake's thoughts wouldn't co-operate. She tried to read, sat cross-legged on her bed as the others did their own things. The book was good, steamy, even, and the room was nice and warm. Nora was quiet for once and Yang seemed lost in thought. It should have been a perfect chance to catch up on her book, but it wasn't. None of it mattered… for her fingers still gripped the pages so tightly she feared they might tear.

That arrogant, prejudiced, little… no, she wouldn't rise to the bait. She sighed and lowered the book, leaning back to take a breath. Mr Tentacles, as Nora dubbed Blake's new piece of furniture, provided a pleasant cushion. It was softer than she'd expected, which was the only reason it was allowed on her bed. There wasn't anything more to that. It was soft and nice, and no matter how many suggestive looks she got from Yang, or jealous ones from Nora, it didn't mean she liked Ren that way, or that he liked her. He was just a courteous and generous man.

It also had nothing to do with what the teddy was _of_. It was just comfortable.

She lifted the book back up and forced herself to read a few more paragraphs, but once more her mind wandered back to what she'd heard out in Vale. It couldn't be true… why would the White Fang bother with petty theft? It didn't make sense. They'd always hit the SDC before, which allowed them to gather resources and hurt their enemy at the same time. Adam had never targeted innocent shopkeepers, and certainly not to the degree of destroying the front of their store.

 _I shouldn't even be bothered by this,_ she thought. _I was supposed to leave that life behind. I'm a Huntress now… what the White Fang does is no concern of mine._

Like so many other things, it was easier said than done. Her thoughts went straight back to what she'd seen, and then to Weiss' stupid comments. She could understand why the Schnee heiress would hate the White Fang, she really could, but it wasn't fair to lump all faunus in with them. In the end, despite her best efforts, she'd gotten angry and stormed off. She'd been surprised when Nora caught up to her, though. Surprised and, dare she admit it, a little touched. Blake's eyes drifted to her partner. She was an annoyance at the best of times, not to mention intrusive, loud, and totally unwilling to let her read in peace.

She was loyal, though… Blake would give her that. At the moment Nora was laid on her stomach, doodling something onto a piece of paper.

"What's that?" Yang asked, leaning off her bed to take a look.

"It's my plan for the end of the world," Nora said. She went back to her picture and hummed to herself. Yang looked to Ren for answers, but their team leader just shook his head.

 _I take it all back._ Blake pinched the bridge of her nose and let out what felt like the tenth sigh that evening. Nora was insane, but could she say she was any less so? Right now, all that crossed her mind was that she wanted to find the White Fang and see for herself if they were doing what those officers said. Perhaps they were being framed by an opportunistic gang? With how most people liked to jump to conclusions, it would be as easy as wearing a mask while you robbed a store.

The real question, however, was what she was going to do about it.

She couldn't just run off on her own. The teachers would get suspicious, not to mention her team. She had to keep her faunus heritage secret too, since there was no telling how they would react if they found out. _At least I'm not on Team WJRP. I can't imagine Weiss would take it well._ Still, even if her team seemed a little more grounded, it wasn't a risk she wanted to take. How did she convince them to support her idea, though?

How did she convince them that it would be a good idea to actively risk their lives investigating a group of dangerous terrorists?

How was she going to stop the White Fang?

"Hm, what was that Blakey?" Nora asked.

Huh, what? Blake flinched at the question, and then again as she noticed Yang and Ren looking her way. "Sorry," she said, "I must have been thinking out loud. What did I say?"

"Something about the White Fang," Nora said. "Are you still upset about what Weiss said? She's such a meanie. I'll go break her legs if you want." She looked so serious that Blake could only laugh nervously.

"Ah well, I was just thinking how strange it was. Those detectives said the White Fang robbed that store, but it doesn't seem like something they would do." Blake watched Nora's reaction, but she didn't _look_ like she didn't believe her. If anything, Nora looked faintly interested. That was a good sign. Now all she needed to do was think of a way to convince them to either let her investigate them without thinking it was suspicious.

She just needed an angle…

"We should totally go and hunt them down," Nora said.

Blake choked on air.

"I mean, we're huntresses, they're criminals… it's practically our job to go and find them – and if it's the White Fang – stop them." Nora punctuated the last statement by slamming a fist into her palm.

"We're students," Ren pointed out. "Also, I'm a huntsman."

"Eh, minor details."

"My gender isn't a minor detail, Nora."

"Ooh really? Care to prove it?" she grinned as Ren rolled his eyes and looked away. "My point is, they're bad guys, we're good guys – we should go and fight them."

"That… isn't the most concise of points."

"I don't know; I like the sound of it." Yang laughed. "It ought to be fun. It's not like we have anything to do for the weekend, is it? I'm in. Blake, you down?"

Huh, what? Blake's mouth was still open when all the attention in the room shifted to her. She clamped it shut so hard her teeth clicked together. What the hell was going on? She'd only just started to try and think up a plan, and now Nora was already midway through the planning? "You…" she paused. "You want to find out the truth?"

"I want to kick butt," Nora corrected. "But I guess the other thing would happen too, so sure, why not."

Blake shook her head. She wanted to understand, she really did, but she had a feeling it would only give her a headache. Her eyes turned towards Ren. "What about you, Ren?" she asked. "Will you come with us?" He blinked back at her.

"I'm sorry, were you under the impression I would have a choice in the matter?"

"Renny said yes!"

Blake stared at him. Ren shrugged back, but didn't bother to argue or say he wouldn't come along. Was this really happening? She felt a rare surge of hope within her, followed by an almost unfamiliar fondness for her team. They were going to help her. They were actually going to help her search out the White Fang and see what was going on here. "Thanks guys," Blake said. "I really appreciate this."

"Yeah yeah, whatever," Nora waved a hand, not even listening. "Ooh, I can't wait to kick some terrorist butt. Should we wear costumes? I think we should wear costumes. Oh my god, we totally need a team uniform!"

Okay, maybe that fondness was dying, replaced with a sudden fear of what her partner might think up. She did _not_ want to stalk the White Fang dressed like something out of a Saturday morning cartoon. _Why couldn't I be on a normal team? I bet Ruby has it easy. At least her team isn't full of complete weirdoes._

/-/

Weiss raised an eyebrow as Ruby collapsed face-down on her bed. She spared a glance for her partner, but he whistled a jaunty tune as he said he was having a shower and clicked the door shut behind him. She looked back down to the youngest member of their team.

"Rough day?" she asked.

"Ugh…"

"You'll suffocate if you fall asleep like that."

"Good…" Ruby raised her hands as though pleased at the idea. She did roll over, however, one arm slung over her eyes as she took a long, exhausted breath. "That was… that was hard. I have a new appreciation for teachers on a field trip. I also understand why Uncle Qrow got drunk on ours and we had to drag him back to the hotel." She sighed. "I feel like I need a stiff drink."

"Ruby," Pyrrha sighed. "You don't drink."

"I feel like I need to start…"

"That bad?" Pyrrha asked, with just a touch of guilt. "Surely it wasn't _too_ bad."

"Oh sure," Ruby waved one hand. "I mean, it _started_ okay. They had questions – so many questions, but I remembered what we were told the last time Signal took us to visit Vale. My voice started to hurt so I took us for ice-cream. Penny just stood there as it melted, while Jaune decided he likes it a little too much."

"What?"

"Don't interrupt me," Ruby scowled. It made her look cute, rather than intimidating. "Then we went to a movie. It turns out no one explained how they needed to be quiet, and both got into a conversation about the plot. We were asked to leave less than thirty minutes in." Weiss winced at that, but it seemed Ruby was just getting started for she drew a deep breath. "Then, when they asked why we were being so loud, Penny said it was because they wanted to speak – and the person asked if Jaune was her boyfriend, and she said yes, but then she said I was her girlfriend and that Jaune was my boyfriend too and everyone looked at us funny." Ruby groaned and covered her face with both hands. "Penny said we were deep in intercourse."

"What!?"

"Well, intercourse _can_ mean discussion," Weiss said. "I'm sure she meant it that way."

"Tell that to everyone in the cinema. I can't show my face there again."

"Yikes," Pyrrha touched her partner's shoulder sympathetically. "Well, you're handling it well at least. I'd have thought you would be embrassed."

"I was embarrassed… I was embarrassed two hours ago, and then an hour and forty-five minutes ago, and then again each and every time they did something." Ruby groaned. "I've embarrassed myself out. I have no more embarrassment left to give!"

Weiss held up a hand to hide her grin, not that Ruby could see it. "Look on the bright side," she said, "at least it's all over."

Ruby whimpered.

"Ah, that was great." Jaune came back out the shower with damp hair and a wide smile. "I can't believe how awesome today was. The arcade was amazing, and then the tour – and Penny." He shook his head. "Thanks for offering to do it again tomorrow, Ruby."

"N-No problem…"

Weiss waited until Jaune went to do some homework before she leaned in towards Ruby. She caught Pyrrha doing the same on the other side. "What was that?" she asked.

"After Penny got us thrown out for having intercourse in the cinema, she said she had to leave," Ruby said. "She asked if we could do it again tomorrow."

"Why didn't you say no!?"

"I panicked!" Ruby sat up and waved her arms. "I'm not _good_ at saying no! I thought you gathered that from when Penny asked if we were friends." Ruby turned to Weiss, eyes impossibly wide. "Help me, Weiss. You're my team leader. Come with me."

"I can't, Ruby. I have to visit the CCT and call my sister."

Ruby's smile fell. Tentatively, she turned to her partner. "Pyrrha…?"

"I can't," Pyrrha said. "I… I have to wash my feet."

"Pyrrha…"

"It's an ancient Mistralian custom," Pyrrha lied.

"Pyrrha, why?"

"It's a cultural thing… very important."

"You both suck."

Perhaps, but they wouldn't be stuck out in Vale with two socially-inept teenagers with no common sense. Weiss patted Ruby's shoulder sympathetically. She felt for her teammate, she really did.

Not enough to put herself through it, though.

/-/

Penny plugged herself into the control unit and laid back to enter standby mode. Naturally, she didn't need to sleep, but a certain amount of rest would allow her systems to cool down, while also letting her think as she operated on lower power.

Today had been a good day.

No, today had been a sensational day!

Idly, she considered making note of it, and then nodded to herself. On the nearby screen, a window opened up, followed by a folder and then another, as she searched for the required location.

Hmm, there it was. The `Operational Polendina Procedures Self-Assessment and Review Depository`or the OPPSAARD. She opened it up, to find a series of documents labelled in terms of dates and times. She perused them for a moment, but then created a new one at the bottom.

 _Dear Diary,_

 _I have decided to rename this as a diary, as opposed to an After Action Review, in an attempt to mimic human culture and appear more normal. This will be the first time I have done this, but I believe the occasion warrants such. You see, diary, I have finally achieved that which I for so long thought impossible._

 _I have made friends!_

 _Not just one, diary, but two friends – Just Jaune Arc and Ruby Rose.  
_

 _I knew things would be different when coming to Vale. I could tell as such when I concluded standby mode on a bed and not within my normal testing chamber. Naturally, I was able to recall General Ironwood's decision to allow me to accompany him on a visit to Vale. I was excited at the prospect, though I did my best to hide it and act polite about the General's men._

 _He allowed me to go out into Vale on my own, though, diary – I could not believe it. Was this a sign of trust in my ability, faith in my skill and intelligence – or was it perhaps a test in and of itself? I did not know, nor would I presume to guess the General's thoughts, but I decided to take advantage of it, along with the people of Vale._

 _I'm glad I did._

 _The books I was given to read about Vale left me woefully unprepared for what it was really like. I shall have to address that issue once we return to Atlas. Either way, I was left alone and uncertain as I made my way down Vale's streets. My early attempts to interface with local citizens appeared flawed. I feared I would have naught but failure to report here tonight._

 _Fortunately for me, I was quickly ambushed by eight teenagers and born to the bottom of what appeared to be an emotional greeting. Two of them, who I understand were in the midst of a mating ritual, even engaged in activates of what appeared to be a sexual nature above me._

 _It was… interesting to watch._

 _I feel like I would like to peruse more material on that. At the time, I felt my internal fans speed up to try and deal with a resultant rise in temperature I was unable to attribute. Oh my, my cooling units appear to me doing it again right now._

 _Either way, once the display was over, I was introduced to my new companions and spent some time getting to know them. Although some broke off to return to Beacon – they being huntresses and huntsmen in training – Just Jaune and Ruby stayed to keep me company and show me around Vale. They even went so far as to declare me a friend. Just Jaune was particularly kind, aiding me by supplying me with valuable information that will allow me to interact with humans with far more confidence than before._

 _Ruby was kind in her own way, both explaining the history of Vale itself, and buying me ice-cream. She also had truly commendable knees, diary. Unfortunately, I was unable to ascertain the properties of my other companion's assets due to his trousers. In future, I shall attempt to divest him of those so I can make a closer observation. I again make note that much of the history as Ruby explained it seems to differ from what Atlas-sanctioned text books explain. I was unaware that the central statue of Vale, for instance, is dedicated to the `awesomeness of huntresses and the cool weapons they used`. I was taught it was to commemorate the Treaty of Velaseux. I have taken the liberty of altering the information in my memory banks to fix this error – among with many other examples._

 _I have also discovered that ice-cream is a tool used for euphoric pleasure, the likes of which I have only heard emulated in the late-night videos I occasionally overhear the soldiers in the nearby barracks watching. Just Jaune showed me its application once Ruby gave it to him. I believe the two might be in their own relationship, made awkward by the fact Just Jaune is ostensibly mating with Ruby's sister. She asked him not to make such sounds in front of `anyone else at Beacon`, likely indicating her desire to keep the illicit act secret._

 _I was unsure how to take part in this, so simply held onto the device until it melted. I feel this may have been my loss, however – and sent a requisition form to the Quartermaster for material of an adult nature related to frozen treats. The nice lady there promised to provide me with some reading material and whipped cream upon my return to Atlas._

 _Then we went to an adult entertainment venue with video recordings rated as not advisable for children and minors, and were subsequently ejected from the establishment for a series of consensual but apparently inappropriate acts. Girlfriend Ruby appeared embarrassed after being caught engaging in intercourse, but Boyfriend Just Jaune seemed satisfied afterwards. I admit I do not understand why the proprietor considered it noteworthy, but it was exciting in its own way._

 _I found myself strangely eager to repeat the experience – and was gratified when Ruby and Just Jaune agreed that we might continue where we left off tomorrow in a more private venue. It was a shame, as things had just become heated, and I was beginning to get into it with my new boyfriend and girlfriend._

 _I hope it goes well, diary. I think that I like them a lot and would certainly like to deepen our relationship.  
_

 _I will tell you how it goes tomorrow._

 _Penny_

She signed off and saved the document with a pleased smile. There, that sounded nice – and also perfectly normal. Girls kept diaries and boys journals, or so she had been told. Penny closed it down and laid back, allowing her eyes to dim as she entered a power-saving mode. General Ironwood would be pleased to hear of her progress.

She couldn't wait to see what he thought of her diary entry come the morning.

* * *

 **Poor Ruby… you really should learn to say no. Then again, I suppose we've all been socially awkward at one point or another and wanted to impress people. I remember giving a tour once and just making random stuff up because I wanted to sound smart. The worst part was that it totally worked and I got away with it.**

 **Also, Nora is best teammate and worst teammate.**

 **In the original draft of this, it pushed all the way up to the dock's incident, but it** _ **did**_ **feel a little skip-happy in a way that left it feeling rushed. Much of that material is stuff I can adapt to next chapter and give it the proper length with decent jokes. Ah, having a good beta is nice.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 4** **th** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey guys, there's a bit of an important note at the bottom, but I'll tl;dr it here as well.**

 **I kind of need to take a one week holiday from writing, partly for health reasons, partly for quality reasons. Therefore, the next chapter of this won't come out until two weeks – the 18** **th** **May. After that, things will go back to normal, but there's just going to be a week where I'm missing.**

 **As said, there will be notes at the bottom to fully explain. I've made this a slightly larger chapter, however, in order to balance it out.**

 **Note: I'm aware alerts are not being sent out. It's a site error and has been happening all week.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 17 - The Heart of the Herd**

* * *

Weiss raised an eyebrow as she watched Ruby get down on her knees and hold her hands up towards them.

"Please," she begged, "I'm just asking for a couple of hours, guys. Don't leave me to do this alone, we're a team!"

"I've already told you I have a call to make today, Ruby," Weiss said. She smirked towards Pyrrha. "As for your partner, well… it's important to follow tradition, right?" Pyrrha's cheeks flushed.

"R-Right," she said.

Ruby wilted, like a rose whose stem had been cruelly severed. She flopped forwards, face onto Weiss' sheets as she clung to them as though determined to never let go. Weiss didn't think that would stop Jaune, however. Her partner could be wonderfully stubborn at times, and it was clear he was looking forward to this. She could already hear the shower turning off and his humming as he got ready.

"You could make it an order," Ruby said. "If you said we had to do team exercises, he would understand."

"I could," she said, "but I already decided to try and become a better leader a few weeks back, remember? A good leader gives her team time to rest and relax." Weiss tried to hide her amusement as she placed a gentle hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Have a day off, Ruby. You've earned it for all your hard work."

Ruby looked like she'd been shot.

"I'm almost done!" Jaune slammed open the shower door, then winced at the noise and closed it behind him. "Are you ready to go, Ruby?" There was no answer. "Ruby?"

"You might want to put a shirt on," Weiss sighed.

"Yeah, I went in without one. Sorry about that." He tossed his black Beowolf onesie on the bed and rummaged around in his cupboard. Weiss raised an eyebrow at his broad shoulders and back, then looked over to the other members of her team. They seemed awfully engrossed in the way the muscles on his back moved when he searched for something to wear. She could admit to a little admiration herself, of course, but at least she didn't feel the need to stare.

Hey, she was a young woman too, even if she had a reputation for being a little colder than most.

"Ah, here we go." He pulled on a plain white shirt and buttoned it up. When he turned around, it was only Weiss who met his eyes. The other two were conducting a thorough investigation of the roof and their fingernails respectively. "Are you ready to go, Ruby?"

"She's ready," Weiss answered with a small grin. She ignored Ruby's mumbled `so not ready for this` and adopted a lecturing tone. "Make sure to have her back before it gets dark, and don't do anything irresponsible."

"Weiss…" Ruby growled.

"Uh... sure?" Jaune seemed confused. "It's not like all the shops stay open at night."

 _Not the ones I'd appreciate the two of you visiting,_ Weiss thought. Probably also not the places Ruby's sister would like her visiting. "We'll leave you to it, then. Have fun." Ruby's expression was nothing short of betrayed, not that Jaune noticed as he helped her up off the floor and excitedly dragged her towards the door. Weiss watched him leave first, but called out before Ruby could. "Oh, and Ruby?"

"Hm, yeah?"

"Have fun with your intercourse."

"Weiss!" Ruby cried.

"What!?" a voice sounded. "Did I hear that right?"

"No, Yang!" Ruby banged a hand on the adjoining wall. "She doesn't mean what you think she means!"

"She better not." Yang's muffled voice came back. It was echoed by Jaune's call for her to hurry up, and Ruby left with one final glare for Weiss' benefit. The door clicked shut.

"Weiss, that was cruel."

Weiss raised an eyebrow as she looked towards the other girl. "If you want to make me feel bad, you could try to hide your smile a little more convincingly." Pyrrha flushed and pulled her hands away from her lips, but the deep frown kept twitching upwards. "Yeah," Weiss said, "That's what I thought."

"Okay, I'll admit it was funny, but still – I feel bad for her."

"You could always go after them both."

"Ah, well…"

"You don't feel _that_ bad for her, clearly." Weiss pulled out a textbook and stretched out across her bed. A lazy day awaited, and although she had told the truth about calling her sister, she didn't worry much on that. She'd become team leader as expected, and her team – while unusual in their own right – was something she could feel proud of. She had Pyrrha Nikos, a fifteen-year-old prodigy and a powerful scion of a wealthy family.

That the fifteen-year-old was cookie obsessed, the scion a home-school idiot and Pyrrha les than willing to use her fame, didn't need to filter into her call. As far as Winter needed to know, everything was perfect.

"They were fine yesterday," Pyrrha finally said. "I suppose they'll be okay today as well."

"What's the worst that can happen?" Weiss said. It took her a moment to notice the worried look Pyrrha sent her way. "What?"

"Could you… maybe not tempt fate like that?"

Weiss rolled her eyes. What superstitious nonsense. Ruby would have another awkward day, she was sure, but what actual harm could they possibly get up to?

Really, her team could be so dramatic at times.

/-/

Blake rubbed her forehead and wished not for the last time that Yang came with a mute button. They were supposed to be researching White Fang incidents of the recent months, and true to form, she and Ren were doing that – but Nora leaned against the window, looking outside with a wistful expression and Yang had her left ear pinned to the wall of their room. Nora, Blake could accept… she would probably be useless at sitting still and reading, but Yang was just an annoyance.

"I'm sure I heard her say intercourse," Yang mumbled. "Oh my god, this is terrible. Is Ruby…? No, surely not. I mean, she's fifteen and hormones… but… but _Ruby_!"

The newspaper in Blake's hand slapped against the carpet as she let out a long sigh. The two hours they'd already spent searching hadn't done much for her patience. She looked towards Ren, as though asking whether he'd take care of his partner, but he shrugged and went back to his scroll. Right, they were doing this for her, so dealing with Yang was her responsibility.

"Yang, I very much doubt Ruby of all people is going off to have sex with some random stranger."

"I wouldn't call Jaune a random stranger?" Nora asked. Blake shot her a quick glare. Now was _not_ the time to raise that. Luckily, Yang didn't seem to hear. Her head perked up at hearing her name mentioned, and she pried herself off the wall to wander over to Blake.

"You think so? I mean, I know she's innocent, but I'm sure I heard Weiss say it out loud." She gnawed on her lower lip. "Maybe I should go follow her."

"Maybe you should help us with this," Blake countered. "You did promise, after all."

"But what if Ruby's in trouble?"

For the love of… Blake looked back to Ren, but he'd half-turned away now, making it clear he wanted _nothing_ to do with the conversation. _I get that she's a protective older sister, but this is ridiculous. I pity Ruby the day she actually does decide she wants to go that far with someone._

"Who would she even sleep with?" Blake asked. "It's not like she knows many guys in Beacon."

"Jaune, duh…"

"I don't think she'd do that, Yang."

"Why not?" Yang pushed off and padded over to sit down next to Ren. She picked up one of the local newspapers, but definitely didn't do any reading. "He definitely has something for Ruby, with the way he looks at her and what he says. You can't say she doesn't have something back; have you seen how awkward she is around him?"

She had. Of course, she had. Blake didn't think anyone could fail to see that, but Yang somehow also missed the other obvious thing. "Yang, she wouldn't do that to you. Ruby adores you."

"Eh? What do I have to do with this?"

"Blakey means Ruby wouldn't steal your man," Nora supplied. "Unlike some certain teammates who will go unnamed, Ruby recognises boundaries and would never encroach or try to be a homewrecker."

Blake sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay, Nora. How many times do I have to tell you that I didn't mean to-"

"Whoah, whoah – what?" Yang shot to her feet, eyes wide. "W-What are you talking about? My man? I don't have a man."

"Uh-huh?" Blake pointedly looked towards the flowers that still adorned the desk. They were still vibrant and alive, a strange dichotomy between floral life and a hollowed-out grenade canister. There was probably some artistic message there, but Blake had newspapers printed directly onto her brain. Yang followed her gaze. Her cheeks turned bright crimson.

"That doesn't mean anything! He just bought me flowers."

"Just…? Most people would consider that a romantic gesture."

"W-Well, it's not!"

"Ahem," Nora nodded at the dog-like teddy bear sat between Yang's pillows.

"It's just a toy," Yang said. "He won Ruby and Pyrrha stuff as well. He won _you_ a toy, Nora. You're all reading into things way too much."

"Yang, he took you on two dates," Blake deadpanned. "Dates, Yang… unless you plan to convince me otherwise, I feel fairly confident in saying he wasn't referring to a fruit convention." There was a near-silent laugh from Ren at that, but Blake kept her eyes locked on Yang. For a second, it actually looked like she might have tried to convince her it was innocent.

"So!? I-It's not like it has to mean anything. I only accepted because I felt guilty and didn't know what to say." Yang looked at her pleadingly. "You know that, right?"

Blake shared a quick look with Ren, who rolled his eyes. Yeah, that about summed up her own thoughts. Maybe if it were just the one time, she might have accepted that excuse, but two dates in less than a week? _I think there's something to say about someone who protests a little too hard._ Besides, Yang's reaction was sign enough in her mind. She was just a little _too_ flustered, a little too desperate.

"Okay Yang," she said. "I totally believe you."

"You don't _sound_ like you believe me…"

"See this face?" Blake pointed to her face, which on a scale of sarcasm probably ranked around a thousand. "This is my `I believe you` face." She ignored Yang's flat glare. "Either way, my point remains. Ruby thinks you're interested in him, so she isn't going to make a move."

She expected the easy logic to calm Yang down, but to her surprise, it didn't. Yang's eyes widened and she cursed almost under her breath. Blake again looked to Ren for an answer, but the look in his eyes said he'd given up understanding long ago.

With him being Nora's childhood friend, Blake could well believe it.

"Maybe," Yang said. "I guess there's no harm. I mean, it's not like I'd want her to go that far anyway. On him being my man, though, you guys are totally imagining that. There is absolutely nothing between us."

"What _I'm_ imagining is that you'll help us with this research," Blake snarked. "Sadly, it's starting to feel like a wild fever-dream."

"Sheesh, fine, I'll help," Yang sat down once more and started to read through the newspaper. "There's no need to get your knickers in a twist, Blake."

There was no response from her over that. She watched Yang for a few seconds, just to make sure she was actually doing it, but relaxed when it was clear Yang's attention was on the reports. If she needed to believe none of them could see through her hastily constructed excuses to work, then so be it – they could all pretend to be blind, deaf and dumb to what was going on.

 _I thought Ruby liked him at first, but if Yang likes him now? This is more complicated than some books I've read. I wouldn't even know what to do in her- no, no, no, I'm not going to get involved in this nonsense._ Blake shook her head and went back to her scroll. Honestly, she considered herself lucky she wasn't stuck in a situation like Yang. _I only have to contend with Nora determined I'm some kind of challenger for- oh my god, I'm actually stuck in the same situation, aren't I?_

It was official. Her team was insane.

Insane… but helpful. Her eyes trailed over them once more, two out of three of them heling to find what they could on the White Fang, and the last one not actively interfering – which was as close to help as Nora offered. They hadn't asked why she was so desperate to find out the truth about her former comrades, they hadn't disparaged her thoughts that the White Fang could still be innocent. They just agreed to help her.

It felt… it felt good. It felt surprisingly good…

"Do you think I should call Ruby, though?"

"YANG!"

"Sorry, sorry – researching!"

Blake growled, ignoring Ren's silent chuckles and Nora's less than subtle laughter. Her team were nice, but gods… she wished they could be a little less dramatic at times.

/-/

"See, this is X-Ray and that's Vav," Ruby pointed to the comic's pages as she explained the storyline to her excited friend. She wore a grin on her own face too, one that was a mix of surprise and relief. The day, despite all expectations, hadn't gone badly so far. Penny awaited them at one of the statues like she'd promised, they'd all greeted one another, and then they'd looked to her for ideas on what to do.

The comic store had been a bit of a random suggestion, but if she could go back in time, she would have kissed herself.

"Wow, it's like a mixture of a story and a movie then," Jaune said.

"Yeah, kind of. I guess you didn't have many comics at home?" He shook his head.

"There were mostly normal books, though some were picture books. Still, it wasn't quite like this. Is the story really this short?" He held up the comic by the spine and considered how thin it was. Ruby giggled.

"No, the comic comes out once a month and you need to buy the next one to find out what happens. It's not like a book where there's a single story, either. X-ray and Vav has gone through all kinds of seasons and each is pretty much a story on its own."

"Oh, that's pretty cool." He flicked through the first few pages with an interested expression. "I guess it's fun to have to wait and see what happens next."

"It is sometimes. Other times, though, it can be annoying when it ends on a really exciting spot." Ruby sighed and closed her eyes. "My mom used to read comics with me when we were younger. Well, I couldn't read at the time, but I could look at the pictures and she would do the voices for me." Those tales of heroism had always stuck with her… just one of many reasons she was a huntress-in-training today.

"That sounds sweet. You must have loved her a lot."

"Yeah, I did. A-Anyway, you should definitely have a read and see if you like it."

"I will."

Great. Fantastic, even. Ruby glanced away to try and locate Penny, but she was stood off to one side, listening to some music for sale on a pair of headphones. Progress, normality - it was a miracle.

 _Maybe I just had a run of bad luck yesterday. It's not like Jaune and Penny are aliens from another planet or something; I just chose bad things for us to do._ At least in the comic store, she'd been able to answer all their questions. She was more at home here too, and unlike the tour, she actually knew what to say and what to do. She was in her element, and to her delight, her friend liked it too.

She wasn't a geeky nerd!

Okay, she probably was, but Jaune shared in her geekiness, despite being two years older than her. It was brilliant. There were so many people who had dismissed her love of comics as childish, her obsession with weapons as stupid, and even her gaming as something she should leave behind. Jaune was different, though. That was what made him such a cool guy.

More importantly, though, this was a perfectly normal thing for friends to do. Ruby's smile fell and she bit on her lower lip as she thought of Yang back at Beacon. She knew Jaune only agreed to go out with her because of a misunderstanding, but they'd had fun – she could tell. She didn't want to ruin that now by accidentally creating the same mistake and making Jaune think this was romantic when it wasn't.

That meant normal activities, friendly talk and nothing related to intercourse, sex or whatever else Weiss wanted to tease her with. Penny's comments on them being her boyfriend and girlfriend were weird, but to her relief, even Jaune seemed a little embarrassed by that. He was, if nothing else, well-read enough to know what a boyfriend and girlfriend were. _I still can't believe we managed to find someone more awkward than Jaune._

She couldn't believe she'd managed to find two people more awkward than _her_!

Still, Jaune didn't seem to think it was a date – which was good. She'd tried to ask once or twice, but the correct way to do so hadn't really come to her. What happened if she asked and he suddenly thought she wanted it to be one? Instant disaster. _Maybe it's best just like this. It's actually fun to show him my hobbies, and he seems to like them too. Ooh, maybe we could go and visit the weapon armouries next?_ Ruby's cheeks puffed out as she practically vibrated with energy.

"Can we buy these comics from here?" Jaune asked, breaking her out of her daydreams.

"Uh yeah? You know how a shop works, right?"

"Well, yeah… I just didn't know if this was a shop or a library kind of thing."

Ruby wanted to kick herself when she noticed him look away. Had she embarrassed him? She didn't mean to! Sometimes it was easy to assume he didn't understand something, when the truth was far different. After all, she'd only dragged him into a store called `Vale's comics`. That didn't flat-out say it was a shop, library or just some hobby centre. She slapped her forehead.

"Sorry Jaune, my bad. Yeah, you can buy anything here." An idea popped into her mind. "I can get that for you if you want. It's not much for a comic."

He was clearly surprised by the offer. He rubbed the back of his head and laughed. "Ah, you don't have to do that, Ruby. You should buy yourself something _you_ want. I've got this."

"You sure? I don't mind." She had an allowance from her dad, of course. There was even a trickle from Uncle Qrow too, who told her to use it for fun things instead of dust and ammunition for Crescent Rose.

Silly Uncle Qrow… that _was_ fun!

"I've got this," he said. "Honestly, after you showed us around all yesterday and today? I feel like I should be the one getting you something."

She was touched by the offer, enough so that she giggled and scratched her cheek. She still said no, though. Honestly, she wasn't even sure he _had_ any money. She'd never seen him buy anything before. _Then again, this is only his second time in Vale with me._ She decided to follow him, though, just to make sure he didn't get embarrassed if something went wrong. It wasn't that she expected him to not know what it was, but more than she wasn't sure whatever he had would count as valid currency.

"About X-ray and Vav, though," he asked. "This is kind of in the middle of the story, isn't it?"

"They're mid-arc at the moment, yeah. It'll catch up soon enough though, and it's not like you need to know everything to understand what's going on."

"Wouldn't it be best to start from the beginning, though?"

"The start?" Oh right, he wouldn't know. Ruby grinned and took hold of his arm, dragging him deeper into the store. At the back, near the counters – and definitely watched over by cameras – stood a series of magazines behind a sealed, glass display. She pointed to one. "That's the first issue of X-ray and Vav, Jaune. It's been out for so long that finding one is really hard. They're all limited edition now and _super_ expensive."

"Looks good," he said. "I guess I'll get that."

Huh?

"Ha ha, Jaune, I uh… I don't think you get quite _how_ expensive." Ruby leaned in to take a look, then cringed at the figure. Okay, that had gone up recently. She leaned back and poked the comic in his hand. "That's about fifteen lien," she said. "The first edition, though? That's almost two hundred lien. You could but some premium dust ammo for that."

That kind of money for a mere comic was obscene, even if it _was_ limited edition. People collected those things their whole lives, and the collections could really rack up in value. She couldn't help but look at it longingly, though. No one even really knew what the plot was like back then. Those wealthy enough to afford it didn't tell. The greedy meanies probably thought that made it all the better for them.

"I'd like that one," Jaune said to the cashier, pointing at the display.

Ruby's mouth fell open. Oh no, this was going to be another disaster. He'd pull it out, open it up and read it, then say he didn't have the money. They'd be arrested! Her dad would go ballistic.

She'd be _banned_ from the comic shop!

"Really?" the overweight man behind the counter sneered. "I'll need to see some proof of purchase if you want to such much as _breathe_ on tha- on tha… is this?"

"My card," Jaune said, and handed over something that seemed to shimmer a faint gold. "I'm pretty sure there's enough in there."

The man looked surprised, but took the card and rang it up. The light atop the counter flashed green. "Huh, well, it went through. I do apologise for how rude I was earlier. Will there be anything else, sir?"

 _What the…?_ Ruby could only stare. The man who worked at the comic store was _okay_ , but that was about it. Where she was geeky, he was an adult nerd, and took no mercy in pointing out every flaw or incorrect statement they might have said about the fandoms they _obviously_ didn't know half as well as he did. The guy even tried to flirt with Yang.

Once…

They only ever tried it the one time. Still, he never called anyone _sir_ before.

"Hey Ruby, do you want anything?" Jaune asked. "I really should get you something as thanks for doing all of this."

Get her – a gift – like his? Her eyes – treacherous as they were – flicked over to a small and ratty magazine behind the glass. She remembered that cover, even if she couldn't remember the story. It was never a very popular comic, but it was the one she remembered Summer reading to her. She couldn't remember anything more. It was lost, like so many of those happier days were. She tore her eyes back to Jaune and shook her head.

"There's no need, I'm fine. Showing you around is just what a friend does."

"I'd like that as well, please." Jaune said.

"That will be an additional three-hundred lien, sir."

"Yeah, that's fine."

"No, no, no, no, no – it's not fine!" Ruby used her Semblance to appear between Jaune and the cashier. Her voice cracked somewhere around the third no, reduced to a high-pitched squeak. "J-Jaune, you can't buy me something like that," she hissed. "It's- It's too much!" He laughed.

 _Laughed_!

"It's not that much, Ruby. Besides, you're my first real friend at Beacon. I want to get you something to commemorate that."

"C-Commemorate?" She felt faint. "Jaune, most people buy friendship bracelets, not – not collector's edition merchandise!" her eyes went back to the price tag. "Not at a rip-off rate! Not for me!"

"Huh?"

"Y-You just can't," she said. She had to brutally fight down a part of her that desperately pointed out that he could. She tore its head off and stuffed it back down inside her body. "It's way too much for you to spend on a gift for me. I'm not worth that much."

Even for something as special as that. She had her memories… they were enough. They didn't cost anything. She swallowed and kept her eyes locked on his, pleading with him to understand. She didn't need him to buy her friendship.

"You're right," he said, and she felt her shoulders relax. She did feel a brief stab of regret, but it was quickly forgotten. Before she could move away, however, his head shot back up, eyes sharp. "You're worth so much more."

Ruby's brain fizzled.

"You're priceless to me. All the lien in the world wouldn't be worth one Ruby."

It took a little longer than she expected to reboot.

 _You know,_ her treacherous mind said, _he could buy it for us…_

 _No, don't be stupid. We're not taking advantage of Jaune like that._

 _Of course not, but is it taking advantage if it's a gift? We didn't ask for it._

 _It's too expensive. It's too much!_

 _Not for him. Don't you want to read what's inside? Don't you want to remember the story Summer told you?_

 _Y-Yes, I do, but…_

 _I wonder what it will feel like to wrap up tight in a warm blanket and read it?_

 _Yeah, me too – no wait, you're distracting me._

 _Huh? Distracting you? But I am you._

 _What? I'm me…_

 _Wait…_

 _Wait…_

Ruby came back to reality with a lurch. She surged forward and gasped. "Jaune, you can't!"

"Can't what?" he asked, tossing something to her. She caught it with a wince, the object knocking her back a few paces. "There you go, Ruby. I hope you enjoy it."

Enjoy…?

She looked down.

Tears stung her eyes.

It was… it looked almost exactly the same as it had back then. She clutched it to her chest and sniffed.

"Hey, you okay…?" Jaune tapped her forehead to bring her back before she could really lose it. She felt dizzy. She felt very, _very_ dizzy.

"F-For me…?"

It was a stupid question, sue her… she couldn't think straight. Jaune rubbed a hand against his hair. He held his own comic in one hand.

"I'd have made it a birthday gift but I don't know when that is." he said. "Instead… I guess this is a `thank you for being my friend` present."

Ruby tried to think of the right thing to say, she really did. Unfortunately, a strangely calm part of her mind noted that she might be having a heart attack. There was a strange pounding between her ears, and the edges of her vision seemed to pulse with bright light. Was she breathing? Did that even matter?

She hugged the comic to her chest. It would help… she was sure. It would solve everything.

"Hello friend Ruby, friend Just Jaune." Penny walked up to them with a friendly smile. "Oh, is something wrong with you Rub-"

"Hold this." Ruby pushed the comic into Penny's arms. "Don't drop it, please."

"Okay?"

"Huh?" Jaune blinked. "Is something wro-"

"Eeeeeeeeeee!" Ruby cut him off with a battle cry. She slammed into his chest and knocked him back, not that she cared – not that she could even tell. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" It wasn't enough, so she clamped her arms as far around his back as she could – it wasn't very far, he was very broad shouldered. Still, she crushed him with as much strength as she could muster. It must have been a lot, for he started to choke. Good. Good! That would show him how serious she was. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Just Jaune's vital signs seem to be dropping," Penny happily chirped. "I believe he is having trouble breathing. Is this what they mean when a man says a woman has taken his breath away?"

Ruby dropped him like a rock. "It's not like that," she gasped, cheeks aflame. "Jaune, tell her it's not like that!"

"One… moment…" he said between great gulps of air. "I can't… bright light…"

"That was just me expressing my happiness," Ruby said. "It's not, we're not, Jaune and I are friends – just friends."

"I would say you are more than that, Ruby."

"No, no, no, you're misunderstanding."

"I would say you are the best of friends."

No, no- wait…" Ruby blinked. "Um, I mean, yeah… that's it."

"Yeah, we're best friends." Jaune said. He pulled himself up with a fond, if pained, smile. "Ruby was my first real friend away from home. She means a lot to me."

"Ha ha, I wish you wouldn't say it quite like that." Ruby's face twitched. Did he mean that as something more, or was it just his way of talking? All she knew was that she didn't dare ask and she _really_ wished he'd be more specific.

"Ruby, do you wan-" Penny didn't get to finish. She lifted the book up, but it was already gone from her hands.

"All mine~"

"Well, I'm glad you like it, Ruby." Jaune hefted his comic, happy with that. He then seemed to notice one of them were without. "Oh Penny, do you want me to get you something too?"

"No thank you, Just Jaune. I am happier with the experience of seeing this first-hand itself."

"Huh, okay then. What should we do next?" Jaune asked. "I don't know about you, but I'm feeling pretty hungry."

Food? She hadn't thought of it herself, but now that he mentioned it, her stomach did grumble a little. Plus, it would give her a chance to read a few pages. Her eyes misted at the thought. "Okay, we'll grab something to eat." She made to leave, but was surprised when Penny of all people stopped her.

"Before we do, there is something I noticed," she said. "Could we try something for a moment?"

Try something? Ruby looked to Jaune, who returned her gaze with a shrug. Her decision, then. Well, so long as it wasn't anything crazy, she didn't see a problem.

"Sure, go ahead."

/-/

Nothing. There was nothing. Blake's eyes almost crossed as she let out a long sigh and stared at her scroll. The bright light that emanated from it was playing havoc with her senses, especially since she'd been staring into it for what felt like hours. The words were jumbled, the images a blur, and for the life of her, she couldn't remember what she'd just read.

"This is hopeless," Yang groaned and threw away her scroll. It skittered across the floor and under her bed. "There's just nothing to find. Can't we do something else?"

"You _said_ you'd help," Blake snapped.

"I did help, for four straight hours in fact. Face it, Blake, there isn't anything here. We're not going to find a thing."

Blake's temper flared. She bit down on the angry words that wanted to come out and scowled down at her scroll instead. "Fine, then. Go and give up, do whatever it is you want to do. I'll keep looking because this is important."

"Is it, though?" Yang watched her with tired eyes. "Whether or not we find out if the White Fang are behind these robberies, it won't change the fact they're happening."

"We'll find out _who_ is doing it."

"Why does that even matter? Places are still being broken into and robbed, and whether they're doing it or not, the White Fang are still terrorists. I mean, haven't they killed people?" Yang yawned, and failed to see Blake's hand clench into a shaking fist. "Is whether or not they stole some dust as well really an issue?"

She didn't know any better. She wouldn't say that if she knew the truth. Blake tried to tell herself those things, but her teeth ground together still. _Yang only knows what the media says about them. It's not her fault._ She sighed and picked up her scroll once more. "You can take a break. I'm going to keep looking."

"You'll burn yourself out…"

"I'll be fine."

Yang stared at her for a few moments, she could feel it. There was a loud huff and then Blake felt a pair of hands gently shove her shoulders. She wasn't prepared for it and tipped forwards. "Cheer up, Blake. It's a weekend. Relax and live a little."

"Live a little?" Blake's breath came out in harsh pants. "I don't know if you've noticed, Yang – but there is something serious going on out in the city. If you want to sit here, waste your life and possibly endanger hundreds of innocen-"

"Blake," Ren snapped, driving her to silence. "Stop."

Two words… two simple words, and yet they were enough to drive the fight out of her. Blake stared at their team leader, ever-quiet and calm. He was still that just now, watching them with a placid gaze, but the fact he'd raised his voice at all left her shocked.

"Whoah," Yang whispered. "Did you just snap at her?"

"You too," he said. Yang, you can full well see how important this is to Blake. Whatever her reasons, she is a part of this team and our friend. I think it is the least we can do to be understanding." Yang ducked her head. "And you, Blake. Yang has put in a lot of effort to try and help you. She's invested time and energy into something with no gain for herself, all because you are her teammate. If she feels she needs a break, I'm sure you can accept that."

There was nothing she could say. Blake's shoulders fell and she could only manage a faint nod. She'd been told off before, by family, by superiors and by teachers, but none had done it with such calm and understanding logic. Where others aimed to cow people into submission, he explained and made her understand why she was wrong. The shame she felt was unbelievable. "I'm sorry," she said, turning to Yang. "I was out of line. I'm sorry, Yang."

"No, it's…" Yang sighed and rubbed her head. "Yeah, I'm sorry too. I know this is a big deal, I was just worried you'd overwork yourself and get sick."

A fair concern and one that only made her feel worse. "Maybe you're right," she said. "Maybe… maybe I'm being too hung up over this."

"Whoo, kiss, kiss, kiss!"

"Nora!" Ren sighed. "Could you refrain from ruining the moment?"

"I could… but that sounds boring." She was still stood by the windows, arms leaning on it as she gazed outside. "Besides, all this hard work has left me tired too. We should do something fun."

"Hard work?" Blake asked. The anger she felt for Yang had diminished, but Nora was a far easier target. "All you've done is stand there all day. You haven't even-"

"THERE!" Nora yelled and leaned out the window. She growled, reared back and hoisted something like a weapon over her shoulder. Blake's eyes only just had the time to realise it was one of her hardback books-

Before Nora launched it out the window like a missile.

There was a cry of pain from far below. "Got him!" Nora yelled, lifting one foot onto the windowsill. Before Blake's horrified eyes, she leapt out into the open air and was gone. They were at least four storeys up.

"Did she just…?" Yang couldn't finish; didn't need to finish. Ren simply sighed and stood up. He made his way calmly to the door and closed it behind him as he left.

It took Yang and Blake a little longer. They looked to one another, argument lost, as each tried to find answers in the face of the other. "She's your partner," Yang said.

"That doesn't mean I understand her!"

"Should we…?"

Blake nodded.

It took them a few minutes to rush outside, mostly because neither of them felt quite as impatient on the issue as Nora had. They met Ren en route, strolling down the corridors as though there was no rush in the world. Considering what they were headed to, maybe he had the right idea. Yang didn't seem to think so, however, for she hefted her partner up over one shoulder and carried him the rest of the way at a dead sprint. Ren only sighed. With Nora as a childhood friend, such treatment was probably par for the course.

There was a small crowd outside when they arrived. It was one of those crowds who want to watch, but don't want to, hanging on the outskirts without trying to look too interested. People moved their hands and lips as though they were in conversation, but all watched Nora, stood over a body laid flat out on the grass. Blake wondered if she'd just become an accomplice to murder. Oh no, wait, the body was moving.

"Ugh…" It reached up a hand to touch its head and sat up. To Blake's surprise, it was the blonde faunus from the day before. He cracked his neck from side to side and rubbed a bump that formed on the back of his head. "What hit me?"

"Stroke the Forge, apparently," Yang said, leaning down to pick up the offending weapon. "Tales of a lusty Blacksmith and his faunus assas-"

Blake snatched the book back with bright red cheeks. "That's not important!"

"Exactly!" Nora crowed. She pointed a finger into the guy's nose, pushing him back. "What is important is that you, my dear captive, are a criminal! As a proud huntress, I'm here to bring you in."

"Nora, he's not a criminal." Blake sighed.

"Yes he is." Nora said.

Oh, here they went again... Blake crossed her eyes and prayed for patience. "In what way?"

"He snuck onto a ship and stowed away. That's a crime." Nora sounded smug, and Blake was forced to nod. Nora had a point, no matter how reluctant she was to admit it. "He's also clearly breaking all kinds of indecency laws, look at his chest. No wait, don't look at his chest, it might ensnare you."

"Ensnare?" the blonde boy rolled his eyes. "My chest isn't a weapon."

"Could have fooled me." Yang whistled. "Damn though, it's definitely not a concealed weapon."

Blake could already feel a headache coming on. "I don't think either of those things are enough to count him as being a criminal, Nora. Let alone one that justifies being attacked from a window like that."

The poor faunus look relieved. He rubbed the back of his head and sighed. "Ugh, thanks Blake."

"Did I… tell you my name?"

He winced.

"And lastly," Nora grinned as she knelt by the red-faced boy and grinned up at Blake. "He's a stalker."

A stalker…? Blake opened her mouth to argue that, but no words came forth. She recalled their meeting at the docks, the way he winked at her, and it was true, he _was_ now in Beacon when he clearly wasn't a student. It wasn't like Beacon was easy to get to… it was on the other side of a Grimm-infested forest. Plus, he knew her name already. Any one of those things, she might have accepted - but all at once? Blake swallowed and took a step back, nervously slipping behind Ren for cover.

"H-Hey," her stalker said. "It's not like that. I just overhear-"

"Overheard, asked other people or eavesdropped? Any of those sound a little stalkerish," Yang said, and Blake was relieved to note her link shoulders with Ren, just to better conceal her. "You're not exactly a Beacon student. What are you even doing here?"

"I'm a student from Haven, off in Mistral. I came early for the Vytal Festival. I'm allowed to be here; I have a room and everything."

"A super-stalker," Nora gasped. "He followed you across the ocean itself."

"Uh, I've never seen her before yesterday. How could I have stalked her for that long?"

"A super-stalker always knows," Nora nodded wisely. "Even across the ocean itself, even if they have never met, he can sense the one and zero in on their location!"

"Hey, now you're just making this up!"

"Silence stalker!" Nora swung her arm around to point at him and accidentally clotheslined him in the process. He groaned up from the floor. "Oops. Anyway, this is how I helped, Blake." She sounded incredibly proud of herself, and to be fair, Blake could understand why. There was just _one_ problem, though.

"Nora… how does this help us find the White Fang?"

"Urk…"

"Nora," Ren sighed.

"I-It helps." She looked about in a panic before her eyes were drawn down to her victim when he tried to crawl away. Nora caught him by the ankle and dragged him back. "He has uh… information, yeah. I bet he can tell us where to find them."

Blake sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Nora, I don't think it works that way."

"A-Actually, you mean the White Fang?" He winced when they all stared at him. "Well, it's nothing concrete, but when I was stowed away on that ship, I _did_ hear a rumour about a huge dust shipment from the SDC. If they were going to hit somewhere, it would be that. Apparently, it should arrive at the docks tonight."

No way… there was just no way. A part of her didn't know whether to feel pleased or annoyed. They had the information they needed, but of all the people to find it…

"Eh? Eh? Eh?" Nora dug an elbow into Blake's side with each sound.

"We have to get to the docks," Blake said. She looked up at the sky. It was already evening. If they took a Bullhead directly to Vale, they might yet make it.

She would find out the truth behind this…

"Eh? Eh? Aren't you going to admit I was right, Blake? Aren't you going to take it all back?"

God damn it, Nora…

/-/

Mercury sighed. What a boring ass job. He crossed and uncrossed his arms again for what felt like the fiftieth time and stifled a yawn. Someone nearby looked his way, but he shot them an irritated glare and they moved away. Once they were gone, he sighed again. "Remind me again why I'm stuck doing this?"

" _Because it's your turn,"_ Emerald said, her voice in his earpiece. _"I had to put up with them yesterday, and Cinder wants him watched at any time he might be in danger."_

"What kind of danger is he going to get up to out here? The three of them are in a comic store of all things."

" _I thought you liked comics. Are you complaining just for the sake of it?"_

"No." Maybe. "There's a difference between me being able to browse and read, and being stuck as a glorified bodyguard." His eyes traced his target again as he talked to the little girl he'd dubbed Red. The other one was Orange.

It made things easier.

" _Well, this is work, Mercury. It's not meant to be fun."_

"Funny, and here I thought you were to be my entertainment. Don't you know any jokes?" A smirk crept onto his face as he heard Emerald's simmering anger. "Maybe a dance or an improv routine?"

" _I could play your rib cage like a xylophone. How's that?"_

"Ooh, already undressing me in your mind." He paused, for dramatic effect. "Kinky."

" _You… ugh, you're completely insufferable. Look, just keep an eye on him and make sure nothing happens, okay?"_

"What will you be doing?"

" _I'm going to try and break into Winchester's room and find his uniform jacket, and then plant a tracker on it, if you must ask."_ She sighed. _"Trust me, my job is no less boring than yours."_

"I'm gone for two hours and you're already breaking into another man's room. I'm heartbroken, Em. I really am."

" _Good. Hopefully you'll die of a broken heart. I have to go now, I can't make noise if I'm doing this. Whatever happens, Jaune needs to be kept safe. I won't be responsible for explaining it to Cinder if he is."_

A surge of fear shot through him as well. The thought of what she'd do to him… it didn't bear saying. "Yeah," he said. "Don't worry. I'll make sure he doesn't so much as trip."

Which might be hard, given that he'd just watched the guy nearly be killed from a hug, but what was he about to do – rush in and jealously drag the girl off him? Yeah, he could see how that would end. Emerald would run with a rumour like that so long he had to off himself to escape.

" _I'll leave you to it, then. Oh, and for the love of everything, Mercury… don't let them catch you."_ There was a low tone in his ear as the call ended, and he stuffed the earpiece back in his pocket, just to be sure it didn't fall out and break. They weren't cheap, and Cinder did not abide waste.

"Get caught?" Mercury scoffed and rolled his eyes. What kind of an amateur did she take him for? Sometimes, he thought she forgot who he'd been before this. He'd been trained as a deadly assassin by his father.

Emerald was the one who was nothing but a street waif.

Movement over by his targets caught his trained eyes. They were moving, leaving. About time, he couldn't help but feel. The inaction was killing him. If he was lucky, they'd make a stop somewhere near a place he could get a bite to eat. He'd look less suspicious sat at a table too. He pushed off the wall and trailed behind them as they made their way down the street, burdened with a few purchases. He kept about fifteen metres away at all times, a good distance, one that would deafen his footfalls even if he broke into a light jog. No one paid attention as he pushed his way through the crowds that lined the streets. He was at home in them.

Up ahead, he watched them turn a corner. He counted to three, then increased his pace to a fast walk. Losing sight was dangerous, but that was fine. Few measured the steps of those behind him. Once he crossed the corner, in their minds, it would be as though he only just appeared. He jogged up and around it.

And froze…

Shit.

"I thought I saw you follow us," Orange said. "I see that I was correct. Sensational!"

"Penny, that's not a _good_ thing," Red said. She didn't take her silver eyes off him, and there was a part of his memory that said it was important in some way. It was gone a moment later. What was important was that he'd been found. Gods, Emerald would never let him hear the end of it.

Bigger problem, what did he say? No one ever prepared him for this, for being found. If his target normally spotted him, he went in for the kill. That wasn't exactly an option here. All he could do was hope they didn't-

"Why are you following us anyway?" Red asked.

Welp, there went that dream!

"Hey, it's Mercury."

"You know him?"

Jaune smiled and nodded. "Sure, he's on a- a friend's team. You know Cinder, the girl I talked to before? He's one of her teammates."

"Oh, right…" Red seemed to calm down. "Is that why he followed, because he wanted to come along?"

Wait, was Jaune covering for him? Mercury's eyes widened as he stared at his target and the guy he was meant to protect. For the most part, he'd assumed Cinder's little brother was an idiot, but this suggested otherwise. Still, the idea that he was following out of awkwardness was a little too jarring to accept, even for him. He opened his mouth to come up with a different excuse, but Jaune beat him to it.

"Probably. I guess he wanted to come with us, right?"

He felt his machismo drop by several levels. That made him sound _so_ lame. Even so, he nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. I…" He swallowed his revulsion. "I didn't really know how to approach you all and make friends."

Gods, he was going to be sick.

It was even worse when Orange walked up to him and wrapped her arms about him. _Please,_ he begged, _let a Bullhead hit me right now._

"I understand, friend Mercury. I too was without friends yesterday, and I too followed people, unsure of what to do. I felt I might be able to understand how they interacted if I but watched, but instead I felt even more alone." She hugged him, and he winced as he felt his aura dip. Holy crap, she was strong!

"P-Penny, I think you're hugging him a little tight."

"Am I? But Ruby, I am only emulating your actions earlier with Just Jaune."

"Y-Yeah, maybe you shouldn't though. I think he's about to pass out."

Mercury made a mental note to not kill Red for saving his life. He almost fell on all fours when the weird girl finally let go of him. His breath came in great gulps, and he held a hand to his chest. "You've got a strong grip."

"I eat balanced meals of proteins, vegetables and other normal foodstuffs."

Mercury stared at the girl. "Oookay… that's… nice?"

"It is nice. It is balanced and healthy, filled with all things a normal human requires."

It never got any better from there. He knew well enough when he was screwed, but this felt beyond that. There was almost no way Emerald wouldn't find out about this. His only chance was to claim it had been his idea from the get-go, but that would mean claiming he _wanted_ to be friends with the two crazy girls. His cred would be ruined. For now, though, he didn't have any choice. He nodded when Jaune introduced him to them, and then agreed with their idea of stopping somewhere for food. Luckily, Red knew of a few places, and the walk towards it was mostly in silence. It gave him time to think.

 _How did she spot me spying on them so easily?_ His eyes fell on the orange-haired girl, but she didn't seem to notice. _I'm no rank amateur, and among a crowd like the one in that shop, I might as well have been invisible. It just doesn't add up._ He sighed and looked towards his target. _At least he stuck up for me and gave me an excuse, even if it was a crappy one. If I'm going to be stuck pretending to be their friend, Emerald better be ready for me to drag her down with me._

Misery shared was misery halved, after all. He was sure Emerald would be _thrilled_ to be such a good partner.

Either way, it was all he could do to staple a smile to his face as he sat down in one of the seats on the outside of a street side diner. With Jaune on his left, and Penny on his right, it felt like he was the middle-part of a good-guy sandwich. At least the waiter was cynical and uninterested enough to alleviate the pure kindness and civility that practically radiated off these three.

"I'll pay," Jaune said once he came back with their drinks and some snacks. Mercury shrugged, but Red seemed less than enamoured with the idea.

"No, you can't, not again. It's my turn to pay – or we can pay for ourselves."

"I didn't bring any lien, friend Ruby."

"Me neither," Mercury lied. Why should he pay when he was being forced to tag along?

"Ah, but… I can't afford…" She didn't get any further as Jaune held out his card to the waiter.

"Don't worry, Ruby. It's my treat."

"But you already treated me," Red whined. She had a thick book clutched to her chest. "That's it. Next time, you need to let me pay for your meal. It's only fair."

"It is? Well, if you insist…"

She nodded. "I do."

"Oh," Penny said. "Like a date?"

"No, no, no!" Red waved her hands. "Not like that."

"Sounds like a date to me," Mercury said. He could smell the potential for drama a mile away and was determined to embrace it.

"It's not a date!"

"So you wouldn't date Jaune?" he asked. "Is there something wrong with him?" She looked horrified at the idea.

"Of course not. Jaune's my best friend!"

"So it _is_ a date?"

"N-No!"

"I don't mind," Jaune said, and Mercury almost laughed when he saw Red's equally red cheeks. She looked like she might die right there. "I already went on two dates with your sister. I guess it would only be fair to do the same with you."

"T-That's not how it works at all!"

Ooh, she was getting flustered too. Well, for someone who was `definitely not interested`, she was certainly showing a lot of interest. Mercury leaned forward and adopted the most genuine expression he could. "Is that what the two of you are doing now? I didn't know I was intruding on a date."

"This isn't a date!"

"It's not a date," Jaune agreed, and Red almost collapsed in relief. "But we could make it a date next time if you want, Ruby. I don't mind."

"Oh, like a double date?" The question came from Penny, and Mercury winced at his place in that analogy. It wasn't that she was hard on the eyes, but she was just so… so… _nice_. There was no snark, no hidden agenda and no dangerous edge. He watched the girl as she lifted up an ice-cream, considered it with a stern eye, and then pushed the _whole_ thing – cone and all – into her mouth.

It was gone a second later, in a single bite.

Apparently, she was also immune to brain freeze. What the hell?

"It's not… I mean… no, it's…" Red's shook her head wildly. With a flash of wild panic, she twirled around and pointed into the distance. "Look, a distraction!"

A huge explosion rocked the ground, and a column of smoke billowed up into the sky.

"Uh... Ruby," Jaune said. "I don't think you should do that anymore."

"I didn't… I…" She looked down at her finger in horror. Mercury, however, was less flippant.

 _What would cause an explosion in Vale? I know it can't be the White Fang, since Cinder has them on lockdown prepared for when we need them. Who else would set off a bomb, though?_ One thing was for sure, he couldn't let Jaune get involved. Cinder would have his head.

"Was that a bomb?" Red whispered.

Mercury shrugged his shoulders and held up both hands.

"Well, that's weird. I think we ought to call the authorities an-"

"Come on Mercury," Jaune called, already halfway down the street with Orange and Red beside him. "Ruby says it's at the docks. We need to get there and see what's going on."

His heart leapt into his throat. "No, wait-"

"We'll wait when we get there. Ruby, lead the way."

"Okay!"

Mercury hadn't even finished falling out of his chair when the three sprinted off. His face _did_ hit the floor as they rounded the corner, though. Oh no… oh _hell_ no – he wasn't going to explain to Cinder how he'd let her little brother rush off to investigate a bomb on his own. If another went off, there'd be nowhere on Remnant he could hide. He tried to disentangle his legs from the metal chair, nearly tripped again - and then tore it off and threw it behind him. He barely had time to catch a breath before he was rushing off after those idiots.

"Oi, wait for me!"

It was official. Next time Emerald said it was _his turn_ ; he would tell her exactly where she could shove it. That was if he was still alive to do so after this.

/-/

There wasn't much in the world that Cinder Fall feared, but it was moments like these she dreaded above any other. Her brow prickled with sweat, her heart beat and she ran her tongue across her lips to moisten them. No amount of time could prepare her for this, however. She held the phone to her ear. Part of her hoped there would be no answer.

" _Hello? Is that you, Cinder?"_

Darn. No such luck. "Yes, my mistress. I felt it prudent to call and let you know I've successfully infiltrated Beacon Academy."

" _Well done, Cinder."_ Salem sounded every part the powerful woman she was, voice a rich purr. If it could have stayed like that, there wouldn't have been a problem – but Cinder knew it would not. Her eyes clenched shut; she knew what was coming. _"Now tell me, how is my little baby? Is he healthy? He is eating well, right? Has he made any friends? Is it a bad or a good thing if he's made friends?"_

Cinder's eyes slipped shut as she let the questions wash over her. She had to resist the urge to sigh, and even then, it was hard. _This is the woman who would rule all of Remnant,_ she told herself. It wasn't that she'd lost her edge, for she hadn't. When angered, Salem was still a force to be reckoned with, and any threat she made would be carried through to the letter.

It was just when she _wasn't_ in that mood, or when her family came into the equation.

" _But more importantly,"_ Salem continued, " _Why have you not brought him home yet? He hasn't so much as called!"_

That was a delicate question, and one that required just as careful an answer. The truth of the matter was that she hadn't even broached the topic with him, since it would force her to leave Beacon and escort him back to the Grimmlands. That would make gaining the Fall Maiden's powers all but impossible. A sacrifice Salem was happy to make, of course, but that was to be _her_ power – and Cinder would not allow it to slip from her grasp.

"Your son is stubborn at the moment," she said. "He is as headstrong as his father, with your determination and iron will."

" _Cinder, dear, you wouldn't be flattering me to try and distract me from something would you?"_

Erk…

"Not at all, mistress… my thoughts are simply that trying to forcefully changed Jaune's mind might only exacerbate the problem. He ran away because he felt stifled, after all. I thought a subtler approach might yield better results."

" _Hmm, go on."_

"My plan is to slowly put the idea into his mind, to let him feel homesick and miss you and his sisters, so that the decision to return is his own." Cinder paced about the room as she spoke. "That way, he will come to the conclusion himself, and not feel as though he's been pressured. Of course, I'll need to be subtle in doing this, which is why it might take some time."

" _But he would think it his decision and so not go against it,"_ Salem finished. _"Very well, Cinder. I believe in this matter, you are correct. Perhaps I am not the best person to decide the course of action if he already ran away from home the one time."_

Okay, progress, that was good. She breathed a sigh of relief as she nodded her head. "That would be my opinion as well," she said. "I could try and convince him to call you, but I don't want to push him unduly at this time… if I make it too obvious what my intent is, he might try and turn a cold shoulder to me."

" _We wouldn't want that. I'm told arguments are a normal part of any relationship, but the two of you can't make up like Nicky and I do."_ Salem's voice took on a wistful edge, and Cinder winced. _"Well, you `could` make up like that. I wouldn't be upset if it was you, my dear."_

"P-Perhaps not," Cinder stammered, and then cursed herself for sounding so weak. Hopefully, her cheeks weren't red, but it was impossible not to let that get under her skin. "Anyway, since you agree with my plan, would it be possible to call of the Grimm you sent to kidnap him?"

" _I'm afraid not."_

How did she question that without coming across as impertinent? Cinder's brow scrunched up as she agonised over it, but Salem must have seen her concern, for she answered without prompting.

" _The Grimm have already been spawned and are en route. In fact, they should have arrived by now. While I could spawn more to hunt them down and kill them, I will not. It doesn't hurt to have multiple plans, after all."_

"But if he would just run away again-"

" _Then I shall deal with that when it happens, Cinder. My decision is absolute. Do save me the time of punishing you by accepting it."_

"O-Of course," Cinder swallowed. Damn it, she would need to find and kill those Grimm herself, or failing that, make sure he was strong enough to defend himself. More work for Mercury and Emerald, it seemed. How delighted they would be. "If that is all, mistress, I ca-"

" _That is not all, Cinder. Tell me, how is he?"_

So close… she'd been so close. Cinder opened her mouth to explain just how much he was messing everything up, but froze. Her eyes widened in panic. She couldn't tell Salem any of that! If she found out how bizarre Jaune was acting, she'd become worried for his safety and send more Grimm – or worse – come herself. She needed to think there was no danger, which meant _she_ would need to cover for little brother's almost perpetual cock-ups.

"His infiltration went off without difficulty," Cinder said. The lie was so blatant it was a wonder she didn't choke and die on it. "He is fitting in among normal humans and has even made a positive impression on many people here."

" _He has?"_ Salem sounded surprised, and she had every right to. _"Oh my, perhaps all my worry was for nothing. Then again, he is mine and Nicky's son – it's expected that he show some of our best traits."_

"Y-Yes, well… he certainly does." Gods, she hoped Salem never found out the truth or she'd have a difficult conversation explaining exactly _who_ she thought his idiocy came from. If it came to it, she was so blaming Tyrian.

" _Has he made any friends?"_

"He… has. I'm still in the process of finding out information about them, especially Yang Xiao-Long, but-"

" _Yang Xiao-what now?"_ Salem asked. _"Is that a girl?"_

"It is."

" _Ooh, my son is friends with a girl. Tell me, Cinder, what does she look like?"_

"Um," Cinder wracked her mind. "Blonde hair, purple eyes, quite the figure-"

" _Her hips, dear… let's skip to the important part, shall we? Are they narrow, wide – do you think she would be able to birth my darling many children?"_

"I'm… not exactly a professional."

" _Fine, then I'll need you to send me a picture of her, as soon as you are able. In fact, send me pictures of all of his friends."_ Salem rubbed her hands together gleefully.

A part of Cinder wondered at the horror Jaune would feel if he ever found out she was going to send images of young huntresses-in-training to the single most dangerous entity on Remnant. Then again, if it were a choice between putting herself on the chopping block, and throwing his friends under the Beowolf, she knew which she'd choose. "As you wish, I will have some images ready for you in a few days."

" _Perfect. You have done well, Cinder, have no doubt of that."_

Cinder's smile was, for once, honest. "Thank you."

" _Out of curiosity, though. Do you think Jaune and this Yang woman would make handsome children?"_

It was a direct question, and so she could not disobey, but Cinder paused to think it through. Her face twisted at the thought of the girl. "I do not think so," she said. "Yang Xiao-Long is pretty enough, and has a figure many women would be envious of, but from what I've seen, she is childish and immature. Jaune needs someone a little more mature in his life, someone who isn't afraid to take control and provide direction when he is uncertain. He doesn't need some flighty teenager yet to find her place in the world. He needs someone more experienced." She paused. "On a purely personal level, I also can't help but think there are enough blondes in the family. Perhaps some variety might be nice."

" _Really, now? That's an interesting thought, not that I disagree."_ Salem's smile was nothing short of ecstatic. She also looked quite smug. _"Well then, should you ever find an older, more experienced woman with a different shade of hair – perhaps black – do be sure to let her know I would approve of any such relationship with my son."_

Hm, why did she seem so amused? Cinder's eyes narrowed, but the mind of Salem Arc could be an impenetrable thing. "I'll keep that in mind," she said.

" _I shall leave you to it then, my dear. Do try and change Jaune's mind when you're able, and if you are in need of advice or tricks, let me know."_

"Tricks?"

" _Why yes. Whenever I want to change Nicky's mind, there's this little trick I do with my-"_

"That won't be necessary!" Cinder yelped. "I think, no – you're cutting off, the signal…"

" _It sounds fine to me, dear. Well, if you can still hear me, that's enough. Basically, it's all about humming to cause a vibration in your mouth as you-"_

"Bzzt… I – can't… you… sorry." Cinder didn't think she'd ever slammed her finger down on the end call button sooner. The room was brought into complete silence, and for that, she was thankful. _I don't think I can ever look at her husband the same way._

Not that she liked to look at him anyway. She even less liked how he often tried to offer her a shoulder to cry on, how he believed her in need of help, and the hugs Salem ordered her to endure as Nicholas Arc did his best to… ugh… _help_ her.

The whole thing was a mess, really.

Cinder let out a suffering sigh as she sat down on the edge of her bed and checked her scroll. No news from her underlings, which was good news in this case. The ideal scenario was that they got through Beacon with no hiccups whatsoever. Neo was a problem, as was that huge teddy on her bed, but neither were ones that couldn't be solved with a generous application of fire. _At least the weekend offers some freedom from those insufferable lessons. If I have to hear another story from that fat oaf, or another example of how peace and understanding can solve everything from the caffeinated idiot, then I won't be held responsible for bloodbath I cause._ Cinder shivered as she thought of the cruelty she would mete out upon them. It would be glorious.

Sadly, given that she needed to keep her cover, it would also be purely imaginary… at least for now.

"At least my foolish little brother has kept himself under the radar," Cinder said, and flicked across her scroll to the local news. It always helped to keep abreast of events in Vale. She reached down to pick up a flute of wine and take a long sip as she watched the channel load.

" _News just in,"_ a reporter chimed. _"A recent dust explosion at the Vale docks has led to an evacuation of neighbouring housing. Eye-witness reports are hazy at this time, but one startled woman spoke of Bullheads, teenage children and… Cyril, am I reading this right?"_

" _Say the line,"_ a voice hissed. Lisa Lavender sighed.

" _One startled woman spoke of Bullheads, teenage children and a tentacle monster. One can only assume she was not referring to late-night television."_

"Pftttt!"

"Ma'am, we have a-" Emerald got no further as she pushed into the room, for her face was quickly covered in second-hand wine. "Never mind, I guess you've already seen it..."

* * *

 **Oh dear…**

 **No Ironwood this chapter, but don't worry, he** _ **did**_ **see the diary entry. We simply haven't had his PoV yet, nor has Penny – which ought to give you an idea of just what it was. After all, how bad must it have been for him to not even be able to hunt Penny down for answers?**

 **Anyway, I'll move onto the main point of this message.**

 **A Week without Fanfiction**

 **People who have read my other fics, perhaps know that I've been pretty badly sick since this past weekend. I went to the doctors over it, and he believes it to be mostly stress-related. Now, before panic sets in, I'd like to say that Fanfiction is not stress to me. I genuinely enjoy what I do.**

 **My main job, on the other hand, a little less so. Summer is our biggest period, and since we write a month in advance, I am right now on the hardest part of the year – our June issues. I've had to work outside of normal hours, over weekends, and with Fanfiction taking up the same slots. My sleep got reduced, I missed meals, and ultimately started to feel like crap.**

 **I also think the quality of some of my writing has reflected this the last week… it feels a little flat, devoid of life. Anyway, my doctor suggested a week of rest and relaxation, which is somewhat weird for me, since I'm not the kind of person who likes to do nothing. On the other hand, my doctor has made a point of it and I kind of do need to follow his advice when I'm sick.**

 **How this will work is fairly simple. I'm going to continue doing each fanfic until they have all had this notice at the bottom, and then there will be a single week of no uploads. After that, things will resume. White Sheep will be the first, and the date at the bottom will reflect two weeks. There will still be NTF, PA, FD and Ent this week, but starting from next Thursday, you won't see any fics for the week.**

 **Hopefully, you can all understand why. I'm not abandoning anything. I'm not stopping, nor have I lost the love for what I do… I just need to take a break to sort things out. Honestly, there is a good chance I'll write during that week too, but it will be without deadlines and without the stress of having to have X done by Y, before I have to move onto Z. The break should also give me a chance to recharge, read some books for a change, and improve myself as a writer too.**

 **I'll still be here, both in my forum and by PM, and I'll still be checking reviews, etc… but I won't be uploading anything until the week is over. Once it's over, uploads will go back to normal. I'm not moving to a two-week system or anything.**

 **Thanks for understanding.**

* * *

 **To compensate, I practically made this a double chapter anyway… I could have easily split it in two. :P**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 18** **th** **May (Two Weeks)**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	18. Chapter 18

**Well, I'm back off my week away – and thank you to everyone who wished me well and ultimately supported me in my short break. Ironically, I still worked my 9-5 job through it, and yet it** _ **still**_ **felt like a break somehow. It felt refreshing.**

 **It also gave me plenty of time to think about my fanfics, plan ahead on some of them, and ultimately tighten the ship as it were. I was able to identify several mistakes I made on some, and look to minimise or fix them going forward. One thing I will be changing is arbitrary word limits on chapters. Sometimes it feels like I've been aiming for a specific word count on some, and padding chapters when they don't quite match it. From now on, that will stop.**

 **Chapters won't be drastically different from what you're used to, but in White Sheep for instance, it might mean you get anywhere between 7-10k, as opposed to me always striving for an exact number. Some chapters do better longer… some do better shorter. I'll be focusing on quality over quantity.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 18 – Like a Lamb to the Slaughter**

* * *

It was already dark by the time they reached the docks, but there were convenient flashes of light to help illuminate the way through the broken fence on the side. Somewhat less convenient was the various explosions that caused said light. Mercury winced as another one shook the docks, followed by the rattle of gunfire and a Bullhead zooming by overhead.

"This isn't a good idea!" he said, voice raised over the ferocious noise. He panted, hands on prosthetic knees as he wished not for the first time that they went a little higher and thus robbed him of being exhausted from running at all. The idiots didn't hear him, or chose not to, as Cinder's little brother held open a barbed wire fence as one might a door and gestured for the girls to crawl through in a gentlemanly fashion. Mercury growled and stumbled through himself, though not without another complaint. "I'll say it again; this is a _bad_ idea. Have you guys maybe missed the part where this sounds like a warzone?"

"Of course not," Red said. "That's where we're headed."

"Why?"

"To check it out, obviously…" The girl hit her head and made a `duh` sound.

"Words can't even begin to explain how stupid that plan is."

"You can stay behind if you're afraid, friend-Mercury," Orange-girl said. "We are combat-ready and more than capable of dealing with whatever this is alone."

Yeah sure, he'd have loved to take them up on that offer. Unfortunately, he was more afraid of what lay behind him than ahead. He didn't care to contemplate what fate would await him back at Beacon if even a single hair on the idiot's head got burned. Mercury scowled and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

 _Hopefully it won't be anything serious and we can get back in one piece._ A follow-up explosion behind some warehouses a little distance away seemed to laugh in the face of that idea, but maybe it was just an industrial accident? Late at night… when no one was here… with a Bullhead flying overhead.

The straws he grasped at just kept on slipping away.

He followed the three lemmings as they clambered through the fence and towards a warehouse. Red said something about how they'd have a better view of the battlefield from up high, and rolled her eyes when he pointed out just about everyone else would have a better view of _them_ if they were up high as well.

"It'll be fine, Mercury," Jaune said, patting his shoulder as though comforting a worried child. "I'll look after you."

One of Mercury's eyes twitched violently.

It was only once they'd climbed atop the warehouse and moved to the edge that the scene below was revealed. Numerous figures in White Fang uniform milled around, many with their guns pointed towards several brightly-clothed figures, but unwilling to fire when their fellows were engaged in melee. Two Bullheads flew overhead. One of them opened fire in a strafing run, driving two figures into the shelter of some industrial machinery. The other grappled with a cargo container doubtless filled with dust. A tall, white-coated figure fought with a blonde huntress, and Mercury's stomach dropped.

"Yang!" Red gasped, "She's fighting against Torchwick! Oh no, this is terrible."

"You're damn right it is," Mercury growled. This had to be the worst thing that could have possibly happened. Torchwick was on the job for them, and this was likely one of the many dust heists Cinder needed to go well. What was he supposed to do? _If I do anything to land Torchwick in trouble, Cinder's plans will be ruined and I'll pay the price. If I do nothing though, and her little brother rushes in to get his ass handed to him, then it'll be even worse._ He glanced over to the guy in question, who at least didn't _look_ like he wanted to leap into action. He looked nervous too, which was a good sign.

"That is indeed your sister," Penny helpfully supplied. Her eyes brightened a little as she tilted her head to the side. "I also see Miss Yang's teammates, Blake, Ren and Nora, along with an unknown faunus they seem to be fighting alongside. They appear to be facing Roman Torchwick, alongside a small group of White Fang terrorists."

"All of them?" Ruby gasped and pushed herself up. "We have to get down there and help!"

"Do we, though?" Mercury asked desperately. "Do we really? You don't even have your weapon. None of us do." They could call them via their lockers, sure, but he wasn't about to remind her of that.

Red paused, and for a moment he dared to think his logic might have gotten through to her.

"I also see a Bullhead," Penny interrupted.

"Huh?" He blinked and turned to her. "Yeah, sure… as I was saying-"

"The Bullhead also sees us."

Mercury paused. "Wait, what!?"

Penny pointed to the left, where a huge metal vehicle hovered at the edge of the warehouse. Its twin-barrelled guns were fixed onto them, and they started to spin before their eyes. Red muttered something about rotten luck, while Mercury only had the time to register an intense desire to smash his head against a wall.

"Move!" Jaune yelled, dashing forward. He gripped Red by her collar and hoisted her into the air, the girl yelping as she was tossed over the edge of the building. Orange followed, and Mercury barely had the time to gasp as Jaune shoved him off the roof as well.

The irony of being saved by the guy he was meant to be looking after wasn't lost on him. Nor was the horror as the Bullhead opened fire. Bullets scythed through the thin metal roof – and Cinder's little brother let out a cry of shock as it collapsed under him.

"Jaune!" Mercury yelled, the cry echoed by both other girls. Mercury hit the ground hard, aura flaring as he winced and rolled back onto his feet.

Okay, fine… this was bad. He had to find the guy and rescue him before something worse happened. He scrabbled forward, intent on saving his ass via the medium of saving another man's ass.

The Bullhead opened fire again, and the warehouse exploded into flames.

He stared at the inferno.

A piece of flaming wreckage bounced off his forehead.

"Fuck my life…"

/-/

" **Jaune? Jaune, are you okay?"**

"Ugh," Jaune coughed and hacked as he pushed some mangled girder off his body. It crashed to the side and he stumbled out, taking deep breaths. His skin felt like it had been scorched, and his hands ached from where he'd touched hot metal. The pain was nothing compared to his back, though. The last thing he needed on top was his passenger screaming in his head. "Remy, you live inside me. You'd be the first to know if I died."

" **Yeah well, there's a difference between alive and conscious and alive and unconscious, buried beneath a flaming pile of twisted metal."** The parasite swam about inside him but didn't dare break out from his skin. **"Good save by the way. I'm pretty sure you'd be dead if you hadn't transformed."**

Jaune nodded and used one of his tentacles to pry some sharp steel away from his leg. The change had been an almost instinctive thing, taking place somewhere between the roof disappearing beneath his feet and the ground rushing up to meet him. He'd managed to slow his fall by catching a mezzanine walkway with a tentacle, but the rubble still buried him as it fell.

 _Thank Salem for my aura reserves,_ he thought, cracking his neck to one side. At least the others were okay. He wouldn't have been able to do this if Ruby or Penny was knocked down with him, and that might have left them both dead. While he didn't know Mercury well, he was also fairly sure his Big Sis would have been devastated if the guy got hurt.

 _Even if I died, at least she would have had him to help her deal with the grief._

His thoughts were interrupted as a wave of smoke billowed into his face. It was hot like ash and burned his lips and lungs. He bent forward, one hand over his mouth as he fought for breath. Aura was great, but it didn't do much for the internals.

" **Not that I'm second-guessing or anything, but could you have this moment maybe** _ **outside**_ **the currently burning warehouse?"** As if to punctuate Remy's words, there was a loud crack and crash as more of the roof gave way and tumbled to the ground around him. The moonlight rushed through the gap now, and a Bullhead soared overhead – probably the same one that opened fire on them. **"Like… maybe now, before it collapses?"**

"It's not exactly that easy, Remy." he said out loud. "Didn't you see who Ruby's sister was fighting against? It's the same guy from before Beacon, the one that I uh… helped out."

" **The one that tricked you,"** Remy unflatteringly said. Jaune winced. **"Yeah, I saw him. What's your point? You can just get out of here, transform back into your human form and either leave or help your friends take him down. It might even be good to get our own back on him."** Remy hummed deep inside of him, an almost sinister chuckle. **"We could show him exactly who he played with. Make him scream for mercy before you stamp on his throat an-"**

"Yeah, except that he knows my name and face – in both forms."

Remy's sociopathic laughter halted. **"Erk… I may have forgotten about that."**

"A good job I didn't," Jaune groaned and ran a palm over his face. It wiped soot and ash away more than it did sweat. In fact, all it really did was smear it across his skin. His shirt was gone too, it seemed. The fire and the impact hadn't done much for the thin, white material, and now he was essentially naked from the waist up. "I can't let any of them see me, Remy. Not my friends in my Grimm-form, or that criminal in my human form. Either option spells problems."

" **You could always leave them to it."** Remy suggested.

Jaune scowled and scuffed one foot against the floor.

" **Listen, I know you don't want to, but think about it for a second. There's an entire team out there, not to mention the silver-eyed monster, legless cyborg and Penny."** Why Remy only referred to Penny by name, he had no idea. **"There's almost** _ **no**_ **way your friends are going to lose this. That Torchwick guy struggled against the midget on his own. How do you think he'll hold up against seven or eight of her?"**

Remy had a point, as much as Jaune didn't want to admit it. Those armed goons were a concern, but not a big one since they seemed to be doing fine against them _before_ Ruby, Penny and Mercury got involved. Staying out of the fight would leave a sick feeling in his stomach, but it was better than being ousted as a half-Grimm monster and chased out of Beacon.

" _You think I should let them handle it, then?"_

" **I'd get out of here, transform and stay out of it. Once it's all over you can come out, all covered in soot and half-burned and just act like it took you some time to get out of the warehouse."** Remy sounded pleased with his plan. **"Just make sure the Torchwick guy is unconscious when you approach and you're all good. Heck, if you tell your girlfriend you saved her sister, she might even reward you with a kiss."**

" _Whoah, hang on a minute. Yang's not my girlfriend."_

" **Jaune… you've been on multiple dates with her."**

" _Does… does that make it official?"_

" **You're asking a Grimm parasite for relationship advice? You** _ **must**_ **be desperate. Forget about it, you've got enough on your plate. You** _ **need**_ **to stay hidden. Don't let anyone see you."**

Jaune nodded. He didn't like it, but Remy was right and speaking in his best interests at the moment. He trusted Ruby and the others enough to deal with Torchwick. One of the walls to his left collapsed in an explosion of metal, prompting his quick evacuation from the dying building. With fire still raining all around him, along with parts of the roof, he had to stay in Grimm form and pick his way through it, tentacles held over his head lest something brain him.

A low groan prompted him to be a little quicker, and it was with a gasp and a desperate leap that he slammed through a weakened piece of wall before the whole thing collapsed behind him. Dust – the more mundane kind – rushed out behind him as a great wall of smoke expanded from the wreckage. In the distance, he heard Ruby shout his name in fear. He thought he heard Mercury do the same, though his voice sounded particularly high-pitched.

He peeked around the corner, in time to see Penny leap off the top of a building and spin in the air. Several silvery threads shot out from her, attached to blades which impacted the side of the Bullhead carrying the cargo container. It shifted and fell, and she dragged it down into a fiery explosion.

There was no chance the crew could have survived that.

" **Can we have her as our girlfriend instead?"**

" _Remy!"_

" **What? I'm just saying… I mean, she's possibly the best human you know. She's strong, feels great to be around, isn't a selfish monster like most other humans…"**

" _And the fact she just killed a bunch of people without batting an eyelid?"_

" **I know! Isn't it great!?"**

Ugh, never mind… He pushed back and stepped away, feeling a rush of guilt as he heard Ruby call out his name in panic.

 _Sorry guys,_ Jaune thought. He couldn't let himself be found, in Grimm _or_ human form. Not until the battle was already over. He also couldn't let anyone else see him transform, since one person in the know was already one too many.

 _The cargo containers should provide some cover for me. It's not like they're going to fight in the middle of them if they're all filled with dust. It would cause all kinds of explosions._ There were also loads to hide behind, which would let him stay hidden until it was time to heroically reappear. He looked left and right as he slipped towards them, but luckily everyone was focused on either the fight or the warehouse. He sighed and strolled around the corner, into a narrow alley between several metal containers, only for his foot to bump into something.

Or someone, as it turned out. An unconscious blonde teen with shaggy hair and an open white shirt lay slumped against a container. His skin was smudged, like he'd been caught by an explosion, or maybe just hadn't seen a shower for a long time. Not much better than he probably looked himself in all honesty.

" _What do you think a homeless person is doing here?"_ Jaune asked. He reached down and pressed a tentacle to the boy's neck, sighing when he felt a pulse. That was good.

" **Sleeping?"** Remy guessed. **"Whatever. He's out of it, so he won't see you at least. Just get a little deeper into this place before someone finds you."**

" _And leave someone here on their own when a Bullhead is doing strafing runs overhead?"_ Jaune didn't wait for an answer before he gently picked the boy up around the waist and lifted him into the air. He didn't think he'd be able to forgive himself if he knowingly left a homeless person in danger just to save his own skin.

"Sun, are you okay?" Blake asked as she jogged around the corner.

Jaune froze.

Blake froze.

It took him a second to realise the scene, him with two tentacles wrapped about the guy's half-naked chest, and his eyes blazing crimson. It was around the same time he realised Blake had Gambol Shroud in hand, and that it was now pointed towards his face.

"Get away from him," she snarled. "Keep your tentacles out of him." Her cheeks darkened. "I mean _off_ him. Keep them off him."

Jaune swallowed and slowly stood back up, holding his arms open-palmed before him. His tentacles emulated the motion, though they slowly placed the person down first. He held them up in the air above his head, but from the way she took a step back, he would hazard it didn't look very placating.

"T-Tentacles down," she snapped.

He did so, letting them rest on the floor. Blake's shoulders rose and fell but her eyes kept flicking between him and the downed faunus at his side. _"She doesn't recognise me,"_ he said in his mind.

" **Are you so surprised? Right now the only thing even remotely similar between you and Jaune Arc is a pair of blue jeans,"** Remy said. **"From what we've seen, those aren't exactly rare. Just play it cool and she won't figure it out."**

" _And avoid getting shot, you mean?"_

" **Yeah, that too. Your aura would deflect it, but there's no reason to draw attention."**

"Don't move," Blake said. She took a single step towards him, then flinched and took another when he didn't make any aggressive gestures. "I warn you, I'm a huntress," she added. "I won't let you do something like _that_ to Sun, even if he is a stalker."

A stalker? Jaune's eyes flicked down to the guy, but quickly shot back up to the conscious girl with her weapon trained on him. Blake was worried about the guy? Ah, of course… she probably thought he was a here to kill him or something. "You don't have to worry about your friend," he said. "I'm not here for him."

"Then step away from him," Blake said. She took a step to the right, he taking one to the left as they circled about one another in the enclosed space. It was clear she wanted to put herself between him and the downed faunus, and Jaune was happy to let it happen. So long as he got to slip away afterwards, it was fine. Still, the others were still fighting against the other guy and he couldn't help but worry for them.

"Shouldn't you be helping your friends against Torchwick?"

Blake hesitated. She bit her lip and looked like she wanted to turn around to check if the others were okay. She was smarter than that, however. "They'll be fine. I trust them. If you think I'm taking my eyes off you, you're wrong."

Damn it… this wasn't going anywhere. Jaune frowned but kept his hands up.

" _Should I rush her?"_

" **Not yet. She hasn't opened fire, which means she clearly doesn't want to start a fight with that injured guy nearby. We might be able to get out of this peacefully yet. So long as neither of you make any sudden moves to startle her, we should be okay."**

Jaune nodded and kept his tentacles on the floor. He saw Blake glance down at one and swallow, but he gently tugged it away so she wouldn't feel quite so nervous. She definitely noticed, and her amber eyes flicked up to his. Funnily enough, the gentle motion didn't seem to have calmed her any.

"I'm only doing as you ask," he said. His voice was lower than usual, almost unrecognisable as his own. "I already said I'm not here for him, so there's no reason to worry."

"You'll forgive me if I don't believe you. Not after what you did the last time."

"The last time…?" Oh, right. "I only threw you into a tree," he said.

"Only!?" Blake growled. "You wrapped me up in your tentacles and- and-" She took a deep breath and let it go. "No. I'm not getting into this kind of conversation with a tentacle monster. I'm just not. I'm arresting you here and now."

That wasn't about to happen. His aura was strong, stronger than hers for sure. Jaune shifted a foot back and prepared to flee, even if it meant taking a few shots in the back, he'd be okay and she couldn't follow and leave her friend behind. Before he could, however, a startled voice cried out from the right.

"I've found her!" The masked figure pointed, dressed in a white and grey uniform. He rushed toward Blake, sword in hand. "Die, traitor!"

Blake didn't seem particularly enthused at the notion. She cursed and hopped over her downed friend's body, twisted her weapon into its cleaver form and blocked the overhead strike. Her other arm shot out into the man's stomach, catching him under the ribs and driving the wind from him. She quickly reversed her weapon and slammed the hilt into the side of his head, cracking the mask and knocking the man out.

She turned back around as fast as she could, but it wasn't like he could miss an opportunity like that.

"Ah! No!"

His tentacles streamed out and caught her about the wrist, hoisting her into the air by her weapon. She cried out, but another wrapped around her waist and dragged her in against him, her back to his chest. His hands wrestled with hers, picking her fingers open so that Gambol Shroud fell to the floor.

She kicked and howled, but wasn't able to break through the three tentacles he had wrapped around her. "Stop struggling," he said into her hair. It smelled nice, but once again he noticed an odd furriness against his chin. Was it her bow? "Don't fight me, Blake. This doesn't have to be a painful experience for either of us."

She froze against him. "H-How do you know my name?"

Uh…

Oh wow, that _was_ a good question, wasn't it? How _did_ he know her name? _Damn my stupid brain. I need to insert a filter between it and my mouth._ He wracked his mind for an answer, but Blake gasped before he could.

"You're not here for Sun," she whispered. "You're here… for me…?"

He was what now? He was about to argue against the notion, but several more shouts came from the direction of the first. He turned, as did Blake against his chest, in time to see four more in the same uniform round the corner.

"There she is!" one of them shouted. They all raised their weapons, rifles aimed towards them.

Blake screamed, unable to dodge or even cover her vitals as they opened fire.

Pain flared through his body as they struck, and although his aura protected him from the damage, it did little for the pain of the shots impacting against his body. He winced and clenched his eyes shut, trying to focus on the scent of Blake's hair instead. He could feel her hot breath against his chest, her cheek pressed into his skin, her body now half-turned into him. She was safe, though.

She was safe because he'd turned around to shield her with his body.

"Why…?" Blake asked. Her amber eyes flicked up to meet his. They were filled with confusion, and perhaps just a tad of gratefulness. "Why did you…?"

"Keep firing!" their attackers interrupted.

Jaune threw his hands up and over her once more, flinching as the pain washed over him. In the back of his mind he could hear Remy crying out for him to move, but if he did then Blake or the unconscious man would be hurt, maybe even killed.

These people were trying to kill them both – and he could _feel_ Blake's fear.

He could feel it… almost like a thick mist. He could _taste_ it. His nostrils flared. He could smell the anger and rage of those hurting him too, their hatred and bitter fury. Something foreign rose up within him. It was a heavy, heady feeling that made him want to rip and tear and something more.

This was supposed to be a day out with Ruby and Penny. This was supposed to be fun. It _had_ been fun, right up until these _assholes_ decided to ruin it. A low growl rumbled in his chest, and he felt his eyes flash crimson.

" **Calm down, Jaune,"** Remy whispered. His voice was so very faint.

Calm down…? When they were shooting him? When he was under a barrage of fire and didn't dare turn to face it for fear of what might happen to Blake? When people were shooting at _his_ friends? These… these _monsters_ who dared to hide in human flesh were trying to hurt him, to kill _his_ friends.

No…

He would not stay calm.

Blake gasped as she was tossed into a nearby container, but Jaune covered her with his body as he turned to face the assailants. Dust flared and bounced off him, but his aura seemed to grow to even greater proportions.

He roared like a beast.

The aggressors froze upon seeing his face, that or his eyes – or the inhuman tentacles above him. "K-Keep firing," one yelled. "Kill it as well. Kill them both!"

Jaune didn't give them the chance. He surged forwards, head held low and tentacles shooting out towards them. His weapon was back in Beacon, but that was fine. He didn't _want_ to use it. He wanted to use his bare hands, his tentacles – wanted to wrap them about something, someone. One of his tentacles slammed into a grunt on the left and slammed him back into – and through – a metal container. Steel twisted and screeched as it gave way, leaving behind a silent body and a gaping hole that spilled dust out onto the concrete.

The other two faunus backed off to create space, reloading their weapons frantically. It was all that saved them, for his almost feral mind locked onto the two who continued to fire.

The masked faunus on the left gasped as a hand settled around the barrel of his gun, keeping it from moving away. In panic, he fired shot after shot into the monster's chest. Light flared, both from the gunfire, but also waves of aura that rippled out from the point of impact.

The monster he fired at, however, went unharmed.

Eventually, the gun ran dry and it was wrenched out of his hands entirely.

"N-No, please- urgh!" The faunus buckled over his fist, buried in it stomach as air and consciousness were driven out of him in one blow. Even so, Jaune lifted him up atop his hand and sent him soaring through the air, up and over several containers to crash into the ocean.

Jaune watched the body sail out of view, before turning back to the remaining three. Two of them pointed their guns at him, but it was the third his eyes locked on. The faunus, perhaps feeling he was distracted, looked back towards Blake, who was scrabbling for her weapon. He raised his weapon. Blake saw it, cursed, and threw herself over her friend's unconscious body.

The gunshot was muffled.

She opened her eyes in time to see black blood drip onto the floor. It oozed down a thick black tentacle, wrapped about the barrel of the gun. The shot had lodged inside the limb, which wasn't as protected by aura as his body.

The terrorist screamed as the tentacle slipped over the weapon and tightly coiled about his arms and body. He was lifted from the ground entirely, and then violently slammed into one of the metal cargo containers. Again and again, the cries fading away each time. After four consecutive blows, the tentacle flipped back and released, sending the battered and bruised victim crashing into a container on the other side, before he fell to the floor.

He didn't get back up.

"What the hell…" Blake whispered. She reached for her weapon but clearly didn't know what to do with it.

Jaune, on the other hand, held no such hesitation. His red eyes fixed on the remaining two faunus, both of which looked like they wished they could be anywhere else. Steam escaped his lips as he growled and took a step forward. He could still feel their hate and anger – but now it was mixed with something far better.

Terror…

He chuckled and placed one foot before the other. They looked like they didn't dare move. All the better, really.

"Wait!" Blake yelled. "Don't hurt them – they're already beaten!"

What? Jaune turned, teeth bared. Rage ran through him like hot fire. Why not hurt them? They hurt him – and tried to hurt her, and likely Yang and everyone else as well. They were monsters masquerading as human, far worse than even the Grimm who humanity decreed evil.

They deserved nothing more than death.

The fools seemed to realise his thoughts, for the moment his head turned away, they fled. Their screams about a monster cut over the battlefield, but Blake fired off a shot ahead of him. It prevented his pursuit, while also drawing his attention to her. He scowled and took a step towards her.

She took one back.

"They're defeated," she said. "There's no reason to keep fighting them."

His chest rose and fell. Through the haze, he noticed hers do the same. Her milky white skin was flushed, and a bead of sweat ran down her cheek. It fell onto her bare shoulders... a smooth, inviting expanse of creamy skin.

He took another step forward.

" **-aune,** " a voice echoed. **"Ja-… -op… don't…"**

Don't? Ha, what a thought. She had nowhere to run, backed against a metal container and out of options as he bore down with an inexorably slow pace. His heart hammered in his chest, as did hers - he could hear it.

She licked her lips.

His eyes locked onto them.

 **"Jaune!"**

The voice was familiar, annoyingly so. He shook his head in an attempt to ignore it, but now that he'd acknowledged it, the voice only grew more insistent. Insistent enough to make him pause... to make him question whose it was. It took him a few seconds, during which he took deep breaths and watched Blake watch him with wide amber eyes. Finally, however, he placed it.

" _Remy?"_

" **Oh thank Salem,"** Remy sighed. **"I thought I'd lost you. Jaune, you need to calm down."**

Calm down? Jaune blinked and looked about worriedly. Two unconscious – at least he hoped they were unconscious – terrorists lay slumped nearby. Ahead of him, Blake had come to a stop in front of her downed friend. She looked nervous, but ready to fight if she had to.

What… what was that?

Had he done all of that? He had… he could remember it.

He could remember savouring it. Not only the pain he caused, but the thoughts he'd harbored for Blake... someone he tentatively considered a friend. He took another step, backwards this time, and he knew she noticed, for her expression shifted to one of confusion.

She clearly expected nothing more than for him to kill her.

Guilt crashed down upon him, thick and ugly. It drove him back another step. She watched him, both in shock and awe, as he turned and rushed away. He had to get out of here… had to escape, before someone else found him. Before whatever took hold of him happened again.

 _Why did I…? What was that...?  
_

/-/

Roman never considered himself a religious man, but he was fairly sure there _was_ a God. There had to be, really, because divine punishment was the only explanation for how unfalteringly poor the evening had gone. He ducked under a left hook, parried a haymaker with the back of one hand, then slapped the blonde girl in the face with his cane. That would have been enough for most people, but just like the last twenty times he'd batted her around, she only got angrier and kept coming. He let out a long sigh. "This really isn't my day."

"Surrender, Torchwick," Blondie growled, missing with her next three attacks.

"I'm afraid I have business to attend to, Blondie, and being arrested really wouldn't fit into my schedule." Torchwick skipped back, taking the brief moment's pause to flick some dust off his shoulder. "Tell you what, ask me again next time we meet and I'll see if there's any space in my diary."

"Rargh!" The girl's eyes ignited a fierce red and her attacks came in faster and harder than ever. Most people got sloppy when anger took control, a facet he liked to exploit at every opportunity, but this just so happened to be one of the few people who seemed to get stronger instead.

Just more proof some divine entity had it out for him. At least the White Fang were doing their job, that being getting their asses handed to them but buying him the time he needed. They'd only been brought along for menial labour anyway, and there wasn't much more menial than being thrashed by children.

Now if only he could create some distance for that stupid Bullhead to land and get him out of here. What he needed was a distraction… that or some reinforcements.

"I'm here, Yang!" Red said, dashing into sight with her bloody Semblance, the overgrown farming tool in front of her. "We came to help. Well, I did… Penny's off dealing with some White Fang, and Mercury is trying to dig Jaune out of a warehouse. We need your help with that, so can we deal with this guy quickly?"

"Heh, sure thing sis," Yellow said, flicking her nose with her thumb. "So, Torchwick, how do you like your odds now?"

Roman sighed and rubbed his temples. _When I said a distraction or reinforcements, this wasn't what I meant you stupid asshole. What kind of God is out there?_ He still had the presence of mind to duck back as the brat's scythe threatened to make him a head shorter. One brat was already one too many, but he wasn't the kind of guy to fall to even two kids.

Nine, on the other hand…? Yeah, that was pushing it a little.

"Where do you all keep crawling out from?" he growled, parrying the scythe on his cane and then backhanding the midget in the face. The other one roared and rushed in, but he was able to push her fist aside and land a knee in her stomach. She didn't fall, however. Neither of them did. "Gods, it's like a bloody field trip or something. Is your home room teacher about to come walking out with a clipboard or something?"

He was interrupted by a panicked scream. Fortunately, it was shocking enough that even his two opponents stopped to look. Two White Fang soldiers – brave terrorists one and all – fled from the cargo containers, where he'd sent them off after the black-haired girl and the injured monkey.

"Monster!" one of them cried, voice raised in sheer panic. They nearly stumbled but somehow managed to stay on their feet and keep running. They actually ran between Roman and his two opponents, not that any of them were in a position to stop the two. "It's a monster! Aiyeee!"

Only once they'd passed did Roman look across at the two startled girls. "Another one of your friends?" he sighed, "Or is this the teacher I just mentioned?"

It really was time to try and discover religion, it seemed.

"I… don't think it was us." Red looked nervous. "Yang…?"

"What trick is this, Torchwick?"

Huh, so it wasn't one of theirs? Roman took a step back, putting some distance between them so he could run if things got really hairy. The three of them watched the area the White Fang had fled from, and the entire battle paused as well, both those remaining terrorists and the two members of the brat's team who were wiping the floor with them.

A figure rushed out in pursuit of the faunus. Their screams grew even higher as they saw it, but the beast stopped when it saw them. White skin, white hair – and eyes a creepy black and red. He didn't need to see the tentacles held in the air to know who it was.

"Well, crap…" Roman cursed quietly. "This doesn't look good." It was bad enough he'd scammed the guy before, but now he knew it was someone important to Cinder, and that he was quite possibly on their shit list for the whole tricking them into helping him thing. The monster was in Beacon now, and doubtless with these idiots. Roman took a step back.

"Hentacle!" Yellow shouted. She shifted her stance so that she faced both the monster and Roman at the same time. "Damn it. What's he doing here?"

Henta-what?

"He must be here to help Torchwick," Red said. "This is bad, Yang."

Help him? What had the brats been smoking?

Wait... They didn't know? Roman glanced over at his boss' pet monster, and then back to the girls in front of him. A terrible – almost suicidal – thought whirled into his mind. He'd pay for it, he was sure, but right now it was looking like the only way out of the whole situation.

And he was a man used to trusting his gut instinct.

Yellow cried out as he kicked her away, even if Red managed to escape the next. He took the opening presented and dashed toward the monster which set his heart racing. Up close, he was even worse than he had been before – and the fact he was topless and covered in soot, dust and blood didn't exactly help. Roman swallowed and stood beside him, however, more than aware of how dangerous the situation was. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them once more.

"Now it looks like _my_ reinforcements are here," he laughed. "Things don't look so hot now, do they?"

The teens balked. The two wiping the floor with his _associates_ even broke off to regroup. He labelled them Orange and Pinky without really thinking about it. Orange looked frustrated. "You're working with Mr Hentacle?" she cried. "I should have known from the mascara… suddenly everything makes so much sense."

What was she on about? Roman was about to call back, but froze in panic when he felt a thick, smooth limb coil about his ankle. Sweat beaded on his brow.

"Reinforcements?" the monster hissed. "I'm no friend of yours!"

Okay, the monster was angry – he could see that. See it and understand, he really could, but right now the whole panic was mixing with the fear, not to mention the tentacle winding around and slowly moving up his leg _really_ put a damper on his confidence. Roman knew what he needed, though, even if he knew this was probably the worst idea he'd ever had. He tossed an arm over the monster's shoulder, took a deep breath, and leaned in like they were the best of friends.

"You'll help me if you don't want me to spill your secret, _Jaune Arc_." he whispered. "Don't forget who forged the transcripts which got you into Beacon. It wouldn't tale much for me to reveal your secret and get you kicked out again." He swallowed the instant fear that shot through him. Yep, blackmailing the monster that could kill him... This was _definitely_ not a bad idea. "Then again, with you being a Grimm, I'm sure it would be less expulsion and more extermination. If I get captured, I'm talking."

"Tch…" The monster growled but slowly retracted the tentacle. "You _will_ pay for this, Roman."

Pay suggested survival, survival suggested not being killed. Roman almost collapsed in relief. He doubted he'd ever felt so frightened before, even when it was Cinder doing the threatening. He laughed out loud. "Whenever and however you want it, pal. Just get me out of this mess and I'm all yours."

Speaking of mess, he watched as two other figures joined the fray, one of which very much appeared to _be_ one of Cinder's people. Mercury Black stared back at the two of them, eyes wide.

Also, the other girl had orange hair, which could lead to all sorts of naming difficulties.

"We can't let them get away," Yellow decided. "There's only two of them, even if one is some kind of Grimm. Be careful, but we can do this!"

"Break their legs," Orange cheered.

"No, no, no," Cinder's pawn shouted frantically. "How about we just let them retreat? I mean, dust protected, job done, right? We saved Vale, yay for heroism!"

"There is no reason to be afraid, friend-Mercury. I shall personally ensure your protection."

"You're missing the point entirely!"

The Bullhead overhead decided the matter for them, opening fire on the congregated group of teens. Roman cursed as he flicked his cane back up into his hand and prepared himself. This was going to be a rough night.

He could just tell.

/-/

This was a disaster! Jaune backpedalled away from Roman as everyone attacked. Nora and Penny were intercepted by various terrorists, some now dropping out of the Bullhead to reinforce, but that still left him stuck fighting against his friends – and for Torchwick.

Again!

" **Can we just get rid of him once this is over?"** Remy groaned.

The thought was definitely a pleasing one, but it was wiped away from his mind when a bullet whizzed past his face. Ren rushed in with his twin gun-blade thingies out. The slashed down on the spot where he'd once stood, then flashed up when Ren surged forwards in an uppercut.

Jaune used his tentacles like a wall, linking them together and wincing when the blades cut into his skin. The pain was dulled almost immediately, but it didn't stop him retracting them almost instinctively.

Ren rushed into that opening and slammed his weapon into Jaune's chest.

It bounced off.

"Ow," Jaune growled, gripping the shocked teen about the waist and launching him back.

Ren landed clumsily, but quickly rolled back into a standing position, guns held before him. "You have aura," he whispered. "Interesting… I wasn't aware Grimm could have aura."

Jaune opened his mouth to speak, but closed it and shrugged instead. As different as his voice was, he didn't want to give his honorary brother any hints. He was crazy perceptive. Instead, he took another step back and flicked his tentacles before him, whipping them from left to right so that his opponent wouldn't dare approach.

"Hey, I've got this," Mercury said, taking up a position beside Ren. The silver-haired guy nodded to the left. "Your partner's having some trouble with Torchwick. Think you can help her out?"

"Yang is...?" Ren frowned but did look to the side. "Be wary of him, he has aura. His tentacles are also faster than I imagined."

"I've got this. You go help your teammate."

"I'll get someone to help you."

"That won't be necessary!"

"I'll send help," Ren called, dashing away.

Mercury sighed and shook his head, turning and falling into a ready stance. He rushed forward and sent a kick towards Jaune's face.

It flew a good few inches over his shoulder.

"Jaune," Mercury hissed, "I know it's you. I'm on your side!"

"You know?" Jaune hesitated for a second, but quickly trusted Mercury once he threw a punch that was overly telegraphed and easily blocked. Jaune whipped a tentacle back, but made sure to make it just slow enough for Mercury to dodge. He did so, and the two of them remained locked in combat. "How do you know it's me?" he asked.

"Cinder told me about the transformation." Mercury said. He feigned a short cry and staggered back, even though Jaune's tentacle barely brushed him. His eyes were panicked. "Look, we need to get you out of here. We can't let them capture you, or worse – kill you! Can't you make a break for it? I'll say you got the better of me or something."

"Don't you think I'd have done that already if I could?" Jaune asked, frustration creeping into his voice. He wasn't stupid, no matter how many people seemed to think it. "Torchwick knows the truth about me. I can't run because he'll talk if he gets captured." He scowled. "I'm stuck here until he runs… or he dies."

"What are the odds of your friends killing him?"

Jaune's miserable face was probably answer enough for that. Ruby would never condone such a thing, and he doubted anyone else would either. The only way he was getting out of this with his secret intact, was if Torchwick got out with his neck intact.

"Damn it… Cinder will have my head if you get hurt here," Mercury growled.

Jaune felt a small bit of happiness at that, especially since he wasn't sure she would have been worried at all himself. It was quickly washed away by the current situation, however. "Do you have a plan?" he asked. "I don't want to hurt any of them, but I don't mind roughing them up if it lets me and Torchwick escape. I can make it up to them later."

"I don't… no, wait, I have an idea." Mercury glanced over to the other fight, where Torchwick struggled under an onslaught from both Yang and Ren. It didn't look like he'd be able to hold on much longer, and it only got worse when he saw Blake crash into the back of the White Fang keeping Nora and Penny busy.

"Running out of time, Mercury…"

"You need a way out, something to make them stop fighting. If you take me hostage, you might be able to bargain my life for them letting you escape."

Take him hostage? Jaune hesitated for a moment, but only a moment. He was desperate, it was a ruse, and it wasn't like he had to go ahead with the threat to kill his Big Sis' teammate. All things considered, it was an easy decision. He nodded, kicked Mercury back to create some space, and then sent two tentacles rushing in for the guy's legs.

Mercury made a show of being staggered and unable to dodge.

"Look out!" Ruby yelled, rose petals flying as she tackled Mercury out of the way.

Jaune's tentacles were suddenly wrapped around a very different target indeed. It took him a second to process it, during which his red eyes met silver- and widened, as cold gripped his inhuman heart and made it beat twice as fast. Those silver eyes- they could hurt him. Destroy him. Eviscerate him to his innermost core, even, and leave nothing unexposed.

He had to have her. Have her at his mercy first - before he was at hers.

His tentacles coiled about her, wrapped and tugged, turning her around so that he didn't have to meet those silvery orbs. Crescent Rose fell and a surge of excitement rushed up inside of him. He had her. He'd caught her.

Only then did he realise his mistake.

"He's caught Ruby!" Yang howled.

"Friend-Ruby," Penny gasped. "Worry not. I shall cut him down immediately." Several blades shot out from her back, though only Salem knew where she could have hidden those. He backed away, however, eyeing them warily as they hovered in the air.

"Wait," Mercury said. "Don't attack him."

"Why not? He has Ruby."

"Because… because he has a hostage." He made a frantic gesture Jaune caught; one he assumed meant `run with it` or similar. "If you attack him, you'll only place Re-Ruby in danger."

Jaune nodded and drew Ruby back into him. It wasn't the intended target but he could still go with the plan. With a silent apology, he tightened his tentacles around her legs and gripped her shoulders with his hands.

Yang froze, eyes wide and mouth wider, and that gave Torchwick the time he needed to limp away and over to them.

"Good job, kid," he said. He soon went silent, however, when Jaune shot him a look filled with all his anger. "Uh… I'll just… leave this to you, then?"

"Call your bullhead." he growled.

"S-Sure… I'll get right on that." Torchwick turned to one side and whispered something furiously into his scroll. It didn't seem to be going well, not if his face was any indication. "They said it will take a few minutes."

A few-? Jaune looked up at the Bullhead literally hovering in the sky above them, and then back down to Torchwick. His raised eyebrow said everything, really.

"Trust me, I know." Roman sighed. "You wouldn't _believe_ how useless the animals I got saddled with are. They seem to take pride in how much they can mess just about anything up. It'll probably take them that long just to remember what the controls are."

Jaune sighed and turned back to the others, more than aware of how perilous the situation was – especially with the delay. With Roman behind him, all the focus was now on him, and having Ruby in his tentacles hardly helped. It only took the briefest look at Yang to know he'd be dead if it wasn't for his human shield. The others weren't much better. Ren and Nora looked deadly serious, Blake confused and embarrassed, Penny angry and Mercury…

Mercury had one hand on his forehead and looked more embarrassed than anything.

"L-Let go of me," Ruby wailed. She kicked and flailed, even if her scythe had been knocked aside when he grabbed her. "Let go of- whoah!"

He swept her up and into the air. Her head was a foot or two off the ground, but he made sure to wind his tentacles around her tight-clad legs. Just to make sure she didn't slip out of his grasp, he slipped a tentacle between her thighs as well for better purchase.

Ruby shivered. "O-Oh… That feels weird…"

"Hey, we're not moving!" Yang yelled, waving her arms. "Stop that! Ruby, are you okay?"

"I-I'm alright," Ruby called back. She squirmed and panted in his gasp. Her face was really red, her eyes lidded. "It doesn't hurt," she whispered. "It actually feels kind of… _o-ooh_ …"

The sound she made didn't seem to be of pain, but hardly helped matters, not if Yang's face was any indication. She looked like she might throw caution to the wind and try to kill him before he could arrange his and Torchwick's escape.

Jaune scowled, and then quickly raised a tentacle above Ruby's upside down form as he saw Yang take a step forward. It was enough to make her freeze, but he knew it wouldn't last for long. If she kept pushing, this would end in disaster. A hostage was only as useful as the captor's willingness to go through with the threat, even _he_ knew that.

He couldn't hurt Ruby. Hell, he was terrified of dropping her two feet onto the floor.

He needed to create space… make them back away or cow them into submission. All of Uncle Tyrian's ideas were out since he wasn't about to start murdering his friends. Uncle Watts, on the other hand, was an option. Misdirect and bluff… an idea came to mind, even if it was risky. Uncle Watts and Cinder always said bluffing about something you weren't familiar with was the most dangerous of things. It wasn't like he had a choice, though.

He took a deep breath, lowered his voice, and went with the one thing he knew would make them all freeze.

"Don't move, or I'll tentacle hentai her."

* * *

 **Oh dear… well, he's not wrong – it's going to definitely cause some reactions. I suppose you could say this chapter is a new facet of my desire to write stuff that works, as opposed to stuff that doesn't. I actually wrote another 3-4k on this, but it wasn't enough for the whole docks incident. It felt rushed, stymied… it skipped entire scenes for convenience. I began to feel it would be better as two chapters, but that didn't fit well with my aims of having a 10k chapter. It would have left the next chapter at only something like 6k words, and then probably 4k tacked on top of that which just didn't fit the feel of the chapter.**

 **Instead, I decided to just focus on making it work. As such, it's going to be two chapters of around 8k, which lets me focus on improving it, getting it to College Fool on time to beta, and ultimately making the chapters flow better.**

 **This chapter came in at around 9,200 anyway, so no difference - but just be warned that there might occasionally be smaller ones. Not too small. I don't want to write nothing. I'd guess it would never go smaller than 7k, but that's just a number. The point is, things are going to be more flexible.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 25** **th** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	19. Chapter 19

**Here we go, here we go, here we go. A nice casual fic with no angst – ah, you are a delight to write after the emotional weight of my other stories. Rest assured that in the future I'll likely balance my stories to have some serious and some comedy, and I'll also try to keep the comedy as comedy, like I'm doing here.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 19 - Ramifications**

* * *

"Don't move, or I'll tentacle hentai her."

He'd known it would make them stop. How could he not after all the times they'd talked about it? What he didn't expect, however, was the looks on their faces. Yang was horrified, mouth open and eyes wide. She didn't so much freeze as become cemented to the floor. The others weren't much better, but the important part was that they followed his orders and stopped attacking. Blake's expression was complicated – and completely unfathomable – while Nora looked to Ren and Ren looked to Yang.

Penny just glared at him, but glaring was better than killing, so he'd go with it.

Now if the idiot's Bullhead would pick up the pace and rescue them that would be ideal. His eyes trailed over the assembled teens. He caught Ren trying to edge forward and turned to face him. Crimson eyes bore into pink. Ren stopped and swallowed nervously, but that took his eyes off Blake – and he only knew she moved because of how her hair fell down behind her, having wafted in the air when she took a quick step forward.

Jaune took one back and hoisted Ruby in front of him. He also raised a tentacle before her, and _that_ made them stop. "She will be unharmed," he said, "so long as you _stop_ moving. Once we have our escape, she will be returned to you. No one need be hurt… nor tentacle hentai'd."

Once again, they all seemed to squirm at that.

"Uh, Grimm," Roman said. "I don't think that means what you think it-"

Jaune glared at him.

"N-Never mind. You do you, man. You do you."

"Is this what it means?" Ruby whispered. Her voice was so quiet he doubted anyone but he could hear her. "It feels strange. I can't… _ooh_." Her attempts to break free were replaced with a shudder. "Ugh…" One silver eye cracked open to look at him, or more specifically his chest since she was eye-level with it. "Why are you always naked when we do this?"

"Wait, what?" Yang yelled. "What does she mean, always?"

"Forever Fall," Blake said. "If you recall, he was dressed only in boxers at the time. Didn't you notice?"

"Hm, no… because I was too busy trying to kill a Grimm monster." Yang raised an eyebrow to her teammate. "Why were _you_ paying so much attention to what he was or wasn't wearing?"

"I-I was looking for openings. I was analysing the threat!"

"Sure, why not. I'll pretend I believe that."

"Yang, Blake, a little focus would be nice," Ren interrupted before Blake could reply. Her face was red enough as it was. "He still has your sister."

The reminder served for him as well as them, and he noticed Ruby squirming in his grip, apparently trying to reach up and unwind a tentacle by hand. It wouldn't work, of course, but she could hurt herself if she fell. He shifted his tentacles a little bit about her legs, the limbs brushing against her thighs as they wound sought more purchase.

"Ah!" Ruby's eyes closed and she fell back down. Her breathing was laboured, and there was a faint sheen of sweat on her red face.

"That's it," Yang screamed. "I'm going to kill you, you damn monster!"

"Yang!" Ren hissed, catching her before she could surge forward. "Don't be an idiot. We can't do anything to make him angrier than he already is."

"He's hurting Ruby!"

"Um… I don't think he's _hurting_ her per se," Blake said, cheeks a little darker than usual.

"What do you mean?" she snapped. "Look at her – she's so scared she's practically hyperventilating!"

"Hah… hah…" Ruby was indeed panting for breath, which was strange since he hadn't done anything to cut off her airway or squeeze her lungs. He wondered if he could help her somehow, but Ren interrupted his thoughts.

"How about a compromise…?" The team leader suggested. He had one hand on Yang's shoulder. "Free my partner's sister and we will let you both escape. You have my word as team leader."

"Don't do it," Roman said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Trust me, their word isn't going to count for anything when Blondie goes psycho on your ass. Also, I very much doubt Red would be willing to stick to that deal once she comes off her little joy ride."

Her what?

" **He has a point, Jaune. You know what she's like – she wouldn't let a baddie escape if she could help it."**

As painful as it was to admit, Remy wasn't wrong. Ruby was a true hero like that. He was too, current situation notwithstanding. This was all just a horrible misunderstanding – one they'd probably all laugh about later.

He hoped.

"Then how about a hostage exchange," Blake said. "Ruby is too young for that, but we can-" She seemed to notice the looks her team were sending her and flushed. "I-I'm not saying _I_ want to have that happen to _me_ or anything, but someone has t-"

"I'll do it," Mercury said.

"What?" Blake sounded scandalised. "Why- No. It's okay. You don't need to subject yourself to that."

"No, really, I'll do it." Mercury shrugged like it was no big deal, which it wasn't since both he and Jaune knew nothing would happen.

"Are you even aware of what you're implying?"

"That I'm fine with being a hostage?" He shrugged. "Oi, Grimm. Take me instead of Re- Ruby."

"H-How are you so casual about this? Have you seen how big those tentacles are? Do you have any idea what they would do to you?"

Jaune blinked. What did the size of his tentacles have to do with anything? Big or small, it wouldn't make a difference as to how he kept hold of someone. They'd be the same strength either way.

"It's fine," Mercury said. "I've got this."

"Why are you so eager!?" Blake howled.

"Me? What about _you_?"

/-/

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Cardin growled.

"N-Nothing," Russel said. "It's just that we're spending a lot of time on this. It's all you focus on recently. I was just wondering why you're so eager to do this."

"I'm not eager." Cardin scowled at his partner and paused in the corridor. "I have to prove what he is. That monster is allowed to roam in this school, after trying to have his way with us. I don't get how you guys aren't more concerned."

"We are," Sky stepped in. "It's just that… are you sure it was Arc? Maybe you were mistaken. It just feels that every little thing that happens lately, you blame on him. Maybe this is the same."

"I don't do anything like that!"

"Dude… you slipped in the shower this morning and cursed his name when you got up."

Cardin raised an eyebrow. "What's your point?"

"Well, it's just that there are rumours going around. People are starting to talk about us – about you – and about how we keep focusing so much attention on him." Russel scratched his cheek. "I dunno, man. I don't believe them obviously, but it _does_ feel like you're… well…"

"Like I'm what…?"

"Like you're obsessed..." Russel flinched. "Their words, not mine."

Cardin's temper, already a weak thing, frayed. His breath came out in an angry snort, and he stood taller as he glared down on his team. The rumours didn't come from them, of course, but they were conveniently placed to receive his ire. "Ignore them," he spat. "They'll all realise the truth once we prove what Arc is once and for all."

"Ah, yeah… okay." Russel looked positively miserable. It was clear he didn't believe, nor did Sky or Dove. That was fine, though. He'd prove it to them as well, and they'd still follow his orders, belief or not.

That was just the kind of leader he was; a man capable of inspiring obedience through his charisma.

A man mocked by fools who didn't realise the danger nearby.

He'd show them the truth. All he needed was a way to force Arc into revealing himself, into showing the world what he was. He would need information first. Direct combat was his preferred means of dealing with problems, but that was out of the question here. Miss Goodbitch already had her eye on him, clearing her throat or making her presence clear whenever he glared at the monster.

He couldn't wait to see the look on that sow's face when she realised she'd protected something so evil… when she realised she had blocked the path of a true hero like he.

"I need to know more about him," Cardin said. "I need to know his movements, where he goes, what he does and what he likes."

"Arc?" Sky asked.

"Of course, Arc!" he roared. "Who did you think I was talking about? I need you three clowns to keep an eye on him, and then to try and listen in on anything. He's bound to let something slip, and I want to know anything and everything of interest."

"R-Right… yeah…" Dove sighed. "I guess we can do that. What will you be doing?"

"I'll be working on this myself as well, of course. You hear about that new team from Mistral? Rumour has it some of the people there knew him before Beacon." He doubted they'd known the truth, of course. Only he was perceptive enough to see that, and they'd surely be running if they knew he was some kind of monster. He'd fooled them too.

"The team with that sexy girl?" Russel asked, perking up a little. "I mean, have you _seen_ her?"

"Which one?" Dove asked. "They're all fine as hell."

"I wish I could be in that guy's place. Man, do you think they get changed in front of him? I bet that girl with the pink hair is hiding something _real_ nice under that shirt of hers."

"Her?" Sky chuckled. "I'd prefer the tall one. There's something about her… some kind of edge. It's like she's dangerous."

"That's who I'll be talking to," Cardin interrupted. Cinder, or so he'd learned she was called. Apparently she knew Arc the best, so would certainly have something for him. All he needed to do was get it out of her – and that wouldn't be a problem.

Hardly a problem for someone like him. All he'd need to do was flex a little muscle, show her a bit of the Winchester charm, and she'd spill her secrets faster than she did her clothing.

Hmm… maybe Sky had a point there. It wouldn't hurt to get to know her a little better, too. She was sexy enough to be his girlfriend. A dangerous edge, huh? He'd show her dangerous. He'd show her Cardin – danger – Winchester.

"I'll ask her," he said, coming back to the main point. "I'll get whatever she knows of him out, and then I'll finally have him at my mercy." He chuckled to himself. "I'll show everyone the truth – when Arc is right where he's meant to be, down on his knees before a _true_ man."

Cardin burst out laughing, and his team followed suit, too afraid to do anything but.

None of them noticed a pair of brown rabbit-like ears pointed in their direction. Nor did they notice them perk and move away as their owner rushed off.

/-/

In the end, no hostage trade was done at all. Mercury and Blake got into an argument that somehow dragged everyone else in as well, and it was all he and Roman could do to look at one another and share a confused shrug.

Somewhere in the middle, Ruby groaned something about people arguing and not helping her. She went silent again a moment later, though every now and then she would squirm and fidget.

He'd tried to interject and choose Mercury as the hostage, but that only led to even more shocked expressions from them, Blake especially, and then wide-eyed stares at Mercury. It got to the point where he had no idea what was going on, except that the fight seemed to have stopped and that was good enough.

Luckily, the Bullhead brought the debacle to an end.

Jaune let out a breath of relief when wind whipped up behind him, heralding the arrival of the Bullhead. He backed up, Ruby still in his tentacles towards it. "Let us leave and she will be safe," he said, loud enough for them all to hear.

"How do we know you won't take her with you or hurt her?" Penny asked. She took a step after him, green eyes narrowed. "I will not allow you to harm my friend, Mr Hentacle. If you do so, you will find the might of Atlas itself aimed towards you."

The might of Atlas…? The whole Kingdom? It didn't matter. He shook his head. "You will get her back," he said. "I was never here to try and capture her."

That garnered a reaction, confusion from some of them, but also a suddenly embarrassed look from Blake. He didn't have the time to dwell on it, though. He increased his pace, keeping one eye on them and one on Roman.

"Go, go, go," Roman hissed to the pilot. "Get us out of here befor - _oh_ _hey there_ , I'm glad you made it, pal."

"I'm sure you are." Jaune rolled his eyes at the crook's nervous laughter. "Get us going," he said, stepping into the entrance of the Bullhead with Ruby still in tow. He wrapped a spare tentacle around a hand railing to his left and another to his right. If Roman wanted to try and knock him off, he'd need to cut both at once – and that would be time enough to react. As Jaune Arc he might have struggled against someone like Roman Torchwick, but not in his Grimm form.

There was a reason he was weak with a sword… it was because he'd never truly needed one. Not with the power he had in this form.

"Um… what about her?" one of the White Fang asked, pointing to Ruby. She was still upside down, still short of breath, and now pouting at several armed terrorists.

"What about me?" she complained. "You said you'd let me go."

"We actually doing that?" another asked. "She'd make a good hostage, maybe even an example. If we killed a Huntress-"

He went silent as a tentacle _speared_ into the wall by his head, carving through the hull with a terrifying screen of twisting metal. Jaune's eyes blazed crimson, as the distant thoughts of madness and murder he'd had before threatened to return. Ruby eeped at the sound, going stiff in his tentacles.

"She is not to be harmed," he snarled. "Try it and I'll kill you instead."

"O-Okay – you're the boss!"

"We're ready to go," the pilot called. The vehicle began to lift off, tilting slightly as it gained altitude. He heard the others down below cry Ruby's name, but he wouldn't leave them in fear for long, nor would he let his friend come to harm.

"Sorry about all this," Jaune whispered to Ruby. She made a vague and muffled sound of confusion, but yelped when he lifted her back so she was the right way up, and then pushed her out of the aircraft.

She screamed, but it was cut off as she landed on her feet not two seconds later. Ruby then blinked, looked down at the floor, and blushed awkwardly. Her knees seemed a little weak, for she slumped down into a kneeling position and seemed to be shaking.

 _I hope I didn't scare her too much. I'm sorry, Ruby. I'll try and make it up to you._

The moment Ruby was out of his grasp, the others moved. Roman had been right, not that there was any doubt, and they rushed forward both to protect their friend and hurl projectiles at the Bullhead. The White Fang ducked back in fear as dust rounds ricocheted off the metal, but he ignored them, along with the one that pelted off his stomach. Luckily, the pilot did the same, and their craft swerved out over the ocean before anyone could get close. They started to rise into the air as well.

"Good job," Jaune sighed, turning to walk back inside. "Now, I think we need to have a-"

The bullhead shook.

"What was that?" someone cried.

"We've been hit," the pilot said. His words proved accurate when the ship lurched to the side. People stumbled and fell across their seats, but he managed to remain on his feet via the use of his tentacles.

But the ship was moving sideways. Why was it doing that?

"We're being dragged down!" the pilot yelled. "I don't have control!"

"What!?" Roman pushed up beside him, only stumbling once before he reached the open door. Jaune did the same, and the two of them looked down to see four swords impaled into the Bullhead's hull. Silvery wires connected them down to Penny.

Almost impossibly, she was taking step after step back, dragging the Bullhead back down.

"What the hell is with these kids?"

" **Holy Salem, Jaune. Do you see this?"** Remy squirmed happily within him. **"Isn't she just awesome!?"**

" _So not the time, Remy."_

"If she brings us down it's all over," Roman said, looking at him. "Tell me you have something you can do about this!"

Did he? Jaune wasn't sure. Ironically, the one thing that would have been good for wire was a sword – exactly what he didn't have at that moment. It wasn't like he could get away without trying, though. With a quick nod, he swung two tentacles out of the Bullhead and wrapped them around the swords.

The edge cut into his flesh, made all the worse when he had to grip them as tight as he could to try and pull them out. They were stuck fast, however. If they'd been easy to get out, Penny would have done it already when she pulled them.

" **I mean, just look at her… she's perfect."**

" _Nothing about this situation is perfect!"_ Jaune growled. If he couldn't pull the swords out, he'd need to deal with the wire itself. His eyes clenched shut as the thin metal string cut into him. It stung, and even drew blood. He could have turned that into Grimm, but in the middle of Vale there was a chance they would rampage out of control. _I can't let that happen._

Instead, he tugged his tentacle back – cutting off a chunk of it with a wince, but snapping the tightly strung and taut wire. The Bullhead lurched to the side, free of one of the four anchors holding it down.

"Nice work!" Roman yelled. "Just do it three more times!"

" **He, on the other hand, is less perfect. If he didn't know the truth, I'd suggest throwing him into the ocean."**

" _He might be able to swim to safety, otherwise I'd do it."_

" **True. Damn shame."**

Jaune chuckled to himself. He couldn't agree more. The second wire snapped as easily as the first, and although he couldn't make out her expression from such a distance, he could see Penny stumble as she lost control. She slid forward a few paces, but grabbed onto something to steady herself.

"She's persistent," he whispered, reaching out for the third wire. They were strained now, already at breaking point, and with the Bullhead fighting against her, it only took the slightest pressure to make it snap.

The last broke on its own, unable to fight the power of the vehicle. Penny stood on her feet, weapons discarded and broken before her, but an unafraid expression on her face as she stared after them. The message was clear. She would not be deterred in the future… nor defeated quite so easily.

" **Jaune… I think I'm in love."**

" _And I think you need a therapist."_

The day really hadn't gone as he'd thought it would.

The Bullhead lurched to the side, recovered in a tense moment of panic, and then began to soar away.

/-/

Roman let out a long breath of relief as he watched the docks vanish away into the distance. The Bullhead ramp pulled up and shut, and he flicked the last vestiges of his cigar out into the air before it did. "Well, that was a complete cock-up," he said. "Still, at least we got out in one piece."

None of the White Fang aboard the Bullhead replied. It wasn't because they felt bad for their fallen comrades, either.

It was mostly because of the elephant in the room… or the Goliath as it were. Jaune, or Arc, or the great tentacle-Grimm creature, the very one he'd sent Neo to try and influence, the one his boss was so interested in keeping safe. He stood in the middle of the cramped vehicle, arms crossed and black tentacles flicking in the air.

He didn't look pleased.

"So…" Roman said slowly. "I'm guessing you're not exactly _thrilled_ with the whole claiming you were on my side, thing."

"You might say that," the monster replied.

"And I get that, I really do… I mean, I'm a human, you're half-Grimm. Things were never going to be easy, and it probably doesn't help that you were stuck fighting against your friends."

"No," Jaune said, and Roman winced when he felt a tentacle coil around his ankle. "No, it didn't."

"Would it help if I pointed out how I never revealed your identity?" Roman asked. The question was answered a moment later when a tentacle slammed him back against the wall, and another pressed against his throat, pinning him there. "Okay," he gasped, "I'm getting the feeling it isn't helping…" He looked toward the White Fang in the Bullhead for help, but they all kept their eyes fixed on the floor, ceiling or anywhere that wasn't the murder about to happen in front of them.

Those bastards!

"Give me one reason I shouldn't get rid of you," his assailant growled.

"Because I know who you are. If you turn me in, the information will get out!" Roman's face went white as he felt the tentacle crush a little harder against him. Black spots danced in his vision. "W-What are you doing?"

"Who said anything about turning you in? My Uncle always says the best way to deal with secrets is with a little bit of murder." Those red eyes flashed crimson. "I've never followed Uncle Tyrian's advice before. I'm beginning to think I should try it out."

Roman's eyes nearly popped out. He'd made a living knowing how to read a man, and he could clearly see the anger in those eyes. It was only then that he remembered this _wasn't_ a man at all. What was one dead human to a Grimm? "W-Wait, wait, wait!" he cried. "You can't do this. You can't kill me!"

"Really? Why?"

Roman drew a blank. His mind was completely empty, as it never had been before. He had nothing, zilch, nada. Somewhere in the back, that song he'd always hated began to play, almost like it was taunting him. In desperation, he grasped onto the only thing he could.

"CINDER!"

He winced and closed his eyes, prepared for death.

It didn't come.

"Sis?" the monster asked. "You know my sister?"

Roman nearly died right there. Sis!? This… this _thing_ looked up to his boss as a sister? _Note to self, do NOT piss off Cinder. I thought she was terrifying before, but if she can make even this monster pause… yikes._ Also, it suddenly made a whole heap of sense as to how the guy could be so casual about killing him. She wouldn't have batted an eyelid either. _Oh Gods, I'm dealing with a mini-Cinder with Grimm-powers. I wasn't aware what my biggest fear was until this moment._

"How do you know her?" the monster demanded. "Answer me!"

"I'm here because of her!" Roman yelled. He cracked one eye open and noticed the hesitation on that pale face. It was working. "I'm important," he continued. "She needs me!"

"She… needs you?"

"Yes! I was doing all of this for her, because she can't get what she needs from anyone else. I'm good at what I do, very good. She keeps me around because of that." Each new sentence eased the crushing grip of the tentacle around his throat. Roman didn't stop, however. He'd always prided himself on his fast tongue – but this was the litmus test. "I'm with her. I'm on her side. I'm totally loyal to her!" He'd say whatever he needed to say; everything and anything. "She'll have no idea what to do if you kill me. She _needs_ me!"

He clenched his eyes shut and went for the final, desperate gambit.

"Anything you do to me will just hurt her!"

"Ugh…" The monster released him, and he fell to the floor of the Bullhead, one hand on his throat. When he looked up, it was to see Cinder's – shudder – _little brother_ glaring down at him. "I have no idea what she's thinking," he said, "but I suppose that's a question I'll have to put to her." He turned to a White Fang member, who froze like he'd been shot. "You. What colour is your shirt under that armour?"

"W-W-White, Mr Grimm, sir." The White Fang member squirmed and tried again when it was clear the scary man wasn't impressed. "Um… master? Your most evillest?"

"Strip."

"E-Excuse me…?"

"Take off your clothes," the Grimm said slowly, as though talking to a particularly stupid child. The faunus looked to his friends for aid, but they were about as brave as Roman felt at that moment and all looked away. The man, who appeared to be a squirrel faunus, whimpered but stood and reached for his collar.

"S-Should I do it slowly? D-Do you want me to dance?"

"I _want_ you to hurry up and take your shirt off."

"Eep!" The man tore off his armour and threw it aside, plucking off each article of clothing with as much haste as he could. By the end of it, he was stood naked, hands over his privates, while Roman felt uncomfortably like he was stuck in the most awkward bachelor party known to man. The brown-haired terrorist flushed. "I-I've never done this before. Please be gentle." He clenched his eyes shut.

The Grimm walked past him and picked the shirt up out of the pile of clothing. "I'll be taking this," he said as he walked over to the Bullhead door and opened it. Wind whipped and whistled, and Roman had to cling onto a chair to prevent himself from being pulled out. "I'll let you go this time, Roman," the Grimm, pausing in the doorway. "That's twice you've caused me problems now. Don't let there be a third time."

"Y-Yeah… sure…" Just so long as he lived to see a third time, he'd be happy.

"Oh," it added, "and I just want you to know that I do _not_ approve of you." Red eyes glared at him. "Not one bit. Make one mistake, cause me trouble like you did here, or worse, hurt my sister… and I'll show you that even though I can be nice, Cinder still had a hand in raising me." His eyes hardened. "I'm not afraid to become very _un-nice_ if the situation calls for it."

He was out the door a moment later, free-falling back down towards Vale. There was still a few moments of silence, during which no one dared breathe lest the monster reveal it all as a joke and he'd been hanging underneath the Bullhead all along.

They'd all seen the movies.

Once it was definitely gone, however, Roman dared to let out a desperate breath. He also shot an irritated glared towards the masked and courageous freedom-fighters who shared his aircraft. "A fat lot of good you bastards were!"

The naked faunus whimpered.

"Someone find this idiot some clothing."

/-/

"Ah, I lost him," Penny said. She sounded disappointed, and looked at the broken wires before her with a morose expression. Yang barely paid any attention to her. The moment they were gone, she'd already moved, rushing over to her sister.

Her knees hit the floor, hands wrapping around Ruby's shoulders before the words could even cross her lips. When they did, they were awash with fear. "Are you okay, Ruby? Did he hurt you?"

"N-No." Ruby looked up with flushed cheeks. "I'm okay. Just a little um… I'm fine." She shivered. Yang noticed.

"Are you afraid? I should have been there. This was all my fault…" If only they hadn't rushed over here, or if only she'd engaged Hentacle instead of Torchwick. She ran her hands over her sister's shoulders. "You're covered in sweat. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm okay."

"You sound breathless."

"I'm okay!"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm okay!" Ruby shouted. Yang recoiled, but it looked like Ruby shocked herself too, for she shook her head and looked down at the floor in embarrassment. "S-Sorry. I just… need a few seconds to recover."

Yang nodded and knelt by her sister for a minute or two, just letting the girl come down from what must have been a harrowing experience. She wasn't sure why Ruby wouldn't meet her eyes, but she didn't push.

"Okay," Ruby eventually said, standing up. She was shaky, but managed to stay standing. She adjusted her skirt and tugged it down.

"Glad you're okay, sis." Yang clapped her shoulder. "I don't know what I would have done if I lost you. Heck, not sure what I would have done if we lost anyone."

Ruby's eyes widened. "JAUNE!"

"Heh?"

"We lost Jaune," Ruby whispered, horrified. She pushed past Yang and stumbled over to the others, shouting out. "We need to find Jaune. He fell into the warehouse that exploded. We couldn't find him and got distracted by Torchwick and Hentacle!"

Yang's eyes widened. A curse slipped from her lips as she jogged up to her sister. "He was here as well?" she asked. "Which warehouse?"

Ruby pointed miserably to a pile of wreckage some distance away.

Yang's heart fell into her stomach. There was no sign of life over there, and if there had been then the lingering flames would have surely extinguished it. Her lips felt swollen, her mouth dry. No way. There was just no way they'd lost someone like that.

"Help me look for him," Ruby said.

"Ruby…"

"No!" Ruby shrugged off Yang's arm and rushed over to the others. "Guys please, help me look for my teammate. I can't… he isn't dead, I just know it. He has too much aura to die."

"I will help, friend-Ruby." Penny said. "I do not believe friend Just Jaune is dead either. He said we would all spend time together again sometime, and he can't honour that promise if he died."

"We'll help too," Nora said. "Right, Renny?"

"Yes. If we spread out we might be able to fin-"

Blake interrupted him. "Where's Mercury?" she asked. The question made everyone pause and look around, but the silver-haired guy was missing as well. "Don't tell me we need to find him too? He was stood right here when we were fighting Hentacle."

"We'll find them both," Yang sighed, pushing forward. If he'd managed to survive the warehouse coming down, then he'd have likely crawled to safety. He couldn't be too far. "Someone call his scroll," she said. "Nora, Ren, you two check the containers. Blake, can you check the-"

"Found him~" Nora sang.

Wait, what? Yang span on the spot, to look in the direction Nora was pointing. There, coming out of the dust, were two figures.

"Jaune," Ruby whispered. There were tears in her eyes.

"Found him," Mercury laughed, walking slowly forward with Jaune beside him. The blond leaned heavily on the other boy, one arm wrapped around his shoulders as he limped forward. His hair was tussled, his white shirt crinkled, streaked with soot, and also hanging off him, almost like it was several sizes too large.

Anything else she might have considered was moot as Ruby launched herself at him. Yang leaned back and smiled, feeling a fond sensation in her chest as she watched Ruby squeeze her teammate to death.

"You're okay," she cried. "You're okay, you're okay, you're okay!"

"He won't be if you keep crushing him like that," Yang said, strolling up to them. She looked him up and down, but apart from the limp and vague signs of damage, he was okay. "Looking good, champ. You missed all the action."

"I'm sorry about that," he said. "Mercury filled me in and what happened." He looked down at Ruby, who had her face pressed into his chest. "Are you okay, Ruby? You weren't hurt, were you?"

Ruby's shoulders stiffened. "N-No. I'm okay."

"Are you sure? It's just that-"

"I'm okay!" she yelled.

Jaune looked at her in confusion, but Yang could only shrug her shoulders. She'd gotten the same response, along with the red face her little sister was trying to hide in his shirt right now. Yang shrugged.

"Is your leg okay, Jaune?" Ren asked, moving up. "I know some light first aid if you need it."

"Oh uh, no, I'm fine." Jaune put it down, but winced gingerly as he did. "Yeah, I think it's healing already. I'm sure my aura will take care of it in a minute."

"It was stuck under some rubble," Mercury chipped in. "That was why he couldn't come and help us out, right?"

"Right," Jaune nodded. "Mercury managed to save me, though."

"Friend-Mercury saved friend- Just Jaune," Penny said. She stepped forward with her arms wide open.

Yang giggled as the silver-haired teen panicked and tried to put Jaune and her sister between them, but Ruby clung on too tight and he had no escape as Penny closed in to hug him. His eyes popped open.

"Thank you for protecting him, friend-Mercury. You are a true example of friendship."

"I-It's okay," he choked. "You can let me go now."

"I am showing you gratitude in the same manner as Ruby does. She has not let go yet."

"No, seriously, you can let go. It's fine."

"I am still hugging you."

Mercury tried to pry her off to no avail. "Can someone give me a hand here?"

"I'll help," Nora said. She walked over to him, looked down at Penny, and then adjusted herself to stand beside her and hug his other side. "Thanks for looking after our friend. I'm Nora, your new bestie."

The look on his face had Yang sniggering into her hand.

"Aw Mercury," Jaune cooed. "You're getting on with everyone. I'm so glad!" He looked like he might have wanted to say something more, but Ruby whispered something to him and he replied to her instead.

Yang strode up and placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling. "Thanks for saving my sister on the warehouse, champ," she said, and then leaned in to kiss his cheek. "I owe you one."

"They got away," Blake sighed, coming up to stand beside her.

"True, but not with what they wanted." Yang elbowed her teammate. "Cheer up, Blake. We won the day, trashed some bad guys and got out without a scratch. This is a time for feeling happy."

"No," Ren said. "No it's not."

Yang sighed. "Partner, could you not kill the mood for one sec-" Yang trailed off as she saw a Bullhead land. The door opened and a familiar figure stepped out. Miss Goodwitch took one look at the ruined warehouse, another at the various destroyed containers, and then fixed her eyes on them.

She brought her crop down into her hand with a meaty slap.

"Oh…" Yang said. "You know what, never mind. You were right."

The time for celebration had passed.

The time of pleading had come.

And they were not prepared.

/-/

Blake couldn't lift her face from the floor. The walk back to their room from the headmaster's office had been in silence, but at least there she'd had the excuse of Miss Goodwitch's arctic gaze, and the close shave they'd come out of in avoiding any kind of punishment. Here in the sanctity of their dorm, she had no such cover.

"I can't believe we got out of that without detention," Yang said. "Did you _see_ the look on her face? I half-expected her just to kill us, right then and there."

"She's scary!" Nora said. "Like, actually the scariest thing we dealt with tonight. Do you think she does it on purpose as some way of inuring us to fear so we don't attract more Grimm?"

"Could be… she's definitely more terrifying than any Ursa." Yang fell back on her bed. "Welp. At least we did what we wanted to do."

"True, we found out what we wanted," Ren said. "The White Fang are responsible for the dust robberies. They're also working alongside Torchwick."

Blake's fingers gripped the edge of her mattress.

"We also got to kick butt," Nora laughed. Her expression became a little more serious as she looked over at Yang. "Is your sister feeling better now?"

"Yeah, Ruby's alright." Yang smiled. "Jaune's looking after her."

"Is that a good thing? Weren't you nervous about him and her getting a little too close?"

"No," Yang said. "Well… maybe a little. Still, at least he doesn't have tentacles to molest her with. Besides, I trust him. He's a good guy. I doubt he'd do anything like that to her."

"Yeah, true." Nora giggled. "I hope she'll get past it. Ruby's awesome."

Yang looked proud of the compliment. "She's a resilient girl. She'll manage."

"You're not worried about what happened?"

"You mean how she keeps getting molested by Hentacle?"

"No, the skeletal implications of growing up with a Semblance based on speed." Nora's expression was deadpan. "Of course I meant the Hentacle thing!"

"Of course I'm worried." Yang sighed and kicked her feet in the air. "Trust me; I'm going to drag her butt out for some one on one training tomorrow… and then every day after until she learns to run away from people before they catch her." Yang's eyes blazed. "Oh, she'll learn to dodge… she'll learn… even if I have to drop a mountain on her."

"Isn't that a bit much?" Ren asked. "She came out in one piece."

"Nothing is too much when it comes to protecting my sister's innocence in the face of a tentacle monster."

"Even if we're not sure _she_ wants to protect it," Nora quipped.

Yang refused to acknowledge that comment, or maybe she didn't believe it. She really did seem to think her sister was so innocent she couldn't even feel such things. "It's bad enough she came to Beacon two years early," Yang said, "but I thought the most I'd have to defend herself from was some amorous boys or Grimm, not the plot of one of Blake's books."

There was a long moment of silence. Blake kept her eyes on the sheets before her.

"Blake… are you okay?"

"Hm?" She looked up to Yang's worried face. "Oh… I'm fine."

"Are you sure? It's just that you'd have normally reacted to that. I just called your books smut."

"Ah, well…" She shrugged one shoulder. "They're not porn." Her heart wasn't in it. She just couldn't bring up the same fire. A sigh escaped her.

"Blakey…" Nora padded over and sat down, elbows on Blake's bed and her chin propped atop her hands. "What's wrong, partner? We found out what you wanted, we kicked butt, and we even caused several dust explosions. What's not to like?"

The dust explosions, for one, but she knew Nora wouldn't be deterred on that. How could she explain, though? The White Fang had been a part of her life for so long. It was where she'd learned to fight. Where she'd made friends. Where she'd fought, bled and nearly died time after time. To see them reduced to this…

It was disgusting.

"I guess I'm just distracted." She glanced away. "Did we really achieve anything today? Torchwick and Hentacle got away."

"But not with the dust," Ren said. "We protected that, along with the docks itself. One Bullhead was downed and several White Fang members were unconscious and no doubt arrested. Even if they escaped, we didn't take any damage and they did."

Their leader's calm logic made her nod. He was right. Even if she felt bad, at least something had been achieved. Those people wouldn't be able to cause more harm in the future, and whatever Torchwick wanted the dust for, ensuring he didn't have it was a good thing.

It didn't satisfy her, but it was a good thing they'd done.

"Hnghhh…" Nora growled and leapt on top of her.

"N-Nora. Hey –… stop that!" Blake scowled and tried to fight the other girl off, all the while looking to the others for help. Yang shrugged as though to say it was her partner, while Ren stared at them like it was a common occurrence. "Nora, what are- ow!"

"There," Nora laughed. "Now you're smiling."

Blake growled angrily past the fingers that were poked into her mouth, pulling her lips apart in a frightening parody of a smile.

"You've got a really nice smile, Blakey. You need to show it off more."

Blake tried to reply but her lips couldn't form the words and all she managed was an agitated gurgle. To Nora, that seemed enough for the conversation.

"What we did was a good thing, Blakey, but not just because of what happened. We went out as a team. The four of us went and did something together, and it was something we all felt was right. We risked our lives, but that's the kind of people we are. At least, that's what I think." Nora let go of her and sat next to her on her bed. "Even if it wasn't exactly what you were hoping for, we did something. I had fun, and we all came out okay, so it's a learning experience too. Next time we'll be stronger. Next time we'll stop them."

Blake scowled. "Ugh. How can you be so cheerful at a time like this?"

"Because I got to spend time with my partner."

The angry retort on the tip of her tongue faded away.

"I got to spend time with her doing something she wanted," Nora continued. "As long as I can remember it's always been me and Ren, and we're together, but not together-together. Things were never lonely, but sometimes it felt like there was only the two of us." She shuffled her feet for a second, but then grinned widely and looked toward her. "But now I have Blakey and Yang, and suddenly things feel a lot happier than they did before. So I'm glad because even though it was a bit crazy, we got to go out and have fun as a team." Nora's eyes became a little softer. "I'm also glad because whatever problem you had, you came to us with it instead of doing it on your own."

The clock in the room continued to tick loudly. For the longest time, it was the only thing she could hear.

Was Nora really that simple?

No, that was foolish. Nobody was so easily explained and everyone had deeper secrets they wanted to keep to themselves. Nora had her own demons, she was sure. Despite that… or maybe because of that… she couldn't help but believe the words Nora said.

Friends, huh?

The White Fang had left their people behind. They'd fled, allowing those who fell to be captured. She couldn't help but feel that if it had been her who fell, her team would have stopped at nothing to reclaim her.

The mattress flexed as she stood up and off it. "I have something to tell you all," she said.

"Hm?" Yang cocked her head to one side. She listened, though. Ren did too, lowering his book to his knees as he regarded her with his full attention. No hesitation from either of them, and none from Nora either.

They trusted her.

She would trust them in turn. One hand rose slowly to her ears, not the human ones, but those atop her head. She tugged at the ribbon, and closed her eyes as she felt it unwind and fall down beside her. Left revealed, the twin tufts of fur above her head twitched in the cool evening air.

When she dared to open her eyes, it was to see her teammates watching her.

They kept watching her.

"Well," she said, looking aside nervously. "Aren't you going to say something?"

Ren closed his book. "We're waiting for that thing you said you had to tell us."

Her legs almost gave way.

"What? It's this, I've just shown you." She pointed to them.

"Your bow?" Yang guessed.

"Did you have a haircut?" Ren asked. "It looks good."

"Wow partner, way to show just how little sincerity there was in that. Is that your automatic response?"

"With Nora, it's wise to have one."

"Yep," Nora laughed.

Blake's eyes narrowed. "My ears," she said. "Are you blind? I'm telling you I'm a faunus. That's the secret I've kept from you all."

Nora looked horrified.

Finally, the disdain she deserved.

"That was a secret?" Nora whispered, hand over her mouth. "I didn't know!"

"That's kind of the point," Blake said. She turned to Yang and Ren. "I'm a little surprised the two of you aren't at least partly interested. Does it really not bother you?"

"Eh," Yang waved a hand. "Not me."

"I've had a few weeks to get used to it."

A few… weeks? Blake leaned back. "You knew?"

"Well, yes…" Ren looked confused. "Everyone did."

Blake stared at him. He had to be joking…

"I knew as well," Yang shrugged. "Like Ren says, it was common knowledge."

C-Common knowledge? Blake's head swirled, followed by her vision as she took a step back, bumped into her bed and fell down atop it. How had they known? Had she been careless? No. She was sure she'd taken every precaution. "How?" she demanded. "How did you find out!?"

Ren blinked.

"Nora told me."

"Same," Yang said.

"That was before I knew it was supposed to be a secret," Nora cried when Blake turned to look at her with wide eyes. "If I'd known then I wouldn't have told anyone." Nora reached up to grip her shoulders and shake her. "Please forgive meeeee. No! Now my Blakey won't ever trust me with a secret again. I've betrayed her! I've become a monster!"

Blake's brain rocked back and forth in her skull as Nora shook her. She was still too shell-shocked to process a response. Her mind managed a single word. "How?"

"How did I know?" Nora paused in her relentless assault. "Hm, well, I suppose it's because you have cat ears." She looked up at them and nodded. "Yeah. That's definitely how I knew. For what it's worth I totally didn't peek on you in the shower because I was trying to compare breast sizes or anything." Nora added. "If you even think that for a moment, you're definitely wrong."

That… what… she didn't…

Nothing made sense.

"Maybe if you were a tentacle monster she'd be more willing to forgive you," Yang quipped. "Then again, things might get a little awkward in here if you were. I think Ren and I would need to sleep over in Ruby's dorm."

"Do you think that would help?" Nora asked. She rolled back on the bed and picked up Mr Tentacles, the prize Ren won for Blake. Nora pulled it over her head, so that the tentacles ran down on either side of her. "Rargh! I'm the evil Hentacle. Fear me, Blake!"

Yang laughed and launched a pillow, knocking Nora off the bed.

Nora's response was predictably obvious, and the two girls were quickly wrestling on the floor, leaving Blake sat with a dazed expression, and Ren to go back to reading his book.

They'd known all along… or at least for a few weeks. She wasn't sure what she thought of that. She ought to have felt insulted or offended, but none of them cared, nor had they sought to confront her on why she kept her heritage hidden.

They'd just accepted it… no questions asked.

A stuffed tentacle struck her in the face.

"Oh no," Yang laughed, "He's got her! Quick, someone do a hostage exchange. Where's Mercury when you need him?"

Nora giggled wildly.

"I hate this team," Blake gritted out.

"I don't think you mean that," Ren said. He didn't even lower his book, nor did he stop reading or look her way at all.

Blake sighed, but there was no denying the tiny smile behind it.

"No." she said. "I suppose I don't..."

/-/

"You look like shit," Emerald said when he opened the door.

"Nice to see you too," Mercury said, pushing past her. "You've no idea what kind of night I just had. Coming back looking _only_ like shit is an accomplishment. I deserve a medal. No, I deserve a statue in my honour."

"Like there would be anyone on Remnant willing to chisel your face into rock."

"Hm, if that were true, I wouldn't have caught you looking when I came out the shower this morning." Mercury smirked at her, and then let it grow into a grin as she snarled and looked away. Oh yeah, she wanted him.

"Mercury," Cinder snapped.

 _Aaand_ back to business. Mercury's mouth snapped shut and he stood a little taller, facing the woman who was his team leader, boss and otherwise lord and ruler. "Ma'am," he acknowledged.

"Tell me what happened, Mercury, and do cut the chatter." Cinder said. "I don't have time for your incessant flirting."

Emerald balked. "We weren't-"

"Be silent, Emerald." She waited for the green-haired girl to go still before turning to him. "Continue."

"Jaune is okay," Mercury said, still feeling a little surprised about that himself. By all records he shouldn't be okay, not after the shit he pulled. "He came out of the whole thing pretty much unhurt. If you see him limping, it's something he's putting on." Mercury added. "I made sure he didn't get injured."

"His cover…?"

"In one piece, miraculously." Well, mostly. He winced. "Uh… news reports are probably going to place his Grimm-form in cahoots with Torchwick, though. Not much I could do about that." She didn't _look_ like she was about to set him on fire, but it was best to be safe with her. "Sorry about that. I tried my best."

"Hmm, that's fine." Cinder nodded her head. "The early reports already did that, and I very much doubt they would ever consider him a friend, anyway. In fact, having the media aligned against him might prove useful in the long term. Well done, Mercury."

Praise… from Cinder? His chest puffed out a little despite himself, and the barely concealed jealousy on Emerald's face just made it all the better. Emerald hadn't been complimented like this when _she_ went and followed them. He caught her glare and smirked, feeling all his frustrations washed away when her hands curled into fists and she glowered at the floor.

Oh yes… that felt _good_.

"It wasn't easy," he said, deciding to rub Em's nose in it a little. "Torchwick decided to pull some crap where he threatened to reveal Jaune's secret if he didn't co-operate. I don't think he knew your connection with him," he added the last when Cinder's face took on a frigid cold.

"Is that so," she whispered. "Well, it seems I shall have to have a quiet word with our dear friend. If he believes his presence more important than my dear brother's, then he has another thing coming."

 _I thought you said he wasn't important at all and that we were just doing this to get the maiden's powers?_ Mercury hummed but didn't dare express those thoughts. They'd likely get him torn in two. "Would you like me to handle it?" he offered, knowing she wouldn't, but also knowing that offering could only get him further into her good books, and thus piss Emerald off all the more.

"No. I shall deal with him." She sighed and pushed some hair behind her ear. "You are unusually helpful today, Mercury. Unusually competent as well. I hope this new theme continues to hold true."

"I'll try my best," he demurred. In the background he could practically _feel_ his partner's angry glare. He looked over to her with a sardonic smile. "I'm sure Emerald wants a chance to prove herself as well, though. Oh, and Em?"

She glared at him but didn't dare refuse to answer. Not when he was Cinder's favourite at that moment. "Yes?" she growled.

"The next time you tell me it's `my turn`… go walk off a bridge, please."

Emerald mumbled something which might have included him, his head, an industrial macerator and what he could do with it.

"Oh, don't worry babe. I'm sure you'll have a chance to prove yourself too. After all, it's _your turn_ to look after him the next time he decides to risk life and limb." Mercury grinned at her, and it was just a tad bit _too_ vicious. "And for what it's worth, I hope _your turn_ looking after him was just as eventful as mine."

Exploding warehouses and hostage situations included.

"No." Cinder said. She stepped forward, a small smile on her lips. "You've done well today, Mercury. You were able to keep him safe, maintain his cover _and_ help him escape from a situation he would have struggled to otherwise. You even allowed Roman to escape as well, even if he was unable to gather any dust. This keeps our plans running smoothly." She held a hand out to stroke his cheek, and for once there was no hidden heat or threat in the action. The feel of her soft skin made him swallow. "You have exceeded my expectations, dear Mercury."

He wasn't sure what to feel. Cinder never praised him like this. Emerald had been jealous before, but now she looked positively livid. "Um… thanks, ma'am. I… uh… was just doing my job."

"As such, I believe it would be best if you continued this new cover as their friend, and interacted with them every day. That will free Emerald up for some other tasks."

Something shattered.

Mercury thought it might have been his heart.

/-/

Someone was shaking him awake. His eyes opened groggily, his mind fighting past a throbbing headache at the back of his skull. "Ugh, whazzat?"

"Are you okay, sir?" a calm voice asked. "You shouldn't be sleeping here. It isn't safe."

Not safe? Sun Wukong cracked an eye open and looked about, to see dented containers, police officers and a burning warehouse. Knelt beside him was a young man in a paramedics uniform.

"I'm glad to see you're okay," he said. "You shouldn't be here, though. It isn't safe. There's a shelter a little further down the street if you need it, just off the central square. There's a food bank nearby. I'm not sure it will offer food this late, but you can try."

"Shelter? A food bank?" Sun shook his head. What was the guy on about? Actually, come to think of it, where were the people he'd been fighting alongside?

He pushed himself up and looked around, noticing at last the various faunus in White Fang uniforms being carted into the backs of police vans. Those, along with the damaged containers, spoke of the fight long having ended.

His eye twitched.

"They left me behind..."

* * *

 **Poor Mercury… poor Sun. It's hard not being the stereotypical male protagonist in these kinds of things, isn't it? The one guy gets all the attention, all the girls, all the plasters with smiley faces, delivered with a kiss.**

 **Meanwhile, you get to sit in the background, not quite sure of what it is they do different or how you can get in on that sweet, sweet action.**

 **My advice, Sun? Learn to use that tail for alternative purposes.**

 **Seems to have worked well so far!**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 1** **st** **June -** (You might not be surprised to know that whenever I write June, I write Jaune instead. It's bloody ingrained into me now.)

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	20. Chapter 20

**Just to let people know, College Fool is taking a bit of a break at the moment and so didn't beta this chapter. The plan was sent, and CF did get a chance to comment on that – but any minor mistakes are mine.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 20** – **Lambent Hopes**

* * *

Weiss crossed her arms and held her ground, even as Ruby's mouth fell open.

"You can't _ground_ me!" The young girl cried. "You're my team leader, not my Mom or Dad. Why am I even being grounded? This doesn't make sense!"

"Why?" Weiss raised an arch eyebrow and put some extra emphasis on the word. She couldn't believe Ruby was even asking. "Ruby, you and Jaune went out _once_ on your own, and you managed to not only get into a fight with a criminal, but also get taken hostage, nearly molested, not to mention Jaune had a warehouse fall on him!"

Ruby paused, flushed, and then mumbled something under her breath. When she looked back up, it was with defiant eyes. "So…?"

"So, you're grounded. That's my final decision. Neither you nor Jaune are allowed out of Beacon without someone to chaperone you."

"That's not fair!"

"Not fair!? Ruby, you're lucky I'm even _considering_ letting you out at all." Lucky indeed, since her first instinct after hearing the story was to lock the girl in a padded room and throw away the key. How could someone even _exist_ when they were so drawn to trouble? The two of them were hazards. Mostly to themselves! The initial guilt she felt at not being there to help her teammate was _nothing_ compared to the protective streak that reared its head. "And if you're worried about family then don't worry. I already discussed this with your sister. She seemed positively relieved."

"Yang, you traitor!" Ruby howled.

"Sorry~" the blonde's voice came through the wall. Ruby ignored it.

"Weiss, you can't listen to her. Of course she would say that. I had everything under control."

Not from what she'd heard. Weiss tapped one foot on the floor, teeth grinding together as she recalled Ren's detailed account of how Ruby was captured, held, and then nearly abducted before their eyes. After all that, she thought Weiss was going to let her gallivant through Vale on her own again?

Ha! Fat chance!

"If you believe your sister is being unfair, I could ask your father," Weiss suggested, smiling when Ruby froze up. "I'm sure Yang would give me his scroll number."

"N-No. That's fine." Ruby laughed nervously. "I don't think we need to go that far."

"Hm, well. Perhaps you'll accept my completely fair and rational terms, then." Weiss relented with a sigh. "Don't think of it as being grounded. Just think of them as… precautions."

"Weiss… you're grounding me. There isn't any other way to say this."

"It's not so bad, Ruby…" Pyrrha stepped in with a guilty laugh. "I personally think there's nothing wrong with them. They're for your own safety, after all."

"I'm not allowed to leave Beacon without you or Weiss with me. I'm not allowed to go into Vale on my own, or on my own with Jaune unless I have one of you, Yang, or Ren with me." Ruby paused. "Why isn't Nora or Blake on the list?"

Weiss shrugged. "Ren covers for both of them. Frankly, there's no way you would be able to go into Vale with him without Nora tagging along, and no way she'd go without dragging Blake along, no matter how much she protested."

That was Nora for you.

"Good point." Ruby said. "Still, this is totally unfair! I _tried_ to have one of you two come along. You wouldn't! You had to make a call and Pyrrha had to wash her feet!"

Pyrrha shifted guiltily at that, especially when Weiss shot her an amused look. In all fairness, her call _had_ been genuine. She'd promised Winter to get in touch and couldn't afford to put it off. "Now, now," Weiss teased. "Don't judge Pyrrha's cultural needs like that."

"W-Weiss," Pyrrha complained.

"These rules are silly too," Ruby said, holding up the list. "I mean, why do me and Jaune not count as escorting each other? We're strong enough."

"Why the complaint?" Weiss countered. "Is there some reason you want the two of you to be able to go off alone in Vale? Some private reason, perhaps?"

"N-No." Ruby's eyes were as wide as saucers. "What do you even mean?"

"Oh, only that you might distract one another."

"Distract? What do you mean by distract?" Her cheeks flushed, eyes flicking left and right. "What are you trying to say, Weiss? Are you trying to imply something?"

"No," Weiss cooed. "Should I be?"

"No! Pfft, no. What are you-? Ha. You're crazy, Weiss. So crazy!"

Who did Ruby think she was fooling? Well, Jaune, apparently, but that didn't seem too hard. "Then there's no problem is there?" she asked. "I'm not implying anything, and I didn't mean anything by suggesting that you and Jaune out alone in Vale might be focused on other things, or other people," she added, enjoying how Ruby squirmed. "So, there's no problem, right?"

"No." Ruby blinked, and then shook her head wildly. "Wait, yes! Yes there is. What about this line, though? I'm not allowed to talk to strangers without you vetting them first?" Ruby's eyes narrowed. "I'm fifteen, Weiss. I know not to talk to strangers."

"Well clearly you don't since you went and befriended that girl."

"Penny isn't a stranger," Ruby defended. "Well… she's strange, but I mean, that doesn't count!"

It really did. Even Weiss knew that. "Regardless," she said, "the rules remain. While I know full well how strong you are, this… _creature's_ interest in you is too dangerous. Instead of assuming I'm doing this to punish you, how about considering how _I_ would feel if you were hurt or abducted and I could do nothing to help."

Ruby's frown fell. She looked away, eyes downcast and a tremble to her lips. "Weiss… is that… is that the reason?"

"Eh. Fifty-fifty."

"Fifty- what's the other fifty!?"

Personal amusement, really, but Ruby didn't need to know that. "Never you mind. This ban extends to Jaune too, and I didn't have to put up with his complaints." Her partner had been a gentleman about it, as usual. He'd nodded, accepted her orders, and then said he understood once she explained why. He, at least, recognised the danger. "I'm the team leader, Ruby. I've said I'll explain the reasoning behind my actions and I have. Three out of four of us agree, so I'm not sure what else there is to say. The ban persists… at least for now."

Ruby huffed. "I can't believe you're grounding me."

"I can't believe you got molested by a tentacle monster," Weiss returned. "Sadly, it looks like we've _both_ been unpleasantly surprised in the last twenty-four hours. At least _you_ didn't almost faint when you found out!"

"Ha. Yeah. That was funny."

No. No it wasn't. She'd almost lost ten years of her life right there. To think such a disaster happened, and they'd been helpless to do anything. No. This grounding had to continue. "I'm sorry, Ruby. My decision stands."

"You suck." Ruby crossed her arms and pouted, but at least she didn't scream how much she hated her, storm off and say Weiss wasn't her Mom or something. That would have been awkward. "This all sucks. I'm the victim here. I don't deserve to be punished."

"Come on now, Ruby," Pyrrha laughed, strolling over to sit on the bed beside her partner. "It just means we have to stick together as a team, that's all. The next time the weekend rolls around, we can _all_ go into Vale."

"We could," Ruby drawled, and it had to be the first time Weiss _ever_ heard the girl sound so sarcastic. "Unless someone has to _wash their feet_ again…"

The sarcasm also served the double effect of letting them know Ruby _really_ wasn't as dense as she sometimes let on. She'd absolutely seen through that lie if her expression was any indication. To be fair, the lie had been as transparent as glass.

"Ah, well… you see… I didn't… it's hard to explain… um…"

"Yes, partner?" Ruby asked with round, innocent eyes. "Please explain it to me. I'm such a dork, after all."

"Ah, well… um…" Pyrrha looked to Weiss for help.

She wouldn't find any. Weiss rolled her eyes and picked up her book once more, opening it to a random page and pretending she hadn't seen Pyrrha's desperate gaze. You reaped what you sowed, that was what Klein always said. _Sorry Pyrrha. You're on your own with this one._

Idly, she wondered if Jaune was having quite so exciting a day.

/-/

Jaune made his way down the corridors distractedly. He'd excused himself from the rest of his team, earning an awkward look from Weiss when he'd asked if his `grounding` extended to walking around Beacon alone as well. She'd been apologetic and assured him it didn't. He didn't really understand why she was so distressed. From what he understood, being grounded meant the two of them had to hang out with Weiss or Pyrrha if they went out.

He didn't see why Ruby chafed so hard at it. It sounded like fun.

Fun wasn't what he was focused on right now, however. Instead, his emotions ran taut and sharp, hesitation mixed with fear with a delightful dollop of apprehension on top. He needed to speak with Big Sis. He needed her advice. He also needed to ask her advice in private, hence skipping out on sparring practice with his team.

Jaune sighed and turned the corner towards her room, only to pause as something rushed towards his face.

There was a loud splash, followed by a rush of freezing cold water.

"Got him!" someone cried.

Cold air brushed over his face, shoulders and chest, where ice-cold water had splashed across him, dousing hair and clothing alike. Droplets ran down his bangs and onto his nose, and he shivered lightly as he cracked one eye open.

Cardin Winchester stood before him, metal bucket in hand.

" **Kill him,"** Remy sighed.

Jaune ignored Remy. Why did Cardin throw water on him? What was the point of- oh. Oh! Jaune's eyes widened. _"Is this a prank?"_ he asked inside his mind. Was Cardin playing a prank on him in the middle of the corridor?

" **Eh, probably? Anyway, if you snap his neck it ought to-"**

" _This is great!"_

" **Huh?"**

Remy didn't understand. That was fine. Jaune did, and that was what mattered. His sisters had played pranks on him all the time when he was younger, and they did to one another as well. It wasn't unusual for Jade and Hazel, his sister Hazel, that was, to be in the middle of some kind of pranking war. Sometimes they even tried to involve Cinder too, though she never took it quite so well.

Still, his family loved one another, explosions aside. Their pranks were never a sign of ill-intent, and he'd lost count of the number of times one of his sisters would pull the water over the door prank. It was practically a staple! _"And if Cardin feels comfortable enough to prank me,"_ he said, _"then maybe that means he's given up on thinking I'm a monster."_

Except that Cardin looked really nervous at that very moment. "But… but this is holy water," he said. "I had ten different priests bless it."

Holy water…? He wasn't sure what that meant, but it sounded expensive. Cardin had gone to all that trouble for a prank? That was… that was honestly kind of humbling. Suddenly his nervousness made sense too. He was worried Jaune might not reciprocate. Cardin was shy.

 _It makes sense,_ Jaune thought. _If this is Cardin extending a hand of peace, then the last thing he'd want is for me to rebuff it. That would be like if Yang slapped the flowers I bought out of my hand._

Knowing how hurt he'd have been in that case, Jaune did the only thing he could do – embrace the spirit of competition, let Cardin know he'd happily accepted the gesture, and return it in kind. Jaune smiled, reached out one hand to land on Cardin's shoulder.

"I'll be sure to return the favour, Cardin." he said. "You'd best sleep with one eye open."

The teen's face went white. The metal bucket fell from nerveless fingers as Cardin took one, then two steps back. His head shook from side to side. He made a strange sign with his hands, and then took out a weirdly-shaped medallion that looked to be carved out of wood. When Jaune raised an eyebrow to that, Cardin whimpered and fled.

Jaune blinked as he watched him run away, bucket forgotten and feet pounding against the floor. "Huh… I guess he's really into this." He paused to stoop over and pick up the discarded bucket. "Sorry Cardin. I can't afford to play now, though. I've got something important to do."

He supposed he could take the bucket along, though. It would save the janitors the work of cleaning it up. He looked back up when he heard a faint `snap` sound. In front of him stood two people, one of which he recognised rather easily.

"Oh. Hello Velvet."

"Grbl…" Velvet said. Ah damn, was she still afraid of him?

"She said hello," the other girl said, still holding her scroll out towards him and even clicking another picture right then and there. "I like your shirt, by the way. It's very see-through."

It was? He looked down, and then sighed as he recalled the water, which also served to remind him of just how cold it was in the first place. His white school uniform shirt was plastered to his skin, having turned a vague cream colour now that his chest and stomach could be seen through it. He'd have secured his jacket shut, but that was soaked as well.

He looked like a mess.

"Sorry about this," he said. "Cardin just ran up and dumped some water on me." He held up the bucket as though explanation. Maybe it would also convince her he wasn't a weirdo who walked around with a bucket for fun. He coughed and set it down by the wall, then introduced himself. "My name's Jaune, by the way. Jaune Arc."

"Oh, I know who you are," the girl said. "The name's Coco, and you can just call me that. Normally I'd say the pleasure is yours, but right now I think it's all Velvet's."

There was no response from the girl in question. Her eyes were wide, probably with fear, and the way she refused to meet his eyes, keeping hers locked on his chest instead? It spoke of extreme terror. The poor girl's breath came out in pants, and her hands kept curling and uncurling.

Coco snapped another picture while she was there.

"Why are you doing that?" he asked.

"It's for Velvet," she said. "So she can remember the way the water runs down you."

"Why? Is she thirsty?"

"No," Velvet said.

"Yes," Coco nodded sagely. "She's very thirsty."

"C-Coco! N-No, I'm not!"

Jaune smiled at the faunus, who was now red in the face and finally looking his way. She seemed nervous, but it was progress. He tried to look as calm as he could, as nonthreatening as he was able. "If I had any, I'd let you have a drink, Velvet."

"Looks like you have plenty, stud." Coco said, pointing to his chest.

Well, yeah… in his shirt. He shrugged. "If you can think of a way to drink it, you can have it."

"Ha, that's- wait, I've got her." Coco caught her friend as she slumped to the side, waving him off when he approached, concerned. "It's fine. It's fine. I've got her." The beret-wearing girl adjusted Velvet on her shoulder. "Heh, you're fun, Arc. Let's hang out more in future, kay?"

"Kay?" he asked.

"Great! I'll catch you around." She staggered past him, Velvet on one shoulder. As she did, however, she reached out a single finger to poke his wet chest. She then put it in her mouth and sucked. "Hmm, refreshing… I'll be sure to tell Velvet how it tasted."

Jaune watched them go, still soaked to the bone, now a little confused as well.

He lifted up his shirt a little and sucked on it.

It didn't taste particularly nice.

" _People are weird…"_

" **See? This is why I hate them. Now Penny,** _ **she**_ **was normal."**

Ugh, not this again.

/-/

Cinder opened her door with a snarl on her lips, which soon died when she saw who was on the other side. A smile threatened to come out instead, but that in turn died when she saw the state he was in. "What happened to you?" she asked.

"Someone threw-"

"No. Never mind…" Cinder reached out to drag him in and slam the door shut behind. His clothing was soaked, practically see-through in places. Was it even raining outside? "You're so irresponsible," she mumbled, pushing his jacket off and tossing it aside. Without even really thinking about it, her hands started to undo his top button, and then the one below. "You _do_ realise that being half-Grimm doesn't make you immune to illness, right?"

"Of course, but-"

"But you don't listen, as usual." She sighed and peeled his shirt open, revealing damp skin beneath. "Arms…"

He held his arms out.

She pulled the shirt off him, leaving him naked from the waist up and shivering slightly. A quick toss got rid of it, though she thought she heard a wet smack and Emerald cry out. She turned with a sigh. "Mercury, fetch me one of yours."

"Ma'am," he nodded, standing up and moving to his cabinet. She nodded as he did, but spared a glance for the other two parts of her team. Neo was watching their visitor with a curious expression. Her head tilted to the side, then tilted further, until it was practically horizontal. Those mismatched orbs were also focused on his bare chest.

Cinder took a measured step to the side, blocking line of sight. "What do you think _you're_ doing?" she snarled.

Emerald yelped. "N-Nothing, ma'am."

Emerald…? Cinder fixed a suspicious glare on her too, but Emerald had her eyes fixed on the shirt in her hands. It was interrupted as Mercury approached and handed over a white uniform shirt to her little brother.

"Thanks, Mercury," Jaune said.

"No prob. What are friends for?"

Good. Very good, Mercury. He really was proving his use in many different ways. She was surprised – and she normally despised surprises. She nodded to him as he moved away, but her head snapped back to Jaune when he tried to put the shirt on. She slapped a hand to his chest, preventing him from doing up the buttons. "Jaune… what are you doing!?"

"Putting the shirt on?"

"You're still damp." She sighed and tugged him over to her bed, pushing him down into it. "Really, this is like being back in the Grimmlands. I thought I taught you better." She grabbed a towel from the dresser and started to rub it roughly in his wet hair. "Mercury gave you his shirt to use. Don't ruin it by getting it wet."

"S-S-Sorry," he stammered, words cut off as she towelled him dry.

She moved onto his shoulder and chest once his hair was done, even if it stuck up at every conceivable angle. She paid particular attention to his chest and stomach. The ridges of his abs had little droplets of water in, and those needed to be removed. She focused on them, running a finger between to get them out.

She then made sure his pecs were dry as well. And then went back to his abs, just in case. It wouldn't do for him to catch a cold. Once they were dry, she went back to his chest.

And then back down to his abs.

"Um, Cinder? I think I'm dry."

Cinder's hands froze. Her eyes took in his form in time to notice that yes, he really was rather dry – in fact, ridiculously so. How long had she been towelling him for? Her brain swam, and she quickly went with the automatic response. "Well, this wouldn't have been necessary if you could but look after yourself." She threw the towel in his face and stomped over to the dresser. "I suppose it's only natural you need me to do everything for you. That's how it's always been, and I imagine that's how it always will be." She sat back down behind him and took his head in one hand. "Sit still. I'll do my best to tame this mess you call hair."

"T-Thanks…" He nodded, and then winced when she gripped his head and tugged him back. After that, he remained still, letting her run the comb through his hair and pull it all back into place.

She noticed Neo watching still, and bit back a small growl. "You can put your shirt on now. There's no reason to sit there half-naked."

"Right…"

The angry look on Neo's face made all of this hard work worth it. Cinder's smile could have caused men to swoon right then and there. Still, it couldn't all be Grimm and murder, no matter how fun it was. "What brings you here, Jaune?" she asked. "I heard about what happened at the docks. I dare say I thought you'd avoid me out of fear of what I'd do after learning you risked your life like that."

"Ha ha, yeah…" He trailed off, suddenly realising she had him in front of her and that he couldn't see what she was doing with her comb. She remained quiet, just to let him simmer with that for a moment. Eventually, he spoke. "I need advice."

 _I'll say,_ she thought. _You need someone to hold your hand. I wish there was someone else I could trust to do that, but everyone is incompetent. Looks like I'll need to be the one to deal with you… as usual._

"What kind of advice?" she asked. "Relationship advice?"

"What? Ow! You're pulling my hair! No, no. Not relationship stuff!"

"Good."

"Good?"

Her hands paused. "Don't just repeat what I say," she snapped. "If you want advice, then ask. I didn't teach you to be so hesitant."

"Ah, yeah… you're right." Jaune sighed, and she could tell from that just how serious he felt this was. Her ire faded, replaced with something else. Something she couldn't quite discern. It was an alien and unwelcome sensation.

She didn't like it.

All she knew was that it wouldn't go away until his problem was solved. She nudged his back with her elbow, urging him on, even as she kept running her fingers and comb through his soft hair.

"It was at the docks," he began. "Most of it went okay. I didn't intend to transform, nor to show myself, but I didn't have a choice. I would have died otherwise. I figured it would be suspicious if I reappeared, though, and Torchwick knew both my identities, so I didn't want him to see me. I decided to stay transformed but also hide."

She felt a rare rush of hidden pleasure at that. It was a wise plan, one that showed his more analytical side at work. "Well done," she praised. "That was certainly the best choice to be made in that situation."

"Ah, well, I just imagined what you would do."

She preened a little at that. Of course he would emulate her. Who else was he going to listen to, Tyrian, Watts!? She'd have added Hazel, but who even knew what Hazel would do in any given situation. The man was a mystery.

"Go on," she said.

"It didn't quite work out. I tried to stay hidden, but didn't really manage it. One of my friends found me. They didn't recognise me," he added, right before she could start plotting a disappearance. "She had no idea it was me. We were distracted by some White Fang anyway. They tried to kill her. They tried to kill _me_ too."

 _Note to self; make sure the stupid beasts die when the time comes._

Adam was a useful pawn, but she could find new ones.

"You defended yourself, I take it." She continued to brush his hair. "I very much doubt they were any problem for you."

"They weren't… that's not the problem."

"Then what is?"

"I…" Jaune's hands curled into fists in his lap. He took a deep breath before continuing. "I lost control of myself. Something came over me… I have no idea what. All I know is that I felt really angry, and then I started to fight harder, more viciously. I wanted to hurt them. No, I wanted to _kill_ them."

Hm... she'd wondered if that might happen.

"What happened to me?" he asked. "I don't understand. It was a miracle I even snapped out of it. At the end, I even wanted to hurt my friend. I don't know what or how. I just… I wanted her in my tentacles. I wanted to hurt her." He turned his head to the left, so that one eye could meet hers. "I have to know, Sis. You know everything. I figured you'd know this too."

"Yes, well, I _do_ know a lot," Cinder demurred, though not very hard. She knew he was flattering her, but well... did she not deserve it? She took his face gently and turned it back so he was looking away, fingers weaving his bangs into place while she spoke. "What you faced isn't something we didn't expect in time."

"We?"

"Your mother and I," she said. "It's actually one of the reasons we did not want to let you out among humans just yet."

"What reason?"

Cinder sighed. "You must understand, Jaune. You are, whether you accept it or not, half-Grimm. You have your mother's genes mixed with your father's, and your transformation is just one of the advantages that come with that." Increased durability, excellent reflexes, great aura reserves… while Cinder could admit to not liking Nicholas Arc, there was no denying his contribution to her mistress had birthed very powerful children. Perhaps those genes would pass on to another when Jaune chose a spouse. Such a child would be powerful indeed.

Very powerful…

"Cinder?"

"Huh, what?" She blinked. "Oh yes, right. Well, along with the physical aspects of a Grimm, you also gained some of the psychological ones as well. Many of these are beneficial, but it was inevitable that you would retain some disadvantages as well."

"A Grimm's hunger?" he guessed.

She tapped his head, pleased with his realisation. He was no fool. She'd ensured as much. "Indeed. Grimm, as you know, hunt humans based on their negativity. Even I don't know the full reasoning behind this, but it is something they are created or spawned with. You were born with it as well."

"So I'm going to go wild when faced with negativity?"

Cinder paused. This was a delicate matter. "Maybe," she hedged. "Unlike most Grimm, you have more control over your faculties. You've been surrounded by humans for weeks now without incident, mostly because you don't _wish_ for there to be one. You don't embrace that side of you like most Grimm, so there's no reason to worry about going mad in class."

"Thank Salem," he whispered. "What happened at the docks, then?"

"You were overwhelmed." She laid down her comb and started to brush his hair flat with her hands. "From your description of the event, it sounds like you faced negative emotions on a scale you haven't before. The White Fang hate humans for petty reasons, as do humans in return with the faunus. Terrorists, however, are normally far worse. Coupled with their desire to kill you and your friend, the emotions could have spiralled out of control and ignited something within you."

"But I've never had that happen before!"

"You've never spent so much time around people before," she explained. "What's more, you were already in your Grimm form when it happened. I expect you wouldn't be quite so affected like this, but you were physically more Grimm than human at that moment, not to mention you were likely angry yourself. Your own emotions betrayed you, providing a situation where your anger was driven to a greater extreme by all the anger and hate in the air." She sighed. "We planned to help you control this slowly, by introducing frightful humans to you until you learned to control it."

Jaune gasped. "You and Mom were going to bring me friends!?"

"Uh…" Cinder hesitated as she thought of that, and what his knowledge of their actual plan might have entailed. "Sure," she said. "Friends…"

He wasn't one to like the idea of people kidnapped and exposed to a monster until the monster could control himself. He'd like even less the idea of what would probably happen to those people afterwards. Well, it was moot now since it wouldn't happen.

"You're the best, Cinder!"

"Hm. Well, if you insist." She flicked some hair behind her and smiled. "I _am_ rather magnanimous. Either way, that avenue is closed to us now. If you wish to maintain your cover, then you should avoid transforming into your Grimm side, and if you absolutely must, then you need to avoid situations where negativity pools. Control yourself, and control your mind, and you should be fine." It would be in her best interests if he did control himself, of course. At least until she could claim the maiden's powers.

"I'd rather not feel it at all," he groused. "Isn't there any way to get rid of it?"

"This is a part of you. You cannot avoid it."

"Uh, I figured." He sighed and leaned back into her, and while she rolled her eyes, she allowed it. "This feels nice. Is my hair done yet?"

His what? Cinder looked down at his scalp and winced. It _had_ been done, but she'd started randomly playing with it while she'd been talking, and now it looked like he'd been dragged through several hedges backwards. Luckily, Jaune had the fashion sense of a Boarbatusk. "As well as it can be," she lied. "You should take more care of yourself. Walking around wet like that will make you ill." Her eyes narrowed. "I don't need to waste my time sat at your bedside feeding you soup. Do not make me."

"I'll try my best. Thanks Cinder."

To her disgust, he leaned forward to kiss her cheek. Gods, she hated those little displays of affection he forced on her. She sat through it with a steadfast expression, even as it caused a strange nausea in her stomach. It tingled, as did the spot his lips pressed against.

"You can pay me back in kind," she said. "It's been a while since you brushed my hair." One of the few things he was truly good at, and one of the few pleasures she would never admit to having. His fingers felt unusually good in her hair, and he knew better than to be anything but attentive to her. Of course, there was the one time he'd tried to braid it, but he soon learned that was _not_ to happen.

One of his blasted sisters once put her hair into pigtails while she slept. To this day, she'd never found out which. She would one day, though... and then there would be a reckoning.

"I'll come over this weekend," Jaune promised, standing up with a sigh. "Thanks for the help, Cinder. I mean, I'm still in a bit of a bad spot, but at least I know what's causing it. You really helped."

She nodded. There was little more she could do. "What do you intend to do about it?" she asked.

"I'll keep going. I'm not willing to give up what I've gained, and like you said, this is something I'd have to learn to deal with eventually." He shrugged. "I'll make it work. I won't lose control and do something stupid."

"Good." She nodded. "Mercury will help you."

Her minion flinched. "I will?"

"He will," she affirmed with a quick glare sent his way. "If you feel you're losing control, he will step in and draw your attention, then lead you away. That should minimise the chance of injury occurring to those around you, and the odds of you being discovered." It would maximise the risk of Mercury being hurt, of course, but sacrifices had to be made.

"Yeah," Mercury muttered glumly. "I guess I will…"

"You will?" Jaune's eyes watered. "You're a real friend, Mercury."

"Ha. Yeah. Go me…"

Cinder smiled and turned back to him. "Well, there you have it. Try to control your emotions, Jaune. The last thing any of us need is for you to lose yourself to the Grimm part of you. With the power you possess, I dread to imagine how much harm you could do." She didn't dread it for the harm, of course, so much as the drama it would cause. She didn't think he'd appreciate knowing what _she_ would be doing if he lost control - namely, disposing of the bodies. "Until then, if you have any problems, come to see me. You shouldn't have such a reaction around me. The reason you never experienced it at home is because, Watts, Tyrian, Hazel and I show no negativity or fear to the Grimm." She shrugged. "Neither does your father, obviously."

"That makes sense. I'll keep you in the loop. Thank you for your belief in me, Cinder. It means a lot."

Ah, well… maybe she wouldn't disabuse him of that notion. "It is fine, Jaune," she said, eyes closed. "Naturally, my faith in you remains-"

"You believe in me too, Neo?" Jaune asked. "Thank you!"

Cinder's eyes snapped open, followed by a quick growl as she saw Neo stood between Jaune and the door, a wide smile on her face. She nodded happily, and then opened her arms wide. Jaune stooped down to wrap his around her in a warm hug.

"Aw. Thanks, Neo."

The comb in Cinder's hand went up in flames. She had to resist the urge to do anything, though, even as Neo squeezed him tightly and watched her with a cocky smirk. _I still need the girl. I can't kill her. I still need her. Damn it, I want to kill her._

"Oh, and Cinder…?" He paused in the doorway, interrupting her thoughts. One of his hands was on the frame as he looked back to her.

"Yes?"

"I just want you to know what I really don't approve of Roman."

"Roman?" Cinder blinked, wondering what he meant. Well, she hadn't expected him to be pleased with the whole stealing dust, using terrorists and attacking his friends thing. To be fair, she hadn't planned for that, but she could see why he disliked the foppish criminal.

She did too, after all.

"He is annoying, I'll admit," she said, ignoring Neo's fierce glare. "Sadly, I need him for the moment. What he provides, I cannot get elsewhere."

Jaune's cheeks darkened. "Y-Yeah, but… well… I mean, I guess you have needs too. If you needed it, I could…" He cut off, eyes wide. "Never mind! I just… I don't trust him, okay? I don't trust him with you. He isn't good enough."

"He really isn't," she agreed. "Alas, until I find better, he's all I have."

"If you did find someone better… you wouldn't need _him_ anymore?"

"No. I wouldn't." He was just a tool, after all. "There isn't anyone, though. Believe me. I've looked." She was careful with her pawns. Mercury and Emerald had been chosen for very specific reasons, Roman too.

"Would you be offended if I kept an eye open?"

"Do as you wish," she waved a hand. "If you do find someone else, I'll be surprised, but I'll certainly consider them. Well, so long as they're willing to be loyal to me."

"Obviously!" Jaune looked offended. "I would _never_ let them be anything but."

Cinder felt a little surprise, followed by a warm feeling in her chest. How sweet. Well, it was only natural, of course. She deserved to be shown such dedication. It was nice to see she wasn't the only one who felt so. She nodded and waited for Jaune to leave. Once he did, she turned to the side.

"Emerald," she snapped.

"Y-Yes, ma'am?"

"Someone threw water on my little brother." Her eyes narrowed. "I want a name."

"I'll find it out as soon as I can."

"Good." Cinder brushed the ash from her hand and settled back down on her bed. Jaune's loss of control would be an issue, especially if it came up again. She would have to trust in his ability to restrain himself, however.

And really, it wasn't like anything was going to happen to change the status quo or something.

/-/

"So…" Ozpin tapped one finger on the table as he looked towards Glynda. "What do you think?"

"I still think you were too lenient with them," Glynda said. She stood with arms crossed, expression flat. "While it's undeniable their actions helped prevent a crime from taking place, the wilful disregard they showed for procedure, not to mention their own safety, is not something worthy of reward."

"Not that," Ozpin sighed. Goodness knows, he very much knew her opinion on the lack of punishment he'd given out. She'd yet to stop talking about it. "This," he said, pushing an open book across the table. "Does this seem like the creature?"

Glynda hummed and took the book, raising an eyebrow at the worn pages. It was at least sixty years old. On the page he'd chosen was a black and white drawing of a creature with strange black limbs raised above it. "No. He had more of a human body when I saw him," she said. "Ozpin, we've looked through everything. I don't believe the old tales are going to hold an answer to this one."

"I thought as much as well," he admitted, closing the book once she'd given it back. "That does provide results of its own, however. If such a creature has never existed in the past, then it must surely mean a new creation."

"Or an ancient one that went undiscovered. No witnesses hardly means it doesn't exist."

"True," he allowed. "People disappear all the time. Still, the point remains. If this Hentacle-"

"Can we not call it that? I mean, Ozpin… really?"

"It is what the young ladies referred to him as," he said. "I do believe he reacted to the name as well, though I'm sure that is just our mysterious creature learning what word we use to distinguish it. He's capable of speech from your own account, so intelligence is a given."

Glynda grumbled something under her breath, probably still over the name.

"Either way," he continued, once it was clear she wouldn't interrupt, "the very fact that this Hentacle has chosen to reveal himself not once, but three times now, speaks of something important. I fear that difficult times might be ahead." He looked up to his companion. "Do you believe the observations our students made?"

"Of course not. While I'm not personally familiar with Torchwick, I doubt very much that the two are involved in such a manner. Really, to think they would be-"

"I meant what the creature _said_."

Glynda's cheeks darkened. "A-Ah, right. Yes. Forgive me… which part was that again?"

"Both Miss Rose and Miss Belladonna heard him say he was not there for them. His actions also showed a strange pattern… for a Grimm, anyway. No casualties in any of our encounters. He's shown violence in terms of defending himself, but seems… not unwilling, but perhaps disinterested in causing harm."

"You think he's no threat? Headmaster, he is aligned with Roman Torchwick."

"I did not say that," he said. "I believe our unusual visitor is a threat, yes. Even if he were a regular human, so skilled an individual working with Torchwick would be bad news." He waited for Glynda to nod before continuing. "My thoughts are that Hentacle does not cause harm because it does not suit his purpose."

"His purpose?"

He nodded. "Think, Glynda… so far we have a creature who has intervened in a number of events which involve our students. Each time he runs into trouble with the same people. Each time, the same girls who confront him are left unharmed. While he sought to protect Torchwick, Miss Rose's testament suggests he was not only reluctant to harm her, but perhaps even eager to depart."

"Hm… that's not dissimilar from my own encounter," Glynda said. "Now that I think about it, there would be no reason whatsoever for the two of them to flee from someone like Ruby Rose. They could have killed her with ease." Her eyes narrowed, no doubt recalling that day. "I thought I arrived in time to save her, but the two had already begun their retreat when I arrived."

"An odd choice, no?" Ozpin smiled and leaned forward to rest his chin atop one hand. "If the dust was there goal, why leave without it? Similar to the incident at the docks, they not only left without the dust, but Hentacle told Miss Rose something rather interesting."

"I'm not here for you," Glynda parroted. Her eyes widened. "For _you_!"

"I see you've noticed my concern. If he was not there for dust, and not there for Miss Rose, then what _was_ he there for? What was his objective?"

"You have an idea, don't you?" Glynda asked.

"I have a suspicion. Do you recall your trip to Forever Fall?"

"I'm not sure how I can forget…" She sighed and massaged her forehead.

"Do you recall the words of a certain team of young men? At the time, we dismissed them as out of hand, but now… I'm not so sure."

"Team CRDL?" Glynda rolled her eyes. "Ozpin, they told me the monster tried to molest them. Their story was that they turned to find him behind them, tentacles raised. Were that the case, however, I'm not sure how they could have outrun him. It's probably just a case of an over-active imagination."

"Or that he didn't want them, either," Ozpin countered. "While we can't prove or disprove their story, we know that he was present on the day, and that he had violent encounters with numerous teams. Miss Belladonna, Rose and Xiao-Long were unharmed. Team CRDL were spooked, but also uninjured. If anything, I believe Hentacle chose to let them go."

"Chose to…? Not mercy, surely." Her eyes narrowed. "You believe they weren't what he was looking for. But if he was, why approach at all?"

"Ah, but Glynda. He didn't." Ozpin leaned forward. "We know from both you and Miss Xiao-Long, that he can control Grimm. There was one other victim in Forever Fall. Someone who _wasn't_ let go, and in fact was almost taken."

"Jaune Arc," Glynda said. "He managed to free himself but was abducted by Beowolves."

"Indeed. Abducted by Beowolves in a forest that our new friend chose to frequent. Keep in mind that after he escaped, Hentacle was seen approaching a team of young men, but that he allowed them to flee once they turned in his direction." Ozpin's smile grew. "Once he'd seen their _faces_."

"No…" Glynda stepped back. "You're suggesting… that doesn't make sense!"

"It does not, but the evidence is there. Glynda, recall initiation." He paused to let her collect her thoughts. "Do you remember Hentacle's presence there?" She nodded. "Do you also recall several students being allowed to leave an encounter with him unharmed?"

"Rose and Nikos," she said. "Perhaps Xiao-Long too, but she fled when he turned in her direction. We're not sure he actually spotted her."

"Exactly. Still, do you recall a certain student _not_ being let go? A certain student who was perhaps attached by an _unusually_ aggressive Nevermore?"

"Arc…"

"Precisely." Ozpin stood from his seat and moved towards the window. The sun was only just setting outside, casting the campus in the bright red of twilight. It was beautiful. It was his to protect. "When a Nevermore takes a young man, even a huntsman, then there is almost no chance for survival. The specimen which held him was large indeed, and I'll admit I feared the worst."

"As did I," Glynda said. "Mr Arc acquitted himself well."

"Did he…?" Ozpin saw her eyes narrow in the reflection of the glass. "I'm not saying Mr Arc didn't fight well, but to survive such an encounter, let alone when taken to its nest? It struck me as odd the first time I heard it, and it's only after this recent event that I pieced it together. What if his survival wasn't quite as due to skill and perseverance as we expected? What if the Grimm was unable to kill him because it wasn't _allowed_ to."

Glynda's eyes widened. "Do you mean to say it was ordered not to? Why?"

"Because he was not here for Miss Ruby Rose, or anyone else." Ozpin said. "Because he was there, because he was in initiation, at Forever Fall, and at the docks… for a different person."

"For Arc… he was there for Jaune Arc. That would… it would make sense with the Beowolves." Glynda's shoulders stiffened, as she no doubt realised the implications. "The Nevermore was the first abduction attempt but we didn't notice. After that there was Forever Fall, where he used Grimm again to try and kidnap Arc out from under our noses."

"And the third time, when the Grimm had already failed twice?" Ozpin sighed and looked back out the window. "There comes a point where someone feels that if they cannot rely on others, they must do it themselves. Mr Arc _was_ at the docks if you recall. He was simply knocked out of the fight early."

"But Hentacle would not have known that," she finished. "He arrived in time to see everyone _but_ Jaune Arc, and then decided to retreat." Her head perked up. "Ozpin. Do you remember what Miss Belladonna said, about how she first saw him when he had his tentacles around that young man? He was blonde as well!"

"Hentacle was inspecting his prey," Ozpin agreed. "Once he realised it was not the quarry he was looking for, he left him alone. Had Mr Arc shown himself, the situation might have been very different. Different… and dangerous."

Glynda looked like she wasn't sure what to think. Her mouth opened and closed several times, but it took a minute or so before words formed. "Ozpin, you're sure of this? It sounds so fantastical."

"Were the Maidens any different, Glynda? I wouldn't be quite so certain if this wasn't the third time it has occurred. Once might be an accident, twice careless – but for us to ignore it now?"

"No, you're right," she said. "There is definitely something happening here. How can we think otherwise when there's an intelligent Grimm creature running around causing us trouble? It can't hurt to expect the worst. The question is… why? Why does he want Arc?"

"That is a question I've been dwelling on all night," Ozpin admitted. Dwelling, reading and researching, all to little avail. The legends didn't cover it, nor did the fables, but there were hints… if he but made a few assumptions. Those could be dangerous, but this was different. As far back as mankind went, people vanished in Grimm territory. Children were swept away, adults too, and everyone assumed it was to their deaths.

What if it wasn't? What if some were taken alive for some other purpose?

What if Jaune Arc was one of those people?

"We can't know for sure," he eventually said. "But what we do know is that he is looking for something… something that he believes Mr Arc contains. We can also assume he's working with this Queen figure since he has Torchwick on his side. That would suggest he's under orders." Ozpin chuckled. "I think we can rule out the idea of a sexual predator too. Young women's minds wander, and the ladies of Teams WJRP and RYBN are young and healthy indeed. _Very_ healthy if their thoughts are any indication."

"Y-Yes," Glynda said, looking away. Her cheeks were bright red. "Those silly girls. Thinking things like that. I mean, really, who would ever be interested in something like that? Not I, certainly! I mean, to even think it would be madness!"

She trailed off.

Ozpin turned to face her.

She fidgeted with her clipboard.

"Yes, well..." He coughed and forged ahead. "Regardless of our student's more colourful interests, the danger seems clear to me. I believe this to be another power akin to the Maidens, perhaps even one we've never encountered before." His eyes narrowed. Mr Arc didn't _seem_ to exhibit anything like that, but he could admit to not looking too closely. That would have to change. "The course appears obvious. We must protect this power, nurture and enable it to grow. If the Grimm fear it, then we want it on our side."

"Do you want me to suggest him for personal training?" Glynda asked.

"No. That might make it too obvious." There was no telling whether the Queen had someone in the school already. Not a student, of course. He was more perceptive than that. No one would be able to sneak in under his gaze, but there was no telling whether the Nevermore who flew overhead could see or overhear. "I have someone else in mind," he went on. " _He's_ been complaining about the boredom of his missions lately. Perhaps something like this will be more to his liking."

Glynda sighed.

"I'll tell Peter to lock the drinks cabinet."

/-/

Ruby woke up with a cold sweat. Her body reared forward, upsetting the blankets atop her form as she took several deep breaths and tried to calm down. Her skin felt fevered, sweat beaded on her brow, but it was the mortification that she felt the most.

Oh no. She'd had one of _those_ dreams.

Ruby's cheeks darkened as she buried herself back under the covers and pulled them up to touch her nose. She felt her neck and ears burn, but that was nothing compared to other parts of her. Desperately, she tried to listen and find out if anyone else was awake. It seemed they weren't. Thank goodness…

 _Just ignore it,_ she told herself, turning over onto her side. It was just normal things and hormones. She got them too, despite what Yang acted like, and it wasn't like they were abnormal or anything. It was a part of growing up. There was nothing strange about it.

Well, except for the subject material.

Her legs tingled beneath the sheets as she remembered the feeling of those smooth, slick tentacles being wrapped around her. Her skin recalled the sensation of them winding between her legs, of being left helpless and bound, but of feeling safe at the same time, even if no one else would have agreed. They'd been so strong, yet also soft and gentle at the same time.

Her knees began to rub together. It didn't help much, but it was the most she could do.

 _Stop thinking about it,_ she whined. She'd been held hostage. That wasn't something to get excited about, no matter _what_ it had made her feel, and no matter _how_ good it felt at the time. Those sensations had been so alien, so much more real than anything she might have dreamt when puberty first hit. She'd never been interested in boys like the other girls her age, nor the things those girls talked about.

Had this been something she'd missed out on? She couldn't tell.

But she could not – could _not_ – be aroused by some Grimm criminal. He was friends with _Torchwick_ , for crying out loud! He was evil. He took her hostage. It felt so good… Bad! She meant bad!

Ruby groaned into her hands, covering her face. This couldn't be happening to her. She couldn't be fantasising over something like this. _Okay. It's fine, Ruby. It's normal for this to happen. All I need to do is think normal things that don't get me excited at all._

She tried to dispel the image of Hentacle's bare chest from her mind, and of those limbs cradled so tightly around her legs, holding her- okay, time to stop thinking of it now. Jaune! There was a good idea. Jaune was safe. She imagined him flying in, sword in hand, to sever those tentacles and catch her as she fell. He'd hold her in his arms, pulling her into his chest and- wait…

Were her legs rubbing together _again_!? No! Treacherous thoughts! Betrayal! Mutiny! She rolled over so she was face-down and smothered a groan into her pillow. This was _not_ how things were supposed to be. Not at all…

And she still didn't know what tentacle hentai was.

All she knew was that if it involved being held up like that, and wrapped up in those things… that she maybe wanted to know a little more.

Yang could never find out.

* * *

 **Oh my. Ruby is experiencing an awakening…** _ **the**_ **awakening. Whenever I write fics, I do tend to typecast a little, and fall into the habit of writing my characters similarly across all my stories. You may have noticed. Ruby often falls into the role of being too innocent to ever be considered as a pairing, or really as anything other than a best friend. In a way, this is my way of dragging her out of that. It always just did feel to me like she's never shown any interest in the male form. Some girls don't, even by the age of fifteen. I guess in my head, my thought of her was always that she was one of those people. She just never sexually awakened.**

 **Welp… now she has. While I know some people will act all weird because, "oh noes, a fifteen year-old being aroused. Let's call the police". I'd like to point out that a) this is fiction, and b) this is MORE than tame for what any fifteen year old has likely seen or done.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 8** **th** **June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	21. Chapter 21

**No real notes to give. Have fun!**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 21 – Mutton to see**

* * *

Blake's back pressed against hard, unyielding metal.

"I'm not here for him," the dark figure before her whispered. His eyes flashed crimson in the dark, highlighting his body, naked from the waist up. The red light from the burning warehouse flashed off his skin, slick from sweat and the rigours of their heated combat. He took a step forward, and the wall behind her prevented her doing the same.

"Who are you here for, then?" she asked. Her hand fell to Gambol Shroud but his caught her wrist before she could attack. She gasped as her hand slammed back against the container, pinned beneath his. He'd covered the distance in a fraction of a second.

His hot breath washed over her neck. "I think you know."

She was trapped. His body prevented her escape, and with one hand locked against his, she had no hope. His tentacles spread out on either side of him. One brushed up her leg. She bit down on her tongue. "I'll never surrender," she said. "Not to you."

"Really?" He leaned forward and ran his lips against her throat. Her eyes clenched shut, even as her body shivered. "Are you so sure, Blake? I can do so many things to you, after all."

All other words stopped with a gasp as he pressed his teeth against her throat, marking her. Claiming her. Gambol Shroud fell from frozen fingers as he gripped her other hand and linked that above her too. Soon a tentacle wrapped around them both, pinning her, and all of a sudden, his hands were on her hips, her stomach, her body. She was helpless to stop him.

She gasped at every tender torture.

"How do you know my name?" she managed through a haze. Her amber eyes met his red as he pulled back. There was something in his too, a something familiar, equally primal in its ferocity.

And all of it was aimed at her.

"Isn't it obvious, Blake?" he asked, cupping her cheek and making her breath hitch once more as he leaned ever closer. "I'm here for the most beautiful. I'm here for the most amazing. I'm here for the most dangerous threat to my plans, and to make sure she never wants to be that again."

She shivered as he leaned closer, until his mouth was by her ear.

"I'm here… for boop."

Eh?

"Boop. Boop. Boop!"

Wait, what?

"BOOP-BOOP-BOOP-"

The world vanished in an instant, replaced by the ceiling of her dorm room, and the incessant looping of her scroll, set to its alarm function. Her hand snapped out automatically, silencing it. A long sigh escaped her. It looked like Nora stole her scroll and changed her alarm tone into something more annoying. Again. She'd likely been the one to set the alarm too, all part of her typical jokes.

Damn it, couldn't she have waited just thirty more minutes?

It took a second to take in the real world. She was in bed, in her dorm, arms wrapped around Mr Tentacles, the stuffed toy she'd won. One of his aforementioned limbs was trapped between her legs, and she glared at it in the dark as though it were all its fault. Stupid thing. Blake stretched her arms, and a part of her mind imagined she could still feel them pinned above her. The thought sent pleasant tingling all the way down her body. Thinking about an enemy like that… well, she'd always had a thing for dangerous men.

 _It's just a harmless fantasy,_ she thought. _There's no harm in it._ Given real life, she'd have fought with all her strength, but what harm was there in indulging within the confines of her own mind? Now if only she could have indulged all the way to the finish. That would have been nice.

" _I'm not here for him."_

She could still remember those words. Those hadn't existed only within her dreams, but also in person. They taunted her, haunted her… occasionally excited her, but mostly it was the first two. He'd fought alongside the White Fang, after all. If he had an alliance with them, it might spell bad news. _And since when did Adam ally himself with actual monsters? Since when do Grimm ally with anything?_

Those were questions for another time. Perhaps if she saw him again, she might pose it – either Hentacle _or_ Adam. And if he was there for her…? Well, she would have to see in what way he meant. The others seemed to think he was there for Jaune, but if that were the case, then how did Hentacle know her name?

Why had he harmed his companions – people he'd evacuated to safety – just to protect her? It didn't add up. If she weren't his target, he'd have left her to die or killed her himself. He'd done neither, and had in fact done quite the opposite.

Much like in Forever Fall, where he'd let her go unharmed. Well, relatively unharmed but for her ego.

Her arms came back down, her body sufficiently stretched. Her toes curled beneath the sheets, a luxurious sigh escaping her. The signs of her dream hung on her still. Mostly the sweat which beaded on her skin, the flushed tone of it, and perhaps the satisfied smile on her face. One thing was for sure. She was glad her team would never know. She rolled onto her side.

And stared into a face not three inches from her own.

"So," Nora said, elbows on Blake's bed, shit-eating grin on her face, "who you dreaming of?"

/-/

Jaune fought back a yawn as they finished breakfast in the cafeteria. It was earlier than he was used to, than any of them were used to, but none of them had been able to get back to sleep after the screaming, shouting and general pandemonium in the room next to theirs woke them up. On what caused it, Team RYBN were tight-lipped. Ren just mixed his tea with a bland expression, the kind that said he wasn't home and that any attempt at conversation would be met with silence.

Nora was in her own world too, but this one seemed more cheerful, for she giggled occasionally and rubbed her hands together. Yang alternated between yawning, staring at Blake and missing her mouth with her cereal. Blake? Well, she kept her face buried in a book.

It was rather red, though.

"I hope this isn't going to be a common occurrence," Weiss said. Her own attempt at intimidation was ruined by the tired look she wore.

"It won't be," Yang sighed. "Because if it is, I'll kill my team first."

"Tired…" Ruby whined. Her head slumped on the table.

"You could always sleep on Jaune's shoulder."

"Yang… go away…"

"Ouch." Yang chuckled and dug a fork into her grapefruit. It disapproved and spat in her face. "Ugh. Even my food is turning on me. Please tell me we have Grimm Studies first. I need more sleep."

"We have combat with Miss Goodwitch," Pyrrha helpfully supplied.

Everyone groaned.

" **Bah. I don't know what they're all whining about. You'd think they never lost any sleep before."**

" _Remy, you sleep inside me most of the day."_

" **So…?"** Remy managed to somehow sound defensive. **"It's not the same thing. Besides, I** _ **like**_ **combat class."**

Yeah, because the parasite got his jollies from watching humans beat each other up for fun. Jaune refrained from getting into the argument, though. Being half-Grimm did a lot of things for him, but immunity to tiredness wasn't one of them. It was a Monday too, which only made the whole thing suck the worse. Their last weekend hadn't exactly been a relaxing one, what with the docks, Torchwick, burning warehouses and such.

"Hey, Jaune…" Yang waited for him to grunt and look up before she continued. "Not to worry you or anything, but are you aware that Cardin keeps looking over like, every ten seconds or so?"

"Is he?" Jaune turned around in his seat, and just caught the other guy's white face. He stared for a few seconds, waiting to see if he looked back. He watched the other boy's stiff shoulders, the way he shivered, and how he seemed able to feel Jaune's eyes on him.

Cardin rose from his seat, picked up his food, and then scurried out of the cafeteria. His team followed after him, shooting their table nervous looks.

"Okaaaaay…" Yang tilted her head. "What was that about? He looked terrified of you."

"Ah, I suppose he's worried I'll do something to him." He noticed the odd looks he was receiving from those around the table, and explained. "Not anything bad. We're in a prank war at the moment, and he already pulled one on me. It's my turn and well, I think he's really into it. That or he has high expectations for what I'll do."

Weiss snorted. "A prank war? How juvenile. Should you really be wasting your time on this? With _Cardin_ , of all people?"

"I have to agree with Weiss," Pyrrha said. "I thought he hated you."

"I thought he wanted you," Yang joked. She went ignored.

"That's the point," Jaune said. He smiled for them and gestured to himself. "I kind of have to get involved in this. It's childish, I agree, but it's a peace offering. If Cardin and I can sort out our differences with something like this, then isn't it worth trying?"

"Pranks _are_ pretty harmless," Ren mused. "Certainly, it's a more acceptable activity than him stripping down your underwear in front of the entire class."

Most of the girl's flushed and looked away at that, which was pretty damn ironic. Wasn't it _his_ right to feel embarrassed? He'd been exposed to his teacher, for crying out loud! "That's kind of the point," he mumbled. "I'd rather avoid things getting worse between us. I'm not even sure what _could_ be worse than that, but I don't want to find out."

"That idiot…" Weiss sighed and shook her head. "Well, I can't disagree with that notion. I suppose it's as you say, a better manner of diplomacy than leaving things be. I can't find fault with it, even if it is a little beneath you."

Weiss was okay with it? Jaune's shoulders relaxed a little, and a smile spread across his face. "Thanks, Weiss. I'll try not to let it involve the team or anything."

Weiss looked at him for a moment, then nodded.

"I can help if you want," Ruby said. "I'm pretty good at pranks."

"Can confirm," Yang sighed. "She's also good at running away from much-deserved punishment."

Ruby stuck her tongue out at her sister.

Did he want Ruby to help? Would that be against the rules? He wouldn't say no to a little assistance, but he didn't want to drag everyone else in. If he used Ruby, Cardin might use his team, then Weiss and Pyrrha would be caught in the crossfire. He wasn't sure if Pyrrha would find that funny or not, but there wasn't much doubt on which side of the fence Weiss stood.

Cardin might not survive her ire.

"I wouldn't mind your help on the ideas," he said carefully. "I don't want him to know you're involved, though. He might think it cheating."

"I wonder why," Weiss rolled her eyes. "Perhaps because it _would be_?"

"All's fair in love and war, Weiss." Ruby said.

Yang laughed. "With Cardin, it could be either of those. Isn't it an old stereotype that a bully gets the attention of the person they like with light bullying and pranks? Maybe this is his way of trying to be closer with you."

Well yeah… wasn't that what he'd already said? Why was Yang waggling her eyebrows suggestively? Whatever. He and Ruby could think up a prank later. He didn't want to leave it too long or Cardin might get upset and think he'd forgotten.

"He's more trouble than he's worth," Weiss sighed. "Well, either that or Jaune is." Her eyes narrowed. "It's hard to tell sometimes."

"Me? But I've not done anything!"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Some might disagree. Either way, so long as it's handled away from me, I'm fine with it. Just try to avoid anything that gets you in detention, please. We have a reputation to maintain."

The ringing of the bell interrupted his chance to reply. As one, and along with everyone else in the cafeteria, they rose from their seats and filed towards the doors. The arenas were in the west wing, an area opposite from the classrooms so that the noise wouldn't interfere with lectures. It was surrounded by changing rooms as well, though most arrived in uniform and only changed if they were called up. Personally, that felt a little inefficient, but Jaune had a suspicion Miss Goodwitch did it to avoid any accidents from the audience.

"I hope I don't get called up again," he said. "I'm still sore from that warehouse." Well, that and he wasn't keen for a repeat of being beaten by whomever he ended up against. He couldn't think of a single member of their two teams he could actually beat in a fair fight. Not without the use of his special abilities, anyway.

"I doubt you'll be called up," Pyrrha said, nudging her arm against his. "I think Miss Goodwitch will want to see everyone fight before she starts to make the same people do so again."

"Thank goodness…"

"Are you that worried?"

"Ah, well… my last performance wasn't exactly great."

Pyrrha hummed, but Miss Goodwitch arrived before they could continue. The stern woman strode up onto the stage. She began her lesson like she did each time, with a rundown of the rules, and a not-so-veiled threat of what would happen if they broke them. None of them interjected. They'd seen that mistake made already.

"Now, then," she said, once the rules were over. "Let's see who we shall have for the first fight. Do we have any volunteers? No?" She looked around, but it seemed no one was in the mood. An odd case, but maybe even Nora could be tired every now and then. "Very well. I shall select two from among you."

"Not me, not me, not me," he whispered.

"Ruby Rose."

Ruby perked up.

"And against her… how about one of our newer students. Cinder Fall, is it?"

Jaune's smile froze. Uh-oh.

"It is, ma'am," his Big Sis said, stepping forward and nodding her head towards the teacher. She didn't _look_ angry. She had to keep her cover too. That meant she wouldn't go too far, right? Right!? She looked out over the crowd, and he waved slightly when she caught his eye. Cinder nodded back.

Wait, was that a `yes` nod, or a `I'll kill her` nod?

"Hey Ruby," he whispered, "maybe you should-"

Ruby was already gone.

/-/

Ruby wasn't normally so eager to fight.

She liked to, don't get her wrong, but that was more like her enjoying sparring and showing off Crescent Rose. This was different. She wanted to win. No, she _needed_ to win. She just wasn't sure why.

 _Pyrrha and I never really figured out what the deal was with her, but she definitely has some kind of hold over Jaune._ Ruby's eyes narrowed as she changed into her combat outfit and pulled out her beautiful weapon. _Whether she's a gold digger or a potential fiancée, Jaune ran away from home and she followed. That means he ran away from HER, and probably for a reason._

That meant she was against _them_. This was her chance to not only prove herself, but also to defend her best friend's honour. She'd beat this woman, then make her tell the truth of why she came to Beacon. She'd stop this evil witch from enacting her dastardly plan!

"Well, not _evil_ ," she hedged, biting her lip. It was a bit unfair to go _that_ far. Evil was bad. Like, the worst of bad. She didn't think this woman was _that_ kind of evil, the kind like Grimm were. Just a little bit evil… more of a meanie.

It was an important distinction.

Ruby snapped her weapon into place, loading it and dragging it onto her back before she jogged back out into the arena. She grinned under the attention, waving to Yang and Jaune as she waited for her competitor to arrive.

She did so in style. Cinder Fall didn't _jog_ out. Nor did she rush. She strode, or perhaps strutted. It was a sultry walk that caused her hips to sway and drew attention to her womanly curves. She had a lot of them, and that only served to highlight how few _she_ had by comparison.

Ruby felt a spike of uncharacteristic jealousy. It didn't mean anything. So what if she had larger breasts, more curves, and longer legs? Did it matter that she wore a form-fitting crimson dress that hugged her body, or that her smooth and creamy legs drew the attention of every guy in the class? No. No, it didn't.

No matter how inadequate she felt. _I shouldn't have come rushing out. That made me look immature. She didn't run. She looks calm and collected._ Ruby did her best to hide her pout. She felt like a child. Looked like one too, probably. It wasn't fair.

Her fingers tightened around the haft of her scythe. She'd show them. She'd win this. It didn't matter if she was small and lithe, where this woman was tall and full-figured. It didn't matter if her face was cute and innocent, where Cinder's was dark and desirable. It _definitely_ didn't bother her that most of the crowd whispered and stared at her opponent… with only her team to look at her.

It didn't bother her at all! She was just grinding her teeth together because she was excited.

Well, at least she had her team. Ruby turned to them with a smile, breathing a sigh of relief when they loudly cheered her name. Yang called for her to kick butt, Nora for her to break some legs, while even Pyrrha smiled confident. Weiss nodded too, a subtle show of companionship.

"You can do it, Ruby!" Jaune cheered.

"Ahem?" Cinder coughed loudly, then tilted her head in his direction.

"Ah… you can too, Cinder! Yeah. Go Ruby! Go Cinder!"

WHAT!?

Ruby's eyes burned. How dare this woman steal her teammate? That wasn't fair! Cinder had her own team to cheer her on. Jaune was on _her_ team. He was _hers_! Cinder was trying to take him away. No. Forget it. She _was_ evil. She was purest, evillest evil!

Cinder looked towards her, a mocking smile on her face. Her eyes did the same, looking down on her. Wasn't gold worth more than silver? Even the one thing that made her special couldn't seem to compete. It was unfair.

"Is something wrong, little girl?" Cinder asked, voice dripping with insincerity.

L-Little girl!?

"I-I'm not little," Ruby growled. She hated that it didn't sound as intimidating as she'd thought. "I'm fifteen!"

"Young girl, then. Is this fair?" Cinder looked towards the teacher. "It feels cruel of me to pick on someone so young."

Young, immature, little… Ruby didn't think she'd ever hated someone as much as she did the woman before her. She readied Crescent Rose, eyes begging Miss Goodwitch not to call the match off. She needn't have bothered. The teacher shook her head and stepped back, prepared to begin. Ruby swallowed. Her eyes narrowed. She had to win this. She just had to.

"Begin!"

Crescent Rose cut a pattern through the air as she dashed forward, as fast as she could, Semblance activated. She'd end it in one cut. That would show her! The blade tore down, aimed at her collarbone.

Cinder deflected it with the back of one hand, an elegant twirl that caused her skirt to flap and her hair to flutter behind her. It was enough to divert the scythe down and to the side. Worse, it even _looked_ good.

Fine. Okay. It wouldn't be as easy as she thought, but that wasn't a problem. She circled around the older woman, weapon held before her. Cinder didn't have one of her own, but that didn't mean anything. She might fight like Yang. She could have a Semblance that meant she didn't need a real weapon.

"You seem upset," Cinder purred. "Is something the matter?"

"No." The response was immediate. It was childish. Damn it. Why did she always sound like that? Why couldn't she have a deep and sultry voice like this woman? Cinder chuckled darkly, a rich and tempting sound that drew a response from the male half of the audience.

"Perhaps I was mistaken then," she said. "It just seemed that you were… unusually invested in this."

 _Don't say anything. It'll just make you look immature. Besides, this is a fight. We're meant to do stuff – not talk._ Ruby pulled back and squeezed off a shot.

A wave of fire blew it aside. There were impressed murmurs from the audience, made all the louder when Cinder weaved her hands like she was dancing. Flames flickered from her fingers, tracing intricate patterns in the air. A fire Semblance? That was co- No, no, no. It wasn't cool.

It wasn't special. It was just fire. Being able to run really fast was just as awesome. Even if it didn't show off quite like Cinder's did. Semblances were about helping you in a fight, not impressing people. Ruby stepped forward, then activated her own and shot towards her enemy like a rocket. Silver flashed as she drew back and slashed, aiming for the woman's legs.

Cinder danced away from it. She stepped to the side, hopped over, and then slammed her leg into the back of Ruby's skull. The added momentum killed her balance. She crashed into the mat, rolling head over heels as she lost control and almost slid off altogether.

Ruby managed to catch herself before she did, and before the match could be over from a single blow. She staggered back up, arms shaking. Why was this so hard? How was someone so strong? Even Pyrrha didn't dominate her this hard!

"You can surrender if you like," Cinder said. "No one will thank poorly of you. It's clear you're outclassed."

Outclassed. There was the word. It dug into her stomach and squirmed around. In every conceivable way, Cinder outclassed her. In looks, in skill, in everything. What was there left to beat her on? Speed? "I won't give up. I can still win."

"An indomitable will." Cinder smiled "That's cute."

Cute… never beautiful. Just cute.

"Let's see how long it lasts." Cinder was upon her before she realised it. A sword made of pure flame crashed down from above. Ruby slid to the side and counter-attacked, but her blade was caught on the woman's heel. She stamped down, locking Crescent Rose to the floor. A fist buried itself in her stomach.

It burned, even as she was sent sailing through the air. Her back hit the matt.

She didn't have her weapon! Her eyes widened, hands scrabbling to push herself up. Damn it. How was she supposed to win without her baby?

"Looking for this?" Cinder held the scythe up. She inspected it for a brief moment, then tossed it at Ruby's feet. "Here. Have it. It wouldn't be much of a fair fight otherwise."

The crowd murmured. Ruby's cheeks flushed. Was she… she was! She was being mocked. _Am I so insignificant that it doesn't even matter if I have my weapon or not? Is the difference between us so huge? No. I won't believe that. She's just trying to get in my head._ Worst part was, it was working. Even though she recognised that, it didn't stop her swallowing, nor how she flinched when Cinder took a step forward.

Calm down. She had to calm down. Ruby focused on her father's training, on every little trick her Uncle Qrow drilled into her head. She swept up, drew Crescent Rose back to slash, then fired off a shot and propelled herself low, underneath Cinder's arm.

The woman's golden eyes followed her. Even though she'd lost the defence, even though Ruby had her – scythe already spinning to cut the back of her knee. Even through all that… Cinder Fall did not once panic.

Her fingers clicked.

Fire exploded in front of Ruby's eyes.

Heat, hot and swift, blew over her like a wind, choking valuable oxygen before the force of it ripped through the air and catapulted her backwards. She crashed down, clothing singed and burned. A silver eye cracked open as she tried to crawl towards her weapon. If she could just… she could still do this.

"The match is over."

No… no, no, no!

"Cinder Fall is victorious," the teacher declared. "Ruby Rose loses by loss of aura. A skilful display, Miss Fall. I will admit, I'm impressed."

"It was nothing," Cinder demurred. She stepped forward. "How about you, Ruby? Are you okay? I didn't hurt you too much, did I?" Cinder Fall moved forward with delectable grace, to lean forward and extend one finely manicured hand. The smile on her face was pleasant, kind… beautiful. The glow in her eyes was cruel, mocking – and victorious.

What little self-esteem she had left shattered into a thousand pieces.

/-/

" **What did you expect?"** Remy asked. **"She was going up against Cinder."**

" _I know…"_ Jaune sighed. _"She did well, though. Don't you think? Not many can hold up to Cinder that long."_

" **Meh. She could have wiped the floor with that silver-eyed monster if she wanted to. Cinder was just holding back."**

Jaune sighed and shook his head, catching Ruby's dejected expression as she skulked back up to them. Her head was held low, eyes focused on the floor. "Hey guys," she whispered. "I uh… I didn't do very well."

"You did fine!" Pyrrha moved forward to wrap a hand around Ruby's shoulders. "You can't defeat every opponent, Ruby. The fact you held your own against someone two years older than you is incredible enough."

 _Six years, actually._ Cinder was twenty-one, even if she was currently pretending to be their age. She pulled it off, if only because she always looked smooth-skinned and young. It wasn't just the years, though. She had trained in the Grimmlands, honed her craft against the strongest people he knew.

"Pyrrha's right," he said. "You shouldn't beat yourself up just because you couldn't win."

Ruby perked up, "Really…?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "Besides, Cinder is really strong. Anyone who knows her wouldn't have expected you to have a chance in the first place."

"Oh." His teammate slumped once more.

Had he said something wrong? _"Remy?"_

" **I don't think so. I mean, you were just being honest."**

Well, she certainly looked miserable enough to suggest he had. Jaune winced and tried to think of some way to rescue the situation. "It's not that you're weak or anything. It's just that Cinder is a lot stronger than most people her age. Even I can't neat her unless I go all out."

"You can beat her?" Pyrrha asked.

Erk! Bad word choice! "Ah, well… you know. We've sparred… once or twice."

"How can you beat her where Ruby couldn't?" Weiss stepped forward, hands on her hips. "You were frankly atrocious in our spar. If you tell me you were holding back, I swear I won't be responsible for what I do."

"W-Well, it's not my sword skills," he stammered. "I fought you as best I could."

"Then how could you ever hold your own against _her_?"

"Um, well…" He looked around for help, but Pyrrha and Ruby provided none. In fact, Ruby seemed unusually focused on his answer. "It's… kind of… other abilities?"

"Other abilities?" Weiss raised an eyebrow. "You mean a Semblance?"

A Semblance? Sure, why not. "Yeah. One of those. It's uh… not something I can really use in spars, though." On account of what the class would think when he turned into a Grimm and sprouted tentacles. After their last meeting, he was fairly sure Blake would try to kill him for what he'd almost done to her. Ruby would be angry too.

"You can't use it on people, even in a spar?" Weiss didn't look convinced. "Why?"

" **Yeah Jaune, why?"** Remy mocked.

" _If you want to comment, do so with an idea!"_ Here he was, trying to save their ass, and the last thing he needed was his passenger laughing at his expense.

"I'm waiting," Weiss said, tapping her foot against the ground.

"I-It's too powerful," he said. "I can't use it on allies because it could hurt them."

"Can't you control it?"

"No. I've tried, but… yeah, it's too big a deal. I can't even show it to you because the damage it would cause might kill you. Sorry."

Ruby and Pyrrha seemed to understand, and he breathed a sigh of relief when they nodded and stopped staring at him so intently. Okay. Disaster averted. That was good.

"Yet you're willing to use it on her?" Weiss pointed out. "Sounds fishy to me."

Argh. Damn Weiss and her ability to pick holes in everything he said! Ruby's head snapped back to stare at him once more, and Pyrrha crossed her arms. Why couldn't they just take it at face value? "Cinder could take it. Back when I was trying to use it, I ended up using it on her. She was able to survive, but… uh… well, I don't use it anymore. I'm trying to get used to using a sword."

"Hm…" Weiss stared at him. He squirmed. "I'll let it go for now," she said. "You certainly need to improve your swordsmanship if your last display was any indication. Perhaps control of your Semblance will come as a result of that."

"Y-Yeah. That would be good."

"Still doesn't explain how she's so strong," Yang piped up, having been on the edge of the conversation the whole time. "What is she to you anyway? If Mercury is a friend from your younger years, doesn't that make her the same?"

Uh-oh. This was the question he'd been trying to avoid, mostly because he wasn't sure what his Big Sis wanted him to say. Definitely he should keep their relation secret, since that would cause problems if either of them were found out. If he got caught, he didn't want her being arrested. He also couldn't break her cover and say who or what she really was. Well, with all that in mind why not go with Yang's convenient excuse? "Yeah. She's something of an old friend."

"I thought you said she was a daughter of an employee?" Weiss pointed out.

"I thought you said she came to convince you to go back home," Ruby added.

Sweat beaded on his brow.

" **Maybe you should try and keep your stories straight."**

" _I don't even know what the story is,"_ he howled inside his mind. _"Big Sis never told me!"_ He squirmed under everyone's gazes, fighting for the right answer.

"It's… complicated?"

"It must be," Weiss drawled, "for you to not even have an answer. She's involved in your mother's business, correct?"

"Yes." In the most obvious sense of the word.

"She grew up in the same place as you. On your mother's land."

He nodded.

"She trained and sparred with you."

"Yeah…" And taught him his numbers and letters, along with how to frame a crime on someone else and a number of other useful skills. Not that there was anyone to frame it on. He'd tried on his sisters once.

Once…

"Were the two of you close?" Ruby asked.

"I guess?" It was hard not to be. She was his Big Sis, plus his mentor. She was the person he'd run to when he had a nightmare. Well, the person he ran to whenever Mom and Dad were together. He'd run to them because of a nightmare once.

Once…

The images… they burned. His sisters had given him such pitying looks, ones that said they'd been there and witnessed such horrors in their childhood too.

"But you ran away," Pyrrha said. She waited for him to nod, and then continued, "and you didn't tell her you were going to do it."

"Well, no." he said. "She would have stopped me. She wouldn't have understood."

"Aren't you afraid she'll try and force you to go back?"

"I am, but…" Jaune sighed and shook his head. "It's fine. She said she won't, so she won't." Someone moved over, and he grasped the distraction for what it was. "Hey look. It's Mercury. Hey man, how are things?"

/-/

Pyrrha watched him go, along with Weiss and Ruby.

"Tell me you didn't believe any of that," Weiss sighed.

"Jaune isn't a very good liar," Pyrrha said. Normally, she'd have been offended he'd tried at all, but this certainly sounded like a personal matter. His bumbling attempts had come across as endearing instead. "It sounds like an issue he doesn't want to share."

"Then why not just say that?" Weiss huffed and crossed her arms, glaring at his back. "Such an idiot. Well, he must have a Semblance of some kind. With his paltry skills, he'd have been dead long before now without some kind of hidden ace. I doubt he'd have escaped the Beowolves in Forever Fall without one."

"Maybe it's embarrassing," Pyrrha offered. "Or maybe he's just embarrassed that he can't control it." A Semblance was an extension of your aura, after all, and thus part of the soul. Being unable to control it was one of those things some people would consider weird or telling. As though it meant something about how he perceived himself… life wasn't quite that easy, but some still thought it. She'd met people who struggled to control their Semblances before. Sometimes it was all about how complex your ability was.

Some Semblances were rather passive, after all. Others, like her own, required intense concentration. Not to mention, a lot of practice.

"There's definitely something going on with that Fall woman," Weiss said. "He was too anxious to end the conversation. He's hiding something."

"Do you remember what that Neo girl said?"

"The mute?"

"Okay, not _said_ ," Pyrrha admitted. "She confirmed it, though."

"Yes, I remember." Weiss' eyes narrowed. "That she wanted to take advantage of my partner for her own ends. To seduce him and take him back to his mother, likely so she could marry into the family and have access to his wealth." Weiss' face said what she thought of that concept. She'd likely had a few such offers in her life, despite her age.

Pyrrha's head perked up as she heard Ruby growl something under her breath. The younger girl looked furious, eyes locked onto the floor, hands clenched into little fists. She didn't think she'd ever seen Ruby look so mad.

Pyrrha knew why, though. How could she not?

"Pyrrha…"

"Yes, Ruby?"

"You're strong, right?"

"It's been said." She was a championship fighter for a reason, after all.

" _Really_ strong, right? Like, one of the strongest people of our age?"

"I can't say on that point." There were always people who didn't care for the competitions. "I'm certainly one of the strongest, though. Why?"

"Can you… can you train me?"

"Hm?" Pyrrha turned to face her partner. "I could. Why?"

"I need to be stronger." Ruby looked up, eyes sharp. "I need to be strong enough."

Pyrrha wanted to ask what she needed to be strong enough for, but she was fairly sure she already knew. The way Weiss rolled her eyes said she'd noticed it too. It was hard not to. This fight… no, calling it that wasn't very accurate. This _massacre_ , had clearly affected Ruby. It probably didn't help that it was by someone who claimed to be closer to Jaune than Ruby was.

It seemed Ruby's competitive spark had been ignited.

Pyrrha just wished it could be towards someone she wasn't also interested in. This was going to get ugly. She could just tell. _Still, Ruby is my partner and my friend. Even if she would end up competing against me, I can't bring myself to purposefully sabotage her._ She sighed and nodded her head.

"I'll help you," she said. "The rooftops are empty at night. We can practice up there. It's out of the way and won't cause problems for Weiss and Jaune. You'll need to fit it in around Weiss' lessons, though…"

"I can make amendments," the heiress said, earning a relieved and thankful look from Ruby. "If she wants to better herself, I'm not going to get in the way of that. Besides, you're catching up on the theory work rather well. I think we can afford to cut that down to a single hour a night."

Ruby's eyes glittered. "Thank you. I won't let you down. I promise."

/-/

Cinder ran a hand through her hair and let out a pleased sigh. There was nothing quite like a chance to put someone in their place, especially when they tried so hard to climb out. It also felt good to use her powers for a change. She'd planned to avoid those in case someone recognised her, but so far, her plans hadn't required her to do so, giving her free access to all of her abilities. That would make things easier moving forwards.

Emerald met her outside the changing rooms, a deferential expression on her face.

"Where's Mercury?" Cinder asked.

"He's with those idiots." Emerald looked back over to where her little brother and his friends were, to see Mercury's silver hair among them. Emerald sounded… not jealous, or at least she would never admit that, but clearly not pleased either.

She, on the other hand, was more so. Mercury was following her orders to the letter, and what's more, showing off his new-found reliability at the same time. _I could get used to this. He's being a real asset for once._ "What about Neo?"

"Also with them."

That was news less welcome, but there was nothing she could do about it for now. Mercury would watch her, no doubt. She'd find out later what the silent girl did.

"Cinder… can I ask a question?"

"Feel free."

"That fight…" Emerald trailed off and looked back to the ring. "Um…"

Cinder waited for a moment, but patience was not her forte, even if she was in a good mood. "Speak your mind, Emerald. What bothers you? Did something happen?"

"No, no. Nothing happened. It's just… didn't you tell us not to draw attention to ourselves in this class?"

"I did." It wouldn't do to make themselves too obvious, after all. They wanted to fit in, to blend into the background. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"No, but you… you just…"

"Yes?"

Emerald wilted. "Never mind."

 _Hm. I wonder what's bothering her?_ Cinder shrugged. _No matter. I won't let anyone rain on my parade. Poor little Ruby. That will show you to look at that which belongs to me in such a manner. Next time, think twice._

Right now, she had a task at hand, however. Her mistress had requested something and she… she would deliver. It was all she could do.

/-/

Salem sat down on her throne and prepared herself for the task at hand. It was a solemn one. A task that could have consequences… ramifications that could spread over not just days, but years, decades – perhaps even generations. The Queen of all the Grimm took a deep breath and prepared herself. She allowed a hand to fall to the side of the throne, and Mannie, Jaune's loyal Beowolf, nuzzled his snout against it.

In the absence of its master, the Grimm had been melancholy and taken to spending its time in the throne room. When it wasn't antagonising her daughters, that was.

Cinder had come through. Who could expect any less? She was one of her most loyal, and also the single woman she'd trusted to be in charge of her baby boy's education. She would make such a good daughter… if only she realised.

For now, however, there was a more pressing task. Salem's hand lifted from the Beowolf's head, falling instead to the manila folder Watts had printed off for her. Within, lay information which could shape the very future. With a trembling hand, she opened it.

"Ooh. Hm… very nice. I have to say, I see what Cinder means now…" Salem tilted the picture to the side and focused. Ah yes, a delightful specimen. What was its name? Ah, Cinder had thought to include it at the bottom.

Yang Xiao-Long.

 _Hm, she has a good figure, nice round hips – young, but she'll grow in time. Hmm… I see what she means about the hair and eyes, though. She's so similar, she could pass as one of my children already. Oh, what's this?_ Salem read a little note at the bottom and had to bite down on the squeal that threatened to escape.

A date? Her little boy had been on a date? No – _two_ dates!

She had to be calm. She had to stay calm. She was the Queen of the Grimm. Her little baby had taken the first step to becoming a man! "Hngh!"

Maybe looking at another would help. Salem turned the page, revealed a tall and shapely redhead with bright green eyes, then almost suffered an aneurism. Red hair! Not orange, but actual, bright red – the colour of blood. What if the children inherited her eyes? Oh, it would look absolutely darling when they were lording over the inferior species, or plotting their evil plans.

"Nikos goes on the yes pile," Salem said, putting the picture on top of Xiao-Long's. Really, her son had such good taste in women. And to think she'd been worried. The next one was apparently his partner, a beautiful little thing with hair the shade of hers, but eyes of pure crystal. Salem let out a little coo as she saw her.

Oh, it was like a pretty little mini-me. How adorable. The girl wore an angry expression, and was berating his son in the image, and while that would have normally left her angry, the faintly bemused expression on her little Grimmling's face instead made it seem adorable. Cinder always did say he would need someone to keep him in line, and if the children inherited some of this Weiss girl's confidence? Well, that couldn't be a bad thing. The eyes were a bonus. She loved Nicky's dark blue, like the deep ocean, but this girl had eyes of a clear sky, and that was beautiful in its own right.

Another yes. She was slight and slim, not all that fit for birthing, but she was young. Hm… this was getting complicated. Maybe the next would be a little easier.

Oh my… well, Nora Valkyrie was certainly a very healthy young woman. There could be no doubting that figure. Cinder had written the word `insane` on the image, but that was likely just her being her usual self. This Nora girl was fairly cute, and that smile – while a little overly friendly – was very pretty nonetheless. _I approve. It would be nice to have some children with her energy around here._

Blake Belladonna… hmm, there was a note tacked on about how she was actually a faunus, and his feline ears under that bow of hers. Well, well, she was certainly a classical beauty. She had a good figure and pretty yellow eyes, but really, she went on the yes pile the moment she read about the ears. Little grandchildren with furry ears and tails, purring as she stroked them on her lap?

She'd take a hundred, please.

Ruby Rose… hmm… that name sounded familiar, though she couldn't quite place it. The image was a poor one, more of a shot from the side than anything, and didn't really capture her features well. She was small. Very small. That might be problematic. The image was cute, however, of the girl leaning on her son, one hand on his shoulder and cheek pressed to his as she read something he was looking at. She could just make out the words on the spine, Mistralian Customs and Cultural norms. That didn't really make much sense to her, but the simple scene made her heart melt all the same. _Very well, girl. You can go onto the yes pile as well. If you're related to this Yang girl as the notes say, then I'm sure you'll bloom in time._

Salem blinked as she put the image down. Oh dear… the yes pile was quite occupied, but it seemed there was something of a lack of anything in the no section. This was harder than she'd anticipated.

Unless… what if he simply had all of them?

He was a Prince, after all. He would one day be King. Wasn't it right that he have consorts of his own? That would also ensure there wasn't any downtime between grandchildren. Nine months and almost that many women – enough if she counted Cinder among them. Oh, there could be grandchildren every month of the year.

Her eyes flickered in bliss as she imagined it. So… many… grandbabies…

Oh wait, there was another. Cinder drew it out and inspected the figure. Well… in a school full of such bountiful beauties, it was almost inevitable some would fail to measure up. Her breasts were rather flat, her figure slight. The pyjamas she wore did little to hide it, and with her being crushed against the Nora girl's side, the different was only exacerbated. She was still beautiful in her own way. A fine jaw line, smooth features, a mysterious expression. Not to mention that hair, those eyes…

"Don't worry my dear, you'll also have a place." Salem chuckled and placed the girl on the yes pile, along with all her sisters. What a pretty young woman, and with a pretty name too. Ren. It had an almost exotic quality.

Job done, and pile assorted beside her, Salem found it hard to resist her glee. This sojourn for her son… it was still a bad idea, she knew, but there was no denying the benefits. So many potential wives, so many potential grandchildren. What was more, the competition might give dear Cinder the kick she needed to take initiative and bring her son to heel. Well, to heel, ankle, knee and then a little higher.

Salem sighed. And to think, she'd even planned a `you've lost your virginity` party for them, but they'd never gotten around to it. What a wasted opportunity. She'd had Tyrian break into that party store too.

Her eyes fell to something beside the throne. With a wicked smile, she picked up the scroll and dialled a number. It beeped for a few seconds, but then connected through. "You'll never guess what," she said.

There was a mumble from the other side.

"Jaune has a girlfriend!"

The voice got louder.

"I know! No, it's not Cinder. I'm still confident she'll stake her claim, but he's dating a delightful blonde girl." Salem twirled her hair around her finger. "Uh huh. Yes. Oh, but that's not the best part. He's surrounded himself with quite the horde of beauties. Yes. Yes, I know! Oh, Nicky, he takes after you so much. Well, apart from the horde part." Her eyes flashed. "I am right on that, aren't I?"

The scroll shook as he replied.

She leaned back, a coy smile on her face. "Oh my… you certainly know the right things to say, my dear. It's a wonder you didn't stay locked in my basement?"

Her eyes widened as he replied.

"Nicholas!" she gasped. "Well, there's still your shackles in there if you want to visit. I won't say no to having you prisoner." She bit her lip. "Hm, you're right. We _should_ celebrate Jaune's success. What were you thinking?"

The scroll made some noise.

"What am I wearing?" Salem leaned back, fingers dipping to her cleavage. Her voice came out in a seductive purr. "Why don't you find somewhere to sit down and turn on your camera," she whispered, "then I'll show you~"

Mannie's huge paws skittered across the floor as he fled the room, tail tucked between his legs.

/-/

Deep in a bar in the outskirts of Vale, and even deeper into a glass of hard liqueur, the grizzled and aged huntsman fished out his beeping scroll. "Hm." Qrow grunted as he saw the contact. So, Ozpin wanted to get in touch, did he? It better not be about another mission. He was having some well-deserved time off. With a sigh, he flicked it open either way. At least it was a message and not a call.

 _[Qrow. I need you to come to Vale. The Queen has made her move, and it is aimed towards a piece we were not yet aware of. The piece is unrefined, but holds potential. A pawn placed to become something far stronger. With your influence, that potential might be realised.]_

The huntsman paused, sighed, and then read through it again. Bloody Ozpin and his chess analogies. He needed a hobby… or to get laid. No. That would be bad. He'd probably just start talking about how the King took the Queen, and placed her into Check. Qrow yawned and typed in a response, briefly looking it over before he sent it.

 _[Basically, you want me to come to Vale to train someone?]_

It was a minute or so before he received Ozpin's reply.

 _[Yes.]_

Qrow sighed. [ _Sounds like a thankless task,]_ he typed. [ _I'll pass.]_

 _[This is important.]_

 _[Like the last time you sent me to Vacuo? I spent two months there, Ozpin. TWO MONTHS! Signal wasn't exactly pleased as it was, but then I didn't even find anything.]_

Ozpin's reply took a little longer to arrive. When it did, it didn't do much for Qrow's annoyance.

 _[That would seem more a failing on your part than mine.]_

"Deep breaths," Qrow growled. He then ignored his own advice and took a swig of booze instead. It usually worked better for calming himself down anyway. The glass slammed down, pushed towards the barman, who took it with a nod and started to refill it. Qrow grinned and flicked some lien onto the counter, typing in a message with his other hand.

 _[I failed to find anything because there was NOTHING there. You wasted my time.]_

 _[No result is still a result. It showed us the Queen does not have a stronghold in Vacuo. This is important information.]_

No. No, it wasn't. They didn't have a stronghold in Vacuo, either. No one did. It was a shit hole, a place that was more sand, insects and overbearing sun than anything else. The days were boiling, the nights freezing. It was like the world's anus of locations. Seriously. Fuck Vacuo.

 _[What's so special about this pawn of yours?]_

 _[The enemy have tried to capture him multiple times. He holds a power they fear, or one they desire. He has proven unusually resilient, escaping from two kidnapping attempts. There have been others, however, and I fear they will get worse.]_

Damn. Sounded bad. Qrow accepted his new drink and took a swig, gasping in pleasure. Damn, that was some strong stuff. Not as good as Mistralian wine, but strong nonetheless. Nowhere could compete with the stuff from Mistral. Then again, with how messed up that place was, it was no wonder they had strong booze. He'd want to forget being part of that culture too.

 _[Like I said, sounds thankless. Why should I be interested?]_

Qrow grinned and placed the scroll down. If Ozpin wanted him, he'd have to go a little further. He'd help eventually… he always did. After that Vacuo mess, though? Well, Ozpin deserved to beg a little. The scroll beeped, and Qrow picked it up with a grin.

It soon died.

 _[The boy is dating your niece.]_

The glass in Qrow's hand cracked. [ _Which one?]_ he typed back.

 _[Honestly… I'm not even sure. Both, maybe? Here, I'm sending you an image of him.]_

Oh good, that would be handy. He needed to know who it was he had to kill. Qrow took another drink to fortify himself before he dared actually look. Blonde hair, blue eyes – that was honestly as far as he got before his face slammed down on the table and he groaned.

"Fuck me, it's another Taiyang. Nooooo…"

It was like seeing his own team all over again. Two girls, one a Branwen (technically), the other a Rose, both interested in the same blonde-haired, blue-eyed, bastard. It was already creepily similar before he took into account that the two were sisters. How complicated was this? Qrow growled and slammed his glass down.

 _[Fine.]_ he typed. [ _I'll come and kill the guy. You happy now?]_

 _[I'm fairly sure I said train, not kill.]_

Oops, right. [ _It's a Vacuo mistranslation. Train means kill in Vacuo. Like killing their weakness through training.]_

 _[…]_ A second message came soon after the first. [ _Please do not kill him. If the Grimm fear his ability, it could prove valuable to the survival of humankind. Also, your nieces would cry, and then I'd have Taiyang knocking down my door and demanding to know what I did.]_

 _[You haven't told him Ruby and Yang are lusting after this guy, right?]_ Qrow typed nervously.

 _[I'm not an idiot, Qrow. Of course I haven't told him.]_

Okay, good. That was a kettle of fish he didn't want to approach. Hell, he was having trouble rationalising the idea in his head too. Yang was mature enough to start dating, she was – no matter how much his stomach rolled at the idea, or how his hands clenched. It was hard to say it, but she _was_ seventeen. She would be okay…

Ruby, though? Nuh-uh. No way. Not happening. Someone was going to be introduced to his scythe, but if the guy was important, then Qrow supposed he could just cut a certain part of his anatomy off and be done with it.

 _[You're the bearer of bad news as usual, Ozpin. Fine. I'll be there in a day or so. Have a room ready for me – one with booze in, please.]_ Qrow sent the message, took another long drink, and then quickly added, [ _Is that all? Or do you have some other terrible news to tell me?]_

Ozpin didn't reply. At least not with words. His scroll made a pinging noise, one he recognised as meaning another image had been sent. Qrow picked it up and had a look, watching the grainy picture come into focus. It looked like a snapshot of the front of a newspaper.

The image was of his youngest niece, little Ruby, being held upside down by some half-naked tentacle monster.

The glass in his hand shattered into a million pieces.

* * *

 **Just to answer a question I'm sure I'll get. Cinder used her red dress and her fire powers because unlike canon, she was never called in to support Roman. As such, her identity remains a mystery and she doesn't need to hide her abilities from Glynda. I know some might say `but Qrow saw her` it's worth remembering that he only saw her using her Grimm parasite at the end when the battle was done.**

 **If he could recognise her face, it would be another matter, but that's a concern whether it's canon or white sheep.**

 **As for asking how Cinder got a picture of Ren in his pyjamas? If you're confused, I think you should take the second to remember who is on his team, and then realise you probably have the information already. In hindsight, it should have been obvious.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 15** **th** **June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	22. Chapter 22

**This is, I'll admit, going to be a bit of a weird chapter. It's the beginning of season two in terms of series timing, so it's necessary as a set-up for later events, but well, you'll probably see that it is a bit odd. Not in a bad way per se, but kind of random in the same way the start of V2 in the show felt random.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 22 – Lamb Roast**

* * *

Cardin let out a long breath of relief as he and the team arrived back at their dorm. The morning lessons were over, the afternoon soon to begin – and he'd smashed some arrogant brat in combat class. That was always fun. Now, it was time to grab a shower and a new set of clothes. His team came with him, laughing to themselves about this and that. He ignored it all, throwing his uniform jacket onto the back of a chair and stretching his muscles. They popped and clicked.

"Finally," he groaned, sitting down on his bed, "some time to rela-huh?"

There was something squishy underneath him. It felt wet, slick, rubbery. It was between his ass cheeks. His eyes widened. With a scream, he threw himself off the bed, landing on the floor and crawling away.

Russel was up in an instant. "Cardin! What the hell, man. What's wrong?"

"Tentacle!" Cardin gasped, struggling up. "It's him! He's in my bed!" He reached for a weapon, and nearly whimpered when he realised it was back in his locker. He grabbed a nearby chair instead.

"Dude, calm down. Look, that monster couldn't fit in your bed – the sheets aren't exactly bulked up."

Cardin followed his partner's gesture. True to Russ' words, the bed was messy and unkempt, as he'd left it, but there was no way a human-sized person could have been underneath the sheets. There wasn't enough room.

The chair came down with a soft click, an embarrassed silence filling the room as he tried to think of a way to explain off what just happened without sounding like a complete fool. There was none, and he grunted instead. "I must be more tired than I thought I was."

"Yeah." Russ let it go at that. "You're probably worn out from trashing that runt in class." The others agreed, laughing at the memory.

That was why he loved his team, even if it was a dicey thing at times. They knew the way things worked. They didn't push the issue. Cardin laughed with them, then wandered over to his bed and dragged the cover off. He'd get to the bottom of this mystery.

He whimpered.

Tentacles… there were tentacles in his bed. Smaller than the ones that haunted his nightmares, but oh so similar nonetheless. The others saw them too, for Sky gagged on his hands. It wasn't anything disgusting – at least not normally – but being in his bed made it worse.

It was an octopus… or rather the tentacles of one. It looked store-bought, instead of freshly caught. It still didn't belong. Cardin's body shook.

"What the hell?" Russel murmured, moving forward to prod and poke at them. They didn't move, obviously. "How did these get here?"

"H-How else…?" Cardin gasped. "He's here."

"Dude… no one's here."

Cardin rounded on them. "Not now!" he snapped. "Before, earlier – he was here! Don't you see?" He pointed to the tentacles, eyes wide. "This is a message. It's a warning!" His back hit the wall. "He could come at any time. My room isn't safe. Nowhere is safe! He's going to find me… he's going to shove his tentacles up my-"

A slap echoed through the room.

"Cardin!" Russel hissed, gripping his shoulders. "Snap out of it. No one. I repeat, _no one_ , is going to get to you, man. We won't let them."

"D-Do you mean that?"

"We do."

"Yeah," Dove echoed. "Team CRDL stands together, man. If that monster wants to mess with you, he messes with all of us."

"The room isn't secure," Sky said. "He couldn't have gotten in the door without a scroll, but…" He trailed off, looking towards the window. A moment later, he was pushing a wardrobe into place, cutting off much of the light, and blocking the entrance entirely.

"Good idea," Russel nodded. "We'll barricade the door at night as well. Remember, we're in this together. He could take any of us – and trust me, I've _seen_ that Mistralian shit. You _don't_ want to be a part of that."

The others nodded, going about the task of fortifying their room against a Grimm invasion. Through it all, Cardin shivered and shook – but his eyes were hard chips of ice. Arc. That bastard. Did he think he could scare Cardin Winchester, proud scion of the Winchester line?

"I'll get you, Arc," he whispered. "I'll prove to everyone what you really are."

/-/

"You don't think that was a little much?" Jaune asked.

Ruby laughed. "Nah. Trust me, that's pretty much a time-honoured prank."

"Leaving a dead animal in someone's bed?"

Okay, when he said it like that, it sounded bad. "Bits of one," she protested. "We didn't kill anything. It was already food. Besides, I saw a movie with Yang and Dad once where something like this happened. This guy left a horse head in another's bed."

"A whole head? That's horrible!"

"I know, but when I asked, they told me it was a fake horse head." Ruby giggled. "Dad said it was because this one group wanted to prank another group, and Yang said it was because they wanted to send a message. Apparently, they were all really close friends and no one got hurt."

"Did that actually happen?" Jaune asked. "I haven't seen a movie like that, but it doesn't sound normal."

"Psh, don't worry. I've seen loads." They all used to watch them as a group of three back home in Patch, and in her distant memories she could remember that once being four of them with Summer. "I didn't always understand the movies, especially when I was younger, but Yang and Dad explained them for me. Like there was this one with a deer, and it goes out with its mother, then there's a gunshot – but the mother dear gets lost." Ruby smiled. "I thought she'd died at first, but Yang told me there's a sequel movie where the mother comes back. Dad agreed. They just said they'd lost the sequel but that I didn't need to worry about it." Ruby laughed. "Didn't stop Yang from crying and holding my hand through it. She's so sensitive!"

"Huh, sounds nice." He rubbed his chin. "So, this horse head movie was just a light prank movie?"

"Pretty much. They were all part of the same family anyway. They kept saying that, and about how family is important and no one should disrespect the family."

"I'd like to see that film sometime, it sounds good." Jaune looked her way. "Do you think we could go sometime?"

"Sure, I-" Ruby froze. Was he… was he asking her to the movies? Her eyes widened, mind clamping down on her mouth before she could say anything else. Oh no, she'd forgotten about his feelings for her. She could feel her cheeks darkening, but took a quick breath and let it go. Okay, it was fine. She just needed to play it cool. "A-Actually, you should take Yang to the movies," she said. "She knows way more movies than I do and she can explain them better."

"Yang?" Jaune didn't sound against the idea, and that gave her the courage to continue. "I suppose I could."

"Yeah! The two of you are dating, after all. It's been a while since you went on your last date."

"It's been barely over a week," Jaune said. He paused, suddenly looking a little nervous. "Is that a lot? Should I have asked her sooner? I don't know much about dating."

Ruby didn't either. Dating wasn't exactly her forte, but she probably knew more than Jaune, maybe, and she didn't want him and Yang to run into trouble this early in their relationship. "It can't hurt to ask," she said. "It'll show her you haven't forgotten. Yang deserves the best, so you've got to shape up, okay?"

In her mind, it was perfect. If Jaune took Yang to see that movie, the one with the deer, then Yang would go all blubby like she normally did. Whenever that happened, she liked to hold Ruby's hand for comfort. If she wasn't there though, then Yang would hold _Jaune's_ hand.

That was second base! At least she was fairly sure it was second base. When Yang explained the base system, she made sure Ruby knew a home run was when you had to bring the boy home so he could meet her and be judged. That was just before you were allowed to kiss them.

Oh, maybe she should try and make it so that Jaune and Yang kissed too. Ruby imagined that. Something bubbled in her stomach. For some reason she didn't like the picture in her mind. She wasn't sure why. _I'm probably just a little sick. It's fine. Jaune and Yang will be a great couple._ It would be great, awesome.

It definitely would…

Jaune scratched his cheek. "Well, I guess I should ask her out some time then. Still, that doesn't mean we can't go and see a movie, right? I want to go with you as well."

"J-Jaune…" Ruby looked away, face aflame. How could he be so blunt? Her heart hammered in her chest, and she honestly felt faint. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Uh-oh, she was hyperventilating. She had to change the subject, and fast. "S-Shouldn't we be more focused on the task at hand, Cardin?"

"Huh? But you were the one who brought up Yang."

"N-never mind that," she said, "the point is, our prank was _awesome_!" She wouldn't let anyone take that away from her. They'd not been able to find fake tentacles, but these would do, and they'd been cheap. "I'm not sure what the store clerk said about eating them though. Who would want to eat tentacles?"

"Exactly. right!?" Jaune crossed his arms, an almost offended look on his face. Frankly, she was just relieved he'd forgotten about the asking her on a date thing. "Do you think that's what tentacle hentai is? Eating them?"

Ruby hoped not, since that would have meant something a little awkward around when Hentacle had her in his grasp. The thought still sent a strange, not unpleasant, tingle through her legs. "I don't think it's that," she said. "I still really want to find out what it is. Haven't you had any luck?"

"None at all… I think we need to find someone who knows a little more about it."

"No one will tell us," Ruby griped. "Whenever I ask Weiss, she says to ask Pyrrha, and when I ask Pyrrha, she says to ask Yang."

"What does Yang say?"

"Don't ask anyone," Ruby grumbled. Her sister could be a pain like that.

"We need to ask someone who knows more," he said, "someone a little more… well-read."

"Blake?" Ruby asked, earning a nod. "We could try. I mean, we'd need to get her alone and not with Yang, but she seems nice enough. Nora always talks about how shy she is and how she desperately wants everyone to be her friend."

"Worth a shot," Jaune said. "Are you feeling better after yesterday? I know you were feeling down after your loss."

"Eh," Ruby glanced away, stifling her pout. "I'm fine. I feel loads better."

"Really?"

Eh, he actually believed her?

"Yeah, sure. I mean, it's just a loss, right? It's not like I want to get back at her or anything." Not like she wanted to show that big-breasted woman what happened to people who stole other's teammates, right? Not like she wanted to prove to everyone how strong she was, one foot atop the defeated woman's back, right?

Right!?

"That's great. I was really worried for a moment there. You looked really beat up."

"Ha ha, yeah well, you know me – always bouncing back. Pyrrha was training me last night anyway. I'm going to get stronger so I can-" Whoops. "Do… things…" She laughed. "Yeah."

"Things…?"

"Yeah. Oh, you know, fighting Grimm, defending myself, proving… things." Ruby had the feeling she wasn't getting through to him, or that she was at least raising his suspicions. "Hey look, there's the others. Let's go!"

"H-Hey Ruby, wai-" Jaune yelped as she caught his hand and dragged him toward the cafeteria. Once inside, it didn't take long to locate their team, sat as they were on a table to themselves.

"Hey guys," Ruby cheered, sitting down and letting go of Jaune. He staggered for a moment, but sat down on her left.

"Hey to yourself," Pyrrha smiled. "Where were you?"

"Yeah, Ruby?" Yang asked, huge grin in place. She pointedly looked down to Ruby's hand, and when she realised why – she dropped Jaune's like it was made of molten lava. "Where were you and Jaune? You definitely looked like you had somewhere special to go when the two of you snuck off after class. Care to share it with the rest of us?"

Oh crud. What did she say? They knew about the prank war, but Ruby doubted Weiss would at all be pleased if she found out the two of them were doing it between lessons. Pyrrha would give her the disappointed look too! "Uh… we were…" Sweat beaded on her brow. "Oh wow, where _were_ we, Jaune? I can't remember."

"We went to get some tentacles."

Dead silence met his proclamation. Ruby slapped a hand into her face. Really, what had she been thinking inviting him to answer for her? Okay. It was fine. She just needed to do some damage control. Yang looked the worse. Her eyes were wide. It looked like she'd been stabbed through the chest.

"W-Why?" she croaked.

Jaune coughed. "I can't tell you."

"WHY?" Yang demanded.

"It's private."

"Like hell it is!" Their plates rattled as Yang slammed her hands down on the table.

"Yang, calm down," Ruby hissed, aware that they'd drawn some attention. "We didn't do anything, sheesh. We were just…" Okay, go with a half-truth. "We were trying to find out what that tentacle hentai thing is. We went and bought some octopus tentacles, but it was just food."

"Octopus?" Yang swayed, and then collapsed down into her seat. "Thank God… I thought… no, wait. You _did_ eat it, right?"

"Ew, no. I wouldn't eat them after what we did with them!?"

"W-What you did with them?" Yang's face was pale. "W-W-What did you do?"

"Nothing," Ruby lied. "We just looked at them. Why? What did you think we did?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all. I just… I need a moment to not have a heart attack." She waved a hand. "Ignore me, please. I'm just nearly dying over here."

"So…" Ruby began, wondering if this was the right moment.

"I'm not telling you what it is," Yang growled. "Ask again when you're fifty."

Bah! That was unfair. Ruby crossed her arms and pouted, and looked to Jaune to see if he would do the same. He didn't. He scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously, which felt like a complete betrayal. She was trying to take a stand against injustice here. The least he could do was stand with her.

Maybe he was right. They should ask Blake when they had a chance. Ruby looked toward the girl, then paused and lowered her hands. "Uh… what happened to Blake?" she whispered. The dark-haired girl looked like she hadn't gotten a single second of sleep, and for once it looked like it wasn't Nora's fault. She was buried in her scroll, looking for something as she whispered to herself. "Is this normal?" Ruby asked.

Nora sighed. She looked… not upset, but worried. "Blakey is kinda focused on something at the moment. Don't worry. I'm keeping two eyes on her!"

"It's not a new thing," Ren added, nodding to Ruby for her concern. "Do not worry. We can handle this if it gets much worse."

If they said so. It was nice to see them all getting on as a team. Besides, she had her own problems to deal with, most of them revolving around a very shapely, very mean, and very doomed dark-haired witch. Well, that and her naughty dreams, which still hadn't gone away, no matter how much she tried to ignore them. She _had_ to find out what this tentacle hentai thing was – for her own sanity.

It might hold the key to stopping her over-active imagination.

For now, she needed a distraction. Yang made a convenient one. "When are you and Jaune going on your next date?" she asked.

Yang spat out her soda across the table.

"W-What?" she coughed.

"Your date," Ruby said, wiping some grape juice from her shirt. Great. Now she'd need to go and get changed before class. "You've been on two, right? Aren't you going to go on more?"

"Ah, well…" Yang looked to Jaune, eyes wide. "I don't know if… well, it's not so easy."

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked. "If so, I'm sorry…"

"No, no. You didn't do anything bad." Yang waved her hands to calm him down. She bit her lip and looked to Ruby. "I was just thinking that it might be unfair, you know? You've been out with me twice. Why not go out with Ruby a bit?"

What… the… hell? Ruby's mouth fell open. What was her sister doing? "I'd never do that!" Ruby yelped. "What kind of person do you think I am?"

"Ruby!" Yang hissed, "It's fine. You can-"

"No, I can't. Jaune, you need to take Yang out on another date, one where it's just the two of you."

"You don't, Jaune. It's fine – the last one was great."

Jaune looked between the two bickering sisters, each trying to foist him off on the other. "I… don't really understand what's going on," he said.

Weiss patted his arm. "I think that's for the best."

Ruby ignored them, focused on Yang. Why her sister kept trying to sacrifice her own happiness, she had no idea, but she wasn't going to let it happen. When Yang next opened her mouth to argue, Ruby shoved a muffin into it.

Yang's eyes widened, and while she instinctively chewed and swallowed it, she glared at Ruby afterwards.

"What?" Ruby asked innocently. "You looked hungry."

"Yeah?" Yang growled and reached for an apple. "Well, maybe you need to get a little vitamin, dear sister. How about I force it down myself."

"Stop, stop, stop!" Jaune appeared between them, one foot on the table. He had one hand on Ruby's shoulder, and the other on Yang's wrist. "Come on you two. I don't know why this is such a big deal, but there's no reason to fight over it."

"Jaune is right," Weiss sighed. "You're both being incredibly childish. Look at you, throwing food at one another. You'd think this was a preschool instead of a huntsman academy."

Shame pooled in Ruby's stomach, forcing her down with a cringe. Weiss was right. She was acting like a child. _Cinder wouldn't shout and throw food around like a kid,_ a treacherous part of her mind reminded her. How was she supposed to prove her maturity if she kept getting worked up like this? "You're right," she said, deciding to be the bigger person. "I'm sorry, Weiss."

"And you, Xiao-Long?"

"Tch. Yeah. Whatever." Yang sat down and crossed her arms. "I suppose there wouldn't be much challenge in it anyway."

Ruby's head shot up. "Excuse me, dear sister?"

"Hm? Something wrong with your hearing, Rubes?"

Oh, Yang was going to regret that…

/-/

Mercury wasn't used to being the centre of attention. It somewhat went against the whole point of being an assassin. With him having to blend in with the general population, however, and with Cinder's ire a possibility if he didn't, he had no choice but to respond when the rabbit-eared girl called his name in surprise and waved. Luckily, he did remember hers. The people with her, on the other hand, he had no idea.

"Hi Velvet."

"Hey Mercury." She smiled shyly. "I just saw you and thought I'd say hello. Where are you headed?"

"To the cafeteria." He jerked a hand in the direction. "My team are having lunch, but I needed to get something from my room."

"Oh right. Well, we just came from the-" Velvet didn't get a chance to finish, on account of how the girl beside her stepped in front, a hand on Velvet's shoulder.

"Whoah, whoah, girl," she said. She flashed Mercury a cocksure smile. "You never said anything about getting cosy with another first year. Who's tall and silver over here?"

"Tall, silver and cool, thank you," he replied.

The girl in the beret grinned. "Cocky too, but does he have something to back it up with, hm?"

She knew how to play the game. Mercury crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side, a clearly challenging gesture. She mimicked it, but with a long look up and down his body, one that might have left a more uncertain guy blushing. "You tell me," he said. "You've gotten a good enough look."

"I dunno, that uniform hides a lot… maybe I should take a look under it just to be sure."

He raised an eyebrow, then met her smug smirk with a grin of his own. "The pants stay on, but you're welcome to check the rest… if you've got the guts."

"That a challenge, big boy?"

Mercury grinned back. For a moment, he'd forgotten anyone else was there, but an awkward cough from the taller guy brought things back into reality. It also broke Velvet out of her shock, and the rabbit-eared girl covered her face with both hands.

"Coco!" she cried, scandalised. "Oh my god, Mercury. I'm so sorry. She's always like this!"

"Chill it, bun," the girl – Coco – laughed. "He can take it, can't you, hot-stuff?"

"I can take anything you've got and more."

"Really?" Coco leaned forward. She let her glasses slide down her nose a fraction of an inch, just enough to show him her eyes. "Care to test that?"

"I dunno." He leaned forward. "Do you?"

Coco laughed and straightened up. She slapped his arm. "Oh, I _like_ you. You're good. Bun, really, you need to quit hiding all these boy toys you keep finding. Damn, you came out of your shell _hard_ this year. Does your thirst know no bounds?"

"Coco, please stop talking," Velvet whined.

"Heh, bun?" Mercury asked.

"Please don't you start." She shook her head. "She's always called me that. A-Anyway, I'm sorry about her – and what she said. If you haven't figured it out, this is my team. There's Fox and Yatsuhashi," she gestured to the two guys beside her, and while they fixed him with considering looks, neither seemed too affronted.

"Hey," he greeted. "Name's Mercury."

"You are Velvet's boy toy?" the tallest asked. His voice was deep, and also a little threatening.

"Yatsuuu!" Velvet whined.

"I'm not, no." He laughed. "We're just friends." Well, as close as he could ever get to having a friend. She was more of an informant or a contact, but she'd been a pretty useful one before. Maybe she could be again. "I take it the last one is Coco. She always like that?"

"Unfortunately," the large man sighed. He nodded at Mercury, apparently pleased with the answer he'd given. "I will apologise for her as well. Alas, we've tried our best to limit her more... difficult tendencies."

"How cruel…" Coco chuckled. "My own team turned against me. I should keep an eye on you. You're dangerous."

"More than you realise, babe."

She paused, some of her teasing evaporating as she looked at him a little more closely. "Still," she continued, "it's rare for Vel to be so casual around someone. She usually has trouble making friends. Level with me, kid. You got some ulterior motive?"

"Coco!" Velvet hissed and pinched her teammate's arm.

"Have I got an ulterior motive for her calling me over?" Mercury waggled his eyebrows, and Coco relaxed with a smirk of her own. "Not really," he said. "Right now, I'm pretty hungry, hence me heading to the cafeteria."

"Well, we wouldn't want to keep you from growing up big and strong," Coco mimed a mother's voice for the last bit, slapping a hand against his chest. "Sadly, bun's going to have to come with us. She's more thirsty than hungry. It's been getting worse lately."

"Coco, I hate you so much…" Velvet sighed and rolled her eyes at him. "Ignore her. She's not had enough oxygen to her brain today."

"Me?" Coco asked. "Or you? You looked like you could hardly breathe when you saw Arc coming straight out of a wet t-shirt contest."

"Coco! Stop talking, please!"

Velvet looked mortified, but Mercury's attention had been grabbed the moment the name was mentioned. "You know what happened to him?" he asked. Coco and Velvet stared at him. "I'm an old friend of his," he explained. "I know someone threw water all over him. I had to lend him my shirt to wear back to his dorm. Did you see who it was?"

"Cardin," Velvet replied. "Cardin Winchester. I overheard him a day or so before saying he was going to do something to Jaune, but I didn't know what. He said…" Her cheeks darkened. "He said he wanted Jaune on his knees, and that he would do something to him."

"Do… something?"

"Winchester's a fruit," Coco explained. "At least that's what I hear. Nothing against it myself, but he seems pretty focused on a guy who doesn't return his feelings, an' that rubs me the wrong way. Bun and I came across Arc soaked to the bone. I'm pretty sure he said Winchester did it."

"He did," Velvet confirmed.

Heh… well, it looked like his new contact was proving even more useful than he'd first thought. Mercury grinned. "Thanks for letting me know. It's a real help." Cinder would want to know. With that in mind, maybe it would be a good idea to keep Velvet on his good side. She was nice enough, not a pain in the ass like Emerald, and her partner was pretty fun too. "Anything I can do to help you out in return?"

"Ooh, is that an offer?" Coco teased.

"For you? Any day."

Coco cackled.

"Ugh, you two." Velvet was more reserved. "Um, well… maybe you could help me with something," she said, "When you've got time, that is. You said you're an old friend of Jaune's, right?"

"Yeah."

Sort of.

"Then maybe you can… uh… help me… later." Velvet's cheeks flushed, but she waved a hand. "Maybe it would be easier if I just let you know via scroll. Can I get your number?"

"Moving fast, bun."

"Coco. Shut up."

Mercury snorted, but went with the idea. It wasn't a bad one. He let Velvet add her name and contact to his scroll, then sent her a blank message so she could have his in return. He'd never had an actual contact before, but he knew from Cinder how to deal with them. Give them what they want, keep them happy, and they would keep you happy in return. In this case, if he helped Velvet, she would be his eyes and ears.

It was perfect.

"I'll message you later," she promised. The look on her face said she didn't want to say it in front of her team, not that he thought they were fooled for a moment. "Anyway, we'll leave you to get some food. It was nice seeing you again, Mercury."

"Yeah, you too," he said, and found himself surprised that he actually agreed. They brushed past, and jumped when a hand slapped his ass.

"Nice try," Coco laughed, "but I got the last laugh."

He watched them go, shaking his head. Heh. What a character. He'd have to make sure he won the next round. Well, if there would be a next round. There wouldn't if he kept Cinder waiting any longer. He jogged the rest of the way to the cafeteria, grabbing some food from the cooks before bringing it to the isolated table Cinder, Emerald and Neo had chosen to sit at.

"You're late," Cinder said.

Emerald shot him a smug look.

"Sorry about that. I was talking to one of my contacts."

"You have contacts?" Emerald snorted. "Don't make me laugh."

"Careful, Em. Your jealousy is showing again. Don't worry. I won't leave you alone, just because I have better people to talk to."

"Tch. Like I care."

"If you two could stop for even a moment," Cinder interrupted. "Mercury, we were just discussing our responsibilities in Beacon." Her eyes drifted left and right, a subtle warning to watch their words. Mercury nodded. "How are you integrating with your new friends? I hope things fare well."

"It goes," he said, and then went into more detail when her eyes narrowed a fraction. "I'm closer to Jaune than most of the others, but they all seem okay enough with me. I'd say Nora, Yang and Jaune are the ones I get on with most." That wasn't to say the others suspected him, so much as they were shy, standoffish or otherwise not interested in him.

The latter applied to Nikos and the Schnee in equal measure, though with how polite Nikos was, he had a feeling there was a deeper reason behind it than simply not trusting him. Ren and Blake were just quiet. He didn't talk with them much.

"That's good to hear, Mercury. I'm pleased you're making friends outside of our team."

He nodded, message received. He was to continue as he was doing, and wouldn't get quite so many orders from her as a result. Presumably, that was to free him up to spend less time with them and more with Arc. He sighed. This was going to be a pain. Emerald sniggered at him, but Cinder turned to her before he could even think to reply.

"How about you, Emerald? Have you been able to find out what I asked you?"

Emerald winced, and that was answer enough. Suddenly, the shoe was on the opposite foot, and Mercury took immense pleasure in leaning back, crossing his arms, and making it abundantly clear that _he_ wasn't in the firing line. "Yeah, Em. How goes it? I mean, I've done my job easily enough. You've done yours, right?"

"I-It's not that simple," Emerald said, and winced when Cinder raised a delicate eyebrow. "I-I'm sorry, ma-Cinder. I'm trying my best, and I've narrowed things down too." She tried for a confident smile. "I've done some asking around and narrowed down the potential culprits to less than a quarter of the school's population."

"Hm… I suppose that is adequate. There are a lot of students here." Cinder nodded, letting the issue go.

Emerald looked relieved.

"How much longer do you believe it will take?"

"Not long, I promise. I think I've found someone who knows who did it, but he's afraid to talk to me for fear of repercussions. I just need to meet with him." Emerald's smile took on a cocky edge. "I won't let you down, Cinder. I'll find out who assaulted him and left him soaked."

Mercury's ears perked up. "Oh, that? It was Winchester."

Cinder's head snapped to him.

Emerald's mouth fell open.

"What?" Cinder asked. Her eyes narrowed. "Mercury, if this is one of your games…"

"No game," he said. "I told you I was meeting one of my contacts. Well, she told me how she witnessed first-hand Jaune walking down the corridor in a wet shirt. He told her face-to-face that Cardin Winchester did it to him."

"Is that so?"

Emerald shook her head back and forth. She looked mortified, angry – and more importantly – jealous. It didn't take a genius to figure out why, and Mercury leaned forward on the table, smelling a chance to make her squirm. Well, with a face like that, there was no way he wasn't going to milk this for all it was worth.

"Oh yeah," he said. "I trust her, and she was certain of it." He smiled and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "I know you didn't ask me to look into it, but I figured I'd do my bit to help. You _did_ ask me to keep an eye on him, after all. This is just me going a little further to keep him safe."

It was complete bullshit, of course, but it was just plausible enough to be possible – and Emerald knew it. She glared at him, hands clenched into fists. He could _feel_ her anger, her frustration. _What now, Em?_ he thought. _You've always been Cinder's favourite. I wonder how it feels to play second fiddle now._

His attention was brought back to his leader as she cupped his cheek in her hand. Once more, there was no heat, no pain. Just soft, sensuous skin. "Well done, Mercury," she whispered. "You've impressed me yet again. This contact of yours… she was able to provide such information?"

"Absolutely," he said, basking in the ill-deserved praise. "I figured Beacon was new territory for us, and I've seen you do this before. I thought I'd make life a little easier and try it for myself. Of course, if you want something finding out, I can ask her. I have her number."

"Excellent." Cinder leaned back, a pleased smile on her face. "For now, we'll focus on the task at hand. I want as much information as can be found on this Winchester man. I want to know his reasons, his motives."

"I'll find out what I can," Emerald hurried to say.

Cinder looked down on her. "Hm… I should hope so. You would do well to take a leaf from Mercury's book, Emerald. He sets a good example."

"I try my best," he demurred.

Emerald's bitter snarl was music to his ears.

"Don't let me down this time, Emerald." Cinder said. "I won't abide failure."

"I understand. You can rely on me."

"We shall see…"

His partner looked horrified. The simple words, spoken with a complete lack of faith, blew apart her world. She'd always been Cinder's favourite, the one that could be relied on. Now, she was second best. She wasn't special. She'd been replaced. Her eyes shifted to him, the rage behind them clear.

Mercury smirked back. `Get cucked,` he mouthed.

"Well," Cinder said, rising to her feet, "until then, we'll carry on as normal. The two of you should-" She cut off.

The room descended into silence.

Mercury's mouth fell open.

Cinder Fall, easily the deadliest woman he'd ever known, stood with both hands on the table from where she'd pushed herself up. Her eyes were shut, mouth twisted in a deep frown. Vegetable, gravy, and the remains of a slice of beef slid down her face.

It fell onto the table with a wet slap, leaving a long, greasy streak down her cheek.

Cinder's eyes opened. They blazed with fury.

"FOOD FIGHT!" someone screamed.

/-/

It was a disaster. How had it become like this? Jaune stood in the middle of a culinary apocalypse, one hand held towards his team, the other towards Team RYBN. It might have been a symbol of defiance, of bravery and peace.

The fact they utterly ignored him somewhat ruined that.

A cabbage bounded off his head, knocking him down, and he only had half a moment to wonder where someone had found a whole cabbage from before he was yelping and crawling away as two people nearly fell on him. They landed hard, students he didn't recognise, and one pushed the other's body down, wielding a cabbage like a dagger. The first blocked it, and what followed was a terrifying struggle for dominance.

" _I don't understand,"_ Jaune whispered in his mind, fighting to get back on his feet. Ruby and Yang had just been arguing – and he didn't even really get what _that_ was about. _"Since when do people fight with food? This is ridiculous!"_

" **I think you mean amazing!"** Remy cheered. **"Yeah, stab him – go on, beat him to death with that croissant, I dare you!"**

" _REMY!"_

" **What?"** The parasite somehow managed to sound defensive. **"I'm a Grimm. This is what I do."**

" _Hold a food fight!?"_

" **Well, when you think about it, all fights between humans and Grimm are food fights."**

Ugh. Forget it. Jaune slipped past two struggling girls, one pulling the other's hair, the second smothering ketchup on her opponent's shirt. They crashed into a table and rolled onto it, disappearing over the other side in a crash of cutlery. Things were only more confusing since several people had discovered hitherto unrealised applications for their Semblances, and were now putting those to terrible use.

Eventually, he managed to reach the only bastion of calm he could see. "Weiss," he gasped.

His partner spun, eyes narrowed. "If you're about to even _think_ of touching me with something, I'll-" She paused, and quickly realised he wasn't armed or trying to attack her. "Finally," she sighed, "a modicum of sense. What's gotten into these idiots?"

"I don't know. What do we do?"

"Loathe as I am to admit defeat, I think we should leave them to it." Weiss side-stepped a curry and glared at the person who'd thrown it. They quickly re-evaluated their targets and looked elsewhere. "Frankly, I'm just pleased to see my partner has some common sense. Let these idiots deal with this mess, and the inevitable punishment." She huffed. "I won't be dragged into such a juvenile display of-"

She was cut off as a can of soda struck the ground before her. It went off like a grenade, showering Weiss with purple drink. He tried to cover her, but wasn't fast enough. Weiss stood there, eyes wide, uniform soaked. Her hair hung beside her, sticky, lank, and now a little purple as well.

"W-Weiss…"

"Those… those…" Her hands curled into fists, teeth fritted.

"Weiss, let's just get out of here. You can get a shower in our roo-"

"Whoever did that will pay with their life!" Weiss roared. She turned, grabbed a baguette from a nearby table and brandished it like a rapier. With a scream, she charged into the fray.

Jaune watched, one hand extended as though to stop her. His last chance was gone. "But… But I thought you said you wouldn't be dragged in…"

" **Yeah! Kill, kill, kill!"**

"Defend your Queen!" Nora screamed from the side. The orange-haired girl had managed to somehow build a fort out of tables, and now balanced atop it, a watermelon on a stick by her side. At the base, Ren stood with crossed arms and a beleaguered expression. Blake was beside him, and she looked just as eager.

Well, it was somewhere where the open warfare wasn't happening, at least. Jaune jogged over, yelping as he nearly caught some soup with his face. Even his Grimm form wouldn't have helped much, other than allowing him to throw more food around. "G-Guys," he yelled, rushing up to them. "What's going on?"

"Halt, knave!" Nora looked down on him. "You are not part of this Kingdom. Knight Blake, divest this man of his weapons!"

Blake sighed. "He isn't armed, Nora."

"Ahem…?"

"I'm not calling you your majesty."

"The High Queen senses treason in the ranks," Nora's eyes narrowed. "Your High Queen watches and knows all."

"The `High Queen` ought to stop referring to herself in the third person…" Blake groaned. She turned to Jaune, eyes flat. "I'd escape while you can. You won't find any sanity here."

Jaune looked between them, not quite understanding what was going on, but getting the idea that this `Kingdom` was a damn sight less likely to get him smothered under a chicken dinner than the wild melee going on elsewhere - sanity or not. Well, if Nora wanted to act the Queen, he knew how to deal with someone like that.

He fell to one knee, head bowed. "Oh High Queen," he called, "Your humble servant begs clemency and protection. Please allow me into your Kingdom, oh beloved and wise monarch."

"Ooh, the High Queen likes what she hears," Nora crowed. "Royal Consort Ren, the Queen want this man in her Kingdom! Make it so!"

Ren rolled his eyes but probably figured it would be easier to go along with it than not. He strode forward, but was quickly swept off his feet as a red blur shot by his legs. He fell with a cry, crashing down onto a salad. Lettuce flew into the air, his olive oil seeping out onto the floor.

"REN!" Nora cried. "Who dares attack my consort!?"

"I do!" Ruby cried. She leapt back to stand in front of him, a chocolate muffin in her left hand, a can of soda in her right. "You can't steal my teammate like that. It's… it's cheating! He's my teammate, so he's on _our_ side."

"Ruby," he whispered, "Actually, I-"

"Who's side?" Yang asked. She sashayed forward, standing opposite Ruby and in front of her allies. The blonde's uniform was stained, her hair a little out of place. It was clear she'd been fighting hard, and since the whole thing started between her and Ruby, Jaune felt confident in saying they'd been locked in a culinary struggle ever since. "I don't see anyone with you, Rubes. Besides, Jaune's going to side with _me_ , right Jaune?"

"Uh…"

"What? NO!" Ruby looked back to him, eyes wide.

He squirmed, not quite sure why he was suddenly the centre of attention, but fairly sure it wouldn't lead to anything good.

"He's _my_ teammate," Ruby growled. "Besides, I have Weiss and Pyrrha with me."

"I don't see them," Yang teased.

"Weiss!" Ruby yelled. "Ren was the one who threw that soda at you!"

"Huh?" Ren looked confused. "No, I didn-"

"RARGHHH!" Weiss charged him from the side, and whatever Ren was about to say went unspoken as he cursed and had to defend himself with a stick of celery. It didn't do much against the baguette, and Weiss drove him hard, a flurry of blows that pushed them both away.

Jaune wondered if Weiss hadn't seen the can in Ruby's hand.

"Meh," Yang waved one hand. "My partner will be fine. He's stronger than he looks."

"Help me!" Ren cried.

"Stronger than he sounds too." Yang sighed when Pyrrha appeared on the scene to see what was going on, and then was immediately attacked by Nora – who no doubt thought the champion was there to hurt Ren. "Besides, that still leaves the three of us against you."

"You mean a two on two," Ruby countered. "Jaune's on my side."

"I think he can make up his own mind, right?" Yang fluttered her lashes at him, and he suddenly found his cheeks flushing. She looked really pretty when she did that. "Come on, Jaune," she cooed. "Don't you want to fight beside me?"

"Jaune, no!" Ruby grabbed his hand. "You can't give into her. I'm your teammate, I'm your friend!" She looked up to him with wide silver eyes. They didn't exactly help her case. "We're… we're comic buddies, we're prank buddies – we're going to go on see movies together!"

Jaune blinked owlishly. "I thought you said I should go with Yang?"

"I changed my mind!"

"Wow, talk about mixed messages, sis. Ten minutes ago you were busy trying to force him onto me."

"That was ten minutes ago!" Ruby clutched his hand tighter, pulling him back with her. "Things change. He's on my side. He's mine!"

"I am?"

"Yes!" Ruby's eyes wavered. "Yang, you always steal things from me. You always steal my friends. You can't do this again. Please, Yang…" She sounded so broken, her voice weak and quiet.

"Ruby, I…" Yang's face fell.

As did her guard.

"HA!" Ruby cried as the muffin slammed into Yang's face, smearing chocolate all over her. "I love the guilt trip. It works every time!"

Yang wiped a hand across her face. Her eyes flashed red. "Ruby…" she growled, lowering herself down.

"Uh-oh…"

" **Can I maybe suggest…"**

" _Already moving, Remy,"_ Jaune said, having subtly distanced himself from his teammate. It proved the right choice for Yang dove toward her sister, arms extended. The two disappeared in a cloud of steamed rice, and he heard Yang scream something about Ruby paying for making her feel bad.

That left Blake and he alone. He turned to her, hand falling to a breadstick.

"I don't want to fight," Blake said, hands held up before her. "Let's just say we both defeated one another. That should make things easier."

Relief flooded him. "Oh, thank God," he said, calming down. "Finally, someone who isn't going to-"

" **Jaune, move!"**

His instincts kicked in, not sensing the threat, but knowing Remy wouldn't have screamed a warning without reason. He swayed back, eyes going wide as he saw the baguette flick less than an inch in front of his nose.

Blake cursed, holding the stick in one hand. He'd dodged only just in time.

"B-Blake…!?"

"I wasn't lying," she said. "I don't want this. It's childish and foolish, not to mention a waste of my time." She advanced on him, eyes narrowed. "If I don't fight, however, then Nora would hound me for months. I'm not putting up with that. Don't fight me, Jaune. Make this easier for the both of us and give in."

Oh, come on! Jaune danced back, or at least he linked to think he did. In reality he fell on his ass, slid on a metal tray, and crashed into a table. It still helped him dodge Blake's attack, but she charged after him. It was like the docks all over again, except this time he was weak and unable to defend himself. He yelped and brought the tray up in front of him.

Blake's baguette snapped on it. She cursed and planted a hand on his shoulder, vaulting over his form to land on a table behind him. Her hand caught a bowl of peas, flicking them towards him like miniature missiles.

He hated peas.

"Hey. Ow. Stop that!" He fell back under the onslaught, eyes closed. One of his hands slapped about on the table next to him, seeking something he could use as a shield. His fingers touched something. He dragged it in front of him.

"Argh! WHY!?" the _thing_ said.

Jaune cracked an eye open, cringing as he realised his shield went by another name – a person – and that said person had taken the barrage for him. "Sorry," he whispered. His eyes widened when he saw Blake grab a cucumber and rush in. He twisted to the side, blocking it.

"Argh!" the shield cried. "You don't _sound_ sorry! Stop using me!"

"It was an accident! I didn't mean to, I just-" Jaune yelped and shifted again, instinctively placing the poor guy in front of another attack. "Oh God, I'm _so_ sorry."

"Let go of me!" the figure whined. "Blake, help me."

Blake paused. "Do I know you?"

"Y-You're joking," the man in Jaune's arms whispered. "H-How do you not know me? You left me. You abandoned me!"

"Not ringing any bells," Blake said. Her eyes flicked to Jaune. "Do you know him?" she asked.

He did, but he couldn't say that. With his blonde hair, open shirt and short blue jeans, Jaune knew he'd seen him before, even before he felt the monkey tail trapped between them. Only his Grimm form had met the guy though, so he couldn't say that.

Besides, what was the homeless guy from the docks doing at Beacon?

"I don't believe this!" the guy growled. "Sun. My name is Sun! I'm the guy who told you about the White Fang at the docks. I _fought_ alongside you. You left me there!"

Blake blinked, but the realisation seemed to dawn on her. "Ooh," she said, slapping the cucumber into her open hand. "You're the stalker."

Sun nodded. "Ye- NO! Damn it, I'm not a stalker! How is that the one thing you remember!?" He struggled and flailed, catching Jaune in the face with an elbow. Once free, the faunus ducked, leaving him open.

Blake took the opportunity. She closed in, batting the unfortunate man aside and stabbing toward Jaune's head. He caught her wrist, twisted it to the side, and tried to get her to drop the cucumber. Her knee caught his stomach, winding him.

"Sorry," she said. "I'm just trying to avoid Nora being a pain."

"Ow," Jaune ducked a stab. "It's fine. I'm-ow, can you not hit me there?"

"I didn't mean to. Sorry about that. Ah- mind the hair please!"

"My bad!"

The apologetic melee continued, until Jaune was knocked back against a table. She came in for the kill. In a blind panic, he grabbed the first thing he could and flicked it toward her.

Blake cried out in surprise, tumbling to the floor. "N-Not again," she gasped.

Jaune opened his eyes. Before him, the girl lay, tied and bound with a linked chain of sausages wrapped around her legs. The other end was in his hand.

"Get me out of this!"

" **Don't do it!"**

As if he would be so stupid. Jaune leapt forward, catching her arm and using the sausage chain to bind that as well. The cucumber fell, kicked aside so she couldn't use it on him. Jaune stepped back once he was done, to look over his achievement.

Blake growled up at him, cheeks crimson. "You tell _no one_ ," she hissed.

"Uh, sure…" Jaune shrugged and lifted her up onto the edge of the closest table. "I'll leave you here until you break out. At least it's not on the floor, hey?"

Blake sighed. "Thank you. I appreciate-"

"Argh!" Yang cried, thrown back by Ruby. She landed on the other end of the table, knocking it down. The momentum acted as a lever, turning the wood Blake had been sat on into a see-saw. The girl flew up into the air, her last words turning into a wail.

Crap.

Jaune rushed over, hoping to catch her, but her speed was too much, and with Blake's body tangled up, she wouldn't be able to do much to save herself. His eyes widened as her velocity turned downward, her hair whipping up as she hurtled toward the floor.

A pair of arms caught her.

"Got you," Ren said. He landed easily, crouching slightly with Blake in his arms. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." Blake breathed a sigh of relief. She untangled herself from the sausages, and whispered another thank you as Ren stood her back on her feet. With the three teammates together, and Weiss, Pyrrha and Jaune on the other side, it looked like a meeting of the teams once more.

Except for the fact Nora was staring at Blake. "Bridal…" she whispered. "Caught… Renny's arms… none for Nora. Never for Nora." Her eyes narrowed. "Traitor!" she roared, and swung a chicken leg at her partner's face.

Blake fell back with a yelp. "Traitor? How am I a traitor? You're the one who's attacking me!"

"Betrayer, thief!" Nora continued her onslaught. "Take your punishment!"

Jaune watched it with a vague sense of detachment. "What's even going on anymore?" he asked.

"I have no idea, but this is our chance," Weiss growled. "Pyrrha, if you and Jaune focus on attacking Blake and Nora while they're distracted, I can finish off the dead man who covered me in grape."

"Weiss, I really don't think that's his fault," Pyrrha said. "Actually, maybe we should get out of here while we have the chance."

A great explosion of food behind them interrupted that idea. Jaune's eyes widened as he saw a _full_ table fly in towards them, and it was only his panicked squeak – and Weiss and Pyrrha's reaction times – that prevented them being hit by it. It smashed down behind them. Come to think of it, what had happened to all the other fighters? This had been an all-out brawl, but the cafeteria was just about silent.

The woman that stalked through the smoke answered that question.

Jaune whimpered.

Cinder's eyes blazed, his Big Sis striding through the remains of all who had dared stand against her. She had no food in hand, but considering the look on her face – and the gravy – he doubted a `food fight` was what she had in mind. It looked like she wanted to murder someone.

"Who did this?" she hissed, pointing to her face. "Who threw their food at me?"

Jaune's eyes shifted to Ruby. There'd been a lull in her fight with Yang, mostly as the two tried to figure out who had thrown the table. Ruby's face was just a _little_ too smug as she looked at Cinder. A little too self-satisfied… "Yang did it," she said.

Jaune didn't believe her. He didn't think Cinder did either.

"Weiss," Jaune whispered. "I think we… Weiss?"

"She went after Ren," Pyrrha said. "He was distracted."

True to her words, he heard a loud yelp as Ren was knocked into a nearby pillar by a battered haddock. Weiss then froze her fish solid with some ice dust, chasing after him with her improvised shiv.

Damn it, Weiss. You were supposed to be the normal one.

"Help Ruby," Jaune said, suddenly more afraid of what might happen than he had been before. This was bad. A food fight was one thing, but he'd always known it wouldn't lead to _real_ violence or injury. With Cinder this angry, he wasn't so sure. He didn't think he'd ever seen her so furious. He rushed over to stand before her, a wide smile on his face. "Hey Cinder. Wow, you look great toda-urk!"

"Not now, Jaune," she said, lifting him by his throat. "Be a good boy and wait here. I shall be back in a moment."

He gasped when she let go, falling to his knees. The second it took him to regain his breath was all she needed to move past him, eyes focused on Ruby – who was caught in a brawl between Yang and Pyrrha.

A pair of hands helped him up. "You've got to stop her," Mercury hissed.

"Don't you think I'm trying?"

"Well try harder." The silver-haired teen looked to Cinder and swallowed. "I'm not getting in the way of that. I doubt she'd normally do anything to break her cover here, but right now, I'm not so sure."

That wasn't a good sign. Jaune nodded, looking over to his friend. "You're normal, right?" he asked. "You're not going to go and attack me in the back the moment I try and stop her?"

"Why would I do that?"

He sighed in relief. Thank Salem for Mercury. At least _someone_ wasn't going to completely lose their mind. "Never mind," he said. "Let's go."

Mercury nodded. "If you distract and try to reason with her, I'll go get that Ruby girl and get her out of here. Then we can-"

Mercury never got to finish. A _whole_ turkey bounced off the back of his head, knocking him down onto one knee. He gasped and rubbed his head, then looked back with wide eyes. "Emerald? What the hell!? We're on the same side here!"

"Are we?" Emerald growled, lifting up a fork menacingly. It looked like she'd gone straight from fighting with food to contemplating actual murder. "Think you can upstage me, huh? Going to make a fool of me in front of Cinder, Mercury?" Her eyes flashed. "I think not!"

Mercury howled as he was knocked over, the smaller girl straddling him as she lashed out.

Everything had gone to hell in a hand basket. Weiss was throwing Ren around the room. Yang and Ruby were locked in an eternal struggle. Pyrrha was crying out beneath them, having somehow gotten stuck. Nora was chasing Blake. Mercury was begging him for help. Neo was beating an already defeated student over the head with a candy cane. Remy was having the time of his life.

Cinder was going to brutalise Ruby.

He couldn't let that happen. Jaune's feet carried him forward. His eyes narrowed, muscles tensing, even as his mind – and Remy – screamed that this was a bad, _bad_ , idea.

He knew. He just didn't see a better one.

Cinder didn't see him either. His shoulder hit the back of her waist, drawing a loud "oof" from her, even as she was lifted from her feet entirely and carried forward a few paces. They hit the ground as one, his Big Sis turning into a hellcat as she twisted, clawed and slammed the palm of her hand into his jaw.

"Ow-hey, Argh!" He cried out. "Cinder, wait. You can't. Think of your cover!"

"I'm not going to kill her," Cinder growled. "Just injure her a bit. Accidents happen. It's a combat school. She'll live… maybe."

"She's my teammate!"

"You can get a replacement!"

"I don't _want_ a replacement." Jaune tried to pin her shoulder down. Cinder moved at the last moment, however, and his hand landed on something far softer.

He froze.

So did Cinder.

Crap, crap, crap. Jaune swallowed. There had to be an excuse he could give for this. There just had to be. He looked down at his arm, then his wrist, then his hand, and finally Cinder's round breast, cupped in his palm. It was incredibly soft, yet also firm. Against his will – honestly – his hand squeezed it.

Cinder gasped.

"I-I-I…"

"Jaune…" she warned, eyes narrowed.

"I-I'm sorry!" he gasped. "I-I didn't mean to." He'd just been trying to stop her, and then it was there, and then he couldn't stop – and it was instinct, and now his hand wouldn't come squeezed again.

Cinder's eyebrow twitched.

At first, he thought it was his life that flashed before his eyes, but a moment later he realised it was the ceiling and floor as he somersaulted through the air, his stomach in agony from where Cinder had planted both feet and kicked violently. As he descended, he caught sight of Pyrrha, looking up at him with wide eyes.

She was going to catch him! She was going to save him like Ren did Blake.

Pyrrha yelped and dove out of the way.

"I'm sorry!" she groaned, realising what she'd done a second later. The apology came a little late for Jaune, however.

It also came too late for Ruby and Yang, who'd been engaged with one another, and only noticed his approach around the time he started to scream. Their eyes widened, but when they tried to move away, both forgot that they had hold of one another, by collar, cuff, and in Yang's case, hair. He whimpered as he flew towards them.

The impact was far less soft than it had been with Cinder. He hit them face-first, and the three of them crashed into a nearby table, causing a trifle to explode. The bundle of limbs and bodies flopped over it, slid on the runny chocolate, and then slipped off the edge and crashed back down to the floor.

Jaune's back hit first. Ruby landed atop him, face-down, and buried in his chest. She might have pushed herself up were it not for Yang landing atop her, pinning the smaller girl to him, and also smashing her breasts into his face. In an effort to complete the trilogy of being unable to breathe, her face hit the remnants of the trifle, plastering the three of them in chocolate and cream.

It was that scene Glynda Goodwitch walked into, along with the wholesale battlefield the cafeteria had become. She wasn't pelted with food as she stepped through the door.

She was pelted with a Ren.

He slumped and fell to her feet groaning. Weiss froze a moment behind him, suddenly aware – and terrified – of exactly who she'd knocked him into. The teacher's arrival was a death knell to the combat. Everyone froze, some of the more enterprising students trying to crawl away, only to freeze as well when Miss Goodwitch's eyes turned to them.

If nobody moved a muscle… she might not see them.

The figure beside her was beholden to no such rules. It was a tall and ragged looking man with grey-black hair and a face that looked like it hadn't seen a razor in a while. Hadn't seen sleep either, apparently, for the eyes were bloodshot. They took in the scene, and then located two specific girls within it.

Jaune squirmed as the man looked at him, smothered in chocolate, and with both Ruby and Yang draped across him.

"I'm too late," he groaned. "It's already happened. I don't believe it… on the cafeteria floor as well? Tai, Raven and Summer never did that. Whipped cream, chocolate… someone kill me, please."

"Uncle Qrow!" Yang gasped.

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby echoed.

"Uncle Qrow?" Jaune asked.

"Oi!" the man, Qrow, growled. "You don't get to call me that. Not yet anyway. Not ever if I have my way," he added under his breath. "Ugh, I need a drink."

"And _I_ need a bigger office for all the detentions I'm about to hold," Miss Goodwitch growled. She stormed forward, flicking one hand and causing the room to rearrange itself. With a groan of concrete and metal, the cafeteria was slowly repaired. "Would somebody care to explain what happened here? Or should I just start handing out detentions left and right?"

"Hentacle did it," someone yelled.

"Detentions it is."

"Aww..."

* * *

 **There we go. Well, it was an odd chapter. In terms of pacing, one could say nothing happened, but I needed Qrow here, and didn't want to introduce him without at least a little scene for himself. It also sets up a few other themes which are important going forward. You probably all spotted a few of them.**

 **Was it shounen-esque? Maybe… but this fic is supposed to be a lot lighter than ones like Not this time, fate and Professor Arc.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 22** **nd** **June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	23. Chapter 23

**College Fool will be busy this whole week, so won't have as much input as normal on these. On an unrelated note, my account page has been updated here, now showing the next set of stories to come out once my others end. Some are different from what was on there previously, while one is an old, old idea that I deleted a long time ago, but which has come back.**

 **To answer a question I've received once or twice; yes, this fic is a fun little romp of amusement for me. I am indeed making fun of some things, and as people have noticed, including things I said I never would, but also taking the mickey a little bit.**

 **It's a sort of… self-aware mockery. Take it however you will.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 23 – Feathers and Wool**

* * *

Jaune wasn't sure what to think of his new mentor.

He wasn't sure why he suddenly _had_ a mentor either, or why no one else did, but here he was outside on one of Beacon's training areas, the ragged man stood beside him. Qrow Branwen had his hands on his hips, a stern, almost complicated, expression on his face. Red eyes looked down on him judgmentally, and those might have been intimidating were it not for Jaune being more used to red than not.

Well, the much smaller girl hopping frantically around him didn't help either.

"I need training," Ruby chirped, hopping in the air. She fell out of line of sight, or at least the line of sight Jaune had while meeting Qrow's eyes. With a huff, she appeared once more, arms waving. "Train me, Uncle Qrow."

"So," Qrow rasped. "You're Jaune Arc, huh? I've heard a lot about you."

"I need to get stronger!"

"You've heard of me?" Jaune asked. He laughed nervously. "Nothing bad, I hope?"

Qrow didn't answer.

Ruby jumped up, "Stop ignoring me!"

"Ozpin's asked me to keep an eye on your training. Set you on the right path. Now, I don't normally do this-"

Jaune tilted his head to the side. "Aren't you a teacher?"

"Okay, so I _do_ normally do this, but not for smart-mouthed brats. The only reason I'm even considering this is because Ozpin asked." Qrow shrugged. "That and I'm kind of hoping my Semblance might kick in on you."

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing, kid… I was just thinking how- OW!" Qrow yelped and drew back his hand. He waved it in the air and stared down and to the left. "You… you _bit_ me!"

"You taste bad!" Ruby growled, as if that were somehow his fault. "Also, stop ignoring me. I'm your niece!"

"I wasn't ignoring you. I was choosing not to answer you."

"It's the same thing!" Ruby roared. "Why are you training Jaune? Why does he get training when I don't? Why didn't you tell us you were coming to Beacon? Do you teach here now? Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I don't want you embarrassing me!"

Qrow raised an eyebrow. "You done, squirt?"

"Yeah," Ruby blinked. "I think so. Do I get to join in on the training then?"

"Nope."

"Uncle Qrow!"

Jaune looked between the two, feeling faintly confused and also a little out of the loop. _"Am I even involved in the conversation anymore? This is ridiculous."_

" **Is it? From what I can see, this is how every conversation between Jade, Hazel and bigger Hazel goes. Well, except for your Uncle not talking quite so much."**

Huh… good point. Uncle Hazel had always been the one in charge of the family's training, and his sisters took to it much better than he had. To be fair, they took to _everything_ better than he did, including the whole being children of the Queen of Grimm thing. Jade and Hazel could be the most demanding though, which was ironic when you considered how different Hazel was from Uncle Hazel, despite her being named after him.

And it was clear the taciturn faunus still had no idea what to think of the fact his Queen had named a child after him.

"Pleaaase!" Ruby whined. "I need to get stronger and you're the only person I know who uses a scythe. Besides, what would it hurt?"

"It would mean more work for me," Qrow said, "Which is why you're getting a big, fat nope." He looked to Jaune, eyes flat. "Let's start your training since this isn't going anywhere. I want you to run around this field."

"Okay. How many times?"

"Until I say stop…" Qrow smirked and reached for his weapon, a strange sword that didn't look at all like a scythe. Then again, if it was anything like everyone else's weapons, it was probably a sword, scythe, gun, motorcycle and microwave oven. "You have to keep running too," he went on, his smirk turning evil. "At full pace for as long as you can. If you slow down for even a moment, I'll give you a little _encouragement_ to continue. I think it's time we found out what your limits are."

"Is that all?" Jaune asked.

"Is that all…?" Red eyes narrowed. "No, in fact. Here." He reached behind him, dragging forth the backpack he'd brought with him to Beacon. Jaune caught it, a little impressed at the weight. "I want you to carry that at all times. There's about thirty or forty pounds of equipment in there. That should give you a decent workout."

Jaune looked down at it, then up at his mentor. The man's face was filled with glee. Jaune shrugged and pulled it on, tightening the straps on his shoulders. Well, training was training. It wasn't like Uncle Hazel hadn't done worse. He usually made Jaune carry one of his sisters. Which one depended on how foul a mood the man was in.

Jaune started to run around the field.

Qrow watched him go, a little disappointed that the kid hadn't gotten upset or complained. Ah well, maybe he was one of those arrogant ones that thought they were hot shit. A little humility would go a long way to making it clear who was in charge in their little dynamic. He chuckled to himself, reaching for his hip flask.

When he brought it back before his face, Ruby was latched onto it, his hand, and most of his arm.

"Train me!"

"You're annoying," he grunted. "You know that, right?"

"Yep. I can stop if you train me."

Qrow sighed and shook his arm, dislodging the girl who fell to the floor with a startled yelp. Considering he was sat down on a rock, it wasn't a long drop. He unscrewed the cap, leaning back and taking a long, well-deserve d swig. Ah, that was good. It didn't quite wipe away the trauma of what he'd seen earlier, but it was the first step on the road to it. "Why do you need more training anyway?" he asked, stashing it away. "I've already taught you most of what I know. The rest is just experience."

"I… need to beat somebody."

Qrow took one long look at his niece and slapped a hand into his forehead. "Oh my god, I leave you alone for like, two months and you become an avenger."

"What? No! It's not revenge," Ruby whined. "Well, sort of… it maybe is?"

Qrow leaned back.

"Someone made fun of me in sparring class! She just… I've never felt so humiliated before. I felt weak. I felt really pathetic and useless. I don't want to feel that again." Ruby looked away. "I don't want to be worthless."

Qrow sighed. He reached out and pushed her over.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"For the blatant guilt-trip attempt," he growled. Gods, it nearly worked as well. it always did. "Didn't I tell you not to do that anymore?"

"Maybe…" Ruby looked away guiltily, her previous angst long gone. Of course it was, since it was a bloody act she used. "I wasn't lying though. I do want to beat her next time. I don't want to lose and feel that embarrassed again."

Bah, teenagers. Qrow took another swig of booze and cursed the thought of them. Teenagers were crap. He should know. He'd been one. It was a time of hormones, confusion and everything being a competition, a time where you had more hopes than sense and not a chance of any of them. He'd also been in Ruby's shoes, embarrassed by another. He knew the feeling of being weak, especially when his sister was brought into the equation.

There was also that Grimm monster to worry about… and it _had_ taken an interest in Ruby before.

"Fine," he growled. He'd been doomed from the start, really. If there was a chalkboard of the times he'd given in to Ruby and Yang or held his ground, then it wouldn't need to be very big. There'd be a nice zero on his side, and a sideways eight on theirs. "Fine, I'll train you, you little brat. Gods, you're as annoying as your father."

"Yeah!" Ruby latched onto his neck, her body pressed against his back. "Thank you, Uncle Qrow," she cheered, kissing his cheek. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Tch… kids.

Who needed them? Not he, certainly. He squashed down the pleased feeling in his stomach and shrugged her off, wiping his cheek clean. It wasn't like he cared if she thought he was a cool uncle or something.

Come to think of it, he still needed to know what made the kid so special Salem would be after him. Qrow spared him a glance but was still doing his sprints. He was actually sprinting, too. He was almost surprised by that, since most of his students at Signal only sprinted for the first ten seconds or so, then started to jog.

"Say Ruby, you know this kid pretty well, right?"

"Jaune?" Ruby blinked. "Yep. We're really close."

He tried not to let that get to him. "What's he like then? I need to know if I'm going train you both," he added when he saw Ruby's suspicious expression.

"Oh right, that makes sense. Uh, Jaune…? Well, he's really kind. He's friendly and sweet, and he helps me in class and-"

"Combat ability, Rubes. I don't need to know about his innermost secrets." Especially if that might lead into territory that would leave him scarred for life. "What's he like when it comes to fighting?"

Fortunately, Ruby seemed only too eager to gush about her new friend. "He's amazing," she said. "He's super strong, not to mention really durable. He was snatched by a Nevermore in initiation and he just killed it on his own. Then he was taken by a Beowolf and managed to break free, _without_ a weapon!" She seemed particularly impressed with the latter, likely because she was just about useless without her scythe.

He'd done his best to break her of that dependency, but Ruby really wasn't built for unarmed combat. She also wouldn't take a secondary weapon, complaining that she couldn't cheat on her beloved like that. To be fair, she was also too slight for any other weapon. Maybe it was something she'd grow into.

"Did you see either of those occasions?" he asked.

"No… the first was before I was launched, and the second happened because three Beowolves attacked us. I killed two, but the last one ran away with him."

Qrow hummed and nodded. That confirmed Ozpin's tale about a kidnapping, as crazy as that sounded. It wasn't quite so unbelievable to him, since he knew of the existence of that Queen in the Grimmlands. He'd had the misfortune of meeting one of her people too – and those that had attacked Amber. _So, the kid is definitely special enough to warrant attention. There go my hopes of this being a wild goose chase._

"Um… Uncle Qrow…?"

He glanced down at Ruby. She was fidgeting with her hands. "Yeah?"

"You're not going to… be mean to Jaune, right?"

"What? No!" He laughed and hoped she wouldn't see through the paper-thin lie. "I'm just going to train him up. Make him strong, you know? Sure, it might be hard. So hard that he wants to puke his guts out, cry for his mother, or huddle in a ball in the corner…"

"Uncle…" Ruby's eyes were narrowed.

"But it's all for a good cause," he continued valiantly. "Trust me, Ruby. Your uncle knows what he's doing."

"Hm… okay…"

Okay, phew – he'd managed to trick her. Ruby wasn't the most socially aware of kids, but you couldn't underestimate her. When it came to things she was interested in, she became a lot more perceptive. This kid, this Jaune, was apparently one of those things. Come to think of it, he'd been running for a good ten minutes now. Qrow was surprised the kid hadn't folded already, but maybe now it was time to show a little mercy. If he wasn't already gasping for breath and twitching in a pool of his own vomit, that was.

"Okay, okay," Qrow called magnanimously, "You can stop running now."

"Really…?" Jaune asked, coming to a halt before him. "That's it?"

Huh?

The kid wasn't sweating, nor was he panting. His cheeks looked flushed, but that was about it. Qrow stared at him, and then looked to the backpack – which still looked heavy. He glanced back to the track. Yep, it wasn't a short one, and besides, the kid had been running for over ten minutes straight.

"Did you stop halfway?" he asked.

"Uh, no…" Jaune blinked. "You said you'd do something if I stopped running. I didn't want to test it."

But… but that didn't make sense. No one could run that hard and that fast, not for that length of time. _He_ couldn't. Hell, even Summer hadn't been able to and that girl had energy to put Ruby to shame. _Athletes_ didn't have that kind of endurance… not for ten minutes straight."

"You must have jogged it."

"He didn't," Ruby giggled. "Jaune has loads of stamina."

That… Qrow shook his head. On the one part, even `loads` of stamina didn't explain this. Secondly, for the sake of his sanity, he was going to assume Ruby meant that in the most innocent way possible, otherwise, performance or not, the kid was about to get intimately acquainted with his scythe. Qrow's eyes narrowed. More evidence of what had sparked Ozpin's interest, perhaps? The more he saw, the more he could sense something was going on.

This wasn't normal. People could jog for ten minutes, but not run, not with that much weight on them – which included the kid's armour. If they could, then they'd at least show the effects of it. He didn't even look winded.

It could have been Semblance related, he supposed. Ruby had speed, and while he'd never heard of a Semblance of enhanced stamina, it made sense it might be possible. Huh, maybe this wouldn't be as hard as he'd first expected. If he had this much conditioning, then all he needed to do was check on his skill and offer a few pointers.

How hard could that be?

"Okay, fine… whatever. I'll test this running of yours more in the future, _and_ I'll keep an eye on you the next time."

"You mean you weren't this time?"

"Moving on," Qrow said, ignoring the issue entirely. "I want to see you and Ruby spar against one another. I need to get an idea of what stage you're at, and fighting against me isn't going to do that." No matter how much Qrow wanted to beat the kid into place. It might spark Ozpin's ire a little too much if he pounded him on the first day. Besides, Ruby was right here. He couldn't do that in front of her. "Go and knock each other around over there. I'll watch. Oh, and Ruby…?"

"Hm, yeah?"

Qrow grinned. "I'll buy you some cookies from that expensive place you like if you beat him."

Crescent Rose was deployed at a speed even _he_ would have been pleased with. Ruby cocked back the handle, smiling at her soon to be perforated friend. Well, that was if she could beat him at all. Qrow wasn't convinced.

If this kid was so special even Salem wanted him, then he had to have some mad skills. He leaned forward, eager to see them in action. "Show me what you've got, Arc," he whispered.

Ruby charged forward.

Jaune hefted his sword and shield.

Qrow's face fell into his hands.

/-/

Mercury watched Cinder pace back and forth in the room, eyes blazing. Their dorm in Beacon wasn't small, but it certainly felt it when you were trapped in it with an irate Cinder Fall. He had his back to a wall, trying to look as nonchalant as he could while also trying to fade into the wallpaper. Emerald was on the other side, doing her best imitation of a lamp post. Neo was nowhere to be seen. _She_ , at least, had seen the writing on the wall and made a break for it.

Cinder was furious… and he had the sinking suspicion it wasn't because they had detention.

Everyone had detention.

Seriously, they were going to need multiple classrooms to hold them.

"He's here," Cinder ranted, throwing her arms in the air. "How is he here? _Why_ is he here? Why does he have an interest in Jaune?" It didn't take a genius to figure out who she meant, or that the question wasn't posed at him.

Qrow Branwen….

He was one of Ozpin's pawns, one of his most trusted agents. Even he knew that, and it was mostly from facing the guy head on. Cinder had called the retreat, either afraid of him or – more likely – exhausted from stealing half the maiden's powers. Either way, this wasn't a guy to take lightly.

"Emerald," she snapped, "You put illusions over our faces at the time, correct?"

"Y-Yes. Of course! There was no way he could have seen our faces, ma'am."

"Good. Good." Cinder sighed and slowed to a stop. "Our outfits are different enough as to not arouse suspicion, but I want you both to stick to the uniform when in Beacon. No chances. Am I understood?"

"Yes ma'am," they both echoed.

"What should we do about him?" Emerald added.

"Nothing. Not yet, anyway. There is any number of reasons he could be here, and none necessarily prevent him from leaving again."

"Perhaps he's just here to visit family," Mercury suggested.

"I might have accepted that, dear Mercury, were it not for the fact that he dragged my brother away before my eyes." Cinder's hand snapped into a fist, bursting into flame a moment later. "What are his intentions? What does he want my brother for?"

"W-Well, it can't be for anything bad, can it?" he asked, and winced when her attention turned to him. "Jaune was never involved in anything we did before. There's literally no way Qrow Branwen could know about him, right? If it _was_ something bad, I'd imagine he would have attacked immediately."

Cinder held his gaze, and for the longest time he feared he'd said something wrong. To his relief, she nodded and relaxed. "You are right. Well done, Mercury. Your input is more than valid."

Emerald growled.

"His presence is troubling but not yet worrisome," Cinder went on. "It could easily become that, however. We are all of us aware of Jaune's current record on keeping his Grimm form under wraps. The longer her is around, the more danger he is in."

And it was still their job to look after him at the end of the day. Mercury's face paled as he realised that, and judging from Emerald's loud groan, she had too. "We're going to have to do something, aren't we?" he asked. "What can we do against a trained huntsman? We're in the middle of Beacon. It's not like we can deal with him ourselves."

Honestly, he was just relieved the guy's appearance had completely removed all thoughts of killing Ruby Rose from Cinder's mind. That would have been a hard thing to explain away, especially after the girl chucked a meat dinner in his boss' face.

Mercury's scroll beeped, hinting at a message received. It also drew all attention to him, and he hurriedly tried to silence it before Cinder become annoyed. No such luck.

"Who is that?" she snapped.

"V- My contact," he said, checking the scroll. Cinder wouldn't know the name anyway.

"Your contact!" Cinder gasped. "Yes, perfect!"

It was?

"We can't approach him for fear of being recognised," she continued, "either for our skills, form of dress of the risk he remembered our physiques. Still, we need to know why he's here and what he's doing with my brother. Your contact can play into that perfectly." Her eyes narrowed in on his. "Have her find out whatever information she can on him and what he's doing with Jaune."

Mercury's stomach fell. Yeah… it was definitely a plan. It would work, sure, and was no risk to them, but he had no idea how to convince Velvet to do all of that. The hesitation must have shown on his face, for Cinder raised an eyebrow. "I'm just not sure how to convince her without giving anything away," he said, keeping his voice as calm as possible. "I'm not saying I won't do it. Of course I will. It's just…"

Cinder nodded. "I understand. You are new to this, I suppose. Very well, since you've been particularly useful, I suppose I can extend some advice in return."

He nodded his head, relieved she wasn't upset.

"Your goal should be to create a business arrangement of sorts with her," she instructed, hands crossed under her breasts. "No one does anything for free, Mercury. If you cannot intimidate her into submission – and you can't when we need to keep our cover – then you must entice her to _want_ to do this task. You will also need to do so in a way that does not raise her suspicions." She waved a hand. "Seeing as she believes you Jaune's friend, you could simply say that you are concerned for his safety and that your initial attempts to question Qrow Branwen were rebuffed."

Okay, that made sense. He nodded along but didn't try to interrupt.

"As for convincing her to help you, it's perhaps best to phrase it as a question and suggest that you will owe her something in return. If you know what it is she wants, you can offer that. I'm guessing you don't, however." She rolled her eyes when he coughed awkwardly. "It would be in your best interests to find out what motivate your new friend. It will let you control her all the more effectively."

"Is that how you control Torchwick, ma'am?"

"Somewhat," she said, not at all annoyed by the question. "His is a little different since he knows of our plans and is a potential risk. His loyalty must be enforced, while your contacts might yet be bought. Ultimately, she is no risk to us, so the more drastic measures can be avoided." She eyed him for a moment. "Is that enough, Mercury? I trust you do not need me to repeat myself."

"No, I've got it." He nodded his head. "Thanks for the advice, Cinder. I'll do my best to act like you would. I'll find out whatever I can."

"I will too," Emerald interrupted. "I mean, if you want me to, ma'am? Two sets of ears are better than one."

He had to roll his eyes at how desperate she sounded. Oh dear, was someone feeling let out? Heh…

"You can try, I suppose," Cinder said, casually dismissing her.

Emerald looked pained.

"I must head out to speak with my mistress," Cinder said. "I can't do so in Beacon, so I'll be sneaking out into Vale. Until then, I expect the two of you not to cause any scenes. Mercury, whatever it is your contact wishes in return – grant it."

"Anything, ma'am?"

"So long as it does not go against our goals, yes." She fixed her eyes on him. "Anything. Wealth, power, influence… all can be arranged."

Mercury tried to imagine Velvet with any of those things. They didn't really fit, especially the image of her with one foot atop her partner's back, bedecked in golden chains. Still, she had to want something. He nodded, waiting for Cinder to leave the room before his shoulders fell. Sheesh… this was going to be a pain.

"Good luck on your task," Emerald snorted. "This is where you fail, Mercury."

His response was fully automatic. "I don't need luck, babe."

"Is that so? Well then, I can't wait to see you convince some random girl to give up an hour or more of her time every day for this." Her smile was nothing less than smug. She had him to rights, and she damn well knew it. "You'll need a silver tongue to go with that hair of yours. Frankly, I don't think you've got what it takes, Merc. This is where Cinder sees what you're _really_ made of." Emerald leaned in to whisper, "Nothing…"

"Heh…" He stood his ground, despite the trepidation he felt. "Nothing would be you lately, wouldn't it, Em? A whole load of no results, not to mention no answers to Cinder's questions. Face it, babe. You're second best."

"You bastard…"

"Don't worry, Em. You'll always have a place in my heart."

"I'll literally _have_ a piece of your heart if you keep that up." The bile she'd had for him earlier was still there, but it was tempered now – mostly by her self-satisfied confidence. "Anyway, _babe,_ " she mocked, "I have to go and find out everything I can about this guy. I'll say again, good luck convincing your girl to help you out."

"My girl, huh? Sounds like someone is jealous."

Emerald didn't take the bait. She'd won this round. They both knew it. Now, she intended to depart the scene and savour it, long before he could think of some way to steal it back. "I'll see you later, Merc." She paused by the door. "Oh, and don't worry… there's always second best, right?"

The door slammed shut.

"Tch, what a bitch…" He cracked his neck, sitting down on his bed with a sigh. Damn it. She had him. She bloody had him. Of all the things he could have been tasked with, why did it have to be this? Mercury looked down at his scroll, a scowl on his face.

How was he meant to convince Velvet to give up her time to spy on Jaune?

/-/

When Ruby dragged Jaune back to the cafeteria, it was to find the room stoically quiet and almost suspiciously still. She wondered for a moment if it was something about their entrance, but quickly realised the nervous looks towards her was to actually see if it was Miss Goodwitch who had entered. Everyone was still nervous about their detentions and afraid to so much as drop a crumb on the floor lest it be mistaken for culinary assault.

She wasn't so bothered herself. Yeah, it sucked to have a detention, but since everyone else had one too, it wasn't like it meant anything. Weiss couldn't even tell her off for it. Well, unless she realised it was her who had accidentally thrown the can of grape soda at her feet.

Yang grinned and waved as they came over. "Hey Rubes, hey champ. How did it go?"

"Great!" Ruby said. "Qrow's going to buy me cookies."

"Why am I the champ?" Jaune asked.

"Because you managed to attract Uncle Qrow's attention," Yang said. "It's not like he goes out of his way to teach people."

"Isn't he a teacher?"

"Uh… well, yeah, technically…" She scratched her cheek. "It's more like… there's teachers and then there are _teachers_ , okay? I guess you could saw Uncle Qrow is like Port."

"A violent psychopath…?"

Yang paused, as did most of the other people at the table. "Well, you're not _wrong,_ " she admitted. "I meant more in the sense of his lessons being questionable. He spent half of our lessons hung over."

"And the other half?"

"Drunk."

Ruby giggled at the shocked expressions from the rest of the table. That was just Uncle Qrow for you. She'd gotten used to it, as had most of Signal, and it wasn't like he didn't tell them what page to read before he passed out. Whenever he got to sparring practice, being drunk just made him nastier. It meant the training was more effective.

"Still," Yang went on, "You must have done something pretty special to catch his attention like that. For him to come all the way from Patch just to be _your_ mentor? That's crazy."

"I agree," Weiss said. "For a professional huntsman, no matter how unprofessional, to take you on as a student…? It's a big thing."

"Perhaps he sees some potential in you," Pyrrha added.

"Oh, oh!" Nora slammed her hand down on the table. "Maybe he _likes_ you."

"Nora, eww…" Yang made a scrunched up face, while Ruby tried not to gag on the mental image. Qrow and _anyone_ was bad enough. Qrow and Jaune was just wrong. "Besides, Uncle Qrow is always going on about how much he chases skirts. He's a complete letch. I don't think he'd be like that."

"But didn't you say he's a bachelor? Maybe he's compensating for something. He's not ugly, so if he chases girls that bad, then why doesn't he have a girlfriend?"

Ruby blinked. Huh… now that she thought about it…

A glance toward Yang saw her sister looking back, her face just as uncertain. It made a disturbing amount of sense. Uncle Qrow _had_ been alone for a long time.

"He's either the unluckiest man on Remnant," Nora continued, "or he's trying too hard because he wants to cover for something." She gasped and leaned forward. "Oh my God, what if he's after _your_ father. What if their team was so complex that _everyone_ fell for your Dad, and Qrow felt left out because he was the only one who didn't marry- Yang, Ruby? What are you doing?"

Ruby couldn't answer… mostly because she was on hands and knees, trying her hardest not to retch. The images… oh god, the images… make them stop!

"Nora," Ren sighed, rubbing his own partner's back as retched. "Can you not throw around your wild theories at the dinner table? I'd prefer it if my partner wasn't scarred for life."

"Ren," Yang whimpered. "I can see the light at the end of the tunnel…"

"Don't go near it. It might be Nora."

Yang shuddered.

"Okay, Ruby and Yang's questionable family aside…"

Ruby wanted to smash her head on the floor. She couldn't believe _Jaune_ of all people got to call her family questionable. What was the world coming to?

"-I don't think it's quite like that. He literally said that he was training me because headmaster Ozpin asked him to."

"That makes even less sense," Weiss sighed. "Why would the headmaster want you trained specifically? What did he train you on?"

"Not really anything. He had me run laps for a bit with a heavy pack, and then made me spar against Ruby." He shrugged. "I lost by the way. She totally beat me."

"Why do you sound so pleased about that!"

"W-Well, I mean, you know…" Jaune trailed off weakly.

Ruby rolled her eyes. She'd noticed that too, especially how he didn't seem quite as upset to lose as he should have. The fight had been pretty easy, albeit that she'd needed to hit him like fifty times before he started showing any effect. He just hadn't been able to keep up with her speed. His stamina was still monstrous though. To her, it was obvious.

He'd been holding back.

It was the only thing which made sense, especially since she knew he could apparently beat Cinder Fall. There'd been no attempt by Jaune to use a super-secret Semblance on her, even when she used hers all the time. She didn't know _why_ he'd thrown the fight, but she had a suspicion it was because he wanted to make her feel better about her loss, or help her look good in front of her Uncle.

Okay… so maybe that made her feel a little warm inside, but still! He shouldn't be going easy on her!

"I'm not saying I'm happy to have lost… it's just that I think it explains things, doesn't it? Ozpin probably asked Qrow to come and train me because I'm no good at fighting." He smiled, entirely too pleased with the idea. "He's a teacher at a school for huntsmen who are just starting out, so it makes sense he'd be better to teach me than someone like Miss Goodwitch."

Jaune might have sounded sure, but Ruby wasn't. She rolled her eyes, and then looked to Weiss in time to see the heiress having done the exact same thing. The two locked eyes, and then rolled them again for good measure.

Who did he think he was fooling?

"I'm sure that's it," Pyrrha said, patting Jaune's arm. Even she sounded like she didn't believe him, but was going along to try and make him feel better. Pyrrha had already explained her aversion of being noticed or judged for her skill and reputation, so Ruby understood why she was being so nice to Jaune.

"This is ridiculous," Weiss grumbled. "Jaune, you _do_ realise that having a unique talent is not a terminal disease, right?"

"Unique?" His eyes widened. "I don't have anything like that. I'm just like everyone else. I have-"

"We know," Yang said loudly, holding a hand over his lips. "You don't need to go into it again. Okay, fine. So, Uncle Qrow is training Jaune because he's _clearly_ so bad that he needs help with his combat ability." Yang made sure to ladle some extra sarcasm on that.

"Exactly," Jaune smiled, missing it entirely.

"Did you manage to convince him to take you on as well, Rubes?"

"Yep."

"You badgered him into submission, didn't you?"

"Yep."

"Aren't you still doing your night training with Pyrrha?"

"Yep," Ruby repeated for the third time. She glanced to her partner. "If Pyrrha's not busy, I mean…"

"I'm happy to help, Ruby. You know that." Her partner, friend, and all-around coolest teammate in the world smiled. "Besides, it's a chance for me to improve on my accuracy. Hitting a target moving so fast is much more difficult than I expected."

 _Not difficult enough,_ Ruby thought, recalling the previous night. Ouch. Pyrrha hit like a truck. Still, the training was good and she was definitely learning something, even if it was what _not_ to do each time one of her moves was countered. It also didn't feel as distressing to lose as it did with Cinder. Pyrrha never teased her and never acted like she took pleasure in knocking her down.

If anything, the training was making their friendship all the stronger. Bonus points!

"Hey, maybe you should do some late night training as well, Weiss," Ruby said.

Her comment didn't go down as well as she'd hoped.

"Excuse me? Are you suggesting I'm deficient in my ability?" Weiss' book his the table, followed by her hands.

"No, no, no. I meant as a team thing. You could spar with Jaune, right? That way we'd all have a partner training thing going on. It would be cute."

"I've already sparred with him numerous times." Weiss glared at her partner, only lessening it when he wilted before her. "It's an exercise in futility, not to mention frustration. I don't think I would improve from it other than in handling my rage."

"And stamina," Pyrrha pointed out.

Weiss shrugged, conceding the point. It still didn't mean she was going to waste two hours of her night trying to poke holes in someone with an aura the size of a Goliath. "What do you think of your new mentor?" she asked, hoping to change the subject.

"He seems okay," Jaune said. "I mean, cardio is important. My Dad always says it's the most important skill for a huntsman."

"Really?"

"Yeah. He says there's no enemy you can't survive if you're really good at running."

Ruby felt a bead of sweat run down her brow. That was… well, it wasn't _wrong_ per se. Even as Yang giggled to herself and Blake rolled her eyes, Ruby couldn't entirely deny it. It would also be a _little_ hypocritical for her to say anything. Throwing stones in a glass house and all that…

"But what do you think of _him_ ," Weiss stressed.

"He's… okay…"

Yang waved a hand. "You can tell the truth. We're not going to be offended."

Jaune slumped. "He's _weird_."

Ouch. Coming from Jaune Arc no less… Ruby would have complained but well, it _was_ Uncle Qrow. He was awesome as an Uncle, and as a huntsman, but there was no denying he was odd.

"He drinks so much, and my Mom never liked that. He also keeps muttering things to himself, sending me weird looks and just sort of wandered off shaking his head after our spar ended. He didn't even give us any advice on what would make it better."

"That's Uncle Qrow for you," Yang said. "He babysat us once."

"Once," Ruby agreed.

Dad had never let him do it again. On the bright side, Zwei had managed to put the fire out and save the house. On the even brighter side, they never had to put up with Drunkle Qrow babysitting them again. Result.

"I'm not saying he'll be a bad mentor," Jaune defended, "it's just that he's odd. I don't know. He doesn't feel as professional as Miss Goodwitch. Maybe I'm just reading him wrong. He seemed distracted."

"Eh, you're not wrong," Yang said. "He _is_ strong though. Make no mistake of that."

Jaune nodded. "Oh, I can tell. I mean, if he's weird then he has to be strong, right?"

Ruby blinked, unsure what that was supposed to mean. She looked to Pyrrha for an answer, but she shrugged, just as confused as Ruby. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, it's just that he's a bit off," Jaune said, making a vague gesture towards his head. She felt like she ought to have defended her Uncle, but really… it was _Qrow_. "In my experience, all the strongest fighters are crazy. It's just a rule."

Pyrrha giggled into her hand. "Jaune, I don't think there's a rule for that. Why would you even think it?"

"I've never seen it be proven wrong," he said. He sounded convinced. "My uncles are all really strong, and they're downright bizarre."

"Maybe it's just uncles in general," Yang suggested. "Besides, in what way are they odd?"

"Well, Uncle Tyrian is a bit of a psycho. He basically walks around calling my Mom a Goddess, and spends the rest of his time talking like a poet."

"So he's into poetry," Weiss said. "That's not odd. It's art."

"No, you don't understand. He's into poetry like Yang is into puns."

"He sounds awesome," Yang grinned.

"He sounds horrible," Ren deadpanned. Yang squawked and asked him what _that_ was supposed to mean, but the rest of them just nodded in understanding.

"My others aren't much better," Jaune went on. "Hazel is really quiet and doesn't talk much, but he's a nightmare when it comes to training people. He also gets really faraway looks sometimes, and one of my sisters told me how he took her into Mistral and would get cans of pop from vending machines by punching them into submission."

 _Sounds like Yang,_ Ruby wanted to say.

"Sounds like Nora," Ren said.

"I like him already!" Nora added.

"Uncle Watts is a little saner, but he still does weird stuff. Whenever someone buys me something, he has this weird thing where he has to buy something bigger and better. I actually have a car, by the way."

"You can drive?" Yang asked, amazed.

"No." Jaune sighed. "I also don't have a driveway, a garage, or a road within at least several hundred miles of where I live. To this day, I don't even know how he got the car there." He shook his head and picked at his food. "To be honest, the only sane and strong huntsman I know is my Dad."

This was the man who got captured, imprisoned, and then chose to seduce and sleep with the one who did it to him, fathering what was it, eight children with her? Ruby shared a look with her team. Each of them nodded back. Yep, his father was as insane as the rest.

"Okay, admittedly that's a rather compelling argument, but I'm not sure it applies to everyone," Pyrrha tried. "You can't just-"

"Port." Jaune sighed.

"W-Well…"

"Oobleck."

"He's- I mean, it's really more of an addiction I think…"

"Ozpin, Goodwitch, Qrow," Jaune waved a hand as though to go on, but didn't. "I suppose we could include Torchwick in that too, a guy who walks around wearing mascara."

"And is a criminal," Weiss added. "I'd have thought that would be the first sign something was wrong with him, as opposed to the man-liner."

"W-Well, it's a small sample size," Pyrrha said desperately. Ruby thought she could _see_ the girl's world tumbling down around her. "It's not like it proves anything, right? It's not like it's a perquisite to being a good huntsman or huntress."

No one at the table could answer.

Weiss groaned, "We're all going to go insane, aren't we?"

"Probably," Blake said. "I'd say half of us are already there."

/-/

Ozpin raised an eyebrow as Qrow Branwen burst through the door to his office. The grizzled huntsman looked far more haggard than he usually did for… what was it, four in the afternoon? He stormed forward, pulled out a chair and sat down opposite the headmaster. He also reached over and drank his coffee.

"Help yourself…" Ozpin drawled.

"Cool, thanks. I needed that." Qrow put the cup down, which tottered and spilled out, the last dregs somehow slithering across the desk on an unerring path for Ozpin's paperwork.

He pulled it out of the way and sighed. "Could you not do that?"

"If I could turn it off, I would. Fair warning, it's going for your computer."

Ozpin managed to save the document before the tiny drizzle slipped onto the keyboard, and then somehow managed to short circuit the whole thing. It didn't make sense. Semblances rarely did. "I suppose there's a reason you felt the need to break into my office," Ozpin said, "other than causing undue damage to my equipment." He blinked, and then added, "Also, my office is at the top of an elevator. Why, and how, did you break through the door?"

Qrow pulled out his hip flask and took a long swig. "Yeah, you're going to need a new elevator. As for how, I climbed up. Don't you have a secondary entrance or something?"

He did, but there was no way he was going to tell Qrow about it. He'd like to _keep_ his second entrance, thank you very much. Ozpin sighed and pulled out his scroll, sending a quick message to Glynda requesting she contact a repairman.

"So," he began, once it was sent. "How did your first meeting with Mr Arc go?"

The way Qrow's head banged against the desk didn't speak well.

"He's a joke," he growled. "It's ridiculous! He can't fight for peanuts, not to mention that Ruby basically tore him to pieces in front of my eyes. He's got stamina, sure. The idiot can run for ages and take a beating to boot, but when it comes to _actual_ fighting? Oh my God, let me get started…"

Ozpin rolled his eyes and listened with half an ear as Qrow read out a laundry list of problems with the student's combat ability. They ranged from stance to balance, and also general aggression. During it, Ozpin poked his computer, trying to see if he could coax some life back into it.

"Are you even listening!?"

"Yes," he lied. "He was able to fight off Grimm on numerous occasions, however. Salem's interest in the boy is clear, assuming that Hentacle was sent by her. Considering his appearance, I find it hard to believe otherwise."

"Yeah, too much of a coincidence there," Qrow added. "It's just… the kid's a mess. I tried to talk to him afterwards, and the answers I got to my questions were ridiculous."

"How so? I've found Mr Arc to be a forthright, if unusual, young man."

"Pah, that's putting it lightly. I tried to do a little digging like you asked me to, find out if he knows anything about what makes him so special." He grumbled something under his breath and swung his feet up atop the desk. They instantly scuffed the polish. "I got to talking about his fighting ability and he seemed _pleased_ I wasn't impressed, like being average – or below average – was some kind of accomplishment. I asked him what made him so special, and he started talking about _knees_ or something. Knees, Ozpin. God damned knees!"

"I did say unusual…"

"That's putting it lightly. I pushed him on how he killed the Grimm and he just sort of shrugged, made up some silly story about how he _convinced_ the Nevermore to let him go by being nice to it. When I asked about the Beowolf, he got this miserable expression and said it `wouldn't be convinced` so he had to put it down."

Ozpin leaned forward, "Which he managed unarmed, Qrow."

"I know, I know. I can see the writing on the wall." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "The kid's holding back. It's obvious. I think even Ruby saw it, and she mentioned something about how if he used his Semblance, he'd have won easily. Thing is, the kid went _very_ tight-lipped about what exactly that was."

Interesting. Very interesting. Ozpin didn't think he needed to tell Qrow to look a little more into that. If anything, it looked like his frustration today had only convinced him to try harder. "Will you be continuing your training with him then? It would be in our best interests for Salem not to acquire him, _whatever_ it is that makes him special."

"Yeah, I'll keep going," Qrow growled. "If only to beat the truth out of him. I've got a few ideas of what I can do. I've told him to meet me in the training areas at six each morning."

Six? That seemed unusually early, especially for Qrow. He seemed to recall that the man liked to rise at the crack of noon, and no sooner. "I do hope you're not taking out any frustrations on the young man," Ozpin warned. "Frustrations of a… protective nature."

"I have no idea what you mean."

Qrow's face was flat… but not very convincing.

"Young Miss Rose and Xiao-Long?"

"I have no idea what you mean. Never heard of them."

"Keep him alive, please. I don't wish to explain to an over-protective parent why their son died in our care. I'm not sure who his mother is, but if she is anything like the father, then I'd rather not deal with it."

"Yeah, and that's another thing," Qrow said. "Since when did Nicholas Arc get married?"

Yes, that was an interesting question, wasn't it? Although none could have called he and Nicholas close, Ozpin did have a tendency to keep an eye on some of the stronger huntsmen and huntresses across Vale. Nicholas was one such, and if he'd gotten married, let alone had children, then he felt confident in saying he would have heard about it. "I hadn't known," he admitted. "I also didn't know you knew Nicholas."

"I don't," he shrugged, "not personally anyway. Hard not to know _of_ the guy though, he's crazy strong. I hear the Grimm can't even _touch_ him. Like, he never gets injured by them. Ever. It's damn weird."

"Which makes his son's performance all the stranger, don't you think?"

"Yeah. If he was trained by Nicholas, then there's no way he can't hold his own. The kind of stamina he has, there _has_ to be some training there." Qrow growled. "If he thinks he can fake being useless and trick me, he has another thing coming. I'll drag the truth out of him, find out what Salem is after, and then finally find out what he intends to do with my nieces!"

Ozpin sighed. He felt like pointing out the last part wasn't entirely integral to their plans, but didn't bother. It wasn't like Qrow would listen.

"Speaking of," he went on, "What are you going to do about this Hentacle guy? I can't exactly hunt him down if I'm stuck looking after the kid. The moment I leave him alone, he's going to get snatched. We're lucky he got out the first two times, but luck has a habit of wearing thin – especially when I'm around."

"There's little we can do at this time. He has yet to remain on the scene once a professional huntsman arrives… he also has the backing of Torchwick, and yes, Qrow, I realise that bodes poorly for the future. I am looking into it."

"He has more than the _backing_ of Torchwick if the rumours are believed. Sounds like he spends a lot of his time behind him anyway, if you know what I mean."

"Qrow… that was not the mental image I needed."

"I mean, do you think they do it normally?"

"Qrow…"

"Or do you think he uses his ten-"

"Qrow!"

"Oh right, sorry." He neither sounded nor looked apologetic. "Anyway, my point is that I can't be in two places at once. The way I see it, we have one objective; keep the kid away from Salem. I'm all for making him strong enough to look after himself, but I'd feel a little safer if we did the second option too, aka exterminate that son of a bitch with extreme prejudice."

"And your fascination with this option has nothing to do with a certain newspaper clipping I sent through to you?" Ozpin asked. Qrow neither confirmed or denied it, but it wasn't like he needed to. "Qrow, I think we should leave him to the proper authorities for now."

"Ozpin, that thing touched my niece. I _am_ the proper authority."

"And right now there is nothing that can be done," he countered. "Keeping Mr Arc away from those who cannot be trusted is more important. We would have wanted you here eventually anyway. I'm concerned about Amber's safety."

"Yeah, no kidding. Some old guy has her locked up in his basement."

"Because of Hentacle," Ozpin sighed. "Not me."

Qrow laughed. "I'm kidding, Oz. Don't worry. I get it." He kicked his feet off the table and rose up. "I guess I'll be sticking around anyway, so I can help out. "I'll be training Ruby alongside him, so maybe that'll help him come out of his shell a little. I'll do what I can to draw this Semblance out of him, and report back what I find."

"And if you see Hentacle…"

"I'll only act to defend everyone," he said, "But fair warning, if Ruby or Yang are in danger – they come first."

Ozpin nodded. It wasn't like he expected any less, and hopefully it wouldn't come up. From what little he'd seen, if they were in danger then Mr Arc would not be willing to leave without saving them either. Things would be fine. Qrow was more than strong enough.

"Anyway, I'll head off," he said, wandering toward the door. "I'll catch you later. It's been a long journey here and I need to grab some rest."

"Ah, Qrow, didn't you say the elevator was bro-"

Qrow took a step through the door and vanished. A long wail faded down below, followed by the sound of an impact, and then heavy cursing. Ozpin sighed and reached a hand up to massage the bridge of his nose.

"Never mind…"

/-/

Qrow sighed and settled down into his room, sipping a cold can of beer he'd brought along. It was a wonder the kid hadn't asked what was in the backpack he'd been told to run around the track with, but it hardly mattered. He had other things on his mind.

Namely, a thing with tentacles, Grimm powers and a tendency to run into his nieces…

Leave it to the proper authorities? Yeah, right. Ozpin might have been fine playing the long game, and Qrow was normally happy to go along with the guy, but this was different. If Ruby and Yang were in danger, then he couldn't leave things as they were.

On the other hand, he couldn't leave the kid either. Salem wanted him. That was clear. Whatever _she_ wanted, he didn't want to let happen. Ruby and Yang might not survive that either, especially if she wanted him for some ability or power he had.

 _I can't be in two places at once. I need to stay here in Beacon, but I can't just leave Hentacle to run free around the city, especially if he's in cahoots – or bed – with Torchwick._

He couldn't be in two places at once, but there might be someone who could take over the task of hunting Hentacle down.

It was just convincing them that would be the problem.

There was a knock at the door. Qrow sighed and looked at his beer, then toward the source of the noise. If he stayed really quiet, they might go away. Unless it was Ruby, in which case she'd continue forever. Or Yang, in which case the door would be knocked down. Or Glynda, or Ozpin, or Port... in the end, he sighed and staggered over. It wasn't worth the risk.

The face that looked back at him as he opened the door was familiar. Too familiar. Qrow checked his scroll.

"I said six in the morning, kid."

"I know," Jaune nodded. "I just thought, well, since you're my mentor and all, I should come to you if I needed some advice. Besides, you'd be the best to know."

"Ugh." Qrow rubbed his forehead. "I'm your combat mentor, not a life coach. Fine. You get one question. What is it?"

Jaune smiled and nodded.

"I need to ask Yang on a date. What would you suggest?"

The door slammed shut in his face. Qrow staggered to his table, sat down, and then sighed as the chair broke, spilling him onto the carpet. He considered standing, then gave up and simply brought the can to his lips. Nope. He wasn't dealing with this nightmare. Nuh-uh.

He was going to drink until he could forget the whole damned day ever happened.

* * *

 **Ah, there we go. An enjoyable enough chapter to write, and hopefully to read as well. Qrow is an enjoyable character, and probably one of my favourites, even if his dialogue comes across a little dense at times.**

 **And my, oh my, it does feel like I made a lot of gay jokes in this chapter. I blame their teenage hormones, well, that and the shock of Torchwick's suggestive behaviour around Hentacle. Obviously, no offence is meant and all that. This is a comedy Fanfiction and the views are expressed by fictional characters in a fictional world.**

 **Besides, we all know Qrow just** _ **is**_ **that unlucky. Poor guy. Somewhere on Remnant, there's a guy who gained a Semblance for too "much" luck, and contrary to expectation, his life is just as painful. Whenever he drops a cone of ice-cream, a nearby kid's is knocked out of their hands by a pigeon and into his – whereupon he's instantly beset by an angry mother, whose skirt falls down randomly – leading to him being slapped.**

 **And he's won the lottery so many times he fears for his life. He doesn't even enter them anymore but he keeps winning! The criminals are hiding outside his house, and it's only luck that allows him to survive to his car each morning, their bullets whizzing overhead – luckily missing him but causing untold damage to everyone else.**

 **He just wants a normal life!**

 **Ahem… yes… well, random fic idea there I suppose, lol. As a reminder, my profile is updated, and future fics are now detailed there. I've tried to include reasons for why some have been delayed, since I know people were looking forward to specific ones.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 29** **th** **June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	24. Chapter 24

**This week had one of those amusing beta instances I tend to think other authors would balk at. Basically, College Fool received this and looked over it last night, and I woke up this morning to a PM that (very politely and with good reasoning) said "Yeah, I think like everything from the middle onwards needs to be changed entirely."**

 **It was a huge amount of work, and I can't help but think most people would have said "Lol, no way." I just shrugged, and figured the points raised were good ones. As such, this was gutted back down to 4k words, and then re-written. Good times!**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 24 – Huntresses among Sheep**

* * *

Mercury sighed for what felt like the tenth time and knocked on the door. It was eight in the morning, and already a time when he'd normally be getting ready for lessons. Luckily, it was a weekend, but that just meant he was awake at a time he'd normally be sleeping. The people on the other side of the door must have been the same, for he heard some vague cussing followed by the sound of something heavy falling out of a bed.

He then heard enough swears and curses that even _he_ felt impressed. There was the sound of padding feet, then a latch being pulled. The door slammed open, revealing a pretty brunette in her pyjamas, one shoulder revealed as the cotton hung loose.

She also wore sunglasses… to bed.

"State your purpose or die," Coco Adel said, the threat cut off by a powerful yawn. "Actually, it might be state your purpose _and_ die as well. I'm not quite sure yet."

"I'm here for Velvet."

Normally, he'd have gone for something a little more flirtatious, just to play with her, but it didn't look like Coco was in the mood, and he could sympathise. The girl nodded, yawned again, and then turned back into her room.

"Hey Bun, your boy-toy's here to take you away."

"Mrffl…?" Velvet asked.

"Mercury," Coco replied.

"Ufbrl…?"

"Yeah."

Mercury whistled. "You can understand that?"

"Yes." Coco yawned. "No. Maybe? I don't know. What time is it?"

"Eight."

"In the morning?"

"Unless you slept all day, yes."

"Wouldn't be the first time." Coco sighed and looked behind her, and he could hear the sound of a zombie moving around inside, presumably as Velvet fell into her dresser in the vague hopes clothing would find her. "Give her a second," Coco said. "We're none of us good at waking up early here. Well, except Yatsu with his spiritual crap. I swear, if he offers me another herbal infusion tea, I'll snap. Oh, on that note, you pull this again and I'll shove my handbag up your ass and deploy it."

"Deploy…?"

Coco smirked. "You don't want to find out. Oh wait, here she comes."

Velvet stepped out from behind Coco, and to her credit she'd managed to find an outfit and put it on without any problems. Her hair was stuck up a little though, and that created a surprisingly cute image with her ears above it. One was bent halfway, almost like they too hadn't quite woken.

He wondered what would happen if he pushed it up. Would the other fold down?

"Hey Velvet," he said. "Sorry for waking you up. I wanted to ask you something and thought it would be better in person."

She yawned and pawed at one eye. "Hm? Okay. I'm here…"

He spared a glance for her partner. "Preferably in private."

"Ooh, mysterious." Coco made some sarcastic hand gestures. "Do you really think I'd eavesdrop on a personal conversation between my own partner and her new boy-toy?"

"Yes," Velvet answered. She sighed and stepped out the room, grabbing him by the hand. "Come on, we can talk outside. Coco won't leave the room unless she has thirty minutes to prepare and check if her clothes are still in fashion."

"Lies and slander!" Coco yelled as they departed.

Velvet took him down one of the corridors, almost unusually insistent, but he supposed it was the early hours making her too tired to even realise how forceful she was being. Normally, she'd have been far shyer. They passed through an archway and outside, and the warm morning breeze was a welcome relief. Mercury sighed, and even Velvet seemed to wake up a little more, the fresh air giving her what she needed.

He could tell because she suddenly realised they were holding hands and yanked hers away, cheeks aflame.

Ah, to take advantage of that and tease her. It was hard to resist. Luckily for her, he wanted her co-operation, and that meant not starting things by pissing her off. Mercury pretended he hadn't noticed, and made sure not to do anything nasty like wipe his hand clean. It wasn't like he had any problem with faunus in general. They were a cool sort, and it wasn't like people were any less a bunch of dicks because they didn't have animal ears.

Besides, Velvet was nice enough. Well, actually, she was too nice.

Too nice by far…

"So, why did you want to talk with me?" she asked nervously. "You have my number if you needed something."

"I thought it would be best to talk in person."

Something about his tone must have made her nervous. "Is something wrong?"

"Not wrong, at least not on my side." He ran a hand through his hair. Ugh. How to explain? "You know Jaune, right?"

He knew she did, but it wasn't a bad starting point. Velvet nodded.

"You know that he and I are friends, right?" he asked again, and received another nod. Okay, good. Now came the hard part, weaving a believable and absolutely bullshit tale that contained little nuggets of truth. "Well, we were friends long before Beacon, and I guess in a way, I was always looking out for him. It was my job to make sure nothing bad happened to him."

"Kind of like an older sibling?"

"Yeah. I was like his older brother." It was a perfect mix of truth and lies. The latter half was all completely accurate, while the only falsehood was the timing.

"Is that why you came to Beacon?" Velvet asked. "So you could continue to look after your little brother?"

"Pretty much," he agreed. Sure, why not. "That's the long and short of it." He pulled a concerned frown. "The thing is, I think Jaune's gotten himself involved in something over his head."

Velvet's hands flew to her lips. "Oh no. Is he okay?"

"He is for now, but I'm worried…"

"You're a good friend, Mercury," Velvet said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's amazing how much you care about him. I think that's wonderful."

Oh, wow… was this what guilt felt like? Funny how he'd never experienced that before, even when he'd killed his own father. To be fair, Marcus had been a bastard of a man willing to crush his own son's legs, not a wide-eyed, brown haired bunny rabbit in human form. He grunted. "Ah, yeah… well, you know how it is."

"Where do I come into this?" she asked.

And here came the killer. It was one thing to evoke sympathy in Velvet, but if this was how she was each morning, then he had no idea how he was supposed to convince her to wake up an hour earlier than _this_ on top of everything else.

"I… wanted to ask for your help," he said. "A favour. It might be too much, though."

Her ears twitched. "A favour…? What kind?"

"Jaune's caught the attention of a huntsman named Qrow Branwen. He's… let's just say the guy is kind of known to us, and hates Jaune's Mom. He doesn't realise Jaune is her son, so it might be nothing, but I'm worried and want to make sure." He shrugged. "Better safe than sorry, you know?"

"Hm." Velvet nodded.

"That's where I was hoping you could come in. The huntsman might get suspicious if I'm wandering around watching whatever it is he does with Jaune, but that's only because if he tried to find out who I was, it might lead him to Jaune's parents." Or Cinder, or his Grimm form, or any one of a hundred things to screw them over. "I was wondering if you might be willing to… uh…"

"Spy on them?"

Mercury winced. Yeah, wow, there really wasn't any other way to put it, was there? He tried to think back on Cinder's advice, but it escaped him. All he could remember was the parting words she'd given.

Give her anything she asks.

"I'd pay you back," he hurried, "even beyond what I already owe you for helping me before. I know it would be a real waste of your time and stuff, but I wouldn't ask if this wasn't serious. I'll do anything to help you out. Anythin-"

"Anything…?"

"Huh?"

"You said anything, right?" Velvet asked. She toyed with her fingers, not quite meeting his gaze, and one foot was scraping against the grass. "Did you mean that? You'll do any one thing I ask of you in return?"

Wait, she was actually considering it?

Mercury nodded frantically. "Anything," he confirmed. Knowing Velvet, it wouldn't be anything bad. If she wanted his help baking cookies, giving presents to orphans, or whatever else, then he was fine with it. "Anything you want, Velvet. I'll provide – as long as I'm able."

"How long would it take?" she asked. "Do you know what they're doing?"

"I had a look earlier, just a quick one so I didn't make them suspicious." He shrugged. "All I saw was that Jaune and one of his teammates were running laps topless. Well, Jaune was topless," he amended. "The other one was- eh?"

She had his hands in hers, a wide smile on her red face. For the first time, she didn't look quite so innocent, or as harmless.

Mercury swallowed.

Velvet smiled.

"I think we can maybe come to a deal."

/-/

Jaune bit the dust for what had to be the tenth time.

"Get up," Qrow called. "We're not done here, kid, and I know your aura can take more. Get up and fight." The older huntsman stood with his weapon stabbed into the dirt. He didn't even use it, and instead stood side-on with one hand forwards. "Don't tell me that's all you've got? You've let to even lay a hand on me."

"Get him, Jaune!" Ruby called from the side-lines.

It didn't help much. In fact, from the way the man's lips pulled down even further, it probably did the exact opposite. Not that Qrow Branwen needed excuse or reason to beat him up.

That was what a spar was for, after all.

" **Calling this a spar doesn't do it justice,"** Remy snarled. **"He's annihilating you. Fight back!"**

" _Don't you think I'm trying?"_ Jaune pushed down with both hands, and climbed back to his feet. He staggered over to Crocea Mors and picked it up, knowing Qrow would let him. It wasn't like the huntsman cared either way, since there was little he could do even when it was armed versus unarmed.

Qrow had decided early on in their spar that Jaune wouldn't get to face his weapon. It had started like that, of course, but it was just too unfair.

That annoyed him more than he dared admit.

"Oh finally," Qrow said, "Some life in your eyes. Come on, kid. If you want to wipe this smirk off my face, then here's your opportunity." He bent forward, pointing to his lips. "Here it is. One big-ass smirk, and it's all because of you."

Jaune raised Crocea Mors and charged in – intent on wiping it away. He cut down, aiming for the shoulder.

Qrow swept around it. He dodged to the left, spun around Jaune's body, and then delivered an elbow to the back of his skull. Much like the last time, Jaune staggered, and was left completely unable to defend himself as Qrow kicked his feet out from under him.

He hit the grass hard, and quickly slammed a fist into it.

"Damn it! Stop using the same move!"

"Stop being so predictable and I won't." Qrow stepped into view, and damn him for the grin that still existed. "If you can't get past this, then I don't have a reason to use anything else." The taunt stung, as had the last ten or more times his legs had been kicked out. "Until you give me one, this is all you're getting."

Gods, he hated how smug the man sounded.

It annoyed him.

He wanted to wipe it away.

Something burned inside him. Jaune surged forwards, hand wrapping around the hilt of his sword as he snarled and lunged for the man. This time, he came in low, thrusting up for centre-mass, eyes wide and focused on the tantalising promise of driving this guy low.

Qrow sighed and batted the sword aside with the back of his hand. He then tapped Jaune's shoulder, forcing him by.

He then elbowed the back of his head and kicked his feet out from under him.

Jaune howled his rage.

"Ooh, nice," Qrow complimented. "That was almost enough to make me feel intimidated… if I was a baby. Actions speak louder than words. If you want to fight me, then fight me."

Damn him.

Damn him, damn him, damn him! Jaune's teeth ground together. It wasn't enough that Qrow belittled and taunted him at every opportunity, or that he made this spar into a mockery. No. He had to do it in front of Ruby, too.

Jaune didn't think he'd ever felt so humiliated.

Nor had he ever hated someone so much in his life.

He growled under his breath, and his eyes flickered with red.

" **Jaune!"** Remy hissed. **"Calm down. You're getting angry!"**

Yeah, he was – and with good reason. His fingers dug into the soil, tearing up grass and more as he clenched them into fists. He felt his body shiver, even as his breath came out in a long gout of steam. He wanted nothing more than to rip this arrogant bastard to pieces. He glared up at him, eyes now a solid red.

Qrow's own widened. "Oh?"

" **You're losing control! Jaune, you're going to transform if you don't stop yourself. You're going to lose control and go on a rampage."**

Remy struggled for his attention, but his mind was already a hazy mist. He staggered to his feet. This time, he didn't reach for his weapon.

He didn't need it.

He was going to tear Qrow to pieces with his bare hands.

" **Ruby!"** Remy yelled.

The name slammed into his mind. He hesitated, and that was all the opportunity Remy needed.

" **If you lose control, she'll be caught in the cross-fire,"** he said. **"Even if you don't hurt her, you'll be hurting her uncle. She'd never forgive you. Your time at Beacon would be over. I need you to calm down, Jaune. Don't lose control!"**

Jaune clenched his eyes shut.

When the opened again, they were a deep blue.

" _That was too close,"_ he said within his mind. He'd nearly lost control… allowed his anger to control him and push him over the edge. It was the same as what happened at the docks where he'd nearly killed Blake, except that this would have been at Beacon, and against a guy who really didn't deserve it, no matter how annoying he was. _"Thanks, Remy,"_ he whispered. _"I… I don't know what came over me."_

" **I do,"** Remy sighed. **"You need to control that temper of yours. It's going to get us in trouble."**

Jaune nodded and took a deep breath. His shoulders sagged as he let the tension, the rage, and everything else, go.

Qrow sighed. "Well, I guess this session is over."

"Huh, why? I can still fight."

"No, you can't. I thought for a minute there, I was about to get one, but if you want to keep on losing, you can do that on your own." The huntsman's tone was disappointed, as though he'd almost expected something. "We'll continue again tomorrow, but until you can land a hit on me, you're going to get more of the same."

"Shouldn't you be teaching me sword forms or something?" Jaune asked. "This doesn't feel like training!"

"I could teach you every trick in the world and it wouldn't matter. Not if you don't have the right mindset." Qrow turned and pulled his weapon out of the soil. "If you're not going to fight, you're not going to win." He walked away, but paused to ruffle Ruby's hair. "Same time tomorrow, kiddos!"

Jaune swallowed his disappointment as his mentor left. That hadn't gone as he'd hoped it would, at least in terms of becoming a better fighter. He stooped to pick up Crocea Mors, and found Ruby in front of him when he stood back up.

She fidgeted with her hands. "I'm sorry about Uncle Qrow. He's not normally like that."

"Great," he sighed. "Maybe I'm just the lucky one."

"To be fair, I think he was trying to make you mad on purpose." Ruby sounded like she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, but felt she had to defend her family member nonetheless. "I think he wanted you to go all out, so he knew what to train you in."

Jaune sighed. So, that had been the plan all along, huh? Not exactly a good thing, since if he'd lost himself entirely, he'd have been exposed.

"I'm sorry about the whole one move thing…" Ruby said. "That was… kinda mean."

"He's not wrong, though." Jaune sighed and sheathed his sword. "If I can't even get past that, then what's the point of him fighting with all his strength? It's not like an enemy would."

"You could use your Semblance…"

"Ruby," he warned.

"Uncle Qrow is a real huntsman," she added. "He's strong. Really strong! If you can use it on Cinder, then you can use it on him. He can take it, and it might make him take you seriously."

"I doubt it, Ruby. I think he hates me."

"That's not true!" Ruby's yell was so sudden, it caught him off-guard. It was all he could do to flinch and listen to her. "Uncle Qrow doesn't hate you," she went on. "He… He's never bothered to train anyone who isn't family before. He must _really_ like you if he's putting this much effort in."

"Okay, I think I've said this before, but isn't he a teacher? How is everyone so blasé with him apparently not teaching anything when he's a teacher?"

"He does like you," Ruby said, ignoring his question entirely. "Trust me. He's my uncle. I know these things. He's trying to help you, which means he really does think you're worth helping."

A flicker of hope sparked inside of him. There was still a part of him that wasn't so sure, but Ruby sounded so certain. At the end of the day, didn't she know Qrow better than he did? He was her uncle after all.

"You think so…?"

"No," Ruby said, smiling. "I know so!"

Huh, well… how could he argue with that? He laughed and dusted off he last signs of dirt on his clothes, and the two headed off back in the direction of Beacon. The weekend meant no lessons, so there wasn't much to do other than waste time and mess around. He'd half-considered suggesting they head off into Vale, but there'd been other things on his mind.

Ruby walked beside him, humming under her breath. For a minute or two, there was nothing but silence between them, but Ruby seemed to remember something and clapped her hands together. "Oh yeah, did you manage to ask Yang out yet?"

"Not yet…"

"Jaune!"

"I'm trying," he said, hoping to avoid a pout. "I tried to ask your uncle, but he just slammed the door in my face."

"Well, of course he would," Ruby said, rolling her eyes. "Uncle Qrow's probably testing you and wants you to come up with something on your own. Besides, what would he know of where to take Yang on a date? That's creepy!"

He had to admit she had a point there. He winced and scratched the back of his head. This was harder than he'd expected, and it wasn't like Remy had any advice.

" **Lies. I already said to go and drag her out by her hair."**

No good advice, anyway. The books hadn't ever really covered the topic in detail. People were either already dating, or their dates came about as a result of some epic battle, war or the guy rescuing the girl from a tower. After a great show of strength and bravery, the hero would get a kiss. He never had to ask the girl out, or decide where he was going to take her.

Jaune's eyes slipped over to Ruby. "What would _you_ like to do on a date?"

Ruby choked on air.

"Y-You shouldn't be asking that! You need to focus on asking Yang out. Not… not…" She looked away, shaking her head and mumbling something under her breath.

Jaune shrugged. Well, he'd kind of hoped he could take what Ruby would like and apply it to Yang, but maybe that was too personal a question. A ruckus up ahead caught his attention before he could say anything else, and it was actually the girl in question who caused it.

"Excuse us," Yang yelled as she pushed past someone, almost knocking them down. Ren followed close behind and completed the encounter by crashing into the poor girl.

"I apologise," he said, catching her before she could fall, then pulling an acrobatic move that resulted in him righting her up again. The girl stared at him, eyes wide and cheeks red. "That was rude of me. Please forgive me."

"U-Um, sure. Who are-?"

"No time," Yang growled, grabbing her partner's collar. They brushed past Ruby and Jaune a second later. Jaune looked to Ruby, who shrugged in return. As one, they both turned and chased after them.

Predictably, Ruby made it there first.

"Yang, what's wrong?" she asked, jogging alongside the girl with ease.

"No time, Rubes. Damn it." Yang paused to check her scroll, then stuck her head through a nearby door and looked around. "Not here," she called to Ren.

"Nor here," he replied, on the other side of the corridor.

"Are you two looking for something?" Jaune asked.

"Someone," Yang growled. "Or two of someone. We don't have time to- no wait, have either of you seen Blake or Nora?"

"They're missing?" Ruby asked.

"Again?" Jaune echoed. "I thought Blake was done with her running away thing once you told her everyone knew she was a faunus." Well, everyone but him. He'd been the only one surprised, to no one's shock.

"It's not that. Not this time." Yang whispered something under her breath and pulled out her scroll, dialling a number. From the sound of it, it didn't patch through, so she tried another – probably attempting to reach her teammates.

While she was busy, Ren chose to explain. "Blake's been acting strangely of late," he said. "She's been focused on the White Fang to the point of ignoring the team and generally spending all of her time in the library."

"How is that any different from normal?" Jaune asked. "She always does her best to ignore you."

Ren paused. He looked a little surprised. "Well… no… I guess she does, but this is different. This is her ignoring us because she's been on the verge of collapse. It came to a head this morning when Nora said she was going to find Blake and fix all of this." He sighed and shook his head. "Yang and I thought we'd leave it for Nora to sort out."

"Wow," Ruby said. "That was brave."

"I know. It wasn't my best idea."

"So, now _both_ of them are missing." Ruby hummed and rubbed her chin.

"I think we can assume Nora did find Blake," Ren said. "She doesn't _not_ find her prey when she's in a bad mood, so they're together. We just have no idea where."

"Is that a problem? Maybe they're still sorting it out."

"This was five hours ago."

Ruby winced. "Oh…"

Jaune looked between the two, and then over to Yang as she growled and put the scroll away. No luck there, it seemed. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry _too_ much about," he said. "What's the worst that can happen?"

"Where Nora's involved?" Ren palmed his face. "I dread to even think."

/-/

This was the worst idea ever.

Blake wasn't even sure how she'd been convinced it would work. It probably involved her partner, who stood in line beside her at that very moment, a wide range of shouting, loads of rapid ideas delivered at Nora-esque speed, and then a grudging acceptance based on the vague hope it would all stop if she said yes.

The night had gone downhill from there. It, through a series of convoluted events, had led to each of them being dressed in different outfits and standing in a long line of faunus being led into what looked like a rundown and abandoned drinking house. Apparently, it was a front for recruiting disenchanted and troubled faunus into the White Fang, and something she'd wanted to check out.

Just on her own and not with Nora, especially not Nora with a White Fang mask in place. Especially not Nora without even a fake set of ears on her head or a tail, or even the slightest effort put into a disguise at all.

Especially not a Nora who was singing at the top of her lungs…

"-and we'll keep on fighting, to the end!"

It didn't do much for Blake's already frayed nerves.

"Cuz we are the champions," she sang.

"We are the champions!" another faunus further down the line echoed.

No. Blake refused to accept that this could be happening. It just wasn't possible. Life couldn't possibly have been this cruel to her – even after all the things she'd done.

"Hey, quiet it down back there," a White Fang officer yelled. He stalked through the crowd, his uniform in place but his weapon sheathed at his side. "I like the energy, but we're not exactly trying to advertise our presence here." He stopped before Nora and her. Blake's shoulder stiffened. "You get it, missy?"

"Sorry!" Nora giggled. "I was just trying to keep morale up. Need to fight the good fight if we're going to show those humans what we're made of!"

"Again, I appreciate the effort – and the thought." The faunus sighed and rubbed his mask. "Just keep it down. There are people we don't want to find out about this."

Nora gasped. "You mean… huntsmen and huntresses?"

Blake elbowed her.

"Among other people," he said. "You seem unusually keen to be here. Most are a little more reserved."

"I like to think I'm dedicated."

Blake elbowed her again. Harder.

"Nice to see someone who is." The man's eyes roved over Nora and then to Blake, who tried not to stand too stiff under his attention.

Did he recognise her? Had she been discovered?

"I see your friend is a cat faunus…"

"What very big eyes you must have. Are you a wolf faunus?"

"Dog, but you're close." The man smiled, somehow missing the terrible pun. It faltered when he looked closely at Nora. "I don't see what type you are… where are your animal parts?"

Damn it. This was bad! Blake reached down subtly, thumbing the safety off Gambol Shroud. She was about to pull it out, when Nora threw her arms in the air and cried out, knocking Blake to the ground.

"My animal parts!?" she hissed. "You can't just ask a girl that! Oh my God!"

"W-What?"

"Where do you get off doing that? I didn't ask to see your animal parts. Do you just want me to take my top off and show you them? Is that what you want?"

"N-No, that's not what I meant." The man looked around, suddenly aware of all the attention they'd gained, and also just how unamused many of the women in the crowd looked. They'd likely misheard the question, but made up their own minds on what he was saying. "F-Forget I asked. I don't need to see them. I'm sorry! That was insensitive of me!"

Wait, that worked? How did that work!? Blake staggered to her feet and breathed a sigh of relief. Now all she needed was for Nora not to do anything stupid.

"Damn right, you're sorry!" Nora strode out of the crowd, pushing a finger into the terrorist's chest. "You're supposed to be recruiting me, not turning me against you. I've half a mind to go and become a huntress now. I bet I could have a cool team and even a handsome pink-eyed boy on it."

Blake nearly died right there. She rushed toward her partner, more than aware of the looks they'd garnered not only from the crowd, but also some of the other guards. "Nora!" she hissed.

Her partner whirled on her. "You can't use my _name_ ," she yelled. "What's the point of my having a mask if you use my name?"

"She's got a point," the guard said, now shaking his head at Blake. "Use a little common sense, won't you?"

What… the…

"I'm sorry about her. I think she got into the catnip before we came out." Nora mimed a circular motion by her head. "You know the type."

"I do," the faunus said, frowning at Blake now. "Well, so long as you can keep her mouth shut. We don't need people with loose lips around here."

"I'll watch her!"

"Good… I've got a feeling you'll go far with your attitude. Who knows, there might even be a command position in store for you."

Nora cupped her hands before her face. "Really?"

"I think you've got it in you."

Blake wanted to cry. It suddenly made so much sense how they'd never quite achieved victory. The terrorist nodded and made to leave, but paused at the last second.

"If it's not too rude to ask… what kind of faunus are you, anyway?"

Nora smiled. "A cow faunus."

The man paused and looked down at her chest, where she'd earlier claimed her `animal parts` were. His face turned a sicky tinge of green and he rushed off.

"A cow faunus?" Blake hissed.

"What? It worked."

"It worked at nearly giving me a heart attack." Blake let out a sigh of relief as someone ahead called something out, and the crowd started to mill into the building. Thank god. The sooner she could get this over, the better. "Stay quiet from now on," she said. "Don't make a scene and don't do anything suspicious."

"Like muttered whispering?" Nora asked casually.

Blake winced.

She hated her partner sometimes.

Luckily, no one heard her, or if they did, they attested it to nerves or something else. The pub filled fairly quickly, a disappointing indication of just how cruel the citizens of Vale could be. There were people in suits and uniforms, so jobs weren't quite as pinched as Atlas, but she felt confident saying the overall treatment wasn't much better.

Blake took a deep breath in and let it go. In her time with Adam, she'd run numerous recruiting operations, and this shouldn't have been much different. What they normally did was talk to some of the faunus, explain their aims, answer questions and disarm fears – and then give the people time to think about it.

The media and most other people probably thought it was worse, with coercion, threats, and tests where applicants were asked to `prove their worth` by killing a drunk human or something. That would have been counter-productive. If people had come to you, then they were already thinking about taking the step.

You didn't need someone to hand out threats. You needed a salesman.

 _All we need to do is lay low and wait until the end,_ she thought. _So long as we don't make a fuss, I'll be able to find out where the bigger operations are, and then what the White Fang are planning._

This wasn't about shutting them down. This was about gathering information. It was about fitting in and not drawing attention.

"I like what you've done with your ears."

"Really? You don't think it's too much?"

"No way," Nora laughed, reaching out to rub some random girl's long ears. "It looks awesome. I wish I had long ears. The studs look nice, but I'd try loops."

The faunus woman held a hand to her chin. "Hm, that's not a bad idea. I'll have to try it out."

"What are you doing?" Blake hissed, practically leaping across the distance between them to clamp a hand down on her partner's shoulder. She winced at the sudden attention and tried to drag Nora away. The girl didn't move.

"What am I doing?" she asked. "What are you doing? I was just talking. Fitting in. You're the one jumping around like a madwoman." Nora sighed and turned to the other woman. "She's really nervous."

"I can get that. Heh, I guess I'm pretty nervous, too. I don't know if this is for me…"

"Then allow us to change your minds," a new voice called out. Blake and the two others turned in time to see a tall man climb onto an unused table. He was dressed in the usual White Fang uniform, but wore his mask on a hook by his neck, leaving his face visible to all. He was quite handsome, even Blake could admit. With blue eyes, auburn hair, a bright smile and two cat ears with a loop earring through one, he cut an imagine she wouldn't have been surprised to see in a magazine.

That was probably why he'd been chosen. They didn't want to portray themselves as violent killers, after all.

"I'd like to thank you all for coming first," he said. "I'd normally introduce myself, but I'm sure we'd all rather keep a degree of anonymity here, eh?"

There was some nervous laughter from the assembled crowd.

"Is that it?" he asked. "Ha, I see it's a tough crowd." He shook his head softly. "Don't worry, I'm only joking. I too once stood where you do now, and I can remember what went through my head at the mind. What am I doing? Is this the right decision? Isn't this wrong?" He smirked roguishly. "Where do I get a sexy uniform like that?"

This time, the laughter was louder - more confident. He knew how to play the crowd. Blake's eyes narrowed, but she kept her lips sealed tight.

Nora had less tact. Naturally. "It's not bad, but I'd only give it an eight!" she yelled.

God damn it, Nora.

The man blinked, but recovered with the grace of one used to interruptions. "It must be the lighting," he quipped. "Trust me, with the mask on, I'm at least an eight point two." He paused for more giggles as the crowd slowly relaxed. "Seriously, though, you're all of you nervous, I know. I want to tell you not to worry. That's normal. If any of you came here feeling anything other than that, then I would question your sanity. Whatever happens here, you'll still have the chance to leave in peace and think over your options, to make your own decisions." The man paused, holding his arms wide. "I'm only here to answer your questions. To do everything I can to make sure you have the information you need to make an informed decision."

Blake's stomach churned as she listened to the kind and charismatic man. She'd seen this before, of course. Once-upon-a-time, she'd been a fool for such speeches, listening with rapt attention as chivalrous White Fang soldiers spoke of heroism and change, of making a difference and saving lives – of a battle fought for the defence of faunuskind, not out of any hatred for humanity.

This was how they did things. Once you were in, there was no escape. The White Fang didn't look kindly on traitors…

"I have a question," someone called. "When do we get to meet Hentacle?"

The man blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Hentacle. You know, the faunus on the media. He helped you all out at the docks, right? Don't we get to meet him if we join?"

"Well, I… I can't speak specifically about that. I'm unsure if he's part of the organisation or not, or even if he's a faunus in the first place."

Another woman interrupted before he could regain control. "What else could he be? He has tentacles, but he's still mostly human. He has to be a faunus."

"Maybe he's an octopus faunus."

"No way. He's a rare Mistralian faunus."

"That's not a type!"

"It's _my_ type." The middle-aged woman giggled. "Give me ten minutes alone with him. I'll find out what type of man he is~"

"Excuse me," the speaker called. "Please, I'd like to try and get this back on track!"

"I don't see Hentacle here."

"Don't be stupid. He'd be much higher in the White Fang than these guys. Why, I bet time with him is a reward for only the most loyal and achieving… ah, to experience that bliss. I want to feel those tentacles all over my body!"

Blake leaned away from the source of _that_ particular titbit. While she'd explored the idea in literary form, and maybe a dream or two, she wasn't quite that bad. She winced and stood her ground as the crowd jostled, a fair number of them shouting out questions, most related to the strange person who'd worked alongside Torchwick and the White Fang.

Was that really why it was so crowded here? What on Remnant was going on?

She wasn't the only one to be confused if the speaker's face was any indication. He waved his hands, jumping up to catch people's attention. His bright smile was still just that, but now held a hint of frustration, too. "People, please, if I could have some quiet. I'm sure that everyone is very eager to meet and uh… _interact_ with Hentacle, but he is not here and I'm not certain of his movements."

"If he's not here then neither am I," one woman said. "I'm not really one for the cause, but I was willing to give it a go for a good ravishing."

Others clearly agreed.

Blake remained silent. They didn't know about Hentacle… did that mean something? There was a chance he wasn't as closely affiliated to the White Fang as she'd thought, which might explain why he was willing to harm them. But if that were the case, then why did he help them all escape?

There was no way to tell. It was just as likely these people were just too low on the command chain to know the truth. Considering the risk of events like this being busted, you didn't send people who knew dangerous information here.

"If you want to leave, that's fine." The man bit down on his annoyance, his left eyebrow twitching wildly. "In fact, I'd like to say that we can make no promises in regards to him. If anyone specifically came here looking for anything related to Hentacle, then I'll politely ask you to leave."

Almost three quarters of the people in the building departed.

They left behind a stunned silence.

"Seriously?" the man cried, echoing her thoughts perfectly. "Is this for real? This isn't some kind of wild fever dream or something?" He sighed and rubbed his face with one hand. "Okay, fine. Whatever. I take it the rest of you are actually here for something other than fetishism?"

"Let's smash some humans!" Nora cheered.

"Thank you! Finally, it's nice to see someone who understands."

Blake sighed. If Adam were here, he'd have fallen on his sword by now. She wasn't sure if she ought to consider the same. This was what she'd given years of her life to. This is what she'd run away from home and done terrible things in the name of. _I could have stayed at Menagerie. I could have had a whole library of books to read. I could have been on a team of people with a partner who isn't insane._

"Ooh, ooh, I have a question!" Nora called, shrugging off Blake's attempts to shut her up.

"Perfect. Please, go ahead. You've already shown more than enough enthusiasm. I'm sure whatever you want to know, it'll be useful for everyone here."

Nora nodded.

 _Please don't ask anything stupid._ Blake begged.

"What are your secret plans and where are they going to take place?"

The room fell silent.

Blake's hand fell to Gambol Shroud. Well, it was good while it lasted. She clicked off the safety and prepared herself for what was to come. Yet again, she cursed herself for having allowed Nora to talk her into this.

Her partner was insane.

/-/

Roman didn't typically look forward to meetings with Cinder Fall.

There was good reason for that, what with how he was under her thumb only by value of her threats and influence, and how he knew full well he would be expendable in the long run. That was why he'd sent Neo after the kid, after all. Roman had plenty of reasons to feel nervous when Cinder was around.

It was just that ever since he'd forced the kid to help him escape the docks… he suddenly had more reason to fear her.

"Roman," the dangerous woman greeted as she entered the warehouse.

He shot to his feet, a wide smile on his face. "Cinder! So good to see you. How are things in Beacon?"

A hand clamped around his throat.

"Not good?" he managed to choke out.

"Why Roman, you've read my mind. No, things are not going good. Do you know why that is?"

"I…" He gasped, and only continued once she eased the pressure a little bit. "I have a feeling you're about to tell me."

"Things are not going well because my operations – run by you – have shown a worrying tendency to clash with something of great concern to me." Her eyes narrowed. "I trust you know who it is I speak of?"

"The kid," he whispered.

She squeezed.

"Jaune," he amended frantically. "You mean Jaune!"

Cinder's words came out in a snarl. "I do, Roman. I _do_ mean Jaune. While I gave no specific orders that he was not to become involved in your affairs, I'd have hoped it went unsaid that I want _no one_ to be involved. How is it that you've managed to fail twice now?"

A good question and one he'd have liked to think more on if it wasn't for how the hand on his throat had started to feel far hotter than was natural or comfortable. "The incident at the docks wasn't my fault," he said. "We came in on Bullheads with literally no warning. I have no idea how they could have known about it. I did the best I could. I tried to keep him safe!"

"Are you sure it wasn't yourself you were trying to keep safe, Roman?"

Lie and have her call it, or tell the truth and have her kill him. He kept his mouth shut, hoping against all hope that something would distract her. If only Neo wasn't still at Beacon, but he was here on his own and wouldn't have wanted to risk her anyway.

Cinder scoffed and released him, watching as he fell to his knees. "I still need you, so you get to live for now. Make no mistake, Roman. _He_ is far more important to me than you are. If he is harmed because of you, I shall not give you the time to regret it. Am I understood?"

"Perfectly…"

"Good." She moved over and sat down on one of his couches, helping herself to some wine. She waited for him to stagger over and sit down, and then smiled as she watched his hands shake as he tried to light a cigar. "Would you like some assistance?" She leaned over and summoned a small flame to her hand. Her smile was nothing short of vicious.

Roman forced himself to lean in and accept the aid, despite how much at risk that placed him.

"I want to know what you've been up to lately, Roman. Your recent disaster of a burglary aside, how do things fare? I trust you've managed to succeed somewhere."

"Apart from what happened at the docks, things are all going to plan." Roman waved a hand, relieved to be on more confident ground. "I led the attack on the Atlas convoy and we were able to make off with all the Paladins on board. Not a single one was damaged and all are being retrofit right now to remove any way for Atlas to track, influence or control them."

"And the pilots?"

"We're in the process of training some of the less useless animals to pilot them. You said you wanted everything to look like it was by them, and they were only too thrilled to receive some new toys." He snorted and flicked some ash onto an ornamental tray on his coffee table. "They were like a dog with a new bone, all eager to cause devastation in the name of peace and equality."

"Fools," Cinder agreed. "Well, they serve their purposes. How about Mountain Glenn?"

"The last of the tunnels are being excavated, and damaged lines repaired. We can start shipping supplies there within a week or two. I've gone for caution over speed. Don't want to alert anyone, let alone the Grimm."

"Hmm, there is no immediate rush on that, so I'm sure it will be fine. Keep an eye on them," she added, eyes narrowed. "The White Fang are not renowned for keeping secrets. Terrorists are just normal people out of hours, and are prone to gossip."

"I keep them not knowing anything," he said. "Honestly, our biggest problem is numbers. We're going to need more disposable grunts for your plan." He knew better than to suggest the problem was hers, and quickly continued. "I have them running some new recruitment drives in the city. We're looking at moderates, the kind that will agree to something if it's no risk and morally ambiguous."

"How are any of our plans that?" Cinder asked, smiling.

"I didn't say _clever_ moderates," Roman replied, an equal expression on his face. "By the time they realise what they're doing it'll be too late. Anyway, those should bring in some new recruits, but I'll need to address them myself at some point. I've already had some balk at working with a human, so I want to nip it in the bud early."

Cinder nodded and sipped from her glass. Even in a relaxed posture, her eyes watched him, twin pools of gold that promised so much. If he'd been a braver or more suicidal man, he might have tried to make a move on her. She was beautiful.

He valued his own life.

"There is one thing I wanted to ask," he said, testing his words carefully. She raised an eyebrow but allowed him to continue. "The kid… he's your brother, right?"

"Oh, did he tell you that?"

"He might have let it slip. Then again, I think he was still trying to decide whether he wanted to kill us all or not at that point." He looked for her response, but had to suppress a growl when she looked more pleased than anything else.

Of course she'd be happy her damned half-Grimm brother tried to kill him. What was he anyway that he could be part Grimm? He knew that question wouldn't come with an answer, so he didn't bother asking it.

"Isn't there some way you can keep him off my back?" he asked instead. "I'm not asking for a miracle," he added, sensing danger. "I just mean that if he keeps running headfirst into my operations, then things are going to get awkward."

Cinder hummed to herself, crossing her legs and leaning back. "I should not have to help you with anything, Roman. Aren't you the master criminal?"

"I'm only human."

"I suppose so. Very well, I shall offer some assistance – but only this once. Tell me when your next operation is, a major one, and I shall personally ensure he is occupied."

Roman breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, some progress. So long as she kept Jaune, Hentacle, or whatever he was called away, things would be fine. Maybe it was time he had Neo step up her game as well, though. She'd been too slow with him, and the situation was getting worse. Now was a time for action.

"I have a rally planned in a few weeks," he said, "a chance for me to introduce myself to the new recruits, and also drum up support by unveiling the Paladins. If you can keep him busy for that, it would help."

"I'll see what I can do. Send details to my scroll." Cinder stood gracefully, sipping the rest of her wine and putting the glass down. "Oh, and Roman… I do hope you won't make it a habit of asking me to waste my time helping you?"

Her eyes bore into his.

"After all, if I need to do everything on my own, I might consider your services… unnecessary."

 _Yep,_ Roman thought as he watched her leave. _It's definitely time to have Neo step things up a notch._

Maybe it was even time to meet with the man in question directly. After all, there was more than one way to skin a cat, and he didn't have to make himself useful to Cinder if he could be useful to the kid instead.

"This is going to be a disaster," he sighed. "I can just tell."

/-/

Jaune wasn't quite sure when a search for two missing friends turned into a cross-team rescue operation, but it must have involved Yang in some way, because he wasn't sure who else could have generated such drama. Certainly Weiss and Pyrrha couldn't be held responsible. They were only there because Yang had decided they'd need to go look for them in Vale, and Jaune had remembered that he and Ruby were grounded.

Weiss had been caught in her own trap, forced to go along if only to keep them safe.

Or at least, that had been the plan. They'd just managed to prepare, grab their weapons, and rush to the Bullhead docks, when they'd arrived to see Blake and Nora – perfectly safe – making their way _off_ of one.

Blake froze immediately upon seeing them, eyes wide and a curse slipping from her mouth.

Nora waved happily. "Hey guys!"

"Nora," Ren sighed, more relief in his tone than had ever been heard before. "Where were the two of you? You vanished and didn't give us any warning at all."

Jaune shared a look with Weiss, who sighed and shook her head as Ren pried the excitable girl off of him. Well, so much for their dramatic rescue. The theories had been flying thick and wild, ranging from the two off hunting Hentacle alone, fighting Grimm, all the way to them invading the White Fang. "I told you it was nothing," he whispered.

"And _I_ didn't disagree," Weiss countered. "I'm only here because I can't trust you and Ruby to wander around on your own lest you cause an international disaster." She nodded back to Team RYBN, who had finally come together. Ren didn't look pleased.

"You didn't answer your scrolls and even turned your team trackers off," he said, arms crossed. "What were you doing?" It was the first time Jaune had seen him look annoyed, and he was surprised at how stern a figure he could be. Even Yang looked miffed, standing beside her partner with a thunderous expression.

Not that Nora noticed.

"Oh, were you worried about us? About me? Oh Renny, that's so sweet!"

Ren sighed as his friend latched onto him, crushing his ribs.

He looked to Nora's partner for an answer instead.

"Ah, we didn't do much," Blake said. "We walked around Vale, just… talked. Spent time together…"

"It was like a partner's night out!" Nora cheered.

Ren's shoulders relaxed. "Nothing dangerous happened?"

"Nothing at all," Blake agreed. "We just went to have a drink together and talked with some people."

"Oh yeah!" Nora nodded and fished around in her bag. When she came back out, Blake choked loudly, while Weiss sounded like she'd inhaled not only a bug, but an entire tree. "We joined the White Fang!" Nora cheered, wearing a terrorist mask. "How cool is that? I've never been in a terrorist organisation before. Blake got in too, but I don't think she'll do very well. The guy said I had great leadership potential, but Blake is more of a grunt." She lowered her voice. "Don't tell her, though. I think she's jealous."

Blake didn't look jealous. She actually looked horrified.

Ren sighed and ran a hand down his face.

"Damn it, Nora..."

* * *

 **So, to answer a quick question – when in the timeline is this? Well, it's kind of before the White Fang Paladin incident in the show. The idea is that Blake went all emo-angst like she did in the show, except that with Nora as her partner, it was allowed to continue for exactly the amount of time Nora's patience did.**

 **How it came to this will be revealed next chapter. As in, how Nora went and organised it all.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 6** **th** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	25. Chapter 25

**Here's the next chapter of our beloved sheep. I hope you enjoy. I'm glad to see that many people have come to accept Nora not being on his team. I remember a lot of complaints at first, because people thought I'd completely lost comedy potential there, but I hope you can now see why I decided otherwise. A lot of comedy comes from conflict, for instance, Weiss as a disciplinarian and Ruby as a bit childish in the show. Or Yang and Blake being opposite in personalities.**

 **Jaune and Nora might have "led" to funny situations, but the comedy wouldn't be there, as neither of them would be the embarrassed or horrified party. Nora would laugh and brute force through, while Jaune wouldn't understand why what just happened is a potentially embarrassing situation in the first place.**

 **Nora and Blake, on the other hand? Well… amusement.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 25 – Sheepish Explanations**

* * *

"You've both let me down," Yang said, hands on her hips as she stared down at her two teammates. They were in their dorm, except that it now was occupied by four other people as well, and felt incredibly cramped. It probably didn't help that six of them stood to one side, presenting a very "us vs them" picture against Blake and Nora.

Not that Nora looked bothered in the slightest. If anything, she seemed amused.

Blake? A little less so…

"You've let me down so much," Yang continued, eyes stern. "When I came to Beacon, I expected many things. I expected that I'd be the wild one, that I'd be the trouble maker. Instead, I have to stand here and be the disciplinarian." She shook her head. "I honestly don't know what to say."

"Wait, are you more upset because of what we did or that we didn't invite you?"

Erk. Trust Blake to ask the complicated questions. Yang felt her partner's irritated gaze turn towards her and cleared her throat. "Neither," she lied. "I'm just upset, Blake. You really let me down…"

"Enough of this nonsense," Weiss snapped. "You joined the White Fang – a terrorist organisation. How could you!?"

"It's not like that. We didn't _mean_ to join!"

"Not that! Literally. How could you? Nora isn't even a faunus!"

"Oh…" Blake blinked and looked away. "Well, she managed to convince them she was a cow faunus."

"Moo!"

"Not like that, I hope."

"No. It was far worse." Blake sighed and shook her head. "Look, we didn't join the White Fang. We attended one of their recruitment drives, and that was only so we could figure out what they're up to. We're not joining them."

Weiss crossed her arms. "I'd believe that more if your partner wasn't currently plotting my demise."

"She isn't doing that!"

"I'm not?"

"NORA!"

"No one's killing anyone," Jaune said, stepping in front of Weiss. "Let alone my partner."

"Thank you, Jaune." Weiss nodded. "It's nice to see someone willing to stand up in my defence for a change."

"Yeah!" Ruby hopped forward. "You can't hurt our team leader, Nora."

"Not even for cookies?"

Ruby paused.

Weiss raised an eyebrow.

Ruby hummed.

"Are you _actually_ considering that!?"

"N-No."

"You were! I can't believe this!"

"Come now, Weiss. I'm sure she was joking." Pyrrha stepped in, protecting Ruby. In turn, Jaune had hooked his hands under Weiss' arms, and seemed to be holding the angry girl back. It looked like chaos might reign at any moment, and Yang watched it all with a raised brow. Idly, she wondered who would throw the first punch.

Ren did.

"Enough," he said. The single word was sharp, clipped, not quite a snap, nor a shout, but somehow it carried the weight of both. It cut through the noise like a scythe, leaving behind only silence. Her partner, medium-height, quiet and unassuming, strode toward Blake and Nora. "You both risked your lives," he whispered. "You didn't tell Yang or I where you were going. You turned off the tracking function on your scrolls. You didn't so much as leave a message or a way for us to reach you if you got into trouble."

Blake lowered her gaze, but Nora remained unfettered. She smiled up at him. "Were you worried, Renny?"

"I was."

Nora's smile grew.

"But now?" he said. "Now, I'm just disappointed." He looked down at Nora, somehow unbothered by the shocked expression on her face, or the way her eyes grew wide. He also looked over Blake, and her shoulder hunched as she seemed to shrink in on herself. "I'm disappointed in the both of you. The risks you took were foolish, and even though they worked out, it doesn't change the fact you could have both died." His voice was calm, even. His face was calm too. "Yang and I would have had no way of knowing. We would have waited for hours, perhaps even days, wondering if you were okay. Wondering if we'd done something wrong. Do you know how it would have felt to receive news days later that your bodies had been found?"

The two girls refused to meet his eyes.

"That is, _if_ your bodies were ever found. We might have never known."

Yang squirmed uncomfortably. Ren was normally so quiet that she didn't know what to do. He wasn't wrong in anything he said, but the way he said it was a bit much. How could he say those things with so little emotion? How could he not show any of his feelings on his face? "H-Hey now," she chuckled. "Don't you think that's a little much, partner?"

"I don't. Do you?"

Yang looked away as those pink eyes pierced into hers. She'd have been just as angry if Ruby went out and did something like that, and whatever relationship Nora and Ren had, it was close enough to be comparable.

"I thought not." Ren said, turning back to the two culprits. He sighed. "What am I supposed to do with you? I didn't ask to be made the leader of this team." He paused, and she wondered whether he did that on purpose, just to make Blake and Nora squirm. "No more excursions on your own," he eventually said. "Blake, while I realise stopping the White Fang is important to you, it's about time you realised that you are part of a team."

"I understand…"

"And Nora."

"Y-Yeah, Renny?"

"Don't do that again. I was worried."

Simple words. Short words. Yang saw no real meaning in them, but Nora ducked her head and seemed to shrink in on herself. Despite that, her cheeks were crimson. "Y-Yeah. I'm sorry, Renny. I… I didn't think."

"You didn't," he agreed. "I think you both deserve a punishment for this, but I have no idea what to suggest. Yang?"

"Um. I've got nothing. We could wait on it and see if we come up with any ideas."

"A good idea," Ren nodded. "Now, Nora. I want you to apologise to Weiss."

Nora sulked, but didn't look like she wanted to argue. She looked over to the heiress and pouted. "I'm sorry for joining a terrorist organisation determined to kill you, Weiss."

"Am I supposed to just forgive that?"

"Weiss!" Ruby hissed.

"What? What she did requires so much more than a mere apol-"

"Weiss…" Jaune urged.

"I'm sure she didn't mean it," Pyrrha added.

"Oh, for the love of- Fine!" Weiss growled and turned to the other girl. "I forgive you, Nora. Somehow, this is all water under the bridge."

"Well, now that everything's over, I guess we can calm down a little." Ren said. "I suppose the best would be to forget this ever happened. There's no need to do anything again with the White Fang an-"

"No way!" Weiss snapped. "If the White Fang are planning something, then we need to know! They stole dust from my family."

"She's right," Blake argued. "There's something going on it's our duty to look into it."

"Count me in," Ruby echoed. "We should stop the bad guys. We're huntresses for a reason, right?"

Yang sniggered and walked over to stand next to her partner, nudging her arm against his. "Looks like you're outvoted on this one, partner. They've got a point. Blake's not going to be able to let this go, and Nora will worry about her. It's probably best we sort this out as a team." Yang shrugged. "Or would you rather they sneak off to do it alone again?"

"I'd rather they not do it at all." He sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. "Failing that, I suppose this is the best we'll get. Nora, Blake. If we agree to this, then you need to follow my instructions, okay? We will do this with a plan. No more chaos." He waited for Blake to nod and then continued. "When did they say the next meeting was?"

"A week or so," Blake replied. "I have the exact date and time on my scroll."

"We'll need to attend. If we go in disguise, we'll be able to find out more."

"I hope you're not forgetting about _us_ ," Weiss said imperiously. "Our team has a vested interest in seeing this play out. We're coming along."

"We do?" Jaune asked.

"We are?" Pyrrha echoed.

"Yes!" Weiss crossed her arms. "I'm going because these criminals have insulted my family honour and are doubtless planning something terrible. Ruby is coming because her sister would be in danger, and because I doubt we could keep her away without a stationing a bear trap outside our door."

"Yeah!" Ruby cheered, missing the last part.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Jaune said. He was unusually uncomfortable with the idea, and Yang wondered why. "I mean, what if Torchwick is there again? He's working with the White Fang, and I just really think it's a bad idea for us to run into him."

Yang caught on quickly. "Are you worried about Hentacle?" she asked. "You're a guy, so he might go for you. Then again, he might go for Ren too."

"I'll keep an eye on your rear, Jaune," Pyrrha said. She placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled, right before she realised exactly what she'd said and what it sounded like. Her cheeks darkened. "I mean… well, I… in the most platonic sense, of course."

"Wait, but I didn't even say I'd go!" he whined.

"You're going to leave us to do it alone?" Weiss asked. She raised an eyebrow. "If that's what you want to do, then fine. I'm sure that when I'm pressed on all sides by terrorists who want nothing better than to capture and publically execute me, that there won't be any problems whatsoever. I shan't think of my partner, the man who is supposed to watch my-"

Jaune pressed a hand over Weiss' mouth. His face was pained. "I'll be there…"

"Yeah!" Ruby cheered. "Team field trip!"

"This isn't a field trip, you dunce. This is an important mission."

"And one we might struggle with," Ren said, taking control once more. Heh, who knew he had it in him? If we're to disguise ourselves as faunus, then Blake would be our best help. I'm just a little worried about how hard that might be for one or two of us…"

"Yeah," Blake agreed, looking pointedly at a certain individual. "Some of us are pretty well-known to most faunus. I'm not sure how to hide some… easily distinguished traits."

Everyone looked at Weiss.

"What?" she demanded, gripping her white hair and narrowing her eyes. "What are you all looking at me like that for!?"

Yang cringed. Were it her, she knew how she'd react, and she had a sinking suspicion Weiss wouldn't be much different. She coughed and stepped forward. "So…" she began. "How much does your hair being white matter to you exactly?"

Myrtenaster flashed out.

"GET HER! HOLD HER DOWN!"

"Ow- not the face!"

"Get off me!"

"I'm sorry, Weiss. This needs to be done."

"I'll kill you!" the heiress howled. "I'll kill you all for this! Nooooooo!"

/-/

Emerald stomped through the halls of Beacon and tried to enjoy the rare chance to think to herself. It wasn't easy, given how that bastard Mercury occupied her thoughts – and definitely not in the way he no doubt hoped.

 _How dare he do that to me? Mercury never cared about impressing Cinder before, and now he does this?_ Her hands tightened into fists and her teeth ground together. Their dynamic had always been clear. He was the flirtatious and annoying idiot; useful in his own right, but always less so than her. She was the one with the rare Semblance. She was the one who served their mistress' desires. She was the one Cinder would look to with trust and pride.

Now…? Now, everything was messed up!

"I hate him. I absolutely _hate_ him!"

She wanted vengeance. She wanted to put him in his place. Nothing too overt, of course. Cinder still needed him, and their little spats weren't to interfere with her plans, but if she could just put him back in his rightful place, then that would be enough. If she could just find some way to take her rightful position at the top once more.

A nearby door opened, and Emerald paused to duck into an alcove. The last thing she wanted was for some random person to approach her. Leaning out, she spied a tall and burly figure in silver armour cackling to himself. He rubbed his hands together and walked in the opposite direction. He never saw her.

Cardin Winchester. The name came to her quickly. It was the one who had doused Jaune, and one of the people Cinder was interested in, though he would come to regret that interest in time, she was sure. Emerald's eyes widened. This was perfect. She could follow him and gather information. It might not be what Cinder had specifically asked for, but she wanted to give Mercury a chance to fail at that first, just to make her victory all the sweeter. Emerald pushed off the wall and stalked after him, only to stop at the door he'd exited.

 _Isn't this Team WJRP's room?_

It was. How Cardin had gained access, she had no idea, but this was definitely the young master's room. Cinder had made sure both she and Mercury memorised its location in the event something went wrong and they had to evacuate him.

 _What was he doing in Jaune's room, though?_ Emerald looked back ahead to where the man rounded the corner. She could still catch up and follow him, but doubt gnawed at her. What had he done in the room? He was just a student, so she didn't imagine it would be too bad, but what if his anger towards Jaune had overridden common sense?

She imaged a bomb exploding, and the look on Cinder's face when she found out of her brother's demise. Did she dare take the risk?

"Damn it, Winchester," Emerald growled, moving over to the door. A quick glance either way showed she was clear, and when she reached for the lock to pick it, she paused as she realised it was open.

The door was still ajar.

 _What if Jaune was in here? What if Cardin attacked him when he was distracted?_ The brute had wiped his hands together as though he'd just finished with something, and that self-satisfied smirk had already set her off. _What if he's injured?_ Emerald's eyes widened, and a small hint of colour came to her cheeks. _What if Cinder finds out how I saved her brother's life?_

That… that would put her back at the top, wouldn't it?

Even better, Cinder would be so pleased. So very pleased…

It was perfect. No. It was better than perfect. Emerald didn't even give herself time to think, but instead slammed into the door shoulder first. It pushed open and cracked against the back wall as she dove into the room. "I'm here!" she cried. "Are you al… right?"

No one. The room was empty.

Something heavy slammed into the back of her head, followed by a rush of something cold that washed over her. Emerald gasped at the sensation, then winced and closed her eyes as the liquid covered her face.

A single red eye cracked open, followed by another as she realised whatever it was hadn't gotten In her eyes. She wiped her face with the back of her arm. What had that been? She wasn't injured and her aura was still holding up. A glance back revealed a bucket on the floor, surrounded by a large white stain. Emerald's eye twitched as she stomped over to a nearby full-length mirror and looked into it.

Cardin Winchester had to die.

It was simple, really. He had to die.

Her hair, her beautiful hair that matched her namesake… it was pure white now – the colour of snow, except that even snow had more tones than this. She grabbed a lock of it between her fingers and lifted it up. The roots were still green, which made it look about ten times worse. Her arms, neck and shoulders were covered in the gunk and stained white too – along with most of her clothing. She looked like a ghost.

The door opened once more.

"Hey what's this stain?" Jaune asked. "Huh, what- whoah. Hey!" He jumped at the sight of her, then swallowed and looked a little closer. Shock and surprise gave way to something far worse. Pity. "Uh, what are you doing in our room? And why is your hair…?"

Excuses flashed through her mind, but he was on his own and she was too pissed to care. "That bastard Winchester dumped this on me!" she snarled. "My hair is ruined!"

"Cardin…?"

"YES!" She stomped one foot angrily. "He left a bucket of crap above your door, and when I decided to make sure it wasn't a bomb or something, I got caught in it." She pointed to her face. "And then _this_!"

A part of her thought she really should have been a bit politer with Cinder's brother, but the situation was beyond normal, and she was beyond caring. How was she meant to get her own back on Mercury when she looked like this? Even if she stabbed him through the heart, he'd die laughing.

At her!

"Cardin, huh?" Jaune frowned and looked back to the door and the bucket. "I thought we weren't going to involve innocents. That could have hit Weiss, Pyrrha or Ruby." He shook his head and turned back to her. "Thanks for the help, Emerald. I uh… realise you didn't exactly _mean_ to take it, but thanks anyway."

"Yeah, sure. No fucking problem." She growled and kicked at the carpet. "Can I use your shower?"

"Sure. It's over there."

He didn't need to point. Their dorms were practically mirror images of one another. Regardless, she rolled her eyes and shut herself in the tiny bathroom, turning the shower on to get the water running hot. In the mirror, she could see her new look a little more clearly, and that didn't do much to make it any better. _Winchester better hope this washes out, or I'll skin him alive and dip him in bleach._

Her clothes, sticky and discoloured, slapped down onto the tiles. It was only when she was fully naked and already basking under the warm spray of the shower that she realised her problem. She didn't have a change of clothes.

Not good.

 _What are my chances of walking back naked and casting an illusion on every single person I see?_

Not exactly high. She could have pulled them back on again, but that would make the shower pointless, and she didn't relish getting back into them. With a sigh, she turned the shower down a little so her voice could be heard. "Jaune?"

"Yeah?" he called back. Okay, he could hear her. Good.

"Do you have a spare change of clothes I could wear? Mine are… not in the best shape."

"Uh, sure. I can look." She heard him move about in the other room, and sighed a breath of relief. "I don't dare go in the girl's stuff," he called. "Are you okay wearing some of mine?"

"Anything, please…"

Right now, his sounded great. The baggier the better. In fact, if he lent her one of his hoodies, then she could also hide her ultimate shame. The damn stuff wasn't washing out of her hair! Cardin Winchester was going to die.

The door to the bathroom cracked open.

A bottle of shampoo hit it a second later. "Don't come in!" she shrieked.

"I-I wasn't going to! I need to put these clothes inside…"

"Just throw them," she growled, one arm over her breasts, the other a little lower. She saw his arm enter and reach back, as though to toss them, but her eyes widened when she realised the floor was now a mix of water and whatever-it-was Cardin had left on her. "No, wait! Don't throw them!"

His arm froze. "What am I supposed to do?"

Emerald bit her lip and scowled. Really, was nothing going to go right today? "Just… keep them on your bed. I can come out with a towel and you can look the other way. Okay?"

Not perfect, but the best she was going to get.

"Actually, I have a different idea." Jaune said. The clothes vanished behind the door, and Emerald raised an eyebrow as she waited to see what his vaunted plan was. The door creaked open a little more, not enough to admit an actual person, but perhaps something smaller. What was he thinking? "Here we go," he called – and the clothes entered the bathroom.

On the end of a thick, black tentacle.

Emerald's first response was to flinch away. It was a dark black the colour of Grimm, but didn't have any of the bone-white protrusions she was used to seeing. It fumbled in the air a little, clearly blind and working on guess-work. There was a shirt, trousers and a jacket wrapped around it – along with a pair of boxer shorts and some socks. It hovered in roughly the middle of the bathroom, and once it was obvious it wouldn't be doing anything… weird, she relaxed a little.

So, this was one of his tentacles? Cinder had told her and the others about them, but so far, only Mercury had actually seen one, and that was in the middle of combat. A strange curiosity overcame her, and she dared to creep out of the shower towards it.

"Do you see them?" Jaune asked. "I don't really know where to put them. You can lay them on the sink or the toilet or something."

"Y-Yeah," she replied, crouched down by the limb and with her head tilted to the side. "I'll get them. Just give me a second."

 _A second to inspect them, that is,_ she thought. Completely naked and dripping water on the floor, she leaned her face closer, inspecting the strange thing. It was unlike anything she'd seen before. Smooth in a way that was clearly unnatural. Normal skin had pores, marks and bumps on it, but this looked more like living silicone. There was definite strength to them if Mercury's tales were to be believed, buy they looked innocuous enough.

They could have been a lot creepier.

"I've got them," Emerald said. She reached out to take the clothes, but made sure to brush her fingers against the tentacle, just to see what it felt like. _Hm, soft, smooth and cool to the touch. There's either no blood in them, or it's cold blooded._ How that would work given that he obviously wasn't, she had no idea. She shivered as the tentacle slithered back however, running across her hand as it left the clothes in her grasp.

Gods, that was weird. Not bad, weird. Just weird. "T-Thanks," she said. "You're going to change back, right? You don't want your team to see."

"I know." he called back.

Emerald put the clothes down on a towel rack and rubbed her fingers together. There wasn't any residue or slime, but it still felt weird in a rubbery kind of way. Well, whatever. As long as they weren't assaulting her, it was fine. It was pretty convenient what he could do with them too, since this saved her the potential embarrassment of walking around his room naked.

She stepped back into the shower and finished washing off, helping herself to a towel afterwards to dry, and then pulling herself into his clothes. Like she'd expected, they were overly baggy and loose, but clean enough. It felt a little suspect to wear a guy's shirt and no bra, but she could pull the jacket shut and walk down the halls with her arms crossed.

The main problem was her hair, which still looked like it was white with green streaks, and thus ridiculous. With a groan, she tied it up as best she could and stepped out into the room.

"Thanks for that," she said. "I'll bring the clothes back at some point."

"Huh? Yeah. No problem." He scratched the back of his head. He was in his human form now, with no tentacles in sight. "Thanks for spotting Cardin, and sorry for you getting involved. I'll have a word with him. He won't do anything else to you."

Oh, let _him_ have a word with Cardin? Emerald's face lit up. She's thought to exact her vengeance personally, but if Jaune Arc, heir to Cinder's _mistress_ wanted to do it? Well, whatever she'd planned would pale in comparison, wouldn't it? Would he kill the guy? No, that was too obvious and they were undercover. Maybe he would torture his mind until it shattered and he had to be carried from Beacon on a stretcher. Maybe he would humiliate Cardin so badly he fled Beacon altogether.

The possibilities were endless. She opened her mouth to agree, but voices were raised from outside.

"I can't believe you. I trusted you both and this is how you repay me! Betrayal!?"

"But Weiss, this was necessary…"

"You could have asked!"

"You'd never have said yes."

"EXACTLY!"

"Now, now, Wei-"

"Don't you `now, now` me, Pyrrha! Don't think I forgot how you disarmed and held me down. You're on thin ice, and the ice is about to _kill_ you!"

The door opened before Emerald could even think to hide. She took one look at the three girls, who paused as well to look at her. She was next to their teammate. She was still wet from the shower. Her hair was bedraggled. She was wearing his clothing. There was a suspicious white marking on the floor.

"This isn't what it looks like!" Emerald gasped.

"Really?" Weiss Schnee crossed her arms, utterly unamused. "Because it looks like you had a shower then borrowed my partner's clothing."

Emerald blinked.

"This is exactly what it looks like."

"I thought so." Weiss sighed and tossed her weapon on her bed. "What, did you think we'd jump to the conclusion you'd slept with him or something? He's been out of our sight for less than ten minutes. I doubt he's capable of convincing a girl to do that in so short a time, if at all."

"And it's Jaune," Ruby said, as though that explained everything.

"Y-Yes," Pyrrha agreed, laughing as she sheathed her weapon. "Who would leap to such baseless conclusions? Certainly not I. Ha ha. What are you doing here?"

"Cardin left a trap in our room," Jaune said, answering for her. "Emerald got concerned and took the brunt of it. I offered to let her use our shower, but her clothes were ruined."

There were general sounds of sympathy and gratitude to that, but Emerald barely heard them. Now that the initial panic was over, she'd allowed herself to look a little more closely at his team, and one of its members was certainly a little off.

Weiss Schnee noticed her staring. "I fancied a change." she snapped.

The lie was so obvious, Emerald wasn't sure if the polite thing to do would be to pretend to believe it or not. With the heiress' arms crossed over her chest, it gave a wonderful glimpse of her new hair, which hung loose down her back and out of its usual ponytail.

It was a pastel green.

"I… uh…"

"I. Fancied. A. Change." Weiss Schnee repeated, putting heavy emphasis on each word. She glanced at Emerald's hair. "I see you did, too."

Emerald's eye twitched.

Weiss' did, as well.

"I'm going to kill the person who did this to me," Emerald said glibly. "How about you?"

"Oh, once they let their guards down," Weiss replied, nodding. "I liked your hair green."

"I liked yours white," Emerald agreed.

She didn't think she'd ever felt closer to another person than she did in that moment. The two shared a long look followed by a slow nod. People would pay for this. You did _not_ do this to another person.

"Ha ha, well…" Jaune laughed nervously and stepped between them. "Thanks for helping us anyway, Emerald. I'll deal with Cardin, so you don't have to. And Weiss, I think you look _beautiful_ with that hair colour."

"You'll be the first to die, Jaune."

He laughed louder – and more nervously. Did he think she was joking? Emerald didn't think so. Oh, the Schnee wouldn't _kill_ them, but Emerald secretly hoped she put them through hell. The same kind of hell she would imagine Winchester going through. In fact, why not let Jaune exact his vengeance, and then she could do her own as well? He deserved twice the agony for this.

All in all, as Emerald left the dorm, she couldn't help but feel that had gone better than she'd feared it would. New hairstyle aside, none of his team had leapt to any foolish conclusions, and she'd come out of it a little closer to their targets.

 _Huh… maybe this worked out in the end._

/-/

Cinder's initial response to a wet and bedraggled Emerald coming into their room wearing her foolish brother's clothing had not been a positive one. She'd clamped down on the immediate desire to wreak havoc, however. To be fair, Emerald's new hairstyle had helped. It was such a shockingly horrific colour that it had frozen Cinder solid – and that gave Emerald the time she needed to explain the situation in full.

"So, Winchester has made a move against my brother, has he?" Cinder sipped from her glass and narrowed her eyes. The girl opposite her flinched. She noticed and quickly smoothed her expression. "You did well, Emerald. I am very pleased with your initiative, even if it was not something I asked of you." She made sure to smile beatifically. "Well done."

Emerald's response was nothing short of euphoric, despite how she tried to hide it.

Hmph. She'd always been like this. So easy to control, so simple to manipulate. By no means was that a bad trait in itself. Emerald was no fool, but clung to her like one would a life line. Considering she had taken the girl off the streets, perhaps that analogy was more apt than she'd first thought. For a second, she'd actually thought the girl had made a move on Jaune, but now with her mind in the right place, she could dismiss such foolishness.

He was too innocent, too sweet to pick up on any overtures Emerald might think to make. He was also lacking in the confidence department, and likely wouldn't be the first to ask a girl out. Her eyes hardened. _No doubt, that was how Xiao-Long was able to sink her claws into him. She made a move while Jaune was adapting to this new environment._

Cinder's temper flared. How dare that insolent girl take advantage of him so? Jaune needed guidance and support, not some snivelling teenager with more drama than sense. He needed someone mature, someone who could lead him in the right path.

Honestly, he needed his Big Sister's advice and guidance. He always had and always would. The problem was how difficult that would be with his attention drawn aside by that brat. If only she could focus it more on her. If only she could regain what was once solely hers.

Emerald shifted awkwardly on the seat opposite her. Cinder's eyes narrowed.

 _Hmm… perhaps there is potential here after all,_ she thought. _If Jaune's attention could be drawn away from Xiao-Long, then that would free him from her influence. What's more, Roman does need that distraction I promised him._ She considered her minion with a keen eye. _Emerald is loyal to me. Easily controlled. Malleable._

Sure, Emerald wasn't quite what he deserved, but she could do as a smokescreen for now. He would forever be close to hand, at her beck and call, and Emerald's focus on _her_ would keep him loyal. More importantly, it would keep him out of danger.

The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea.

"You've done very well today, Emerald," Cinder purred. "How would you like to be of special use to me as well? I have a job in mind and it's one I… do not feel Mercury would be able to achieve."

"Y-You do?" Emerald's red eyes widened, but she quickly composed herself. "I mean, of course. I'm at your command, ma'am."

"If you're sure, Emerald. I wouldn't want to push such an inconvenient task on you…"

"No. Whatever you want, I'm ready."

"I'm glad to hear that." Cinder smiled and uncrossed her legs, leaning forward to rest one elbow on the table. "Tell me, Emerald. You've met and interacted with my brother now. What are your thoughts on him?"

"Jaune? He's… okay, I guess." She scratched her cheek. "He's blunt, but I wouldn't call him stupid. I guess he _did_ offer me the use of his shower and clothes, and he offered to deal with Winchester for me."

He did? Well, well, well, was that a little of his mother's temper showing through? Cinder hummed to herself. It was something she could certainly appreciate, especially if he was embracing the darker side of things.

"So, you find him agreeable?" she asked.

"Yeah. I guess so. Why?"

"Because I have a very special task for you, my dear~"

/-/

Qrow nursed his drink in a ratty bar in downtown Vale. It was the kind of place he liked to frequent, and the kind of place he'd rather die than see either of his nieces at. The people at the bar looked like they might start a fight at any minute, and the man behind looked like _he_ could and would finish it if they tried. It was a rough neighbourhood with rougher patrons, but the drink was strong and not watered down. It also served good peanuts. Seriously, some places really could mess that up.

It was places like this which gave him time to relax. Time to think.

And Gods, if there wasn't a lot to think about. Salem. The kid. Ruby. Yang. Hentacle. Damn, but he hated that name. What nutcase came up with that? Qrow growled under his breath and took another long swig, washing down his frustration. As always, Ozpin had made life complicated. He tended to do that.

Not like he could fault the man's reasons. If Salem really was after the kid – and the evidence pointed to it – then it was in his best interests to make sure he was strong enough to look after himself. Whatever she wanted, he didn't want her to have. What that might be, on the other hand, he had no idea. Ozpin already said he had the relic – and the maiden. Was this something else on top of that? Qrow had a feeling the old man would have told him if he knew, so they were probably working on limited information. Nothing unusual there.

He'd made sure to interrogate Ruby about the kid. Nicely, of course. Over cookies and milk, and a whole load of tips on fancy tricks she could pull off with her scythe. To her, that was like taking some out and getting them drunk. Ruby had been loose lipped indeed and only too happy to talk about her best friend and how cool – if naïve – he was.

And really, when Ruby of all people called a person naïve, you knew it was bad.

Jaune Arc was the son of Nicholas Arc and an unknown woman. He lived in wild and dangerous territory, surrounded by people who were stronger than he. Somewhere outside the Kingdoms. His mother didn't approve of the way he acted, and he'd felt the need to run off to Vale to be his own person. As idealistic and foolish as that was, he could respect it. A man had to live by his ideals. There really wasn't anything else.

Ruby also seemed to think his mother was a crime or mob boss, but that didn't add up. Gangs and mobs operated in large population centres, for the simple fact that they needed to extort and threaten people. They were in it for the lien, and there wasn't much of that out in the wild. Qrow had also noticed that in Ruby's tales, the kid had never expressly _agreed_ to that assumption. He let Ruby think it. Let her make up her own story so that he wouldn't need to give her the truth.

"Heh… smart kid."

Not as dumb as he looked, or at least there was a brain hidden under there. So, there was something with the mother. She was dangerous, strong, and apparently uncompromising if he'd felt the need to run away.

The kid, on the other hand, was weak and ineffectual, but came with a huge aura. His physical conditioning was good, fantastic even. He held back, though. Either to hide something or not hurt people. Ruby had spoken of some kind of Semblance he didn't want to use on people… was that related to why he ran away? Qrow knew a lot about Semblances you didn't like. Had the mother wanted him to use it?

He sighed and leaned back in his seat, even as he heard a portal spring into life behind him. He'd already been sitting on his own theory for a number of days, and their recent spar hadn't helped. The kid almost gave up at last, letting out his anger and revealing the secrets he kept hidden.

Secrets revealed by blue eyes that turned red.

The clink – clink of segmented armour came to a stop behind him. He heard the patrons hush, even the noise from the television muted as everyone looked at the terrifying image he knew stood behind him. Qrow chuckled and raised his glass. "You're late."

"You're lucky I'm even here at all." Raven Branwen, his sister, strode around the small table. He leaned her sword against the wall, still within reach, and dragged back the seat. Her mask clicked and hissed as it came loose. She tossed it down on the table and shook her black hair free. "What do you want, Qrow?" she asked, taking a seat and grabbing a glass. She downed it in one. "If this is an attempt to waste my time, I'll make you regret it."

"Oooh – so aggressive." He leaned forward, resting one arm on the table as he raised an eyebrow in that way he _knew_ she hated. "What's wrong, sis? Someone not getting enough?"

"Qrow, I warn you…"

"A warning. How sweet." He sipped from his glass and nudged the half-empty bottle over to her. Raven took it with a snarl but poured herself some more. "Can't a man just want to share a drink with his darling sister? It's been a while since I saw you."

"Not long enough. I see you're as annoying as usual. What are you doing in Vale?"

"Straight to business? Not going to ask about Yang?"

Raven's eyes narrowed. She placed a gauntleted hand down on the table and made to stand. "I'm two seconds from leaving. If you don't give me a reason to stay-"

" _She_ has made a move."

His sister froze. "You mean…?"

"Salem."

Raven lowered herself back down with nary a word. She took the glass and sipped from it, leaning forwards so that their words might remain hidden to those around them. "Why?" she asked. "Ozpin has the relic." Red eyes narrowed. "Tell me he still has the relic."

"He still has it. You think I'd play around if that had been stolen? The relic is fine. This is… something else. Something unexpected."

"Something important enough that you felt the need to get in touch with me," she said. "Very well. I'm listening."

Good. He'd known she would once he brought Salem up, but dealing with his sister was always touch and go. Their last few meetings hadn't been positive, mostly because he'd been focused on getting his bitch ass sister to visit her daughter – to predictable results. He felt the urge again, but knew she'd leave the moment he started to drag the conversation towards Yang and Tai.

"Ozpin called me to Vale to train some kid that shows promise," he said, sticking to business instead. "Not in the traditional sense of the word. He's average in every regard, except for a large aura and a naïve worldview." He watched her eyes carefully. "His name is Jaune Arc."

Raven showed no reaction. Heh. What had he expected from her?

"What makes the kid special is the attention he's drawn," Qrow continued. "It's… unusual to say the least."

"Get to the point, Qrow."

"Oh, we're playing that game?" He smirked cockily, waiting until the _exact_ moment she looked like she might explode before he delivered the final blow. "Salem wants him. Salem has been trying to capture him." He leaned forward. "Alive."

Raven's eyes narrowed. "Explain."

"A couple of days before Beacon started, a strange half-human, half-Grimm creature appeared in Vale. He attacked Summer's girl along with Roman Torchwick, and it was only the intrusion of Goodwitch that let them get out in one piece."

"You're sure he was half-Grimm? They could have been mistaken."

"Well, there have been multiple sightings since then, but I took that into account. Raven, they both agreed that he was able to _create_ and _summon_ Grimm with his blood."

Her body stiffened.

"He met with your girl too," he said, and it was indication of her shock as to how she didn't respond to that. "She saw him _communicate_ to Grimm, and worse – they listened to his orders. They followed his orders to the letter. Whoever this is, Ray… he's got command of all the Grimm in Vale."

"Don't call me that," Raven said, more automatically than anything else. She hated his childhood nickname. "You're certain-? No. Of course you are. Is he here for the relic? Why hasn't he been hunted down yet?"

Qrow shrugged. "People have tried. Goodwitch got the drop on him and she's no slouch. He had Torchwick to help him, however, while she had to look after Ruby. After that, he's only shown a few times, and it's always been against Ruby and Yang."

"Why them?" Raven's eyes narrowed. Her hand slipped to the weapon beside her. "Is he after Summer's eyes?"

"No." Qrow caught her hand before she could commit murder. She looked like she might kill him instead, but he pushed her glass between her fingers, and she drank that instead. He joined her, then continued. "This monster – and he's called Hentacle, by the way."

Raven spluttered. "W-What?"

"Yeah, I know. Believe me, I didn't have a hand in that. Kids and the media, and the next thing you know, it's this. Personally, I thought the Grimminator sounded like a cool name."

His sister didn't agree, apparently. She shook her head and muttered something under her breath. "Never mind," she eventually said. "Perhaps it's best you didn't get to name it. Please tell me the name isn't for some specific reason."

"He has tentacles."

"Of course he does…" She sighed. "What was I thinking? Fine. Continue."

"He's not after your daughter," he said, and ignored her violent twitch. Instead, he watched her eyes once more. "He's after Jaune, instead."

Raven's attention clicked into place.

Curious…

"Why?" she snapped.

"I don't know. Ozpin doesn't either," he added. "All we know is that he's tried to capture Jaune alive three times or so now. A Nevermore took him in initiation. He killed it. Beowolves abducted him when he was unarmed on a field trip. He killed them."

Raven's smile was not comforting. "He sounds strong."

"You sound pleased."

"Should I not be? Those who are strong survive."

Tch. Her damn philosophy. The philosophy of the tribe. Qrow took another drink, but it tasted bitter. It tasted like regret. "You and the tribe won't survive if Salem gets what she wants," he said, delighting in the way her smile died. "Your strength won't get you anywhere if she gets the relic."

"Then let me take it," Raven snarled. "I've said before to Ozpin-"

"You're not taking the relic, Ray. You can't be trusted with it. Nor can those killers."

"Killers?" Raven's lips peeled back. "You mean our _family_?"

"Now Raven," he chuckled and raised his glass. "When has that word ever meant anything to you?"

She moved instantly. Her left hand grasped her weapon, drawing it across her body. He leaned back, watching as the glass in his hand was knocked away by the hilt. It smashed on the wall opposite them, spilling drink down the woodwork. The others in the bar froze. None dared approach.

Qrow sighed and waved his hand, watching some shards tinkle down. "That was just childish."

Raven's hand gripped his collar, dragging him over the table. Her eyes were as red as blood. Redder than normal. "Don't play _games_ with me, brother. I do what is required for the tribe. I do what I have to in order to _protect_ the tribe."

"And damn everyone else in the world, right?"

"You wouldn't understand." She pushed him down and rose to her feet, turning away. "I think we're done here."

"We are if you want to give Salem what she wants," Qrow called. He smirked when her retreat came to a halt. "She wants Jaune. I'm looking after him, making him nice and strong, but that's not going to mean anything if Hentacle has even a fraction of her power. Don't you think it's in both our interests to keep him out of her hands?"

Raven didn't look back to him, but she did stop. It was clear she was listening.

"I'm busy trying to make sure he's strong enough to defend himself," Qrow said. "I'm doing my best, but that means my attention is focused. I can't take the fight to Hentacle directly. I can't be in two places at once."

"You want me to deal with Hentacle for you. Is that it?"

"You've read my mind. Dealing with him won't stop Salem, but it will slow her down. Ozpin wants me to focus on the kid, and leave Hentacle running free." Qrow's expression darkened. "This is one of those rare times he and I don't see eye to eye. Hentacle is a danger, and Ruby and Yang are knee deep in. So, what do you say? Kill Hentacle and you'll have kept him out of Salem's hands."

"Very well." Raven took a deep breath. "I'll do it."

"I had a feeling you would." He smirked and took her unused glass, drinking from it. "You get the easy job, a strong enemy – and you get to save your child's life."

"Make no mistake, Qrow. I am not doing this for Yang."

"I wasn't talking about her."

Raven glanced back. Her eyes were narrowed. Oh. Had he hit a vein?

"One last question before you go," he called.

"What?"

"You ever been with other men since you left your husband and daughter behind? It's been a long time. I'm taking it you didn't stay loyal to him." Qrow watched as she growled. She didn't correct him, though. He knew well enough she likely had been. He cocked an eyebrow. "I guess so. You always did like strong men… not to mention a penchant for blondes and blue eyes. You ever meet a man called Nicholas Arc in the last eighteen years?"

Raven snorted and summoned a portal in front of her. Patrons scrambled out of the way in a panic. As she stepped into it, she turned one last time, eyes hard and uncompromising.

"What I do is none of your business, brother."

"Nor who, apparently," he grumbled as he watched her go with a sneer. "Damn it. I should have warned Tai against her." But then he wouldn't have had Yang, who was a light in such a dark and shitty world. Qrow downed her drink. "Bah. Forget it."

He had what he wanted. What he'd come for. Raven would deal with Hentacle, and with the threat of Salem's unknown desires over them all, she'd be motivated enough to see it through. For the wrong reasons, of course. The tribe was a stain upon Remnant. Still, she'd see the job done – and leave him to train the kid into someone that could look after himself.

Gods. What a messed-up situation. Qrow poured some more booze and then gave up entirely, drinking from the bottle. Well, at least he was better than his mother, which made sense given that he'd run away disagreeing with her. He got on well with Ruby and Yang too, which was a bonus. In fact, he was dat-

"Pflrbll!" Qrow spat his drink out across the table, hacking and coughing as he fought for breath. Even when he'd managed to regain it, his eyes didn't lose their panic, nor did his mouth close. There was a headache pounding in his skull and it was _not_ alcohol related. He tried not to gag.

Yang Xiao-Long wasn't dating Jaune Arc.

Yang Branwen was dating Jaune Branwen.

"Not like this," Qrow groaned, slamming his head down on the table. Damn Ozpin. Damn Jaune. Damn Yang. Damn Raven. Damn Nicholas Arc. "I can't let it happen. I just can't. The world can barely handle me and Raven."

There was no way he was going to let his niece and nephew get it on.

* * *

 **Oh my, and so the misconceptions continue. I do believe a few people noticed the potential lead in the reviews, so well done there. Although Jaune's red eyes with black sclera don't look exactly like Yang's, there was certainly room for Qrow to not quite see them properly. Of course, the similarities between Salem's backstory and Raven's (in so far as his team believes Salem is a mob boss) are similar enough to also ring alarm bells.**

 **Poor Qrow.**

 **And so, Raven enters the fray, and it's the first time I've really used her in any of my stories, so I'll be taking a look at her character and how to delve into it a little deeper like usual. I've seen people use her before, but she often came across a little two-dimensional. She's either "asshole parent" or "suddenly, great parent adopting Jaune" with little in between.**

 **And don't worry, Weiss' new hairstyle won't be a permanent thing.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 13** **th** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	26. Chapter 26

**Here's the next chapter of White Sheep.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 26**

* * *

Mercury leaned back against the marble pillar and asked himself, not for the first time, how he'd gotten into this situation. It wasn't just Beacon itself, or his allegiance to Cinder Fall. Those things could be explained away with a sense of rationalism. No. It was the face he was outside in the early morning watching another young man run around a field while a bunny-eared faunus snapped pictures on her camera.

"I'm not sure why you wanted me come with you, Velvet." he said. "I thought the whole point of me asking you was because I might make it suspicious." He waited for a response, but there was none. The older girl didn't even turn in his direction. "Velvet?" he repeated. When there was still no response, he reached out to touch one of her ears. "Velvet!"

"Ha- what!?" Her head flicked back, as did her ear away from his finger. It had been surprisingly soft, yet stiffer than he'd expected. "Were you talking to me?"

"Yes," he sighed, and repeated the question. This time, she listened.

"W-Well, I thought it would be weird if I did this on my own," she explained. "If they saw me and asked what I was doing, I wouldn't have an excuse to give. If they see me now, I can say the two of us were out practising photography or something."

She took a quick snap of him, either as an example of maybe some evidence she could show to support that claim if she were asked.

Hm. Not bad. For a normal person, she was sneaky. He wasn't here to help. He was here to cover her back if something went wrong. Nothing more than an alibi. Mercury chuckled. He could respect that, he supposed, especially if it meant he got to sit back with a cute girl instead of work. He shrugged and tilted his head back once more, leaving Velvet to her task. She seemed determined to fulfil his request, taking way more pictures than they really needed.

"It looks like he's training Jaune," Velvet whispered. "There doesn't seem to be anything else going on. It's mostly just a lot of running."

Mercury hummed. That was what he'd gotten from the situation, not that it had been hard to figure out. Early morning training was early morning training, after all. Maybe they'd all been paranoid for nothing. This was a school. Training was what you did. "Maybe I overreacted," he said. "I guess we don't need to keep doing this if it's nothing suspicious."

"Eh!?" Velvet spun to face him, her ears suddenly drooping down a little. "N-No, I think we should continue. It's better to be safe, right? What if there's something more to this and you miss it and Jaune gets in trouble? I think we should do this every day."

"Every day…?" He winced at the thought. "I'm not sure we need to. "Branwen is just training him. No harm, no foul."

"But… but what if there's more to it than that?"

Mercury raised an eyebrow to his new companion, but she seemed to gain new life and nodded her head frantically. "Don't you think it's strange that a huntsman would pause in his career just to train a single person? Doesn't that seem odd to you?"

"Well…"

"And not even his own nieces. I know he's doing some with Ruby, but Yang is nowhere to be seen, and it's obvious his real plan was just to work with Jaune." Velvet adopted a suspicious expression. "Don't you think that's a little unusual? Why go through all that effort? Why Jaune? Why so suddenly?"

Why indeed…

Velvet was spot on, as much as he wished otherwise. It _was_ just a little too convenient, not to mention the fact this guy was one of Ozpin's main spies, and the one who'd interfered in their attack on the fall maiden. Mercury wasn't one who believed in coincidences.

Cinder _definitely_ wasn't.

If he went back now and told her he'd finished here, she'd be less than impressed. He doubted she'd go so far as to punish him, but any goodwill he'd recently gained would be gone. Emerald would laugh in his face for that. Well, she might once she'd finished trying to hide or wash out the dye on her new hair. The memory alone of the first time he'd seen that was enough to make him smile. It fell a moment later.

"You're right," he said, and let out a sigh. "Fine. We need to keep watching and dig deeper. Will you be okay with that, Velvet? I know I'm asking a lot, but this would really help me out." He sighed, knowing he'd have to sweeten the deal. "I'll owe you another one…"

Velvet wasn't listening, nor looking his way. Her eyes were fixed on the scene in the field once more, where Jaune had finally given in to the early morning heat and taken off his top. It was clear he'd been working hard, for sweat ran down his muscles. He noticed Velvet's ears stand a little straighter, and also twitch aggressively. The camera didn't come up to her eyes, but it snapped away regardless, her finger slamming down on the button.

"Velvet," he repeated, louder.

"Huh, what?"

"I asked if that was okay?"

"Y-Yeah, sure." She giggled and looked through the lens. Her breathing became a little heavier. "Anything for a friend."

/-/

Jaune was less out of breath and more out of patience when he finally reached the library and found the others. Or most of the others. Ruby, Weiss, Yang and Ren were seated around a table with cards in their hands, while the rest of the two teams were nowhere to be seen. He wandered over to them and dragged a seat over.

"Hey there, champ." Yang laid her cards down on the table and grinned his way. "How did your morning training go?"

"More of the same," Jaune sighed and glowered at Ruby. "Once you headed off, he went back to pulling that same move on me over and over. No matter what I tried, he refused to use anything else. He _still_ hasn't used his weapon on me."

"Which is probably a good thing if you can't beat him without it," Weiss said. She placed a card on the table. "I play Vacuan Sappers on the walls of Vale."

Ren calmly laid a card down. "Diffused."

"Again!? How many of those do you have?"

"I really couldn't say."

Weiss growled but didn't rise to the challenge. She instead placed another card face-down on the table and passed the turn to Ren, who drew some new cards and considered the board. That gave Yang a chance to continue the conversation.

"I wouldn't get worked up over what he does. Let me guess, he tells you it's a spar and that you've got to attack him. Digs his sword into the dirt and basically makes a fool of you, right? Well that's nothing to worry about. It's actually how he trained me in Signal."

"Really?"

"It wasn't how he trained me," Ruby said.

"Different people, different techniques." Yang waved a hand. "You're fast, so you probably didn't need the same training I did, and what Jaune does, too." She turned back to him. "Point is, he's not doing that to you because he hates you or something. He's trying to teach you to be versatile. He's training you like he did me."

"Already training you like you're one of the family, huh?" Ren asked. He let out a choked cry a second later. "S-Sorry," he said, rubbing his leg. "I hit my foot against the table."

"How clumsy of you, partner," Yang said, smiling innocently. "You should be more careful."

Mr Branwen was really going that far? Jaune felt a rush of happiness, followed quickly by guilt. Maybe it was wrong of him to jump to conclusions like that. If he really was using the same techniques he did with Yang, then that meant he was taking the training seriously. _"I shouldn't have judged him like that. I thought he disliked me, but maybe that's not the case at all…"_

" **No,"** Remy said. **"I'm fairly sure he hates you."**

" _You're just saying that. Hazel was a harsh trainer, too."_

" **Yes, but your Uncle Hazel didn't constantly ply you with veiled questions about your mother. Nor was he ever someone who would reduce your head to a smear of blood if he ever found out the truth."**

" _Eh, details."_

" **That's not a** _ **detail**_ **, Jaune!"**

Jaune ignored the parasite with a shrug. It was enough for him that both Yang and Ruby now claimed Mr Branwen didn't hate him. Who would know him better than his own nieces? "Thanks, guys," he said. "I feel better now. I'll ace this training."

"Yeah well, you'll need to get past the move he keeps using firs-" Yang cut off as she noticed Ren play a card towards her. "Gah! Ren, you absolute piece of-"

"I play Colour Revolution. Discard and re-draw your hand up to the same number." Yang scowled and threw her cards down, revealing several that had the other three players wincing. She drew the same amount again from her deck, but the look on her face confirmed they were nowhere near as devastating. "You're dead to me, partner."

"Nice job," Weiss said, breathing a sigh of relief as she saw some of Yang's previous cards.

"You're playing Remnant?" Jaune asked, probably somewhat needlessly.

Ren looked up. The spark of competition he'd shown in the arcade came back. "You know the game? I'm surprised. I'd have thought this was something you wouldn't be familiar with."

"No way. My family _love_ this game. My Big Sister says it's an effective, if clumsy, way to learn about politics and grand strategy. My other sisters are less into it, but since there aren't many people back home, sometimes a board game is all we have."

His Uncles would play on occasion as well, and even his Mom would sometimes be in the mood – a rare but pleasant experience. She always played the Grimm, of course. She also won. Always. And not even because people let her.

She was the Queen of the Grimm for a reason.

"You should join in," Yang said.

"We're in the middle of a game." Weiss rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you want to rage quit just because Ren crushed your hand."

"No such thing," Yang laughed. It was a hollow, brittle thing, and Ren leaned away warily. "Fine. Whatever. Why don't you team up with Ruby? She's not as good at this as the others and could use the help."

"You don't know that!" Ruby whined.

"Rubes, I play with you all the time."

"But the others haven't. I might not be as bad as them."

Weiss sighed. "Ruby, you've been reduced to a single territory. The only reason we continue to allow your existence is because whomever decides to kill you might be distracted for the single turn it would take. You're less threat than a random chance card."

Ruby's forehead struck the table. She banged a fist down beside it. "I hate you all!"

"I'll help you, Ruby," Jaune laughed, pulling his chair over to sit beside her. "I know what it's like to have everyone gang up on you."

"Really?"

"We didn't even do that," Weiss drawled. "She just decided to attack Ren and I on the same turn. We retaliated."

Ouch. Not the best idea, but maybe she'd been forced into it. At the table, he was fairly sure Ren and Yang were the ones to watch out for. Yang's smile was far too confident, while Ren was a dark horse in himself. The fact he'd specifically targeted Yang also suggested he felt she was worth taking down. He nudged his cheek close to Ruby so he could look at her cards. "Who do you have?"

"We're the Grimm," Ruby sighed. "They're always the weakest faction."

"The game is meant for entertainment," Ren said. "Not exactly a good idea to remind people how cruel the world can be. It's harder for them to win, but it's not impossible."

"I think we'll be okay," Jaune said. He leaned in and whispered some instructions into Ruby's ear. She listened intently, then nodded and rearranged the cards in her hand. The turns played for another the minutes or so, a flurry of activity as Ren and Yang continued to sabotage one another, and Weiss stealthily took territory while the dangerous players were distracted. Ruby and he worked on building their own support base, and also slipping some cards down to influence negativity in Yang's land.

"Where are the others?" he asked after a while. "I thought you weren't going to let Blake and Nora out of your sight?"

Yang shrugged. "They're around. Blake's been in a better mood since we all decided to chip in against the White Fang. She's not working herself to death at least. I think she and Nora are trying to find something to help Pyrrha disguise herself with. Besides Weiss-cream, she's the other person people are most likely to recognise. Well, if they like their cereal at least."

"I notice you're not dying _her_ hair," Weiss growled.

"Red isn't an unusual colour. Not like white, anyway. Chillax, we used wash-out dye on you. As soon as we're done infiltrating them, you can get rid of it."

It didn't look like that was doing much for Weiss' temper, so he quickly stepped in to stop the girls drawing arms on one another. "When are we doing the mission thing? Do we even have a plan? I don't like the idea of running in without one." Not after the last time he'd been stuck fighting alongside Torchwick.

"It's in a day or two," Ren said. He filed some cards around and then played White Fang Insurgents at Weiss. The heiress cursed as several of her territories were affected, reducing the reinforcement points they would give her for the next turn – ostensibly while they dealt with the rebellion. "As for the plan, I've talked to Blake about what's expected. She says applicants usually have to do something to prove they can be trusted before they get to actually become members. If we knew what they were up to, we could skip this and sneak into that – but we need to be trusted enough for them to tell us where the real White Fang are."

"These aren't the real ones?"

"Yes and no. From what I understand, the recruitment side of things and actual operations are kept distant. That's because it's the recruitment arms which are normally busted by undercover agents."

"Like us," Yang added.

"Yes…" Ren sighed. "I suppose this proves they're not as foolish as we thought. Certainly, they're aware of the risks. That's probably why Nora and Blake found it so easy to infiltrate them before. This is the less professional arm. They take risks because the White Fang don't care overly much if those members are captured. The better candidates will be processed through to the operations arm, and that's where you run missions like the attack on the docks."

"That feels backwards," Jaune said. "Wouldn't it be better to have _both_ sides be careful and professional?"

It was Weiss who answered, his team leader sighing as she pushed some pale green hair from before her eyes. "It would, but life is rarely that simple. You have to remember that the White Fang is a terrorist organisation. They don't exactly have the luxury of picking their applicants. They need numbers, and they need to make use of everyone who applies." She scowled and played a card toward Ruby, then scowled even harder when Ruby listened to his whispers and countered it. "Ugh… Anyway, most _normal_ faunus probably wouldn't even join them because they're afraid of breaking the law."

"Or, you know, they're just good people," Yang added with a roll of the eyes.

"Or that," Weiss accepted, mirroring the action. "Either way, while they no doubt get some good applicants like Blake, I can guarantee it's one in a hundred, with all the others being fanatics, weaklings, or just young kids playing at being anarchists. Most of them probably don't have aura, let alone any combat experience. You can't expect them to be professional. That's not even covering the psychos, criminals and nut jobs they probably pick up as well."

"But they've still got to use them," Jaune said. "I guess that makes sense. You're saying they keep all the undesirables on the recruitment arm, then?"

"It's what I would do if I were them. Take the good ones or those with promise, then use the worse applicants to try and scout for more good ones. They're running a clandestine organisation. It only takes one idiot with a big mouth to expose them. Operations, safehouses, skilled agents… all lost because someone couldn't keep quiet."

He was sure he'd heard that logic before, probably from his Big Sis. Salem didn't really aspire to the same logic, knowing she was safe in the Grimmlands, but Cinder kept the circle of those she trusted small – and made sure they were as strong as possible. Mercury and Emerald were quite possibly the only ones she trusted with her secrets, and only the harmless ones. "What does this mean for us?"

"Good and bad things," Ren answered. "On the one hand, it means we're unlikely to run into any significant opposition. If things go badly, we can rest assured we'll be fine. Torchwick and Hentacle aren't going to bother with a low-key meeting for potential recruits."

Jaune breathing a sigh of relief. "And the bad?"

"We can't beat the answers out of them if something goes wrong. It's quite possible the person we'll be answering to knows _nothing_ about the White Fang. Only when he's got a group of candidates will he be contacted, and then told where to send them. If we fail here or raise the alarm, we'll have an easy fight on our hands, but no more leads."

"Mission failed," Yang sighed, playing a card and moving some of her Atlesian forces on the board. "I hate forced stealth missions."

Weiss snorted. "This isn't one of your video games."

"No, but _this_ is." Yang grinned and played a card. "Wild Nevermore. I can choose to cut a supply line in your empire – and I choose this one right here, handily cutting Magnis off from your empire." Weiss gasped, but was unable to do anything as Yang moved her forces forward. "Now, I sweep in with my Bullhead battalion and-"

"Not so fast!" Ruby cheered. She giggled and flipped one of her own cards. "I played Grimm Intent earlier. If anyone plays a Wild Grimm card in the next two turns, I get to command it to take an additional action, and then spawn a single Grimm card from my hand in the same area." Ruby laid down a card. "I play Ursa swarm."

"Meh." Yang shrugged. "Not like they can reach a flying unit."

"No, but the Nevermore can. He's going to sever the supply lines of your Bullheads – robbing them of fuel - while the Ursa move on the city you cut off from Weiss' empire." Ruby grinned and flipped the city over. "Destroying it."

"Damn it, Yang!" Weiss howled. "Look at what you've done. Neither of us gets it now!"

Yang watched the scene in dismay. She looked down at her cards and then up again. "But how did you know I'd play a Wild Grimm card? How could you possibly have guessed I'd do that in the next two turns?"

"Jaune said you would." Ruby giggled and held up one hand, cheering when Jaune slapped his palm against hers.

"It was pretty obvious," he said. "You moved a lot of flying forces to the border with Weiss, but those are bad at taking cities because of the anti-air bonus they get. You needed to have _something_ to stop those, which was probably going to be a card that cut off the supply lines and halved the defence of the city. The only thing I could think of was a Wild Grimm attack."

Yang frowned. "Tch. Beginner's luck."

"Is it, Yang?"

"It's not!" Ruby cheered. "I play Treacherous Broadcast on Magnis. It copies the Morale Result of any combat onto another nation as evil spies video and broadcast the fight. Since a city fell to the Grimm Faction, that means Weiss gets plus two to empire-wide Negativity."

Weiss sighed and moved her counter up two places. "A few Grimm will spawn at the start of the next turn. I can handle it."

"Yeah, but Yang can't!" Ruby cackled. "Her Negativity is already at eight, which means she hits ten and sparks a Grimm Incursion. Her Bullheads are also stuck in Weiss' land, with the rest of her forces on the border with Ren. That means she gets two Grimm per city she owns, and they spawn two turns away from each city!"

" _That's_ why you kept pumping my Negativity higher," Yang growled.

"Eh. You didn't do anything to lower it."

"Because I was fine. There was no way you could hit me with more."

"Yeah, but you hit yourself." Ruby grinned. "Stop hitting yourself, Yang!"

"Grr…" The blonde looked to the side, eyes wide. "Ren, old partner, old pal. You'll not attack me if I have to leave my border to deal with this, right?"

Ren's expression was flat. "Of course I wouldn't."

Her eyes widened. "You totally plan to!"

"Mistral has no need for the extra land we'd take."

"No need, but you wouldn't say no to it if it were free."

Ren smiled but didn't answer.

"Ugh, I can't believe this." Yang scowled and moved her forces away, then shot Ren the dirtiest look ever when he promptly played Marching Orders, allowing him to make two movement actions out of turn. His forces stormed Yang's cities the second her back was turned. "You suck, Ren. You really do suck. This is your fault, too!" She pointed at Jaune, eyes narrowed. "No way Ruby would have thought of all of this without your help."

The game played on for another two turns, Yang losing a quarter of her empire to Ren, while her limited Atlas forces mopped up the Grimm from the incursion. Weiss was distracted with her own far smaller one – and with amassing a counter-attack on Yang's Bullheads. Jaune watched it all with a small smile, then leaned in to whisper something in Ruby's ear.

"Really?" she asked, voice low. "But he's dangerous…"

"You're in this to win, right?" he asked. "There's no prizes for second place."

Ruby's eyes sparked. So close to his, it sent a thrill of fear through his body, but she didn't attack him. Instead, she nodded her head and pulled a card from her hand as the turn counter came around to her.

"I play Perilous Journey to move one of my armies across any number of ocean tiles, losing one unit for each tile crossed."

"Going for me as well?" Yang sighed, knowing the distance between Atlas and the Grimmlands was the shortest journey. "Oh, come on. I've got enough problems. Go for Vale instead. Weiss is practically untouched."

"I'm going for neither," Ruby giggled. "I put _all_ my forces into one army and move them to the east coast of Mistral. I lose ten units, but now have an invasion on Ren's lands." She moved the stack, earning a slack jawed expression from the other players.

"Uh, Rubes? Ren is crushing us all. I'm not sure that's wise."

Ruby smiled innocently. "Don't worry. That's just phase one of the plan. There's more~"

/-/

"No way…"

The cards spilled from Ren's fingers.

"I did it! I did it! Jaune, I did it!"

"Oh my God," Weiss whispered. "She actually won. I'm impressed."

"I destroyed the world!"

"That's not something to be cheering about, Ruby," Yang groused, putting her cards down as she stared miserably at the board. "Bah. It's just a game. Not like it means anything."

" _Yang's a sore loser~_ " Ruby sang.

"Am not!" Yang lied. She pouted at him. "This is all your fault. Since when were you such a master of this game? This is totally unfair."

Jaune laughed as Ruby continued to sing and dance on the chair next to him. He shrugged his shoulders. "Like I said, I play it a lot at home. My Mom thinks it teaches valuable lessons that I'll need later in life."

"What, how to rule the Grimm and take over the world?"

Jaune choked. "N-No! Why would you even say that? What totally normal person would teach their son how to do something like that? No way." He laughed nervously, eyes wide. Sweat dripped down his brow. "Ha. Take over the world. You're crazy, Yang. Crazy!"

"Uh…" Yang shot him a strange look. "It was just a joke."

Oh right. Whoops. Jaune winced and tried to think of an excuse, but Ruby saved him from having to. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her body crashing into his back as she hugged him from behind.

"We're the King and Queen of the Grimm!"

Jaune spluttered and coughed. "R-Ruby! Don't say that!" If his Mom heard her say things like that… he wasn't sure if she'd be angry to hear her title usurped or thrilled at the possibilities. His cheeks went bright red, and it only got worse when Yang started laughing.

"King and Queen?" a new voice asked. "I didn't know Ruby and Jaune got married. Congratulations."

"Eek." Ruby detached herself from his back so quick she left burns behind her. Her Semblance allowed her to shoot over to the new arrivals. "No, no, no. Nora, it's not like that!"

"I wanted to be a bridesmaid, too…"

"Nooo!"

Ruby batted her hands against Nora's chest, while the older girl cackled and skipped away.

Blake ignored the dramatics and moved towards her team. "We found a suitable disguise for Pyrrha. If we change her hairstyle a little and cover her eyes, we can take away her most distinctive features. I'm confident it will be enough to allay suspicion."

"What is she going as?" Yang asked.

"A bat faunus." Blake tossed some sunglasses on the table. "She doesn't like bright lights, so always wears these."

"A bat faunus. Seriously?"

"It's easier to go for something like this. You can't just convince them you're a faunus by wearing fake animal ears. We can notice the difference. Choosing something simple like the eyes is a good step. She has some coloured contacts in case they demand to see her eyes, but as long as she squints and pretends it hurts, they'll let it go." She looked to the rest of them. "You'll all need to choose a type of faunus to be. It would be best if you run them by me first, but none of you are distinctive enough to need any serious disguises."

"Wow, to be dismissed so easily." Yang grinned. "How cruel. Oh, that reminds me. I have a little something for you, Blakey~"

Blake caught the small box Yang threw her way. She eyed it warily, as though it might explode, before slowly opening it. It clicked shut a moment later and a snarl split the girl's face. "Is this a joke? I know your sense of humour is bad, but this goes a step beyond!"

"No joke," Yang said. "That's your punishment for running off and leaving me and Ren worried sick."

"I know what I did was wrong. I admit that! This is too much. There's no way you can expect me to… to…" She growled and tore the box open, holding out a thin strip of cloth. There was a light tinkle as a small golden bell chimed. "I'm not wearing this, Yang! It's a collar!"

"Not so much the collar as the bell. It's so we can hear you if you try to slip away."

"This is profiling!"

"Why? Are you a faunus?" Yang raised an eyebrow and indicated the library around them. It was mostly empty, but the point remained. "No one in Beacon knows you're one, so it's not like this is going to do anything like that. You risked your life the last time, _and_ you took Nora with you." Yang's eyes narrowed. "If you hate this so much, maybe it'll make you think twice the next time."

Only Nora and Ruby's voices could be heard in the silence that followed. They were oblivious of the drama unfolding, however. Jaune wondered if he should say something to break the atmosphere, but wasn't sure what. It was obvious Blake didn't want to wear the collar, but that was kind of the point, wasn't it? Mom always said a punishment wouldn't teach you a lesson unless it was something you _didn't_ want to do. That was why she never punished Uncle Tyrian by sending him off on missions or telling Grimm to harass him. She'd instead walk away and ignore him, knowing that troubled him more.

"But…" Blake's bow twitched. "But it's embarrassing!"

"Yeah, that's kind of the point," Yang said. "What do you think, Ren?"

"If you're against it so much, it should teach you a valuable lesson. I think a little embarrassment is more than fair for the panic you put us through. Things could have been far worse. You could have been killed."

"F-Fine!" Blake scowled but pulled the ribbon out and tied it around her neck. It fit snugly, and didn't look as out of place as he'd have thought. "There. Are you happy now?"

"I didn't mean you had to wear it _as_ a collar." Yang said, smothering her laughter. "I thought you'd put it on your wrist or something. You know, strap it to your clothing. It's the _bell_ I was talking about."

Blake's hands couldn't fly to her neck fast enough, but Yang caught them halfway, eyes sparkling.

"No, no, no. I changed my mind. You have to wear it like that!" She laughed happily. "Oh, you look so cute. Meow for me, I beg you!"

"Jump off a bridge," Blake hissed. She turned to Ren. "How long do I have to wear this for?"

"Until the end of Beacon!"

"A week," Ren amended, ignoring Yang's pitiful whine. "I think a week will be enough time for you to learn your lesson. We're a team, Blake. We don't sneak off and rush into danger like that. I'd have hoped we'd already shown you at the docks that we'll support you if you ask for it."

"Yeah, I know…" Blake sighed and looked away, cheeks dusted with flecks of red. "I guess I'm just used to thinking that I have to do everything on my own. I'm not used to this." Her eyes drifted shut. "And I'm sorry for what I did. It won't happen again."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"Can I take the bell off now?"

"That's not how punishments work."

Blake crossed her arms and proceeded to sulk. Jaune had to resist the urge to laugh at that, easily recognising the same posture and expression his sisters used whenever they were caught doing something they shouldn't be.

"And that's why it's not what you think," Ruby explained, walking back with Pyrrha and Nora. "We're not like that. We were just playing a game."

"Oh right, pretending you were married." Nora nodded her head and ignored Ruby's panicked cries. The look in her eye said she understood perfectly well, but intended to tease the younger girl for all she was worth. It died when she noticed Blake's newest accessory. "Why are you wearing a collar, Blakey?"

"I-It wasn't my idea. Ren made me wear it!"

Nora looked to her childhood friend and then back to the collar. She looked back again, and narrowed her eyes in thought. It didn't look like anything more was going to come from her, but Jaune was quickly distracted by Ruby as she staggered over to sit back down next to him. Her cheeks were red, and she felt the need to shuffle her chair over so that there was a larger gap between them.

"So, when can I expect to be an auntie?"

"Yaaang. It's not like that. A-Anyway, it's not like Jaune and I are dating." Ruby looked to him meaningfully, and nodded her head towards her sister.

Jaune blinked back. Was there supposed to be a message there?

Ruby stared at him. She raised her shoulders as though waiting for something. When whatever that was didn't come, she huffed silently and jerked her head in Yang's direction. She did that twice in a row, then growled and did it a third time with all her strength.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked.

Ruby growled and grabbed her head with both hands.

"You got head lice again, sis? I thought we dealt with that when you were younger."

"Yang, please! Don't mention things like that! Ugh. Just stop talking." Her face flushed in anger and mortification, but she still kept her eyes locked onto his. Subtlety gone, she decided for a more direct approach. "I was trying to remind Jaune that he needed to ask you something."

He did?

"He does?"

" **You do?"**

"Do I?"

Ruby's entire body twitched. "About you and Yang?" she hinted. "What we talked about before? Remember this morning in training when I said the thing about taking the next step?" She looked at Yang. "About going _out_ and important _dates_ in the calendar and things like that?"

Jaune still stared at her dumbly, but it seemed Yang had figured out what Ruby meant, for she stammered and waved her hands. "Ha ha – Rubes, don't be silly. It's not like that. He doesn't need to ask me anything. Right, champ?"

Ruby's eyes bore into his. She nodded her head and mouthed `do it` to him.

Oh…

Oh!

Now he remembered. He slapped a hand to his forehead, unable to believe he'd actually forgotten. In his defence, there'd been all the frustration from Mr Branwen, and then the board game – followed by Blake's drama with the collar. Was it really so surprising he'd forgotten.

"Ruby's right," he said. "I do have something to ask you, Yang."

"Y-Yeah? You do? I mean, we can put it off if you want. No need to rush into things, hey? Why not ask Ruby instead. I'm sure she'd be willing to go along with it. Who knows, you might even have fun."

Ask Ruby? He glanced back to her but she formed an X with her arms and shook her head wildly. Her face glowed a deep red, but the look in her eyes said she'd never forgive him if he welched out now. "I don't think Ruby's the right person for this," he said. "I'm looking for someone a little more suited to the kind of guy I am."

Yang had no answer. Her mouth fell open.

"Yang…"

She swallowed. "Y-Yeah?"

Ruby leaned forward.

Pyrrha's breath caught.

"Could you help me learn how to get past your Uncle's defence?"

It was like a huge exhale of breath happening at the same time. Pyrrha slumped forward and clutched her heart. Weiss muttered something about idiots under her breath. Ren rolled his eyes. Nora giggled to herself, and Blake slapped a hand into her forehead. From Ruby there was no such sound, mainly because she'd fallen off her chair and crashed to the ground.

Yang's face was frozen in shock. "Eh?"

"I was wondering if you'd help train with me," he explained, wincing. "Your Uncle's completely ruining me. I need to be able to get past his defence if I want to prove myself to him, and I figure you've done it before. Plus, you had to fight like I did. You couldn't just shoot past him at super speed like Ruby."

"Training? Y-You meant training…?" Yang asked. It was impossible to figure out whether she sounded relieved or disappointed, but she leaned back and laughed at the top of her lungs. Was that a good or a bad thing? "Oh God, you scared the life out of me," she giggled. "Okay, sure. I'll help you out. How about we have a spar tonight after lessons and dinner?"

"You'd be willing to?" He grinned and nodded his head. "I'll be there, I promise. Thanks Yang. I really appreciate this. You're the best!"

Ruby groaned from under the table.

/-/

Cinder crossed her legs and listened to the report Mercury provided. The news about the Branwen's interest in Jaune was troubling, but at least for now, it seemed like the man was far away from the truth. That was a given, of course. If he had known, then there would have already been bloodshed in the halls. While she was confident in their ability to deal with the huntsman, she didn't relish their chances escaping from a school filled with many more.

"Well done, Mercury," she said once he was done. "Yet again, you've pulled through."

"Ma'am, if it's just training, then should I-"

"Continue to watch over them," she instructed. "There's more to this than meets the eye. I'm sure of it. If Ozpin were truly suspicious of Jaune, he wouldn't be helping him become stronger. There is some other motive at play here, and I want to know what it is." She watched as Mercury winced. He didn't argue with her, and instead nodded his head.

 _Qrow Branwen was the huntsman who saw us attack Amber. I doubt he would recognise our faces thanks to Emerald's Semblance, but he could easily become suspicious if he were to see me use my bow or any of the maiden's fire abilities._ Her eyes narrowed dangerously. _He's one of Ozpin's trusted spies as well, so I expect he knows about Salem. Were he to find out the truth about Jaune…_

She didn't dare consider it. If things became worse, he would need to be removed. Her eyes shifted to Emerald, knelt down beside Mercury. "What of your task?" she asked. "Were you able to find out anything about this… prank?"

The girl's shoulders stiffened at the reminder, and likely at Mercury's weak attempts to stifle his amusement. "I spent much of the day following Winchester around," she growled. "I managed to corner him in a corridor and use an illusion to make him think he was talking to one of his teammates. I had the illusion ask him what the purpose of the prank was."

"And…?"

"I didn't get all the details, ma'am. He must have informed his teammates before, because he said he'd already answered the question. What little I got was about how it would have exposed him for what he truly was."

Expose him…? Cinder hummed as she thought over the words. Emerald's problem getting details was frustrating, but not unexpected. They'd toyed with it in the past, but one of the main problems was that people did not always answer fully. They assumed the listener knew certain things that they had told them before. Not overly useful when it was an illusion and Emerald was not privy to those details.

"Was there anything else he said?"

"Nothing specific," Emerald said. "No, wait. There was one thing, but I wasn't sure what to make of it. Whenever I had the illusion mention Jaune by name, Winchester would flinch and look around in fear. When I asked why, he said that the `monster` might overhear."

Concern flickered over Cinder's face as she processed the information. The habit of referring to him as a monster, the obvious fear, the targeted attack – and now the white dye. Individually, none of those things made sense, but together they painted a picture that had Cinder rising to her feet.

"He knows," she hissed.

"M-Ma'am?"

"Winchester knows the truth," she spat, moving to the window. She looked outside and then drew the windows shut. She wasn't sure why. No one could see in or hear, and they were on the third floor. Even so, the act of moving about helped calm her rapidly beating heart. This was unwelcome news. No. It was _terrible_ news.

Emerald and Mercury clearly didn't understand, for neither showed the deserved level of caution.

"Cardin Winchester knows about my brother's secret identity," she explained, voice a near-silent hiss. She stormed forward and gripped a lock of Emerald's hair between her fingers. "White dye that would have fallen on him the moment he walked through the door. It would have covered his hair and most of his face, turning both pale. The moisture would have also made it lank and fall in front of his eyes." She turned to Mercury, knowing he'd seen Jaune in both forms. "Does the description sound familiar?"

"His Grimm form…"

Cinder let go of Emerald's hair and bared her teeth. "Exactly. Winchester's _childish prank_ was actually a clever ploy to highlight the similarities between Jaune and his darker side, and in front of the people who have interacted with both. While we can't be sure whether it would have worked or not, there are no other people in Vale more likely to recognise him. With how long the dye has lasted in Emerald's hair, he would have been forced to walk around Beacon like that for days."

"Even if the result wasn't immediate, someone would put the pieces together eventually," Mercury whispered. His eyes widened as realisation dawned. "The eyes wouldn't be the same, or the veins – but it would be close enough for people to catch on. Didn't Goodwitch meet him before Beacon?"

Cinder nodded. Her brother would have been forced to attend classes like that, and potentially expose himself before some of the most dangerous people on Remnant. She bit her bottom lip, anger mixing with fear inside of her. He didn't even realise what almost happened, the naïve fool. He thought this a prank instead of the carefully crafted assassination attempt it was. Her eyes flickered with fire. Cardin Winchester had tried to get Jaune killed. Cardin Winchester had tried to take him away from her.

That… would not be tolerated.

He had to die. He needed to die fast. It would be a simple matter to find his room. She could invite herself inside. He was a young man and prone to hormones. He'd open his door to her – and she could kill him with ease. The mere thought of it was enough to make her heart beat a little faster. With him dead, Jaune would be safe.

But they would expose themselves. Cinder frowned and paced about the room. She couldn't kill the fool. Not within Beacon's walls. No matter how hard she tried, it would cause a scandal and alert Ozpin to a traitor within their midst. Accidents happened, but when you had aura to protect you, the accident needed to be fairly convoluted to lead to anything. The buffoon could likely trip and fall onto a bed of nails, and leave with only a few scratches. Anything she might concoct would almost surely come across as murder. The only realistic option was death by Grimm, but there were no field trips planned, and that would require him and his team to succumb to their own stupidity.

So long as he was within the walls of Beacon, he would be protected. Protected and allowed to continue his campaign against her brother. Cinder's hands tightened into fists, turning white as she ground her teeth together. "I want him watched at all times," she said.

"Who," Mercury asked, "Jaune or Winchester?"

"Both. The matter is too serious to leave to chance. If he knows the truth, then he needs to be dealt with, but we cannot move against him right now. We can't afford to risk our stay here, or Jaune's. If we are expelled or forced to flee, then he won't have anyone to watch over him. Whether he realises it or not, he needs us to keep an eye on him, if only to prevent things like _this_ happening." She gestured to Emerald's hair. "Were it not for Emerald's intervention, he might already have been exposed."

Nothing was simple where Jaune was involved. He owed her for looking out for him. He owed her a month of massages. No, two – three! He owed her slavish treatment and attention, to wait on her hand and foot for years. Decades, even.

"What about the maiden?" Mercury asked.

The what…?

Cinder's eyes widened, but she hid it behind the act of coughing into her fist. By Salem, she'd almost forgotten about the actual reason they were in Beacon. She was supposed to be locating Amber, but had spent almost all her time on Jaune. _Not like I want to or anything. He'd be completely doomed if it wasn't for my help, the idiot. Ugh, I'd leave him to suffer, but Salem would have my head._

"The search goes well," she lied. "I have that in hand. You needn't worry about it. Focus for now on protecting Jaune and finding a way to deal with Cardin Winchester. A non-fatal solution," she added. "If there is a way to have him expelled, that would be ideal. In the meantime, Mercury should continue to keep an eye on Jaune, and Emerald should look for – and sabotage – any more attempts to harm him."

"B-By activating them on myself…?"

"That would be for the best. We wouldn't want Jaune to become suspicious." She smiled at the distraught girl. "Worry not, I have other plans for you in time. Those should make the matter somewhat easier."

"Plans for me?"

"A special task," she hinted. "One I can only entrust to you."

Emerald nodded, apparently enthused with the idea. Good. She ought to be. For now, they were on the defence, but that would change soon enough. All she needed to do was deal with Winchester and protect him from the shadows. Then, she could focus on what _really_ mattered.

Cinder's head snapped to the side as a strange noise played. She relaxed a moment later, frayed nerves giving way as she reached for her scroll. For safety reasons, the name did not show, but she would have recognised the number either way. "Roman. I'm busy. What is it?"

" _I thought you said you were going to keep the kid out of my business!"_

"What are you talking about?" Cinder looked to her companions, and nodded that they could leave. They did so silently, headed off to complete their assigned missions. "You sound panicked, Roman. What is the matter now?"

" _The kid,"_ Roman repeated. _"You said you'd stop him from interfering with my plans. What happened to that?"_

"Jaune has been in Beacon for the last two or three days. I've seen him myself."

" _What? But I just woke up to find that two of my operations using the White Fang have been wiped out."_

Cinder's eyes narrowed. "Killed?"

" _Well, no. One got arrested by the police though, so as good as dead to us. The other team was left alive, but aren't exactly in a great state. They keep screaming about a red-eyed monster. Sound familiar?"_

"It does, but Jaune has been here. He hasn't left Beacon, certainly not in the last twenty-four hours. I said that I would keep him out of your hair, and I shall."

" _It's not him? You're sure?"_

"I do not make mistakes, Roman."

" _Okay, great. That's fine. Sorry I accused you otherwise."_

The call clicked off, the screen going dark. Cinder blinked down at it for a few moments, then sighed as it began to ring once more. "Yes, Roman?"

" _We have a problem."_

Cinder sighed.

"I believe I gathered that much."

The White Fang grunt groaned as his back hit the wall. He slumped to the base, mask falling in pieces from his face. His vision blurred, until all he could see was a dark shape approach. Red eyes burned into his. The rest of his team were down and out – knocked unconscious before any had the time to respond to the sudden assault. The figure moved forward. Heels clicked on the concrete, and he winced as a blade tickled the underside of his chin.

"I am looking for the one you call Hentacle." the figure said. The voice was heady and soft, but with an iron behind it that belied any femininity. It was a woman. But that didn't change the danger he faced. "Where is he?" she asked. "You will tell me."

Yes, he would. He would have told her anything she wanted to know and more, spilled it all out in one deluge, forehead pressed to the ground as he begged for mercy. Unfortunately, there was just one little problem…

"I-I don't know. Please, I'd tell you if I knew but I don't."

"Who would know more?"

"T-Torchwick would know. He works with him. He sleeps with him!"

The figure paused at that, but shook her head and let out a quiet sigh. The sword moved back, but not into the sheath at her waist. It moved up above him, the blade glistening.

"P-Please," he whispered. "I told you the truth. Don't kill me."

"Dead men pass on no messages," the woman whispered. "When you awake, let your superiors know of my coming. Warn them that there will be consequences if they are unable to provide me with the one I seek."

The crimson eyes flashed. The blade came down pommel first, crashing into his skull. The faunus' body slumped to the side as consciousness fled him. The last thing he saw was those crimson eyes watching him, before the woman turned and walked away.

His consciousness fled soon after.

* * *

 **So, readers might have started to notice that some things are different, and I don't just mean the fact Jaune is a Grimm. The sequence of events is changing a little, both with this pre-warehouse campaign by Blake, and their infiltration of prior meetings. This is partly because it feels more reasonable, but mostly because I just don't want to keep going over the same events of canon. I can't remember how Blake found out about it in the show. Whether she just knew from before, or Sun told her, or she just `happened to overhear` about it. Whatever the case, I thought it might be more logical to have them find out in some other way.**

 **After all, if Blake left the White Fang and was known as a traitor – and she did reveal herself to at the docks – then surely they wouldn't have used a warehouse they knew she would have knowledge of. Whatever you think, it just means that while we'll have some of the stuff we** _ **did**_ **see in the show, we'll also get to tread some new ground. That's a welcome relief for me, since it can get tiresome to write the same events over and over.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 20** **th** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	27. Chapter 27

**I've been a bit ill for the last two days, so hopefully this didn't suffer much. I feel like it did a little since even College Fool pointed out that there were a weird amount of spelling and punctuation mistakes, which I am normally fairly good at avoiding.**

 **Ugh… I hate being sick. I don't stop working during it, but I sure as hell do feel nasty. Blocked nose, sore throat, always tired, the usual nonsense. I don't count it as being actually sick unless I'm vomiting or at risk of passing out though, so it's okay.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 27 - The Sheep with Eight Legs**

* * *

"I want it on record that I think this is a bad idea."

"Weiss, you've said that so many times it wouldn't be a record, it would be an album." Yang ran a hand through her hair, which was a little wilder than usual.

"Well that just shows how serious I am, doesn't it?"

"What, that you're serious about whining?"

Blake rounded on them with eyes narrowed behind her White Fang mask. "Guys, can you take this a little more seriously, please? I'm not sure if you're aware, but we're walking down the street dressed as White Fang. We don't need to be seen right now."

There wasn't much chance of that, what with this being a rundown and almost abandoned part of Vale. He hadn't been here long enough to know such places existed, and had honestly thought Vale was as busy all over as it was on the main streets. There was a certain something missing here. The houses looked rundown, the streets dirty and unclean, and what few people there were looked their way only long enough to increase their pace and move away.

" **Lovely area,"** Remy groused. " **The people are so friendly too. It really is a great example of life in the city."**

" _Be nice, Remy. I'm sure they have their reasons."_

" **Yeah, probably that you're all a bunch of faunus supremacists at the moment. You know, if you wanted to crush humanity and bring equality to the world, we could have done that without leaving home."**

" _I don't want to destroy the world,"_ he thought. _"Also, equality… really, Remy?"_

" **Grimm don't judge. Not like humans. We treat everyone equal."**

" _In that you kill everyone."_

" **Regardless of race, culture, or additional body parts."** Remy somehow managed to sound proud as he said that, which was odd given how much he harped on about humans being worthless. Wasn't that the token definition of racism? **"Also, how do you all expect this to work? There's no way they won't have something to check if you're a faunus or not. You can't just pretend to be a Grimm by wearing a mask, so I doubt this'll work either."**

Yeah, he'd been thinking the same. It was only the quiet – if strained – confidence Blake displayed that kept him from voicing his fears. If she thought it would work, it probably would. She knew these people better than he did. Honestly, he didn't want to be here at all. This was a bad idea, both in terms of the danger and the eventual promise of running into Torchwick again. On that, he agreed with Weiss. He just wished she wouldn't be quite so eager to chase after the White Fang as well. Between her and Blake, the two teams were pretty much stuck.

It didn't help that Ruby wanted to do the right thing, even if that meant diving into a volcano – and Pyrrha was so ridiculously _nice_ that she'd probably hop straight in after her.

 _Why am I the only sane one on my team?_

"Stop playing with your hair, Yang," Blake snapped. "It took forty minutes to get it looking like that."

"Like I have a thousand split ends? Gee, thanks." Yang growled and crossed her arms, but everyone could see her distinct twitch.

"Yang loves her hair," Ruby whispered to him and Pyrrha. "She spends a lot of time on it, so this probably hurts."

Pyrrha nodded. "I see."

Jaune did too, but mostly because of his sisters. They all loved their hair as well, or most of them did. Sapphire's braid was off-limits, while Hazel and Jade took meticulous care of their own – especially the dyed portions. Yang's wasn't all that bad really. It didn't quite look like split ends, and more like she hadn't brushed it in a thousand years. Bits stuck up randomly, while the edges had a whole range of tufts and raised areas. There had to be at least a full can of hair spray keeping all that mass stood up. Her hair probably weighed a tonne, and that was without the stiff feathers that were woven into it in places.

"I think it looks pretty good," he said. "I like your hair normally as well, but this looks a little wilder, almost like it's more primal or raw. It suits you."

He'd just gone with whatever words he thought might calm her down, but her eyes widened and she took a step away from him. She also glanced towards Ruby, and went red-faced. "Well, I suppose it's not too bad. It's just… why couldn't I wear animal ears or something? Why did you have to mess with my hair?"

Weiss growled something about hypocrites under her breath. Jaune patted her shoulder in what he hoped was a comforting manner. One couldn't even really say good things about Weiss' green hair. It didn't suit her at all.

Blake sighed. "You can't wear fake ears because a real faunus would notice. I've told you this how many times? There are a lot of things about animal parts, and replicas don't emulate those. You wouldn't even be able to make them move."

"Yeah, but of all the things you could have made me…" Yang sighed. "Why the hell am I a canary faunus!?"

"Yellow hair."

"People have yellow hair, Blake! I could have been anything else _with_ blonde hair, rather than a god damned canary."

"What's the problem? It's just a bird."

"It's a crappy bird. It's not a predator or a hunter. It's a stupid little thing people take into dust mines to get killed. Why can't I be a phoenix or something?"

"Because those aren't real? Maybe the mines could be your angle," Ren offered. "You want to join the White Fang because of how your people are marginalised due to their canary heritage and the poor working conditions of the Schnee Dust Mines."

"Hey!" Weiss snapped. "Despite what you may have heard, the SDC _does_ have health and safety regulations. We don't purposefully try to get people killed down there! Most die from related diseases rather than accidents, and we offer free treatment!"

"Shame about the low wages…" Blake drawled.

"That kind of treatment costs money!"

"Then it's not _free_ , is it?"

"Okay, okay, calm down…" Ren walked between the two. "Weiss, please calm down. You're not meant to be aggressive. We're trying to make you harder to recognise because you're shy and don't talk much. Blake, Weiss isn't the SDC. Don't criticise her for things she couldn't possibly be responsible for."

Both girls huffed and looked away. Weiss came back over to the three of them, their team forming on the one side, while Nora laughed and dragged Blake away to stand with her. The little bell on the faunus' collar tinkled and chimed the entire way.

At least Ren was there to help break up any immediate fights.

" **For a species that is apparently on the brink of extinction, it sure is incredible how much humans argue and fight with one another. You'd think the threat we pose would unite them."**

As much as Jaune wanted to argue against that, he couldn't. Remy was absolutely right. Uncle Watts had spent a lot of time trying to teach him about human psychology and how to manipulate them. He hadn't taken it all on board as well as his sisters, but he definitely remembered his Uncle warning him about being perceived as _too_ powerful. After all, he would say, people have a habit of banding together when their backs are pushed to the wall.

And yet, hadn't humanity's back been against that wall for generations now? Even if he was firmly in favour of peace, even he had to admit a certain amount of irritation – not towards Weiss or Blake, but towards those who started and perpetuated all of this.

" _You can't blame those two for this, Remy. They're products of the world they're born in."_

" **Who** _ **is**_ **to blame, then? You can't have it all your way. Either humanity is at fault, or there are specific parties at fault. If so, who?"**

" _W-Well, the White Fang…?"_

" **You don't sound so certain of that. Besides, isn't the poor treatment of faunus the cause of their actions?"**

" _That's just an excuse, surely. If they really cared about equality, they'd spend their time helping faunus – not harming humans. All they really want is revenge."_

" **And yet that doesn't absolve the other people, Jaune. The White Fang's numbers would dwindle if there was no ill treatment to drive more people towards them."** Remy huffed. **"I very much doubt people** _ **want**_ **to risk their lives in illegal raids. People join because they are desperate, disillusioned, or angry. Who is to blame for that?"**

He didn't know. The realisation bothered him. How could he think of bringing about peace between humanity and the Grimm if he couldn't even get humans to make peace with each other? _Come to think of it, have I even taken any real steps in bringing peace at all? I've just been messing around in Beacon…_ That and trying to fit in and not reveal his secret, which had been harder than he'd first expected.

" _I'll find out who's responsible, then,"_ he decided. _"I'll admit that I've not done a great job so far, but there has to be a way to unite the people."_

" **Yeah, and then they'll use that united force to storm your mother's tower and slaughter your family."**

Jaune's teeth ground together. _"I won't let them!"_

" **It's one or the other, Jaune."** Remy said. **"I'm your advisor. I'm on your side. I'm just warning you to be aware of the possibility. I wasn't lying when I said Grimm are the only real species that doesn't judge. So long as two humans exist on this world, one will desire something the other has. It is the nature of humans to covet. If you take that away from them, they'll point it in another direction."**

Then he would fix that too. It wouldn't be easy… he held no misconceptions about that. Then again, Dad always said that nothing worth having in life was easily obtained. _There has to be a better solution than humanity being stuck in tiny settlements as Grimm roam the world and slaughter them. This doesn't benefit either party. Grimm are hunted down and killed in their thousands, while humanity make bigger and bigger weapons and use them on the Grimm and each other._

That couldn't be the only way…

Jaune's thoughts were interrupted as Blake whispered that they'd reached their destination. The others stopped talking too, each of them watching the building with interest. He wasn't sure what he'd expected, but this wasn't quite it. _Mom always had her tower for things like this. Are these guys really a criminal organisation?_

The building was rundown. It looked like an old granary which had been converted into a house, and later converted into a blight on the surrounding area. What bits of wall weren't wet with damp and moss were instead pitted with stones. Windows were smashed and some were boarded over, maybe a desperate attempt by the locals to cover it up. It didn't look inspiring, and definitely didn't do much to make him long for the life of a White Fang member.

"This is it?" Weiss asked. "It's a dump."

Blake hummed. "This is where we were told to meet. Did you expect better? The entire area is rundown, and the last place we met was some kind of pub. The White Fang take what is available. It doesn't need to be attractive."

"Does it not need to be structurally sound either? This is an accident waiting to happen. Don't tell me this is my family's fault as well. We don't enforce poor architectural choices on neighbouring kingdoms."

"Weiss," Jaune whispered.

"What? She's allowed to insult my family but I can't question this… this ruin!?"

Ruby laughed nervously, "Actually, I think Jaune's saying to be quiet because of all the people watching us…"

Weiss stiffened and glanced around, suddenly aware of the fact that were no longer alone, and worse, the people here were dressed as White Fang. They shuffled awkwardly nearby, as though they weren't sure what to do or say.

"These are just more applicants," Blake whispered, her voice only loud enough for them to hear. "We'll need to stick to our roles with the others. If in doubt, just stay quiet. Weiss, your manner of speech is too recognisable. Try not to speak at all."

The heiress looked like she might argue with that, but a quick glance to him and the rest of their team had her mouth clicking shut. This was the real thing. They couldn't afford to be silly or take any risks.

" **Except that you kind of can since none of these guys could hold a candle to even one of you."**

" _True, but we need to find out where the real White Fang base is. That's not going to work if we lose our cover here."_

" **Isn't that what you want, though? You'd be out of danger if this failed…"**

That was an interesting thought, as much as it shamed him to think of it. His goal wasn't to bring down the White Fang. It was to become a huntsman and try to find a way to bridge the gap between humanity and the Grimm. This was Blake and Weiss' personal mission. He glanced to them, and wondered if he could sabotage this without any of them noticing. If he tried and they did, it might lead to suspicion…

A uniformed woman came out and ushered them into the building before he could think anymore on it. The interior was as bad – if not worse – than the exterior, and the moss and mildew that coated the wooden walls hardly helped. Eventually, they were brought to a large, open room, where a man in a mask stood on a raised platform. "Greetings, my friends. Thank you for coming here today. I'm impressed. There are a lot more of you than I expected. Perhaps Vale has its share of brave and honourable souls after all."

This was more than he'd expected? Even with the eight of us, there couldn't have been more than twenty people in attendance, which hardly seemed enough to rob a store, let alone inconvenience an entire species. It also made life harder for them, since their group counted for almost half of the people there. Not exactly inconspicuous.

"Hey, it's that guy!" Nora yelled. "I remember you."

The man looked their way and smiled. "And I remember you. I believe you ranked me an eight. Have I gone up in your eyes?"

"Nope."

The man stumbled.

"This guy's though," Nora added, grabbing Ren's arm. She dragged him in front of her and grinned. "He's the ten out of ten."

"Nora…" Ren hissed.

"Really, him? I don't know, my dear. I'd rate myself higher."

"Aw, it's cute how wrong you are. Renny isn't _a_ ten out of ten. He's _the_ ten."

Jaune looked to Blake for an explanation, but the faunus had one hand over her face and was breathing through her fingers. The rest of the group just stood and stared awkwardly. Weiss rolled her eyes and seemed content to ignore it all.

"Either way, I see you've brought quite a lot of people," the man said. "Eight candidates between the two of you, I'm impressed."

"My friends are really eager."

"They must be…" The eyes behind the mask narrowed. "What kind of faunus _is_ he, exactly? I don't see any distinguishing features…"

"Really, you don't see his eyes?"

"Pink is an unusual colour, but I'm struggling to think of an animal it might represent."

"Not the colour," Nora laughed. "Look at the energy in them. Look at the emotion, the raw, unbridled passion and action."

The man tilted his head. "I see… none. I see no energy at all."

"Exactly! He's a sloth faunus."

Everyone's faces became blank. Jaune stared at Ren as he stared into the sky, and as Blake stared into the palm of her hand. The White Fang officer simply stared at Ren and Nora. There was no way he was going to believe that.

"Huh, that makes sense." He slammed a fist into his other hand. "I've never met a sloth faunus before, but he certainly looks relaxed enough to be one. It's incredible. He exudes an aura of pure calm and disinterest."

"Yep, and he can make a sloth call too!"

"Nora, I-"

"Really, what does it sound like?"

Ren groaned. He looked to Nora with a raised eyebrow, and then back to the expectant terrorist and those surrounding them. With a sigh, he opened his mouth and let out a short warbling, clicking sound.

Jaune hadn't ever seen a sloth himself, but he felt fairly certain that wasn't what one sounded like.

"Interesting… that's not what I would have expected."

"I know, right? I always thought it would sound like `Boop`!"

The man didn't look like he agreed, but also had no idea how he was supposed to argue with that. Ultimately, he shrugged and looked past her to the rest of them. "I'm glad to see so many people eager to take up the cause of equality. I hope you're as enthusiastic as your friend here. Although I'll say again, it's not like I can just tell you our secret plans and where to go and take part!"

"But I want to know so badly," Nora whined.

Blatant, blunt honesty… Jaune wasn't sure if Nora was being a reckless idiot, or a genius, but no one seemed put off by her literally saying she wanted their secrets in front of them. Blake hadn't been kidding when she said this was the amateur branch of the White Fang.

"I know, my dear. I know. I want to take the battle to the enemy as well, but we must be careful. Our enemies are many and there could be spies among us even now."

Nora gasped. "Spies!?"

"I don't believe this," Weiss growled.

"Then you ought to, my green-haired angel," the man said, pushing towards her. He smiled charismatically and placed a hand under her chin. "There are ever those who would like to see justice and heroism quashed. Worry not, however… I'll protect you with my life."

Weiss' eyebrow twitched. "E-Excuse me?"

"Speechless? I understand. I have that effect on women. I just want you to know that if you're ever in danger, you can come running to me."

"I-I believe I will be fine," Weiss said. Her eyes were wide, but Jaune could also make out the way her teeth were held tightly together. What might have looked like a smile was much closer to a restrained desire to stab the guy in front of her. She took back, and bumped into Jaune's chest. Her eyes lit up. "In fact, if I were in any danger, I'd only have to ask my boyfriend here for his support. He would be more than capable of helping me, right darling?"

Boyfriend, him!? Jaune looked down at Weiss' pleading eyes and held back a sigh. If his Mom heard of this, he was doomed. Still, he wrapped both arms around her waist in a manner he'd seen his father do to his mother. His chin rested atop Weiss' hair. "A-Absolutely…"

She dug an elbow into his stomach.

"My love," he amended. "I'd do anything for you…"

"You are a couple? I apologise. I didn't know." The man backed away. His eyes flickered to Jaune's, but soon narrowed. "And you, good sir. Forgive me for asking, but you _are_ a faunus, no?"

His arms tightened around Weiss. "Of course."

"What kind…?"

"Well, I'm a... I'm an Octopus faunus…"

"Octopus..?"

Someone else in the crowd perked up. "Does he have tentacles?"

"Is he related to Hentacle?"

"Where are they? Can we see them!?"

"Where else could they be?" Someone added, and pointed at his pants. "We should check just to be sure. I mean, it's for science, right?"

The White Fang officer opened his mouth to try and regain control of the situation, but it seemed curiosity got the better of him, for he too looked down to Jaune's crotch.

Jaune winced. Uh-oh... Nora had told him it would be a good idea, but it looked like they might actually ask for evidence. Surely not..? Surely, they wouldn't? Wide eyed, he looked around for help, but some of the women nearby had already closed in, their eyes shining. What was up with these people and tentacles!? In the end, it was Weiss who came to his defence.

"That's my boyfriend you are all propositioning," she snapped. "Do you intend to molest him in front of my eyes? I won't stand for that!"

"Y-Yes," the man joined, eager for the interruption. "Please, if everyone could respect the couple's privacy and back away. There's no need for such a blatant intrusion into their personal affairs."

"Even if it sounds really kinky?"

"Especially if it sounds kinky!" he yelled, cheeks red. "What they do in their private time – and how they do it – is no concern of ours! And you, my lady, what kind of faunus are you?"

Weiss tossed her head arrogantly. "I'm a-"

"Peacock," Jaune answered for her. Yang sniggered. "She's a peacock faunus."

"I can believe that," the man nodded, not noticing Weiss' angry glare. The original plan had called for her to be a mouse or shrew faunus, but that was to play around her being shy or quiet. Since she'd been anything but, he'd figured this would work better. "That would explain your beautifully unusual hair as well. You're a lucky man."

Jaune chuckled nervously and tried not to cry out as Weiss ground her heel into his foot. Yes. Lucky indeed…

"Moving on with this, how about the rest of you introduce yourselves briefly? Names are not necessary, and might be better left – but in the interests of avoiding any spies, it might help if everyone mentioned their faunus characteristics and why they believe they would be an asset to the White Fang's cause."

That seemed to break the ice, and some of the other people nearby started to chip in. There was a dog faunus who could track people by scent, and also a hawk faunus with powerful eyesight that might have worked as a lookout. As the introductions went on, Jaune allowed himself to relax just a little. It looked like the worst of the suspicion had passed. "Thanks for the save, Weiss," he whispered. "I thought I was in trouble for a second."

His partner huffed and tilted her head so she could look up at him. She didn't complain about being in his arms, likely because she realised they needed to stick to the roles they'd claimed. She did adjust his hands on her waist a little, pulling them higher so they were over her stomach. "Somebody had to do something," she said, voice low. "We don't need this to turn into a bloodbath."

"What about what Blake said, though? I thought you were going to play shy and quiet."

"I am _anything_ but shy."

Well, he couldn't argue with that. In terms of raw confidence, Weiss probably came in alongside Yang – although in different ways. Then again, Nora took the prize on that front, though with her it was up in the air whether it was confidence or brazen madness.

"Really though… an octopus faunus?"

"I don't know. Nora said it was a good idea."

"That should have been the first indication it was anything but!"

Jaune opened his mouth to argue and then closed it again. Huh, come to think of it, she was right. What _had_ he been thinking?

"W-Well I'm not the one who claimed we're dating."

Weiss' fingers, or more precisely her nails, dug into the back of his hand. Her smile took on a dangerous edge, like she might cut his throat with it. "What was that, darling? Did you say something, darling? Would you like me to lodge something sharp in your gut, darling?"

"N-Nothing, dear," he whimpered.

"I thought so…" Her saccharine tone died and she hissed under her breath. "If you tell anyone about what happened here tonight…"

"I-I won't. I swear!"

She raised an eyebrow.

"My love..?"

It was the wrong thing to say apparently, for her lips peeled back and it looked like she might bite him then and there. Luckily, he was saved by the gazes of every other person at the meeting turning their way. The man had apparently worked his way through the other applicants and now come to them

"And we know about most of you, of course. For why you should be a part of the White Fang, I believe our dear lady's cunning intellect and leadership qualities speak for herself."

"Oh, you!" Nora giggled.

Ren slapped a hand into his forehead.

"As for your associate," he added with a meaningful look towards Blake. "We always have room for more hands. It may not be the most glamorous of work, but even the lowest are valuable to the cause."

Blake's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"What about the last members of your party, however?"

"He comes with me wherever I go," Nora said, hugging Ren close. "We're a two for one deal. Or a buy one get one free, one or the other. He's super calm and smart – not to mention he makes the _best_ pancakes ever."

One of the nearby women was suddenly much more interested. "He can cook? Is he single?"

"Ha ha, you're so funny!" Nora slammed her fist into – and through – a piece of wall nearby. Those nearby backed away warily. "He's an awesome cook. That's all he is and will be."

"We _could_ use some culinary expertise around here," the man agreed. "Well, I can't see why he should be refused. So long as he's willing to put the effort in, that is. I understand it might be cruel to ask a sloth to work, but we can't achieve our dream without hard work and dedication. Can you manage that, my man?"

Ren sighed. "Sure… why not."

"Excellent! What about the others?"

Yang stepped forward and grinned. "Yo, I'm a badass fighter. Worked on the local militia for a while back home, but moved to Vale with my sister when things got tough." She grabbed Ruby and brought her before them. "We both have our auras unlocked and are willing to fight. Right, sis?"

"Uh. Y-Yeah!"

"She's socially awkward," Yang stage whispered. The man nodded his head understandingly. "But we're totally cool to fight, and we're strong. Is that enough?"

"What kind of faunus are you?"

"Bird faunus…"

"Bird?" He looked unimpressed.

Ruby came to the rescue. "I'm a hummingbird faunus," she said. She zipped left and right using her Semblance for good measure. The man yelped, but quickly calmed down and soon looked half impressed, half curious.

"I see… instead of outward features like your sister's feathers, you have the internal muscles of a hummingbird. Incredible. How does your body even cope with the energy demands!?"

"You wouldn't _believe_ how many cookies she eats," Yang said. "The worst part is, no matter how much she eats, she _never_ puts any weight on. It's just unfair."

"You're making me sound greedy. I don't eat that much!"

"Sis, you had eight cookies with breakfast…"

"Eight isn't a lot!"

Yang rolled her eyes. "See my point? Anyway, I'm a-"

"Canary, right?" The man grinned. "Yeah, I can see it. It's brave of you to be willing to fight like this. I know you must be afraid, what with how things are for you, but I just want you to know the Fang is a family. We'll look after you… even if you're a canary."

"Y-Yeah. Thanks." Yang's smile was brittle and filled with teeth. The guy probably had no idea how close to death he'd come.

"I have to say, I really like your hair too. Do the feathers match all over?"

"All over…?" It took Yang a few seconds to realise what that meant, and for once it looked like Ruby got it first, for she yelped and darted behind Jaune. When Yang did realise, her mouth fell open. "What, you, I… what!?"

It looked like she'd shut down, so Jaune decided to do as Weiss had to him and offer his support. "Isn't that a bit of a personal question?" he asked. "I mean, that's not any of your business, is it?"

"Well, I admit I was just a little curious…"

"Be curious elsewhere," Yang said. She sidled up to Jaune and grabbed his arm. "I'm taken."

"But… isn't he with the other one…?"

"Tentacles," someone whispered. "An octopus _does_ have eight."

"Even if his arms and legs count, that's still four extra. You think they…?"

"Oh yeah, I mean, how else could one guy have so many? It's the closest to Hentacle you can get."

Yang's neck turned steadily redder, and it hardly helped that Weiss was glaring at her. Behind him, he could feel Ruby press her face to his back. This was hardly fair! Since when had he become the default person to use as a human shield? It wasn't like Ren-

Oh wait, never mind. It looked like the guy had tried to turn his charms on Blake, and she'd quickly positioned herself behind Ren and Nora. Ren looked far more resigned than Jaune felt, but maybe he'd become used to it all. That or he was just resigned. People were whispering about him too, and quite a few looked at Blake's collar and said something about `pet play`, whatever that was.

Was it like when his mom made his dad walk around on his hands and knees with a gag in his mouth while she rode and whipped him? She'd told them that was Dad pretending to be a pet at the time, though Cinder had refused to ever talk about it again, and often went white in the face when she saw a horse or it was brought up.

"And you…?" the man valiantly tried on their final member.

"I'm a bat faunus," Pyrrha said. "I also claim the fourth one…" She moved over to place a hand on Jaune's shoulder and smile. It was probably the most awkward group the White Fang had ever seen. It was all Jaune could do to shrug when every single person there stared at him.

"You… with all four of them?" the man asked.

Jaune shrugged. What else could he say?

"Yep."

Weiss dug her heel in. Yang squeezed his arm with her nails. Pyrrha clamped down on his shoulder, and Ruby drove a fist into his back. He winced and bore it all. _"Why? They're the ones who did this."_

" **The mysteries of women, Jaune…"**

"W-Well, everything seems to be in order. I must say, it's unusual, but who are we to judge what you do with your spare time or how many people you do it with?" The speaker stammered and fought for control.

"Oh, it's more than in order," a woman giggled. "I say we ask for a demonstration~"

"No such thing is necessary!" The man coughed and clambered up onto a raised platform. He threw his arms into the air, and it looked like some of his confidence had returned now that he wasn't busy being rejected by every single woman there. "Brothers and sisters, I thank you all for coming here today. Know that your bravery will not go unrewarded, and blame not those who felt too afraid or uncertain to attend. Doubt may have eaten away at them, but we shall fight in their name!"

Yang, Ruby and Pyrrha let go of him, while Weiss shuffled awkwardly in his arms. Jaune watched with wary interest. The man was good at riding the crowd, and already several were nodding along.

"The time will soon be upon us where great leaps can be made in terms of what we can achieve. For too long have we languished in the shadows, blamed by a corrupt Government as the source of all that is wrong in this world. Soon, the righteous hand of justice shall strike, and bring true equality to Vale!"

The crowd cheered.

"Our brethren in the White Fang have been hard at work, and have already secured great victories." He smirked and leaned forward. "What victories, you might ask? Well, I have been authorised to tell you of one that even the Council of Vale has wanted to keep quiet. Something you will not have heard of in the news. Our brave warriors were successfully able to intercept a shipment of weapons from the Atlas military – and even secure several of the latest hi-tech battle suits!"

Weiss gasped, going stiff in his arms. The reaction might have been suspicious had it not been for the reaction from the rest of the crowd, who looked amazed. Jaune looked down to Weiss. "What's wrong?" he whispered.

"Atlas battle suits are military hardware. If they have access to those, then the damage they might cause is so much higher than we first thought." She bit her lip and looked straight ahead. "The local authorities would have no hope against such things. If they attacked the city with those, then the damage would be devastating. Hundreds of lives could be lost… thousands, even."

Jaune's stomach squirmed. So many people…? There went any hope of convincing the others to ignore this, and in truth, he wasn't sure he could ignore it any more either. _Is Cinder involved in this…? No, of course she isn't. She wouldn't do that._

The White Fang had to be stopped. Even if they weren't entirely to blame for the cycle of hatred that seemed to grip humanity, things wouldn't be helped by giving them weapons of that calibre.

"With these mighty weapons, we will create our own path," he went on. "We will create a path to a new future. A brighter future!"

"You'll create a new path, alright," a dog-eared faunus piped up. He stepped forward, and took off his White Fang mask. "A path straight to prison! VPD! Nobody move! This is a raid!"

There was a short, serene moment of silence. One in which he was sure he heard Blake mutter something about how this was probably Nora's fault.

"POLICE!" one of the White Fang screamed. It was followed by the sound of sirens, and also of a Bullhead that whizzed by overhead. Panic and pandemonium rained, and it hardly got better when figures appeared in nearby windows and opened fire.

One officer even opened fire on them.

Jaune moved immediately, turning and pulling Weiss behind him as the bullets struck his back. They hit hard, but not as hard as real ones, and as they fell to the floor, they didn't clink, but instead bounced.

"Rubber bullets," Yang said, then yelped as one struck her arm. "Ow! Son of a-! Argh, we have to make a run for it. We can't stay here."

"Run!?" Ruby gasped. "But they're the police!"

"And right now, we're White Fang," Ren said, dodging over and pushing over a wooden table to use as a shield. The sound of rubber pellets striking it didn't do much for their confidence. Blake hopped over it a second later, a huge frown on her face.

"Looks like we weren't the only ones to take notice and infiltrate this place."

"You think!?" Yang growled. "What was your first warning? We need to get out of here."

"We can't," Jaune said. All eyes turned to him and he winced. "If we leave now, then the others will be arrested and we won't be able to find out where the main White Fang are. If they really did steal some kind of super weapon, then we can't let that go."

No matter how much he wanted to avoid another potential run in with Roman. This was too big to leave be. The others seemed to realise that as well, or were maybe just not willing to let all the work they'd put in be wasted.

"Jaune's right," Pyrrha said. "The potential harm those machines could cause outweighs any benefit the police here might gain by arresting these people. As Blake said, they're nothing more than pawns. They won't have any information the Kingdom can use. We…" She hesitated. "We may need to help the White Fang out…"

"You want us to fight against the law?" Weiss asked. Her eyes were wide. "Do you have any idea what that would mean? My sister would kill me!"

"Mine too," Jaune moaned. While Cinder was all for him not being a goody two-shoes, he had a feeling she'd be less than thrilled to hear about this. "But Pyrrha's not wrong. Can you honestly say you'd be willing to let the White Fang have Atlas weaponry?"

Weiss gnawed on her lip. She couldn't answer.

Ruby whimpered too, trapped between her desire to save lives and the reality of asking them to fight against the good guys.

"Ugh, things seemed a lot more black and white back in Beacon," Yang complained. "Right, fine, whatever… how do we do this?" There was another barrage of gunfire that struck their table, and she pressed her back against it so it didn't fall. "They're going to flank us if we sit here. Ren, you got any ideas?"

"We don't necessarily need to harm the officers…" Everyone perked up. That sounded like a better idea already. "If we help the main ringleader escape, it might be enough to secure our position. We can allow the others to be captured, and that will mean the least amount of harm done to the police."

"Eh, a better idea than I had," Yang shrugged. "Those guys are just doing their job."

"Time for us to do ours," Nora laughed. She drew out her scroll and made to call her locker, but for Blake placing a hand over the device.

"We can't use our gear. It might be recognised."

"Not even a little bit?"

"Those are Beacon lockers, Nora," Ren pointed out. "They're not exactly inconspicuous."

"Aw…" Nora put her scroll away. She placed one hand atop the table and sighed. "This is going to suck…"

She vaulted over and into the hail of bullets.

Blake stared open-mouthed at the barrier. "Did she just…?"

"Well, they're rubber bullets. It's not like they can break through our aura." Even saying that, Yang didn't look like she wanted to face them anytime soon. Rubber or not, those things hurt. "Can we just leave it to her?"

Ruby's eyes narrowed. "Yang…"

"What? It's Nora! She does stuff like this all the time. She'll totally be fine."

"Fine or not, we'd best help her," Weiss interrupted. "Ruby, I want you to secure and guard an exit for us. Don't argue. You're next to useless without a weapon. Everyone else, focus on creating a path for Nora and the leader."

They all nodded and pushed out from behind the barricade. Jaune took in the scene in an instant. Officers had taken over a motel on the other side of the road, where snipers fired down with pellets and small bags of sand. Some White Fang applicants were already on the ground, clutching parts of their body and moaning. More worrying were some members of the VPD being dragged behind barriers and cars by their colleagues. Hopefully, they'd be okay.

Naturally, as he noticed them, so too did they notice him. Several turned guns his way and opened fire. He sprinted to the side, following after Weiss, and also covering her with his body. Several pellets struck his arm and shoulder, stinging badly, but none hit his face – a perhaps deliberate effort on the police's part not to harm the offenders.

Up ahead, Nora had almost reached the stage, where the faunus who was part of the VPD had almost reached the main speaker, huddled behind a cabinet. She dove in and pushed the undercover officer back, giving him a light – for Nora – kick.

It still sent him flying.

"Nora's got the idiot," Weiss snapped. "We need to make an exit and get out of here. We can't afford to get stuck in a protracted chase."

Jaune nodded and turned back, only to see two people in uniform approaching Ruby. The younger girl backed up, hands held before her. It was obvious from the look on her face she didn't want to hurt the two – if she could. Ruby wasn't exactly built for unarmed combat. "Ruby," he gasped, catching Weiss' attention.

She looked back and cursed. The two of them turned and sprinted towards her, even as one of the officers shouted something to Ruby and pointed down at the ground. Ruby hesitated, and he watched as the man moved to squeeze the trigger.

"No!" Weiss growled. A glyph sprung to life beneath her, propelling her forwards. Like a flash of white light, she appeared before her teammate. The shot took her in the chest and she collapsed to the floor in agony. "ARGHH!"

Weiss!

Jaune's eyes flashed red. He covered the remaining distance in no time at all, and his hand gripped the first officer by the throat, lifting him from the ground. The man's legs kicked wildly as he fought for air. He looked to be in pain, but that was _nothing_ compared to the sounds Weiss made. He squeezed tighter.

The other noticed, firing off three shots into him. The bullets bounced off his chest, ignored as he focused on the one who'd opened fire on his partner.

"M-Monster…" the man croaked, staring into crimson eyes. "Y-You're a monster!"

"Am I?" he snarled. "I'm not the one who shot an unarmed woman. I'm not the one who tried to shoot a young girl." His voice deepened, growing darker as his hair rippled and started to turn a platinum blonde. "What should I do with you, I wonder?"

" **Snap out of it, Jaune. You're turning!"** Remy's voice cut into his mind. **"Calm down or you'll reveal yourself in front of everyone. You need to stay in control!"**

Calm… yes, calm… Jaune's eyes fizzled back into a dark blue, his hair reverting back before anyone had a chance to notice. The red haze before his vision lifted, to reveal the man in his arms weakening – almost passed out entirely. Startled, he threw him at his friend, sending the two to the floor. The one he'd choked coughed and hacked, fighting for breath.

That was close. He'd almost lost control, and worse, he might have done something irreversible. Damn it. Another attack, and so soon after the last one… both times had been when someone he cared for was threatened, but this had been much more visceral than Blake's moment.

" **Think about it later. Just stay calm for now and we'll sort this out when we can."**

" _You're right, Remy. Thanks for the save."_

" **Any time."**

"We've got him," Yang yelled, and ran past. She stooped to snatch up Ruby over her shoulder and bounded away without breaking stride. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

Snapping out of his rage, Jaune rushed over to Weiss and knelt beside her. More shots pinged off his back, but he ignored them. Weiss' aura, what it was, must have been lower than his, for it looked like she was having trouble breathing. The pellet had struck her below the throat, right on her breastbone.

"I'm- I'm okay," she rasped. There were tears in her eyes, but it was probably from the shock. "It just… stings a bit."

"You're not okay," he said. His arms came beneath her, lifting her up with one arm below her legs, and the other her shoulder. He pulled her against his chest, covering as much of her body as he possibly could. "What happened to not being reckless?"

"They were going to shoot Ruby," she coughed. "I'm the team leader. It's my responsibility to look after everyone."

"Not at risk to yourself…"

Weiss didn't respond, the stubborn girl, and instead focused on regaining her breath. He didn't know if he should argue more or leave it be, but it was clear Weiss wasn't going to change her ways. In the end, he sighed and rushed toward the exit.

Ren and Pyrrha stood by a back door, holding it open so they could fit through. Nora barrelled through as the last, the wailing White Fang member over her shoulder. "We've got to go," Nora yelped. "They really want this guy and I think they're chasing me."

A rubber bullet pinging off the wall opposite the door confirmed Nora's words, and the shouting from inside hardly helped. Yang growled and grabbed the White Fang member by the hair, lifting his face up.

"Don't you have some kind of escape route we can use?"

"N-No. I'm just in recruitment…"

"We can't stay and fight," Ruby yelped. "We need to run."

"They have a Bullhead and cars." Ren said. "They'll catch us."

"Not if we make a distraction!" Yang reared back and cocked her fist. Though she lacked Ember Celica, her aura and Semblance was still in one piece, and she slammed her fist into the wall with a mighty roar.

For a moment, it looked like nothing would happen. Yang's fist was, after all, just a fist – and this was a solid brick wall. There was a crack a moment later, however, and the crumbling and already weakened building let out an ominous groan. There were startled cries from the other side of the door, and brickwork began to rain down, creating a thick cloud of dust. Fortunately, Yang's punches couldn't level buildings – broken or not – but it did cause the floor above the door to collapse, blocking it off entirely.

"Let's scram before they think to loop around," Yang hissed. "The sooner we get out of here, the better."

/-/

"Incredible," the White Fang member gasped. It was less than fifteen minutes after their impromptu flight from the law, and somewhere on the way, the idiot had regained his bravado. "That'll show those bastards we're not to be trifled with. The White Fang will reign supreme!"

"Can you maybe not shout that out loud?" Pyrrha asked, gesturing to the nearby streets which weren't at all as abandoned as the ones they'd been on before. They were currently in an alleyway behind what Yang claimed was a club owned by some guy she knew.

"I apologise. I didn't mean to hurt your sensitive bat hearing."

"That's… not exactly what I meant."

"We helped you get away from the raid," Nora interrupted. "That means we're in, right? We're part of the White Fang?"

"After your display back there? Absolutely! There can be no doubt." The man patted himself down and drew out a scroll. "Here, give me your contact details. When I receive instructions on where to send the recruits, I shall pass them onto you. You'll then have a chance to meet with and be accepted into the White Fang officially."

"Use mine," Blake said. "I'll inform them when it's time. There's less risk this way."

The man nodded and took down Blake's details, adding his own onto her scroll. Once he was done, he breathed a sigh of relief and looked around nervously. "I need to go now. I will see you again, brothers and sisters. Until then, I thank you for the help. I shall not forget it." He removed his mask and darted out of the alley a moment later. Only once he was gone did they all deign to remove their own.

"Well, that's technically a successful mission," Ren said.

"Successful!?" Weiss almost howled. "We were chased by the police, shot at, forced into helping a criminal escape _and_ Yang collapsed a building."

" _We_ collapsed a building," Yang amended. "I really think it was more of a team effort."

"We attacked the police!"

"Say it louder why don't you…"

Weiss growled and gripped her head in both hands. She was still in his arms, although mostly because there hadn't been time to put her down. She tapped his shoulder, and then pushed herself back onto her feet once he'd knelt. "Thank you, Jaune," she demurred. When she turned back to the others, her expression was far less kind. "This night was a complete mess! It's only those stolen Paladins which makes me think we should continue this, but tonight… if anyone asks, that did _not_ happen."

"Yeah, I think that goes without saying," Pyrrha said. She winced at the sounds of distant sirens. "My sponsors probably wouldn't be very pleased if they knew I'd been involved in terrorism. Especially faunus supremacy…"

"And you think _my_ family would?" Weiss asked. She held a hand to her forehead. "I can imagine it now. My God…"

"Yeah, Dad and Uncle Qrow would probably be annoyed too," Ruby admitted. The others agreed in their own ways.

" **Their parents aren't very supportive. Your Mom would be thrilled."**

" _Not now, Remy…"_

Ruby cheered up a second later. "Still, it's not like any of them have to know, right? Like Ren said, it was technically a success. We got what we came for – and we're not going to let the White Fang escape next time. This is mission accomplished, right?"

"Technically…" Weiss huffed.

"Technical mission accomplished!" Ruby cheered. "No one even got hurt."

"Excuse me?" Weiss gestured to herself, but she was hardly the only one. Yang's bare arms had a few bright welts on them, and he was fairly sure his back didn't look much better. With how pale Weiss' skin was, he dreamed to imagine the bruise that must have formed.

"Well, not _seriously_ injured. We can still go for ice-cream."

"Sorry sis, I'm off for a shower," Yang said. "I have about ten bottles of hair spray and some tacky feathers to deal with."

"And I have a natural hair colour to regain," Weiss growled.

"Sorry Ruby," Pyrrha chuckled. "I'm not exactly in the mood myself. I took a few hits on my legs, and they're not feeling so hot right now."

"We're also in the same outfits several confirmed terrorists were just in," Blake commented as she walked past. "I don't think being in Vale is a good idea right now."

"Maybe next time," Nora giggled, following Ren as he walked away.

"Aw…" Ruby stood in the alley way with a pout on her face. She turned to him, eyes wide. "I just wanted to try and cheer everyone up…" She sighed, and then smiled a little. "The two of us could go for an ice-cream?"

"You two are still grounded," Weiss called back.

Ruby's face fell. "What!? But we've been on best behaviour!"

"Tell that to the police. Besides, I just took a bullet for you."

"It was rubber…"

"It still hurt! Why didn't you dodge!?"

"I didn't know what to do…"

"DODGE!"

"No, I meant at the time. I was startled. They were police…"

"And I got shot."

"Would it help if I said sorry?"

"No."

"Would ice-cream help?"

"NO!"

Jaune watched the two bicker and argue, Pyrrha beside them and the other team ahead. He sighed and shook his head, but couldn't find it in himself to feel upset. The night was a weird one, but at least where everyone else in the world struggled to make peace and be friends, their teams were perfect examples of the fact it could work.

He took a step after them but paused. Idly, he looked up towards the top of the nearest building. Something fluttered there, but soon passed out of sight. His eyes narrowed.

Odd… he'd had the strangest feeling they were being watched.

"Jaune, you're grounded too!" Weiss yelled. "Get over here before I come and collect you."

"Aw, what's the matter princess? Need your bridal carry again?"

"Xiao-Long, I warn you…"

Jaune broke off his staring contest with the building and rushed over. "Sorry," he called. "I'm coming!"

Maybe he'd just imagined it.

/-/

Atop a nearby building, a figure with red eyes and black hair watched the drama unfold below. The local law enforcement had given up the chase in favour of collecting what prisoners remained, and it was of no interest to her to change that fact. Her business was not with terrorists or police.

Her business was with the blonde figure below – and not her daughter.

Jaune Arc, the one her brother had warned her of. The one Salem wanted. Raven's eyes narrowed as she watched him remove his mask and say something to the others nearby. Why they'd chosen to attend such a meeting with fools like this, and why they'd chosen to rescue one, was none of her concern.

Nothing but the Tribe was, and if she wanted to protect them, then it would mean ensuring that whatever Salem wanted him for, she did not get him.

It was a shame this `Hentacle` had not been present tonight.

That had been the reason for her presence, after all – and it would have made for a convenient end to this foolishness. She could admit to a tiny bit of curiosity as well. How would her child have fared against such a creature? Had her spawn grown strong in her absence, or had she allowed weakness to take hold of her?

As always, it was a passing thought at best.

"Hmph. Perhaps my foolish brother dreamed up this creature of his."

Raven turned away and flicked her sword to the side. A portal swirled into being before her. What a waste of her time. Part of her wondered if this wasn't another asinine attempt to make her interact with her daughter.

Did she dare take that risk? No, she did not. This `Hentacle` would receive a stay of execution this night, but only until he showed himself.

 _Still, does that remove the issue of Salem's interest in the boy?_ Raven's lips thinned. If she felt it prudent enough to send something so powerful to collect him, then was there not the chance it could happen again? _Qrow said he would train the boy to be strong, but I've seen the fruits of his training. Summer's brat is hardly a shadow of what she was, and I doubt my own is much better._

The boy would die without help, and while that would not normally have bothered her, it might mean problems for her tribe if Salem gained some advantage from it. On the other hand, she could not – and would not – dedicate her life to being his silent bodyguard.

Her eyes glanced back down off the tall building she stood upon. It would be a simple matter to kill him now and remove the threat he posed. Simple, but for the chance that might play into Salem's hands. If this were anything like the Maidens, then death was not an answer.

Protection, perhaps? If she could not dedicate the time to watch over him, then finding one who might be capable of it would be wise. Why search for such in a land of weaklings like Vale, when her tribe was filled with strong people?

He could thrive there. Grow strong. Be kept away from Salem. With how often they travelled, and their lack of any fixed location, it would be all but impossible for her minions to locate them. It would remove the problem once and for all. In fact, the more she thought of it, the more enticing the option seemed.

Qrow and Ozpin would never agree, of course.

Worse, they would not let it happen. If she were to kidnap the boy, then Qrow would be able to find both her and the tribe, and that might bring trouble if Ozpin mobilised to rescue him. Such attention might draw Salem's gaze as well. The matter would become complicated indeed. Abducting him was out of the question.

Unless… what if she could make it so the boy did not desire to leave?

* * *

 **Ugh. Sickly Coeur is miserable Coeur. Actually, I'm not much of a whiner when like this, but I do get impatient with people – especially when they ask me things they really ought to already know. Things like "where are the holiday forms?" when they've booked a holiday like a hundred times before and KNOW full well I don't keep them in my drawer of all places.**

 **Or when some salesman calls my line and I pretend to be the secretary so I can find out who it is, and I ask what it's about and they get snooty. "I'll only speak with the Director. I'm not paid to speak to a personal assistant."**

" **Oh,** _ **will**_ **you now…? Hmm, yes. Interesting to know how you talk to MY staff. Let's talk about all the business I** _ **won't**_ **be doing with you."**

 **Sickly Coeur is angry Coeur.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 27th July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	28. Chapter 28

**Here's the next chapter of White Sheep, and I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 28 - Little bo Peep**

* * *

Jaune wasn't sure why he was in the doghouse, only that he was.

He had enough experience with his sisters to notice it. They ran the whole range of annoyed from Lavender's subtle cold shoulder, to Jade and Hazel's blatant glares – right through to Cinder, who could flit from cold to on fire at a whim, and who he really didn't want to annoy any more than he had to.

Compared to them, his team and Yang weren't so bad – and it was definitely only them he'd been thrown in the kennel over. Nora, Ren and Blake were as friendly as ever, which was to say very, partially, and not at all – in that order. Well, at least it was more indifference with Blake, as opposed to the irritated look Weiss shot him.

It had started when they woke up that morning, but had probably been caused before. Everyone had been in a bad mood after the White Fang mission, even if it had gone well. Ruby was aghast at fighting the police, while Weiss was annoyed at that and something else. Even Pyrrha, as nice as she always was, looked little fatigued with what had gone on.

It wasn't like he didn't feel the same. He knew he was naïve, but even he knew that coming to Beacon to save and help people was somewhat incompatible with defending a terrorist organisation against police officers just doing their job.

His attempts to cheer them up hadn't exactly gone to plan, and had instead earned their ire. To be fair, Remy _had_ warned him against it. When someone was in a bad mood, sometimes the only thing you could do was _not_ draw their attention onto you.

Jaune had decided to be stupid and ignore that.

He should have known better, really.

"Hey," he whispered, sidling over to sit by Ren.

"Hello, Jaune." Ren looked at him and smiled. "They're still in a bad mood?"

"See for yourself," Jaune said, indicating his team, sat in the library with Team RYBN. The four of them were playing Remnant once more, but this time he'd decided not to get involved – mostly because they'd likely throw everything they had at him. If he lost, they'd rub it in. If he won…?

Salem forbid... they'd never forgive him.

"I just don't see why it's all aimed at me," he groaned. "Yang was the one who brought the roof down on the police, and it was Blake's fault we went out and hunted the White Fang in the first place."

"I don't think it's entirely about that. If it were so, then I'd be getting the same treatment." Ren looked to him and smiled sympathetically. "I believe they're upset at the things that were… implied last night."

"Implied? What things?"

Ren chuckled and turned a page in his book. "I imagine it was about them all being your girlfriends. That, or them being a part of your harem."

"No woman wants to imagine being like that," Blake added, listening in. "I know it was for the disguise, and I'm sure they did, too. That won't stop them feeling embarrassed, however."

"And that's my fault?"

"No, but you're part of the problem." She looked up, and her amber eyes, while not sympathetic, weren't cruel either. "You'll notice they're not actively blaming you for anything. They're simply in a bad mood."

"It probably doesn't help that Weiss' hair dye didn't wash out fully," Nora giggled.

Yeah, not at all. She'd been ranting about that all night, and his automatic comment about it looking nice had earned him both a stink-eye, and a question as to whether he thought she was some kind of brainless bimbo. He'd winced and backed off. Complimenting his sisters always worked when they were upset, but it didn't have the same effect on Weiss.

Well… it was that, or she just hated the colour _that_ much.

"She's ordered some specialist stuff to get it out," he said. "It should arrive tomorrow. At the very least, she'll be back to normal before the dance."

The mention of the upcoming event brought different reactions to the three before him. Blake sighed and slumped a little further over her book, while Nora perked up instantly, eyes sliding to her childhood friend. Ren just sat there and continued reading.

"I've heard about it," he said. "It feels strange to have a dance so early into our stay, but it's a mandatory event, so there's that."

"It sounds annoying," Blake grumbled. "I'm not interested."

"Oh, you're going," Nora said. "It's the perfect chance for the beautiful Blakerfly to spread her wings. I won't accept anything less!"

The Blakerfly in question groaned, but didn't argue. Maybe she just figured it wouldn't make a lick of difference, or she was just resigned to Nora winning out in the end. He sent her a pitying look, even if he didn't understand her reluctance.

He'd never been to a dance before. It sounded interesting.

" **Yeah, it does,"** Remy said. **"It will be a good chance for us to make connections, network with potential allies and secure of power base."**

" _Remy, we're not doing that."_

" **What? But your Uncle Watts always said that was what formal dances were about."**

Yeah, but Uncle Watts was all work and no play, and not quite as cool as his Big Sis. Not that he'd ever say that out loud, since his Uncle would probably slump into a dead faint, and Cinder wouldn't let him live it down. There'd been a similar occurrence once where Jaune had admitted to liking Uncle Hazel's birthday gift more than he had Uncle Tyrian's. Uncle Tyrian had practically burst into tears, and then sulked in a corner for hours. He'd had to coax the man out with hugs, promises to train with him, and kind words. He'd been six at the time, but he'd soon realised it was safest to like everyone's presents equally.

" _We're going to dance and have fun,"_ he declared. _"Besides, it's like a ball. I know from the stories that those are all about romance."_

" **Yeah, well good luck convincing the blonde to go with you when she won't even talk to you."**

Ugh. Thanks, Remy.

"Hey there!" a voice called to them.

Blake quickly tried to slip behind Ren. "Hide me."

"Hey Blake!" the blonde faunus waved, slipping over to their group with another guy in tow. His eyes lit up the moment he caught sight of Blake, and he moved over to stand next to her. "How you doin'? Haven't seen you for a few days."

"Oh, I'm great," she said. "Thank you for asking... um…"

"Oh yeah, this is my partner and best buddy." He gestured to the blue haired teen next to him, only to blink when there was a curious absence of said person. "Oi, Neptune. Where are you?"

"He's over there," Jaune offered, pointing to the guy.

"Hello there," Neptune said, smiling charismatically down on a green-haired girl. He had one arm leant on the table, the other looking over the game before them. "Nice to meet you. My name's Neptune, and I'm here for the Vytal Festival." He chuckled. "I had to come a little early since my team leader rushed off without us, and I guess I need to keep an eye on him."

Weiss blinked at the attention, and looked around as though to make sure it was really aimed at her. When it was clear he wasn't addressing anyone else, her cheeks flushed slightly. "Ah, that's loyal of you. Welcome to Beacon. My name is Weiss Schnee."

"That's a beautiful name, but a little long… would you mind if I have you a nickname?"

Weiss giggled. "Not at all."

"Then I'll call you my Forest Sprite."

"Hrk." Weiss' blush vanished in an instant, replaced with a dangerous twitch beneath her left eye. The cards in her hands were gripped to tight it looked like they might tear. "That's… how nice… yes… I think I hear your team leader shouting for you, Mr Neptune. Why don't you go and talk with him?"

Jaune winced. The poor guy picked the wrong topic there. To his credit, Neptune caught onto the cue fast, realising he'd messed up in some way. He scratched the back of his head as he wandered over to their group. Behind him, Yang said something to Weiss that she clearly didn't appreciate, for she snapped something back and slammed both hands on the table.

"I don't know where I went wrong there," Neptune sighed.

"Ah, don't worry about it," the blonde faunus said. "Plenty of fish in the sea, right? Anyway, like I was saying, this is Neptune." He turned to them and introduced them in turn. "And this is Blake," he added meaningfully. "You remember? The one I told you about?"

"The one who called you a stalker?"

He choked. "T-That wasn't the part I wanted you to remember."

"Ha ha." Neptune stepped forward and grinned at Blake. "Sorry about my partner. He can be a handful but he means well. Trust me, I'd know if he was a stalker."

"Yeah, no problem." There was a curious expression on Blake's face, strained almost, like she wasn't sure about something and felt nervous. She tilted her head to the side, and the little bell around her neck tinkled.

"Huh, is that new?" Blake's cheeks darkened as her paramour leaned in to look at her neck. Her attempts to hide it only made it ring louder. "Is that a cat collar with a bell!?"

"It's not like that! R-Ren is making me wear it," she defended.

His mouth fell open. He turned to Ren, eyes wide. "Seriously!?"

"Guilty as charged." Ren said, barely even paying attention.

"Aw man, come on!" The faunus threw his arms in the air. "Can't I get a single bit of luck here? When did this happen!?"

"A few days ago."

"Damn it, damn it, damn it. Missed my chance." He sighed and opened his mouth, then closed it and shook his head. "I need a minute to process this. Nice to see ya again. I'll catch you all around." He didn't wait for a reply, but instead sulked away.

"I'd best go keep the poor guy company," Neptune said. "Nice to meet you all."

Well… that was weird. He turned to Blake for an explanation, but she still looked vaguely confused and troubled. She held a hand to her chin, eyes narrowed. With a sigh, she shook her head and picked up her book once more.

"Sun," Ren said.

"Ah, right." Blake tutted. "Now I remember."

Jaune's mouth fell open. "You didn't even remember his name!?"

"What? It's not like I have to remember the name of someone who stalks me. Why would I do that? Besides, I've had things on my mind." Blake flicked her head back, grimacing as the bell rang. She picked up her book and joined her team leader in reading.

Behind them, the game came to an abrupt end as Yang brought in an easy victory. Ruby and Weiss complained, but it lacked the same kind of energy as before. In the end, Weiss' scroll rang and she excused herself to take what she called an important call. The others didn't even come and join their group, and Ruby wouldn't meet his eyes when he looked over.

"I'm going for a walk," he sighed. "Maybe things will be a little easier to understand if I clear my head."

"Good luck," Ren offered.

Luck, eh? He could use it. That or a miracle. With a push of the chair, he stood and left. As he did, he heard Nora grumble something to herself.

"Renny never bought _me_ a necklace…"

"It's a collar, Nora," Blake growled.

"Same thing, treacherous partner of mine."

"Ugh…"

Okay, maybe it wasn't just him having problems.

/-/

Emerald stalked the halls with a frown. Mercury was busy with his contact, and Cinder had gone out with Neo to meet with Roman – something about a red-eyed monster interfering in his business. She had no idea why he felt Cinder needed to help him with that, but her mistress had decided to go along with it anyway, probably because she couldn't trust him to do anything right.

Emerald would have gone with her, and had in fact offered, but Cinder hadn't wanted to raise suspicions by them all vanishing for the day, so here she was, stuck in Beacon without a single person to entertain or amuse her.

What a drag.

 _Why is Mercury spending so much time with that contact of his anyway? If he was here, I could at least knock him around the training rooms on the pretence of a spar, but nooo – he has to go and work with his contact. Pah!_

She could have had a contact as well if she wanted one. She just didn't.

Idly, she wondered if she should pull some pranks on the Winchester idiot. He'd dyed her hair white, after all, and although that had worn out, she still felt sore about it. If he wanted to play with fire, she'd burn him. Illusions were good for that.

Hmm, maybe she could use Jaune for it since Winchester was apparently so terrified of him?

No, that would be a bad idea. It might cause trouble for the idiot, and that meant trouble for Cinder. She'd only just gotten back into her good graces, and even then, barely. Mercury still had his contact to wave over her head, and wave it he did, the bastard.

Emerald was deep in thought when she rounded the corner, which was why she didn't see the chest that hit her in the face. She bounced off with an oof and landed on her ass. Expletives that would have made a Grimm ignite shot to her lips, but she swallowed all of them when she saw who it was.

"Oh, hi Emerald," Jaune said. He held a hand out for her. "Sorry about that. I wasn't watching where I was going."

"No problem, Jaune," she said, smiling saccharinely as she took his hand. She _wanted_ nothing more than to tear him to shreds, but he was her mistress's brother and charge, so that was out of the question. Instead, she slapped a stupid smile on her face and went with being… ugh… nice. "I was distracted as well," she simpered. "I was just looking for something to do. It's my fault really."

"Bored?" he asked, and smiled when she nodded. His eyes slipped a little higher. "I see your hair is back to normal. I'm glad. It didn't really look good in white."

No, it didn't. She'd spent hours scrubbing the damn stuff out, but as Cinder said, better her than him. She shrugged one shoulder, then remembered the rather generous offer he'd made before.

"You said you'd handle Cardin for me. Did you do something to him yet?"

He winced. "Ah, not yet. I was… busy… yesterday."

She caught the hesitation instantly, and cringed when she realised that not only had neither she nor Mercury kept an eye on him, but that his manner of speech almost certainly confirmed he'd gone and done something dangerous. Did she ask what? If she found out, she'd be beholden to tell Cinder – and then tell her that the two of them had screwed up.

But what she didn't know couldn't hurt her, right?

Ignorance was bliss and all that.

"Well, why don't we go and get our own back now," she suggested. It was an impulsive idea, but one she found herself warming too. Cinder wanted her to get closer to Jaune, and surely a little co-operative cruelty would work. "He dumped paint on me, and tried to do it to you. We owe him a little payback in my opinion."

"What do you mean by payback?" Jaune asked warily. "I know he crossed the line, but it was a prank gone wrong. I don't think he meant to hit you. I was just going to talk to him about it."

He wasn't wrong, but there was no way she was going to let Winchester go with a stern word. She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Wouldn't that just make it awkward for him, though? He'll feel really guilty and bad if he finds out he hit the wrong person." She saw him stiffen and knew she had him. For good measure, she stepped forward and placed a hand on his arm. "Like you said, it was just a prank. And what's the best way to respond to one of those?"

"With another prank, I guess…"

"Exactly." Hook, line and sinker. "That's why we should prank him back, not because we hate him, but because we're playing the game. Plus, you can make sure the prank _only_ hits him, and that will remind him to keep innocents out of the firing line."

He was wavering, she could tell. He bit his lip and looked back down the corridor from the way he'd come. He opened his mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. "I guess you've got a point," he finally said.

Damn right, she did. Just in case, she struck the final blow.

"If we don't now, then he might try again. What if he hits Weiss, Ruby or Pyrrha? Would you want Weiss' hair to be dyed a _new_ colour?"

Jaune's eyes widened.

"No way! Not again. Okay, okay, you're right. I'm in."

Heh, like taking candy from a baby.

"Have you got an idea for a prank then?" he asked. "I've got nothing and I've been too distracted to think of anything."

Emerald's smile was nothing short of vicious.

"Oh, I think I might be able to come up with something~"

/-/

"Coco's being a real nightmare lately," Velvet said. "She keeps seeing me leave early in the mornings and is getting really suspicious. It's ridiculous. I mean, aren't I allowed to leave the dorm whenever I want? Does your team leader always want to know where you're going?"

"Actually, Cinder is pretty much the same there." Not in the same way, but it wasn't like Mercury was going to go into detail on that. "She keeps tabs on us, and kinda runs the show. She's not quite as… uh… gossip hungry as Coco, though."

"I doubt anyone could be." Velvet said with a roll of her eyes. "Really, she's so annoying at times!"

Mercury laughed and continued to listen as Velvet went on about the recent goings on with her team. He'd only intended to meet with her to grab some of the photos she'd taken of the training sessions, but she apparently had a separate room on campus for those to develop, and it was on the other side of Beacon. Hence, he'd been dragged into a long walk and even longer conversation. Normally, that would have annoyed him to no end, but Velvet wasn't too hard to talk to, and with Cinder and Neo out, she was a better person to hang out with than Emerald.

Honestly, the little rabbit had her own mean streak, even if she kept it hidden. She wasn't the shy and weak upper year she pretended to be. Not when you got her to open up anyway.

"And Port just walked into my darkroom and ruined my photos!" she said. "I tried to explain what he'd done, but he just offered to let me take pictures of him! Ugh."

"Why do you have to develop your pictures anyway?" he asked. "Most people use their scrolls or more modern cameras."

Velvet's eyes flicked to his, and then down to the camera at her side. Her right hand gripped her left arm. "It's a hobby."

Yeah, like he was buying that. Clever as she might be, Vel wasn't the best of liars, and he caught the little signs. Well, it wasn't like he needed the answer, whatever that might be. "What else is going on with the team?" he asked.

"Oh, Coco has been put in charge of the dance!" Velvet laughed and slapped a fist into the palm of her hand.

"Oh yeah? I heard about that thing."

"You're going?"

"Probably. It depends on Cinder, really, but I've got a feeling I will be." At least if everything still went to plan. Hitting the CCT was an important part of Cinder's endgame, and that required a distraction. Even if it wasn't though, he had a feeling he'd be sent to the dance if only to keep his cover.

"You're going with her?" Velvet asked.

"Cinder? No way." He laughed. "Not unless she makes me anyway. There's definitely nothing going on there. She's… I wouldn't say taken. Hell, I'm not even sure she knows what she is, but it's complicated."

It hadn't always been complicated. Cinder was a monster mixed with a temptress, and that was that. If he'd gotten the chance, he'd go for it – but he'd held no thoughts that it might ever be romance. The best he'd ever get was a night he'd never forget, but even that seemed unlikely. She just hadn't cared for things like that.

Or at least he'd thought so.

Ever since they'd hit Beacon, she'd started to act… weird. Not different, not in any obvious way, but just plain weird. He had no idea what to make of it, and had honestly decided the best bet was just to back away and let the fireworks happen. If Emerald wanted to be close when it did, then more power to her.

"I'll probably be going on my own," he said.

"Not your partner?"

"Emerald? Hell, no. We may flirt, but I think I'd wake up with a dagger in my back if I tried to ask her to the dance."

Velvet laughed, no doubt thinking it a joke. It really wasn't.

"What about you?" he asked. "There some special someone you want to take along?"

"Ah… m-maybe." She looked away, not that it hid her crimson cheeks. "There's someone I like," she said, "but… well, I doubt I'll build up the courage to ask him out."

Mercury raised an eyebrow. "Anyone I know?"

"Maybe…"

A yes, then. It wouldn't be much of a maybe otherwise. _Not like it's any of my business. She's just my contact. All I need to do is keep her happy so she helps me out with Jaune. The easiest thing to do would be to ignore this altogether._

"Is it one of your teammates?"

"What!? No!" Velvet's eyes widened and she waved her arms before her. "Yatsu and Fox are great, but I don't feel about them like that. Besides, it would be awkward to have romance on the same team. What if it didn't work out?"

"Then life sucks and you move on, but I get what you're saying." He wasn't sure why he cared either way, but there was no denying the curiosity. Maybe if he found out who it was, he'd be able to use the knowledge to manipulate her more easily.

 _Yeah, that's not a bad idea. I can hold it over her head if she becomes difficult to deal with._

"I could help you out if you needed it," he said. "You said you can't bring yourself to ask him out. Why? Is there something about him that makes you think he'd say no?"

"More like I freeze up whenever I try. Ugh, I just lose confidence at the last second and never manage it. Coco tried to help me, but that didn't go very well."

Hm, odd. The only time he'd ever seen Coco and Velvet together was when she was talking to him. He pressed a little more, but Velvet refused to answer. Eventually, he let it go, even if he didn't give up entirely. _I'll do a little digging of my own. It has to be someone she talks to often, since she said she freezes up. It also needs to be someone relatively new, otherwise she wouldn't have just fallen for him now. Maybe a first year._ He blinked and looked at her curiously. Or a transfer student.

Nah. That was ridiculous.

"This is the dark room. Be careful when you come in. There's a second door, kind of like an air lock but to keep the light out. Apparently, Beacon used to have a photography club, which is why they have this."

"Not anymore?"

"I'm not sure Beacon has any clubs anymore. Then again, it's not like there are a lot of teachers either. There's really just Port, Oobleck, Goodwitch and Peach."

Mercury looked for her in the dark, but saw nothing. "Who?"

"Don't ask. Peach is… odd. Anyway, here are the pictures I got."

There was a long pause as Mercury waited for something to be pushed into his hands, and Velvet probably waited for him to take them. Once the seconds ticked into a minute, Mercury coughed and felt for the nearest wall. "Uh, Vel. I'm not a faunus. I can't see anything."

"Oh, whoops…" Velvet laughed and took his hand in hers, guiding him out of the room. "Sorry about that. I completely forgot. Most faunus students hang with other faunus because of how people treat them."

"I thought it wasn't so bad here," he said. He let her guide him out, a little surprised at how strong Velvet's grip was. Her fingers were callused, which was a surprise since he'd almost expected her skin to feel like her namesake. Then again, she was a huntress and a fighter. The hardness showed it. "Apart from Winchester, I've never really seen any obvious racism."

"That's the problem. It's not obvious. Most of the students aren't racist, but they're not exactly tolerant either. They look at us like we're different, even if they wouldn't ever do anything cruel because of it. They're good people, but… they just don't talk with us. It's like they think faunus have different customs and interests or something. They'll say hello, open a door for you, but never actually want to get to know you." She laughed. "You're actually pretty rare for not being like that."

Mercury shrugged, and then winced when he bumped into the doorframe. "Doesn't make a difference to me if you've got animal parts. You can still kick ass. Besides, you're helping me out with all of this."

"Anything for a friend." Velvet tugged him out into the light and smiled. She let go of his hand, and offered a small stack of paper to him. "These are the developed shots of the training. I'm not sure if they'll be of any help, but… well, it's what you wanted, right?"

"Yeah, thanks, I-" Mercury froze as he looked at the first picture. In it, Jaune was topless and covered in sweat, posed in a fighting stance that drew the attention in a very non-family-friendly way. Mercury flipped to the next to see it much the same, but this time him on hands and knees after being knocked down by his opponent. Still topless, still very much the centre of the picture. He glanced up at Velvet and noticed her cheeks were very red.

"It's what you asked for," she defended. "You wanted pictures of him training. He's training."

"I didn't say anything…"

Velvet crossed her arms and huffed.

Mercury flicked through a few more, but they were all pretty much the same, and she was right, it _was_ what he'd asked her to do. What use Cinder would find for them, he wasn't sure, but it was mission success as far as he was concerned. He turned to the last one and paused.

"Something wrong?"

"This one isn't of Jaune," he said.

"I took a few of the other teacher just in case."

"No, not that." Mercury looked down at the picture, a little surprised. It wasn't of Jaune or Qrow, but rather of him. He was leant against a stone pillar with his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes focused off to the side, probably on the training. She must have turned to the side and snapped it, but he had no idea when or why. It was a good picture, and really caught his lackadaisical nature. "This is-"

"Whoops – sorry about that one." Velvet laughed nervously and snatched it out of his hands. She held it behind her and smiled. "The camera slipped, or my hands did. Definitely one of them. I printed it by accident, and well, I'll get rid of it." She laughed, but her eyes were fixed over his shoulder, and her ears were straight. "Anyway, I'd best run before Coco sends out a search party or assumes I've been kidnapped. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Huh? Yeah, sure. I'll come pick you up as usual."

Velvet nodded and hurried off, and the speed at which she managed it was enough to impress even him. She was gone within a few seconds, leaving him behind with a stacked set of pictures of another man in very little clothing. He stashed them away before someone could see and jump to a stupid conclusion.

 _I hope Cinder will make more sense of these than I can. I'm not sure she'll be interested in seeing pictures of her younger brother half-naked, though._

/-/

It didn't take long for Emerald to regret asking the idiot to come along and help her with the prank. In fact, it took precisely twenty-two minutes – and only then because fifteen had been wasted convincing him to go along with the prank anyway.

"I just don't know what to do," he said. "My team are annoyed with me, and I feel like I should do something to fix it, but I don't even know _why_ they're upset."

 _Because you're an idiot, and annoying, maybe?_ Technically true, but not something she could say, Emerald instead sighed and placed the human-sized mannequin in the room. "Does this look close enough to the door?" she asked. "It needs to be the first thing he sees when he enters the room."

"Huh, yeah, sure… it doesn't look much like a person, though. I don't think it'll scare him."

Emerald chuckled to herself and put an improvised wig atop the training dummy's head. "Don't worry. I can fix that. He'll get a nasty surprise, trust me."

"What do you think about my team, though?"

"Huh, what?"

"My team," Jaune repeated. "You know, the thing I've been talking to you about all this time? I don't know what I should do."

Oh right, _that_ thing. The thing she'd paid roughly no attention to since it sounded boring, and she had her mind on other things. Yeah, now she remembered.

Crap.

"You should do what you think is right."

Jaune sighed. "If I knew what that was, I'd have done it already. Do you think I should just apologise?"

"Yeah sure, go for it. An apology never hurt."

"What would you do?"

Definitely not apologise. The last thing she'd said sorry for was stealing someone's wallet, and that had been a sarcastic one, just to see the look on the arrogant mark's face. Somehow she didn't imagine he'd appreciate that.

"I'd… say sorry," she lied. "An apology can fix a lot of things."

"Even things like this?"

Sure, if the person's ego was so delicate they'd feel better because of two shitty little words. Whatever, it wasn't her business – and in fact, it might even help her if Cinder found out she'd put some time into supporting her little brother. Hm, now that she thought about it, that could be a good in for her.

"Okay, maybe I can help," she said. "In return, you need to do something for me, okay?"

"Like a favour?"

"Yeah, like one of those." Internally, she was already rubbing her hands together. A favour from him could mean a lot if he was as connected as Cinder said, plus it would be an easy get out of jail free card if she ever needed it. If she ever fluffed a mission to protect him, she could ask him to gloss over that when he talked to Cinder. Bonus! "So, run through the problem again for me – and make sure you fill me in on the details."

He did so, and she listened as best she could – even if she wanted to roll her eyes at some points. Mostly, it was the way he kept trying to hide what it was they'd been up to. She still couldn't figure out the full picture, but that was only because she was trying her hardest not to.

 _Ignorance is bliss, ignorance is bliss. If I don't know you did something dangerous, then I can't report it to Cinder and be told off for letting you._

Eventually, he reached the end, and what an end it was. "And then Pyrrha said she would take the fourth tentacle."

Emerald slapped a hand into her face. "Sheesh…"

"It's that bad?"

"Yeah, just a little. You don't get out much, do you?"

"Let's just say there are more people in a classroom than I've ever seen in my life before Beacon."

Yeah, that sounded about right. Talk about sheltered, but she supposed it wasn't his fault. If she'd grown up only knowing less than ten people existed, she figured she'd be a bit dense, too. Actually, he'd come out fairly well considering all of that.

"Look, even if they all knew it wasn't real, you probably shouldn't have encouraged the whole `harem` idea. They know it's not real, but the people you told it to don't, and that probably made the girls feel awkward as hell."

"But they're the ones who did it…"

"And since when has being technically right or wrong stopped someone being in a bad mood? It doesn't matter whose fault it is, only that you want it to end." She shrugged and stepped back from the dummy. It looked crap, but that was fine. It was just to throw Jaune off the scene. "Either way, you can take responsibility and apologise yourself and it _might_ end, or you can do nothing, and it definitely won't end."

"So, you're saying it's better to try something than nothing at all?"

"Pretty much." Emerald smirked. Mercury would have never believed her if she said she was giving counsel and advice to someone, and even less if he heard what it was about. This whole assignment was weird. "What's the worst that can happen if you say sorry? If they don't forgive you, that's no different to what's happening now, but I've got a feeling they'll let it go."

"You do?"

"Yeah…" His friends all seemed sickeningly _sweet_ like that. The thought of it was enough to make her choke. Not that Mercury would ever feel _bad_ about anything, but if he did, then she'd have made him bend over backwards to win her forgiveness.

Gods, just the thought of it was enough to make her snigger.

That was wiped off her face as she heard footsteps approach. "Quick," she hissed, grabbing him and stepping out the door. She caught Winchester's eye down the corridor and quickly cast an illusion over him so that he didn't see them. "Stay quiet," she whispered. "Let's see how he takes it."

"I don't think this'll work…

Heh, she had a feeling it would.

/-/

Cardin worked his shoulder free of kinks as he strolled back to his dorm. The others were still busy in training; a quasi-punishment from him after the three had not only failed to best him in a three against one, but practically sabotaged and tripped over one another. What kind of teamwork was that? He'd told them to work on fighting together for an hour or until they could work together without being a health and safety hazard.

Still, it gave him time to catch a hot shower, and that was a bonus. He sighed and pushed open the door, idly wondering why it was ajar in the first place.

His question was answered a second later.

"Ah, there you are, my boy!" Professor Port practically yelled. "I needed the use of a shower after a particularly rigorous bout of training, and thought I'd use yours. I hope you don't mind!"

Cardin _did_ mind, actually, and tried to say that – but the older and fatter man let out a quick curse as he lost grasp of his towel. It fell to the floor, revealing buttocks that would haunt Cardin's nightmares for the rest of his life.

"Ah," he cried, shielding his eyes.

Port turned around. Something swung between his legs.

"ARGH!" Cardin screamed, far louder.

"Why, my boy. It's nothing you haven't seen before. I bet you have one almost as impressive. Not quite, of course, but it's not a competition. Come; let us have a shower together." Port smiled and looked Cardin up and down. "We can wash each other's bodies like the huntsmen of old did."

"I-I-I…"

"I promise I won't do anything if you drop the soap."

It was too much. Cardin took one step back, and nearly fell over in his haste to take another. He didn't so much rush out the door as he did slam _through_ it. It crashed back into his face, but he punched it off its hinges. He fled back towards the changing rooms, screaming the entire time.

He didn't notice the green-haired girl step out from nowhere, nor the blonde figure beside her. He didn't even notice the moustache-wearing huntsman he passed on route, who was both fully clothed and rather confused as to why one of his students was screaming something involving his name.

"Such excitable youths," the large man chuckled to the student being tortured – or regaled – with his stories. The young man had a stack of papers in his hands and a vacant look on his face. "Always running around like the devil is on their heels. Why, it reminds me of the time dear Tsune and I started dating. It all began when I-"

The student twitched violently.

/-/

" **There was something more to that than meets the eye."**

" _I know, Remy."_ Jaune said. He'd noticed it, too. There was no way Cardin was weak-willed enough to freak out like that at the first sign of a training dummy… not when he smashed those into sawdust on a daily basis. Emerald had done something, not that he knew what or how to fix it. _"I'll keep an eye on her, but there's nothing I can do now. I need to apologise to my team."_

Remy clearly disagreed, but felt there was no point arguing about it.

Out of all the people he ought to talk to, Jaune figured Weiss would be the best bet. For one, she was his partner, which meant there was no avoiding her – and secondly, she was easily the most mature and least likely to snap at him. Pyrrha was a close second, but he had a feeling she'd hide her feelings, and he knew he wasn't quick enough to catch that.

" **You know, there's always Penny,"** Remy said. **"She wouldn't have done any nonsense like this."**

" _Yes, but Penny isn't here and my team is. Besides, Emerald said I should just apologise and get it over with."_

" **Need I remind you that Emerald is beholden to Cinder? She's probably not a good person."**

Yeah, well that went without saying. He wasn't blind enough not to notice that, but at the same time, it wasn't like being on the wrong side necessarily meant she was useless at giving advice. She was a girl after all, so her ideas were probably better than his.

Finding Weiss was easy. She was almost always in their dorm when not in lessons – and he struck dust when it turned out she was alone. He pushed through the door and closed it behind him, wincing as her sharp gaze flicked over to him.

No greeting from her, but he'd not really expected one.

"Is there a reason you're staring at the back of my head?"

"Just that I'm trying to think of something to say…"

He could practically _hear_ Weiss roll her eyes, and she fiddled with her scroll for a second before laying it down. "Whatever it is, make it quick. I'm expecting someone soon and don't really have the time for this."

Okay, that was fine. He could come back later- but no, he'd decided he was going to apologise now, and things would only be worse if he dragged it on. "I wanted to apologise."

"For…?"

Well, crap. That wasn't the response he'd wanted. He'd half-expected it, but desperately hoped it wouldn't come. He wracked his mind for an answer, but somehow he had a feeling saying `for going along with your charade` wouldn't endear her to him.

Weiss sighed and turned to face him, eyes flat. "You have no idea, do you? I'm not sure why I'm surprised."

"I… don't. Is it because I suggested you were my girlfriend?"

"No." Weiss shook her head. "It would be a little hypocritical of me to be angry about that when it was I who claimed you as my boyfriend. You handled it well enough, even if it was a little clumsy."

"I've never had a girlfriend before."

"Believe me, I can tell. To tell you the truth, I've never been in a relationship either, but last night certainly felt clumsy. Still, that's not what irritated me. Can you figure out what did?"

Jaune scratched his head awkwardly. By this point, it was probably clear he couldn't. He'd just sort of gone with the story they'd made up and hoped for the best. It worked, too. That should have been a good thing.

"Ugh, you're hopeless." Weiss threw her arms in the air. "I was upset because of how you made me look!" She stormed forward and pressed a finger into his chest. "I realise it wasn't completely your fault, but when the others started to pretend you were _their_ boyfriend as well, it put me in an awkward position. Do you know what it feels like to have it suggested you share your boyfriend with three other women?"

"Um…"

"Like you're not good enough!" Weiss answered for herself. "Like I'm somehow insufficient or incapable of keeping a potential partner loyal… like I could only satisfy a quarter of a man."

Understanding dawned on him quickly, and he blanched. "I didn't mean it like that!"

"I know," she said, "and that's why I haven't torn you to shreds over it." Weiss sighed and rubbed her face with one hand. "Forgive me. I'm in a bad mood and it's not entirely your fault, but it isn't entirely _not_ your fault either. I felt it might be best to avoid you until I calmed down lest I lash out." She laughed bitterly. "Like this. I'm not the most patient of people, and I know that. I didn't want to cause a scene, but it looks like I went and did so anyway."

"Ah, well…" Jaune ran a hand through his hair. "I guess I'm sorry, too. I didn't think about what it must have looked like to everyone else. I guess I was just too nervous to think things through, but that's not much of an excuse." He glanced up at her. "For what it's worth, I don't think of you like that. I definitely don't think there's something wrong with you, or that you'd need to share with anyone."

Weiss smiled weakly. "Thank you. I apologise as well. Like I said, it wasn't your fault and I didn't want to cause a scene. Perhaps I am just over-sensitive."

"Are we…?" Jaune gestured awkwardly.

"I think we are better. I just need a little time to get over it, but things will return to normal. I didn't want them to change in the first place. Now, you really must go. I'm waiting for someone and it's probably best if you weren't here when she arrives."

"A little late for that, Weiss," a new voice spoke.

Weiss' face drained of colour, even before she looked towards the door. Her mouth fell open and her eyes widened, before she glanced back to him and saw how close they were. She pushed him away. "W-Winter, hello! Y-You're early."

The woman stood in the doorframe was so akin to Weiss, she had to be a relative. There was no other explanation for it. A similar skin tone, if a little darker from being out in the sun, identical hair – dye aside – and the way she carried herself just screamed of Weiss in five or so years' time. He watched her, and blinked when her eyes fell onto him.

"And who is this?" she asked. "I don't believe we have been introduced."

Training kicked in from the many times Uncle Watts and his Mom had insisted on manners. He stepped forward with a polite smile and extended a hand. "Hello. I'm Jaune Arc, Weiss' partner. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Yourself as well," the woman said, taking his hand and shaking it. "I'm surprised Weiss hasn't spoken of you. I'm not sure if that is a good or a bad thing."

"Maybe I'm just not noteworthy enough. I'm pretty normal."

"W-Winter," Weiss echoed, still a little lost. Her eyes shot between her sister and him, and she pushed forward to place herself between them. "This isn't what it looks like," she said. "Whatever you heard, it wasn't what you think. Jaune and I are-"

"Partners, no?"

"N-No! Not like that!"

Winter raised an eyebrow. "You're not teammates? Why else would you be in the same dorm room?"

"T-Teammates…?"

"Yes." Winter gestured to the room about them, and to the assorted beds behind. "I assumed that is why the two of you were together. Is it something else?"

"Nope, not at all!" Weiss laughed, so relieved that she didn't even realise she'd let Ruby's manner of speech slip through. "Actually, on second thought, this is _exactly_ what it looks like. My, it must be hot in here. My mind keeps wandering." Weiss walked over to the window and opened it, and was nearly sucked out by the strong winds. It was a stormy day. "Ah, perfect," she said, green hair stuck up and out from the wind. "That's better."

Jaune blinked.

Winter looked to him for an explanation.

He shrugged in return.

"O-kay…" Winter said slowly. "Well, I can see that your time at Beacon has changed you somewhat. You seem more relaxed, though… I can't say I fully like the hair. I understand it is your choice, and that you might want to rebel from father, but-"

"The hair was a mistake," Weiss practically growled. "It was a… prank. I'm waiting for it to come out."

"Thank goodness…" Winter sighed. "For a moment, I feared you might have thought it looked good on you."

Weiss' eye twitched.

"Never mind that – it is good to see you, Weiss, and a pleasure to meet yourself as well, Jaune. I'm pleased to see Weiss has such a polite and dependable partner, and that you can work out any differences between you."

"Ah, you heard that?" Weiss asked with a wince.

"Only the tail end and enough to understand you've had some issues but are able to work through them. That is commendable." Winter nodded politely. "We can perhaps talk more on the issue later, but I only came by to say hello. I have my own mission in Vale."

"You mentioned something about that in your texts. Are you allowed to tell me what it is?"

"I suppose it is all over the news, so it couldn't hurt. I will have to ask you both to keep this quiet, however."

"You have my word," Weiss said.

"I won't tell anyone," Jaune added.

Winter watched them both for a second, before she nodded. "You have no doubt heard about the recent White Fang raid on an Atlas military convoy. Several military prototypes were stolen, and this has left Atlas in a… delicate position." The older woman sighed. "They are only prototypes, so it wouldn't be such an issue if they hadn't been stolen so close to Vale. Sadly, there are fears the White Fang might use them here, and as such Atlas has a responsibility to ensure that doesn't happen. We don't want _our_ equipment used to harm an ally."

Yeah, that sounded about right. Uncle Watts had talked a lot about alliances, scandal and the political fallout they could cause. Normally, that was in how to use it to destabilise a Government, but it at least let him understand it in reverse. It was also a good thing, since it was one more thing off their shoulders. Weiss seemed to think so too, for she relaxed slightly.

"That's wonderful," she said. "I'm glad to hear Atlas is doing something about it. So, you are going to be hunting White Fang in the city?"

"I will be doing, yes. In fact, I already have an interesting lead in regards to a police sting on a recent White Fang operation."

Weiss' face froze. Her smile looked incredibly brittle. "You do? T-That's great!"

"Indeed," Winter said. "Unfortunately, the faunus leader was able to escape with some of his people, but we did receive descriptions of them from several police officers – and some of the captive faunus were also willing to barter information for reduced sentences."

Uh-oh. Jaune felt the sweat beading on his brow and looked to Weiss for advice. Apparently, he wasn't going to get it – since his partner looked like she was about to pass out. _This is bad,_ he thought. _This is really, really bad._ His mouth was dry, but he still managed to ask, "Have you managed to find any leads on them, ma'am?"

"Please call me Winter, or Miss Schnee if you must." She smiled, and that at least told him he probably wasn't about to be arrested. "We have descriptions of the perpetrators, and some information about their faunus attributes." Winter looked around to make sure no one was listening in before she lowered her voice. "The worrying concern is that they each showed signs of aura and training advanced enough to place them at the level of huntsmen or huntsmen in training."

Weiss was still trying and failing to form words, so he filled in for her. "Really? That's terrible."

"Yes, well… it takes all types. Naturally, this means I have to extend my search into Beacon as well, but I don't expect it will be anyone from here. Ozpin runs a tight ship." Winter smiled at them, but it dropped away a second later. "That said, one of the faunus was described as having green hair, albeit a slightly darker shade than your new look, sister."

"R-Really!?" Weiss asked. "What a coincidence!"

It was a good job she'd managed to fade the colour somewhat by washing it twenty to thirty times in a row.

"Yes, quite." Winter rolled her eyes. "Obviously, it's ridiculous to believe it would be _you_ of all people involved, but I have a feeling I would be in trouble if I didn't at least consider the possibility. Would you mind if I asked you where you were last night?"

"Last night?"

"Twenty-one hundred hours. The time of the raid," Winter explained. "It's just for my investigation, sister. I can already imagine the political fallout that would occur if I didn't at least show some signs of considering you a suspect. It's ridiculous, but it's what it is."

"Yes, well… I suppose I understand," Weiss stalled. "It is best to consider every angle, and I wouldn't want your superiors to assume anything but the best of you. Naturally, I'll be willing to help in any way I can. I certainly don't have anything to hide, after all."

"I'm glad you understand. So… where were you?"

Jaune kept silent but trusted Weiss to come up with a good answer. Obviously, she couldn't say she was here at Beacon, since all it would take was one person to come forward and say they'd seen her in Vale, leave Beacon – or just _not_ be in their rooms. What was more, the Bullhead docks were watched by camera, and had almost certainly documented them all heading off.

"I was in Vale," Weiss said slowly. "I ate a meal at a small diner. Not a restaurant, but more of an ice-cream and snacks kind of place."

"At nine o'clock?"

"Well no. I arrived there around eight or so, and probably left a little after nine."

"And that involved your partner?" Winter asked. "I overheard you both talking about what you did last night, and something about that leading to an argument. It seems clear you were both together. What were you both doing at such a place?"

Weiss' eyes widened.

"We were just having a bite to eat," Jaune said, stepping in. "Right, Weiss?"

"Yes, of course. What else would we be doing at such a venue?"

Winter's eyes narrowed. He wasn't sure where, but they'd apparently gone wrong – and it seemed obvious she'd caught it. "You don't normally like sweet foods, Weiss." She took a step forward, and both he and Weiss took one back. "This is an official investigation. I need you to be honest with me. Please don't make me think you're somehow involved in this."

"O-Of course I'm not."

"Then what is it? You're hiding something."

"I-I am," Weiss acknowledged.

Jaune stared at her. What was she doing? Was she insane!? Weiss' eyes met his, and he could see the panic in them. She wasn't mad, just desperate and out of options. She tried to convey some message with just her eyes, but all he caught was a vague sense of hysteria.

"I am hiding something," she said again. "Forgive me…"

"What is it?" Winter asked. "Weiss, please don't tell me you are actually-"

Weiss cut Winter off – or to be more specific – _he_ cut Winter off with a yelp as Weiss grabbed his arm and dragged him over to her. She pressed her cheek to his arm and tried for her best smile. It looked horrified instead, but with her red cheeks and wide eyes, it probably worked.

"I did lie earlier, Winter. I'm sorry, but I was nervous about what your reaction might be. Jaune is my partner, but he's also my partner in another sense."

Jaune's eyes widened. "W-Weiss, what-"

"The two of us are dating!"

* * *

 **Welp, poor Weiss, poor Jaune. Poor Sun, too, I suppose. Then again, his interactions in the show were always a little weak. Most of his relationship with Blake felt weak, mostly because he practically goes from being ignored to earning blushes with absolutely zero on-screen interaction. Plus, it always felt like they were thrown together because both are faunus, which somewhat slaps in the face of the whole "faunus inequality is bad", since it's like saying only a faunus can date another faunus.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 3** **rd** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	29. Chapter 29

**Here we are, and here we go.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 29 – Studding**

* * *

Weiss stapled a smile to her face and tried her hardest not to scream.

"So, how did you meet my sister?"

"Oh, it was before initiation," Jaune said, his head leaning back as though in thought. "She was talking to someone and I was lost looking for my locker. I guess you could say we just bumped into one another."

This could not be happening. It was a disaster, an unmitigated disaster. The three of them were sat on a small, ornate chair and table in one of the more secluded areas of Beacon, a dining facility set aside solely for visiting dignitaries and guests. The food was better than what was served in the cafeteria, and they were sat under a shaded veranda on a patio by the gardens. The sun was shining, the breeze pleasant, and her sister was busy interrogating her apparent boyfriend.

The day couldn't get any worse.

Theoretically, at least.

She had a feeling Jaune would beat the odds. He usually did.

"And your relationship started from there?"

"I'd say no to that. We kind of didn't get on at first. I almost knocked her over, and she wasn't exactly pleased about it."

"That certainly sounds like my sister. What happened afterwards?"

"Well, we didn't exactly talk again, but we ended up being paired together in initiation." Jaune shrugged awkwardly. "I guess we just sort of came together after that. It was all fairly sudden."

Weiss' eye twitched. Yes, that was a fairly accurate summation. The relationship had been very sudden, as in all of twenty minutes ago and without so much as a single flirtation between them. She dabbed her lips with her napkin and decided to cut in before Jaune could somehow muck it up.

"It's a new relationship," she said. "We've not been together long, but that was why we were out having dinner."

"It was our first real date," Jaune confirmed.

"I see…" Winter regarded him curiously, but not with any real disdain. Whether that meant Winter approved or was simply forming her own judgments internally, there was no telling. Her sister could be subtle like that. "Tell me a little about yourself then, Jaune. I'd like to get to know my sister's paramour a little more closely."

Okay, not good – not good at all. Weiss shifted closer to him and laughed nervously. "Winter, isn't it a little too soon for that kind of thing? Jaune and I have only been dating for-"

"I have to make sure he's good enough for you, Weiss. As your older sister, it's my responsibility." Winter's smile was all teeth. "Please Jaune, go on..."

"Uh well, my name is Jaune Arc and I'm from a large family. I'm a huntsman-in-training, and a part of Team WJRP serving under Weiss." He kept the details light, and Weiss nodded happily. At least he wasn't being a complete idiot. Actually, he was doing fairly well, and he knew his manners. His napkin was on his lap, elbows off the table, and he ate like a gentleman. In that, she knew Winter would be pleased. "My dream is to bring peace to Remnant and stop all the pointless fighting that goes on."

"You wish to unite the Kingdoms?" Winter asked. She regarded him with a shrewd eye. "That is either an ambitious dream or a foolish one. Most would call it impossible."

Uh-oh, he was failing! Weiss panicked and tried to stomp on his foot beneath the table. She hit, but he barely noticed. Curse his ridiculous aura reserves!

"Impossible is a word used by people to describe something that hasn't been accomplished yet, or at least that's what my Uncle says. If you go back a hundred years, people would have called human flight impossible, or communicating over great distances via a piece of metal. Now we have bullheads and scrolls, not to mention affordable dust made available to everyone." He nodded to Winter at the last, with implicit praise for their family that left Weiss' mouth hanging open.

Was he… was Jaune…? He was! He was actually sounding _good_. He was actually leading Winter on. What the hell!? Where was the idiotic buffoon she was used to? No wait, she couldn't jinx it. Stay away, buffoon Jaune!

Winter accepted the kind words with a nod. "That is true. So then, you believe you'll be capable of such a feat?"

"I'm not sure, but if no one tries, then it won't ever happen." Jaune shrugged one shoulder. "It's a huntsman's duty to protect people, so I'll do it this way. If I fail, it won't be because I didn't try my hardest."

"Interesting…" Winter leaned back in her seat and placed her cutlery down. She touched her mouth gently with her napkin, then folded it beside her plate. "I'm not sure whether you are being naïve or not about this."

"I don't think I am. My father always says that being naïve means you're not aware of the odds, or expect people to act against their best interests. I don't think this will be easy, but he also says that nothing worth having in life is easily achieved." Jaune blinked. "He always says that about Mom."

"I would have to agree with his assessment, and that is a sweet sentiment." Winter chuckled to herself. "Tell me then, do you consider my sister to be the same?"

Jaune looked her way and nodded. "Of course I do."

It was ridiculous, since she knew it was faked, and that he was lying for her benefit, but her cheeks still heated up as blood rushed to them. Winter noticed and smiled, while Weiss berated herself inside. _He's lying, of course, or at least playing it up. Why am I getting so embarrassed by this?_

"And you, Weiss?"

She looked up. "W-What?"

"Do you feel the same about your partner?"

"Y-Yes, of course," she lied. Her heart hammered in her chest, and it only got worse when he looked her way. What did he want her to say? She didn't have a choice! She hid her snarl behind a huge smile, and gripped his hand in hers. Her nails dug into his skin. "We're in agreement on this."

 _Kill me. Someone kill me right now._

"What about your family, Jaune?" Winter asked. "You've mentioned your father before. Do they know about this?"

"They don't know the specifics," he said. "I think, well, I know that Mom would approve, but that's not why we're together and she doesn't need to know."

"What do your parents do for a living?"

"Dad's a huntsman. My mother… well…"

"His mother is the CEO of a real estate company," Weiss interrupted, eager to draw the conversation away from them, and make him sound better. The faster Winter approved, the faster this nightmare would end. "In fact, she controls a lot of land out in the frontier, but Jaune says she has plans to expand into the four Kingdoms."

"Is that so?"

"Well yeah, kind of." Jaune nodded awkwardly. "That's definitely her long term plan…"

"Merger and acquisition…?"

"More like hostile takeover."

"Interesting. She sounds like an ambitious woman."

He winced, "Very."

"Ambition is important," Winter said. Her fingers tapped on the table before her. "It can also be quite dangerous. Weiss has ambitions of her own as I recall, including that she desires to reform the SDC into something different from what it is now." She watched Jaune cautiously. "What would your mother think of that?"

Weiss' eyes widened. Winter thought Jaune was coming onto her for business connections, probably at the behest of his mother. Her sister thought their relationship was a power play. This was bad. She bit her lip and wondered what she could do to bite that idea in the bud.

"I don't think it would matter what she thinks," Jaune answered. "Mom can do what she wants, but Weiss is the heiress to the SDC, not her. If Weiss wants to change how it works, I'd help her."

Winter's eyes narrowed. "Just like that? Why?"

"Because that's what partners do. Weiss has tried her hardest to help our team, to the point that she's been putting in work to help Ruby, who came in two years ahead and didn't know all the material." He paused and smiled at her, and Weiss looked away in embarrassment. I-it was true, but why did he have to say it like that? "She's been an amazing leader to us, so it's only right that we'd try to help her in turn." He grinned. "I imagine Ruby and Pyrrha would come along, too."

There was no response from her sister. Winter looked shocked, but not in a bad way.

 _Yes, perfect!_ He'd dodged the problem without hesitation, and knowing Jaune, without even meaning to. This was perfect. He was doing great. She couldn't believe her luck.

"That's how it is, Winter," Weiss said, a hint of pride in her voice. "That's just the kind of person Jaune is."

And in that, she was being honest, both in her assessment, and with the compliment.

"It is a fine answer," Winter said, both surprised and a little bemused. "I'll admit that I didn't assume you would be so polite when we first met, Jaune Arc. You've surprised me."

And he'd surprised Weiss, too. Jaune hadn't ever been the most socially aware of people. In fact, he was more like Ruby, and that was saying something, but he was doing well with Winter, and actually managed to not mess anything up for once. Weiss smiled and took a drink of water, finally feeling a little confident about the situation.

Things were finally starting to look up!

"I do have to ask, however. Are you serious about my sister? I wouldn't want this to be something casual that leaves her hurt. What are your intentions with her?"

"Um, well I intend to marry her, of course."

Weiss choked and gasped, spilling water from her mouth and all over the front of her dress. She stared at him, eyes wide. Nothing came to her mind, and it was all she could do to bubble and dribble her drink from her lips.

What the hell was he doing!?

"M-Marriage?" Winter asked, clearly as shocked as she was. "I… that is… so soon…?"

"What other intent would I have?" Jaune asked. "We're dating, but if all goes well then sure, I'd love to marry Weiss. If she'd have me, that is."

"W-Well, I must admit I'm surprised. I think it might be a little too soon for that. Weiss hasn't even so much as spoken to father an-"

"Why would she need his approval? Weiss can make her own decisions in life, can't she?"

Winter eyed him warily, then looked to Weiss and looked even more concerned. It didn't take her long to realise why. Winter thought Jaune was showing his support for her in saying she could break away from her father's control. Whether he'd meant to or not, he'd hit straight on one of her biggest problems and explicitly said he was on her side.

That… that lucky idiot. It hardly helped that her cheeks tinted, and she actually _did_ feel a little pleased at his words. Yes, she could make her own decisions. She wasn't beholden to her father's demands.

Why did it make her happy to hear him say that?

"Well," Winter said carefully. "I see this is deeper than I first imagined. I suppose congratulations are in order, Weiss – and for yourself as well, Jaune."

"Thanks, Miss Schnee. I'll do my best to earn Weiss' feelings."

Weiss had yet to get breathing under control. She slapped a hand against her chest, gasping for breath as her mind and body shut down. What was that idiot doing? She tried to reach him, either to slap her hand over his mouth or throttle him, she wasn't sure which. To her horror, he noticed.

Noticed and completely misinterpreted.

He smiled and took her hand, holding it in his and placed them both above the table. He was lucky she was still dying, or she'd have used the other to run him through with a butter knife. Where was Myrtenaster when she needed it?

"Weiss, you are okay with this?" Winter asked. "Do you feel the same way?"

What was she supposed to say? If she said no, their charade would fall apart. That or it would become even more complicated. Plus, this would make sure Winter was distracted with something other than the White Fang, which was their only hope of avoiding getting in trouble. This was fine. All they needed to do was pretend they were in love now, and they could "break up" later. She smiled past her horror and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Yes. Yes, I do."

/-/

"Wait, so now the two of you are dating?"

"Allegedly," Weiss corrected, head in her hands and now facing the combined might of Teams WJRP and RYBN. "It's not real, but we didn't have a choice. My sister is here to investigate the group that aided the White Fang. She's here with the Atlas Military, working alongside the Vale Police Department. We _cannot_ be caught by them!"

"Wouldn't they go easy on us because you're her sister?" Ruby asked. "We could just tell them the truth, and that we were trying to sneak into the White Fang to stop them."

"Uh, we still attacked the police, Rubes," Yang pointed out. "Truth or not, I kinda dropped a building on them."

"It would be an absolute scandal," Weiss added, laying back on her bed with a long sigh. "Even if Winter and the police let us go, we'd be in a whole heap of trouble with Beacon. We might get suspended, even expelled."

"T-That bad?" Ruby asked.

Ren nodded, "Whether or not we intended to help, we did interfere with a police operation, and we publically aided terrorists. No one would be on our side. Vigilantes, teenagers overstepping our bounds, idealistic but dangerous idiots… take your pick, but either way, we'd be in real trouble. And then there's Blake's past," he added. "If that was found out, she would be arrested."

"And if they tried, I'd squash them like bugs," Nora said. "Which would get me in trouble too, so let's not let them find out, eh?"

"That's why I had to come up with an excuse," Weiss explained. "I didn't have any time to think, and with my sister breathing down my neck, I came up with the first thing I could think of. It was the only way I could think to explain what she'd overheard."

"About how you pretended to be his girlfriend at the White Fang rally," Pyrrha said. "I understand. It makes sense."

Weiss sighed, thankful that at least one person did. "This is just something we'll have to do for however long Winter is here. Once she leaves, Jaune and I can break up on good terms."

"Why can't you break up now?" Ruby asked.

"Because it would be suspicious, Ruby. Even if Winter believed it, she might then put effort into repairing our relationship, and that would keep her attention on us even longer."

"I guess…"

Weiss winced, more than aware that Ruby didn't like the idea of this. She had a crush on him, after all, as much as she constantly denied it. Then there was Yang, who was the only one _actually_ dating him, though she seemed to deny it too for some reason. Those two were kind of strange like that. Honestly, the whole thing was strange, and the last thing she wanted was to get stuck in the middle of it. Get stuck she had, however. Just her rotten luck.

"Look," she said. "I know you're probably all angry, but-"

"I'm not angry," Yang said with a shrug. "I'm fine with it."

"No problems here," Pyrrha nodded.

"I can't complain," Ren nodded, while Blake shrugged, barely involved in the conversation at all now that the White Fang wasn't the main focus.

"I think it's cute," Nora added. "Can I be a bridesmaid?"

"There's no actual wedding, Nora."

"A hypothetical bridesmaid."

Weiss sighed, "Sure, fine. Whatever. You're all taking this better than I expected. I thought you'd be upset. I thought there would be violence and screaming."

"Why would there be?" Ruby asked. "It's fake, right?"

"Of course."

"Then there's nothing wrong."

Weiss let out a sigh of relief. Maybe she'd gotten worried for nothing, but a part of her really had expected the two to freak out. Yet again, Ruby had surprised her, and this time for the better. Panic attack over, she allowed herself to relax.

"Aren't you going to ask if I'm okay with this?" Jaune asked.

She shot him a furious glare. "No. Not at all. This is your fault!"

"How is this my fault!?"

"You told Winter you wanted to marry me," she howled. "Who just up and _says_ that!?"

"She asked me what my intentions were for you! What's the right answer to that? I couldn't say I intended to dump you in a week's time."

"He has a point there," Pyrrha said. "His options were limited. Honestly, I'm surprised he did well enough to convince someone like your sister at all. No offence Jaune, but you're not normally so eloquent."

"None taken," he said. "Actually, my Mom and Big Sis kind of drilled into my head how to act and speak in official situations. I just sort of used that, and treated her like someone important I had to impress. I think they expected that I'd have to do official meetings at some point, or at least impress people in a dinner meeting."

"It didn't go so bad…" Weiss allowed. She'd admit to having been a little impressed herself. It was like a complete reversal on how he normally was, and he'd completely fooled Winter. Still, that didn't do much for her mood. "But you shouldn't have said we were going to get married! That's way too far a jump from what we're pretending to be!"

"How is it? You said we went on dates. You said we were in love!"

"What does that have to do with anything!?"

"Well, people who go on dates and are in love get married," Jaune said, with a kind of infallible logic that only a child or an idiot would see as such. "Wouldn't it have been more suspicious if we were dating and we _didn't_ intend to get married? What's the point in that case?"

That… well, technically but…

"Yeah, Weiss-cream," Yang snickered. "Don't be a harlot."

"Need I remind you that you are the only person to _actually_ date Jaune?" Weiss sniped. "Should we expect the wedding bells anytime soon?"

Yang froze, "Erk!"

"I wouldn't mind if Jaune and Yang got ma-" Ruby didn't to finish as a pillow struck her in a two-handed swing, propelling her from the bed she was sat on and sending her crashing to the floor. She groaned but didn't come back up.

"Ha ha, whoops, Rubes. I guess you slipped," Yang said, laughing nervously and ignoring the pillow in her hands. "You're so clumsy. A-Anyway, it's not like dating and marriage are even slightly related, and just because you go out with someone doesn't mean you have to marry them."

Jaune cocked his head. "It doesn't? But all the books I read had people marry the first person they fell in love with."

"And how did they normally fall in love?" Ren asked.

"Well, one would slay a dragon, or they'd meet on an epic quest to save the world, or the knight would rescue the princess…"

Weiss felt a bead of sweat run down her forehead. Seriously, was he taking all of his knowledge of romance from fictional literature? That might explain some of his more… antiquated beliefs. She looked to Ren to see if he would explain, but the young man simply raised an eyebrow and shook his head.

Yang crossed her arms and looked away. Pyrrha was already staring at the ceiling, and Ruby was groaning about some truck running her over.

"You might as well be the one to explain it," Blake said, turning a page in her book. "You _are_ his girlfriend, after all."

"Not officially!"

"Well, that depends on how long your sister is here, doesn't it?"

Weiss' face twitched. Damn her… she was right. So long as Winter was here, she was stuck in this façade. In that case, it probably would be for the best if she took her partner aside and drilled him on what was expected. He couldn't keep saying things like that out loud. Good Gods, what would happen if he said he wanted them to have children? Her cheeks heated up. Even if it was fake, that was too much to hear someone say about you!

"F-Fine, I'll handle him." She coughed and turned to her… her boyfriend. "Jaune, I'll help teach you how to act, but you must do everything you can to not ruin my reputation. Am I understood?"

"Um… what about my reputation?"

"You are dating Weiss Schnee. It's already through the roof!"

He scratched his cheek, "Is that really how it works?"

W-What was that supposed to mean? Was he doubting her? She was Weiss Schnee, not only the heiress of the richest company in the world, but also a professional singer, exemplary huntress-in-training, and more than beautiful if it wasn't too immodest to say so. What did any other woman have that she lacked?

Weiss glared at the other girls in the room.

Yang bounced. Pyrrha bounced. Blake bounced, and Nora practically generated her own gravitational pull. She looked down at herself and hopped on the spot. There was no significant movement.

Her face twitched.

"T-They'll grow in time, you dolt!"

"Wait, what did I do!?"

"You know what you did," she growled, slapping a hand against his arm. "I can't control it. Do you think this was my choice, that I wanted them to be this way!?"

"I'm not sure what you're talking about…"

Weiss slammed her hands down on the bed and pushed forward, growling into his face. "Don't play dumb!"

Yang snickered.

It was around that moment Weiss realised the pose they were in. She'd come forward and squashed him against the mattress, and he'd naturally leaned back from her. To an outsider, it might have looked like she was pinning him to the bed, and it wouldn't take a huge leap of logic to get to something far dirtier. Even Blake was watching. She'd stopped reading her smut to watch them… that was perhaps the most damning thing.

"Ahem." Weiss coughed and moved away. She refused to blush, and instead looked down on him with an imperious expression. "Very well. From this point on, you are my boyfriend, at least in public. Do you know what is expected of you?"

/-/

How had things gotten this bad?

He'd had no idea what to do when Weiss' sister caught them, and he'd just played along to the best of his ability. Well, he finally had a girlfriend – just like he'd always dreamed, except that it wasn't just fake, but she was about ready to grind his skull into dust.

"Well," she repeated, "Do you know what is expected?"

Jaune thought he did. He'd read a lot on this kind of thing, and it wasn't like his mother hadn't tried to drill into his head things that women liked. The problem was… well, it was what his mom said – and that was what immediately made him wary. When it came to normal human interaction, he wasn't the worst person in Remnant. He was the second worst, or third, probably, but no one counted on Uncle Tyrian for anything.

He'd been raised by Cinder and Salem.

He knew how to interact with people because of what they'd taught him, and that wasn't exactly how to _normally_ woo a person.

"I think it's probably safest if I say I don't," he said warily. "In fact, maybe it would be a good idea if you just told me exactly what to do."

Weiss nodded, "I think that's the wisest thing you've said all day. Regardless, humour me… what do you think is the right way for a boyfriend and girlfriend to act? I won't be mad," she promised, "but it might be best for me to know what I'm working with."

"Well, my only experience is what's in books, and how Mom and Dad act around one another."

"Can't you just emulate them?" Yang asked.

"This is the woman who arrested, kidnapped, and then locked your father in a dungeon, before getting pregnant from him because his last request was to sleep with her, right?" Blake asked. "The same woman who then had eight children with him even though he works for her worst enemies?"

Jaune winced and coined a phrase from Ruby. "Yep."

Yang laughed nervously. "On second thought, maybe not…"

"Definitely not," Weiss growled. "Don't your sisters have any boyfriends?"

"Jade says she does, but no one believes her. Other than that, no. There aren't many guys where we live other than our Uncles, and those are off-limits. They're not actually related to us," he said, "It's just a bit weird. But if I had to say what I think is expected of a boyfriend… maybe someone who always makes their girlfriend happy, and who does everything they can to support and help them, so that they can eventually marry and have a loving family?"

"That… sounds a little heavy," Blake said. "Also a rather one-sided interpretation. The boyfriend is hardly a slave to the girlfriend or vice versa."

"Mom always says if I get a girlfriend, I need to try and marry her as soon as possible and provide her loads of grandbabies."

Weiss sighed. "Jaune, I hope you don't take any offence from this, but your mother is bizarre."

Yeah, she didn't know the half of it. He sighed and waved for them to continue. That was how he thought a boyfriend should act, but that was a real one, and this was fake. Come to think of it, Mom's advice had never really covered the `how` to get someone to like you stage. Maybe that was because she'd completely skipped it herself, and believed him getting a life partner would be just as easy. He wasn't sure if that spoke well of her opinion of him, or if it just meant she was _that_ arrogant.

This was complicated. Where was Big Sis when he needed her?

"That's probably more of what a good husband would be," Weiss said, "and even then, it's rather vague. Okay, that's fine. You're willing to learn so that's good. I'll tell you what is actually expected of a good boyfriend. Are you ready?"

Jaune nodded, leaning forward.

"You'll be expected to open doors for me, pull out my chair, take my coat, escort me by arm, bring me presents, take me on a date at least twice a month. Suitable locations would be a restaurant of at least four-star or higher, a theatre or concert, or at worst, a movie – VIP booths only. Because we're still effectively courting, you should compose and read poetry to me, although only when Winter is close enough to see and hear. Address me kindly, and be sure to-" Weiss paused to glare at the others. " _What_ do you find so amusing, Xiao-Long?"

"You… you…" Yang couldn't finish, and instead collapsed on Ruby's bed, laughing hysterically. "Oh, this is great. This is amazing! Bwahaha!"

"What do you mean?" Jaune asked, lowering his notepad. He'd only gotten to the point about poetry.

"You don't… you're don't know either," Yang laughed, pointing at Weiss. There were tears in her eyes. "Oh my god, this is perfect. You're both as useless as one another! It's the blind leading the blind!"

Weiss' cheeks were bright red. "W-What do you mean? Explain yourself! This is what a boyfriend and girlfriend should act like!"

"Yeah, from a period drama set three hundred years ago!" Yang burst out laughing once more.

"That's not true," Weiss growled. "Pyrrha, you… even you…?"

"I-I'm sorry," Pyrrha said, fingers held politely over her mouth. Her eyes were set to the side however, and her shoulders rose and fell. "I think that was very sweet actually. Very… snrk… cute… hrk…"

Weiss' mouth fell open, arm extended. Her eyes flickered to Team RYBN.

Nora had her head buried in Ren's shoulder. Her body practically vibrated, while Blake chuckled softly and shook her head back and forth. Ren watched them both with a neutral expression, and Jaune dared to hope nothing more would come.

He looked aside and coughed into his fist.

No, wait. Ren was smiling, too!

"W-Well it's not like I've ever dated anyone before!" Weiss said, scowling. She slammed a hand into the mattress and refused to meet anyone's eyes. "I'm only working on what I've seen and been told. T-This is what I was taught it would be like!"

"Yeah, if it's a boring relationship that's more of a business agreement," Yang said. Her laughter came to an end with a soft sigh and a final tear that she wiped away. "Oh man, you two are great. Okay, looks like it's up to the master of dating to show you how it's done. I'm pretty experienced, so listen up."

"You are?" Ruby asked. "But Yang, you've never dated anyone eith- arghh!"

The pillow struck again, sending her back over the edge - but nothing could silence the damning truth she'd unveiled.

"AHAH!" Weiss crowed, stabbing a finger at the embarrassed blonde. "I knew it! You talk a big game, Xiao-Long, but when it comes to the moment, you're all bark and no bite. You're just as inexperienced as the rest of us!"

Yang's cheeks flushed, and she glared at Ruby. Still, there were no denials forthcoming. "O-Okay fine, I haven't been on any real dates with people. Just visits to the movies which I didn't even _think_ were dates, until the guy tried to suck my face off like a vacuum cleaner afterwards. That's still more than you, and probably more than anyone else here." She crossed her arms. "I bet there's not a single person here who's actually been on a date with a guy or a girl before, me and Jaune not included. What about you, Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha flinched, especially when all attention turned to her. "Umm…"

"Anyone ever asked you out?"

"W-Well, I suppose…"

Jaune's eyes widened and he leaned forward, Weiss doing the same beside him. Everyone else listened too, which left Pyrrha squirming as she realised she'd have to answer or forever face their curiosity.

"I've received a lot of love letters and fan mail in my time. Most of them were from people I didn't know, but I had my fair share in Sanctum as well."

"You got fan mail?" Jaune asked. "Why, are you famous?"

"Ignore him," Weiss growled, pushing his head down, even as Pyrrha smiled fondly. "What kinds of things did that involve? What were the letters like?"

Pyrrha's smile faltered. "Well… some were nice. They tried poetry, or confessions, or letters. Um… then there were some stranger ones." She paused, but it was obvious from the look on their faces that she'd have to expand on that. She sighed heavily and continued, "The ones that asked me out were a little presumptive, I suppose you could say. They'd claim how our love was pure, or we were meant to be together." She cringed. "And then there was the one which claimed it wanted to smell my hair and used clothing. He also included a lock of his hair."

"Okaaay..." Yang interrupted, face white. "Let's not go any further on that one."

"Definitely not," Weiss said, holding her hands over herself and glaring at him.

What!? It wasn't like he planned to do anything like that! Even _he_ wasn't that creepy, and he'd grown up in an evil tower surrounded by monsters. What the hell was _wrong_ with the people in Mistral!?

"Nora, Ren?" Yang asked. "What about you? Surely the two of you have been on a date or two."

"Oh sure," Nora said, hugging Ren tightly. "We've been together for years!"

"But not together-together," Ren chuckled. "I don't think we're like that, and for some reason girls haven't ever really been interested in me. I have no experience to offer, I'm afraid."

For some reason…? Jaune had a suspicion it might be due to the evilly glaring woman hanging off him, and judging from everyone else's expressions, they felt much the same. As for Nora, she didn't seem all too enthused with his correction as to their relationship status. Her teeth were gnashing together, and Blake was edging away. Once she realised the attention was on her, she stopped.

"I've been in a relationship before," she said.

"Really, Blakey!?" Nora gasped. "You never told me!"

"Yes, but it ended before Beacon, hence why I never brought it up."

Blake didn't seem too distraught about that, which was a shame. Maybe it hadn't worked very well. He wondered if he should go over and give her a hug, but he had the feeling she wouldn't appreciate it very much.

"What happened?" he asked instead.

"We had a difference of opinion. It wasn't something we could work out." She shrugged. "I'm over it, so there's nothing to worry about."

"What about what the two of you did together?" Weiss asked. "Is there anything you did that Jaune and I could emulate?"

Blake opened her mouth.

And then froze.

"No," she said. "No."

"Nothing…?"

"Definitely nothing. Don't do anything we did. Ever."

"Wait, what's that supposed to mean? What did you do?" Yang grinned. "Oooh, I get it. Was it a hot and passionate relationship? A little too explosive, maybe?"

"You could definitely say that..." Blake shook her head. "We're not good examples to work from. I'm afraid I'd rather not say any more. You'll need to come up with your own angle."

And that left them back at square one again. Jaune sighed, and it was quickly echoed by Weiss. This wasn't leading anywhere, and with no one left, it wasn't like the answers would be any more forthcoming-

"I've dated someone."

The words were lightly whispered, and it took a second to find them. Jaune looked to Blake and Team RYBN first, and even Ren was looking at Blake. "I didn't say anything," she said, turning a page.

"Then who did?" Ren asked.

"R-R-R-R-Ruby…!?" Yang's voice croaked. "Ha ha, ha ha… I mean, you're joking, right? I said a _date_ , Rubes. Like a romantic date with a boy."

"Yeah," Ruby said innocently. "I went on a date with a boy."

Yang's mouth opened and closed, words failing to form as she stared at her younger sister. It looked like she wasn't breathing, and Jaune turned to Weiss with a worried expression. The heiress shrugged back.

"You've been on a date with a boy?" Weiss asked suspiciously. "When was this?"

"It was back in Signal last year. I didn't know him very well, but he said he had a crush on me and asked if he could take me on a date." Ruby shrugged. "I said yes, and we dated for a week or two."

There was a high-pitched whine as Yang fell off the back of the bed and collapsed to the floor. Ren lowered his book to look at her and sigh, then narrowed his eyes when he noticed how still she was. He wandered over to check on his partner. Whatever he found didn't look good, for he quickly knelt and started to slap her face.

Weiss, typically, ignored it all.

"Well, it's a little awkward to take dating advice from a girl two years younger than me, but I suppose it can't hurt. What did the two of you do?"

Ruby blushed and shuffled awkwardly, but a look to him – which he returned with a happy nod, had her answering. "We didn't do much. We held hands for a bit, and he took me to get ice-cream at a place nearby. Honestly, we spent most of our time blushing, being awkward, sitting in silence and not knowing what to do." She looked away. "It didn't last very long…"

"Okay," Yang gasped, being helped up by Ren. "That… that's not as bad I feared."

"But we did try kissing."

"Hrkkk!"

"Damn it, Yang," Ren sighed, going down to help her once more.

"How was it?" Pyrrha asked curiously.

"Eh, kind of weird actually…" Ruby fidgeted with her fingers. "We just sort of pecked lips, and then tried it again, but it didn't really feel like anything and I was too shy to suggest anything else. I guess he was the same. We just sort of stared at each other and never tried it again."

That was what romance was like? Jaune wasn't so sure, but at the same time he couldn't argue with the fact that he hadn't known what to do on his date with Yang either. _Maybe it's the same with all dating, but Mom and Dad never seem to act like that. Is that because they were already married when I was born?_

"Is that how we should act?" he asked his new girlfriend.

Weiss sighed. "Ruby, that has to be the most…" She paused, eyes widening, "Incredible idea I have ever heard! You're a genius!"

"It is?" Jaune asked.

"I am!?" Ruby echoed. "I mean yeah, I am. Yeah!"

"Yes, don't you see? It's perfect. You and I only started dating recently." Weiss took his hands in hers, expression excited. "Winter thinks we went on our first ever date and that even then there was some kind of awkwardness between us that led to that argument. We shouldn't be _trying_ to act like an established couple should."

He caught on quickly. "We should be acting like a _new_ couple…"

"Exactly, and Ruby has the perfect answer to that!" Weiss let go of him and rushed up to the girl, engulfing her in a hug.

"Argh! Weiss has gone insane and is going to kill me!"

"I'm sure it's not that bad," Pyrrha laughed. "She's simply happy!"

"Exactly!" Ruby cried. "That doesn't happen. She's been possessed by evil spirits!"

Pyrrha hesitated. Ruby wasn't wrong…

"We need to act more awkwardly around one another," Weiss decided, dropping the younger girl like a rock. "We're already dating, so holding my hand is fine, but you should at least look at me and then look away like you don't know what to say or do."

Well, that wouldn't be as hard as she was making it sound since he genuinely didn't know what to say or do around her most of the time. That was usually out of fear of making Mt Weiss erupt, however. "Anything else?" he asked.

"I don't know. We need inspiration." Weiss stroked her chin, and rounded on Ruby, who had only just clambered back up onto her feet and watched her leader warily. "I've got it! Ruby can be our test dummy."

"I'm what!?"

"Okay," Yang groaned, coming back up with Ren's help. "I think I'm okay…"

"Ruby, Jaune wants to marry you," Weiss said. "What do you say?"

Yang hit the floor with a loud thump.

Ren sighed and gripped her shoulders, dragging her out of the room. "We'll leave you to it, I think. I don't want to explain why my partner suffered a heart attack." He tugged her from the room with a glare to Blake and Nora, neither of which made any move to help as they followed. Ren sighed and nodded to Jaune. "Good luck. I've a feeling you'll need it."

" **You don't need luck,"** Remy said. **"We're beyond luck. This calls for a miracle."**

"Yeah," Jaune sighed. "I can tell…"

Ruby and Weiss didn't hear him. The former was too busy choking on air, her face turning an interesting shade of bright red and her hands waving before her. "I don't- I, but I – that's not…"

"Hmm, random stammering and denial," Weiss said, jotting notes. "Go on…"

Jaune sighed and placed a hand against his forehead. This was crazy, and as Weiss began to run through ever worse scenarios, and Ruby came closer and closer to fainting, he couldn't help but think things was going to get a whole lot worse before they got better.

/-/

In woods of Mistral, a small walled village lay. Music and noise came from within, in recent celebration of the work a huntsman had done in saving them from a particularly aggressive Grimm that had set up nest nearby. The people cavorted and twirled, dancing by a great fire and producing such happiness and relief, that it alone would likely drive away any other Grimm.

About a half a mile away from that, a far smaller flame flickered as a campfire slowly died. Beside it, huddled into a thick sleeping roll and hidden within a tent, a solitary figure slumbered.

A far darker shadow crept nearby. Far enough from the village to avoid the joy, the bone-plated monster crept upon the tent, great gouts of steam gushing from its nostrils. It sniffed the air, and snarled quietly at the campfire. Slowly, almost cautiously, it approached the tent.

A soft, human, murmur came from within.

The beast's eyes blazed red. With inhuman intellect, it used its teeth to pry open the folds, ducking its snout within to sniff at the human scent it found. Its maw opened, saliva dripping from its jaw onto the man's face.

Blue eyes snapped open.

"What do you think _you're_ doing?"

The Ursa reacted instantly. It reared back in shock and horror, lifting its bulk up – and tearing the tent pegs from the ground. The thin material wrapped around its face, and it panicked as its sight was blocked. Screeching in shock, it galloped away, tearing its head left and right.

"Not my tent!" Nicholas Arc cried. "Wait, stop. Don't-"

It was too late. The Ursa fled into the forest, his tent still wrapped about its face. A few trees groaned and fell as it rammed into them, but it was clear the Grimm wasn't going to stop anytime soon. Nicholas fell back with a groan, one arm over his forehead as he stared at the starry night sky.

"That's the fourth one this month…" He sighed and rolled over, trying to find some warmth, but was forced to sigh again as his scroll began to chirp angrily. Ignoring it came to mind, but it might be his wife or one of his darling children, so he rolled over and snatched it out of his pack. "Hello?" he said, yawning. "I'm here. What's up?"

"Nicholas?"

His good mood died instantly. It wasn't female, which was eight ninths of the possibility away, and Jaune didn't call him by his name. He glanced down at the caller ID, and then the bedraggled face on the screen. A sigh escaped him.

"Qrow…"

"You don't sound pleased to see me. Is this a bad time?"

Nicholas checked the timer. "It's three in the morning."

"So… is this a bad time?"

He wasn't sure how to answer that question, so didn't. Instead, he ran a hand across his face and yawned again. "You're just going to keep calling if I hang up. I'm awake now. What is it? Why the hell are you calling me? How do you even have my number?"

"Ozpin."

"I blocked him."

"Which is precisely why it's _me_ calling and not him."

Ugh, yeah. He supposed that made sense. He knew Qrow Branwen, of course. It was hard not to. He was one of Ozpin's agents, and that nominally made him one of his wife's greatest enemies, not that Qrow knew.

"Why are you calling me, Qrow?"

"Can't I speak to an old friend?"

"I'm hanging up."

"Okay, okay, wait-" Qrow waved his hand in front of the screen, and Nicholas paused over the end call button. "Alright, I did call for a reason. I wanted to confirm something with you. It'll only take a few minutes, I promise."

He could still have hung up, but that would have been suspicious. It didn't matter what the relationship between Ozpin and his wife was, because as far as Qrow knew, he wasn't involved in that. He was a normal huntsman out in the wild, and so needed to act like one when another called in need of help. Nicholas nodded and gestured for Qrow to speak.

"So, a little bird tells me you got married."

Nicholas' eyes narrowed. "I fail to see how that's any of your business, Qrow."

"That's not exactly a no I'm hearing."

"That's because it's not a no," he said. "I have a wife. What of it?"

"Children, too…?"

"Yes." He couldn't deny that, not when it was true and there was no telling if one of his kids would go out undercover at some point. "Again, Qrow, I'm not sure how this is your business."

"Oh, I think you maybe do know, Nicholas."

His brow narrowed. Did Qrow…? No, surely not.

"Tell me a little about your wife," Qrow said. "Is she a beauty?"

"I certainly think so. Others might disagree."

"Not a traditional beauty?"

"Oh, she is," Nicholas said, smiling fondly. "I guess it's her personality some might disagree with. People find her a little hard to be around sometimes. I think she just doesn't get much in the way of chances to talk to people." He frowned as he thought of that asshole, Tyrian. "She also has several bad influences in her life."

"Family…?" Qrow guessed.

"Not blood family, but… well, I guess you could call it that."

"She sounds interesting," Qrow said. "I'll bet she's a strong woman. Am I right?"

"Heh, she's stronger than me."

"The kind of woman who knows what she wants, and doesn't have time for anything else?"

"Oh, definitely," Nicholas laughed. "What she wants, she definitely gets. Not that I'm against providing it whenever she asks."

Qrow's face went white, and then green in quick measure. He coughed off-screen, and quickly downed some booze from his hip flask. "Ugh, I didn't need that image. Humour me, I'm taking it this is a bit of a long distance relationship if we've never heard or seen her."

"Long distance certainly describes it." The excuse was a good one, so he ran with it. "She doesn't really live in any of the major cities. You know how it is in the outskirts. You do what you can to survive, and most of the Kingdom doesn't even know you exist."

"And I'll bet she's the leader of her own little group, huh?"

Nicholas smile died. He stared down at the scroll in time to see Qrow staring back. Both their faces were resolute, both suddenly a lot more serious than they had been a second ago. "I have no idea what you mean," Nicholas lied.

"Pale skin and red eyes?"

His eyes hardened. "I think this conversation is over."

"She's bad news, Nicholas," Qrow warned. "You're playing with fire and you don't even know it."

"Trust me to know my own business, Qrow."

"Not with this you don't."

Nicholas snarled and ended the call. His fingers flew over the keys, quickly blocking any return ones and then throwing the device down onto the grass. His heart hammered in his chest, his eyes wide. Qrow knew…? Impossible, but what else could he mean? This was bad. This was very, very bad.

She needed to know. With a heavy sigh, he picked up the scroll and dialled a different number. It was answered a moment or so later.

"Sweetie… we may have a problem."

"...?"

"No, it still works perfectly, dear. Yes, I'm sure. Look, I'll prove it myself the next time we see each other, and you'll be walking crooked for hours. Yes, that's a promise. Look, we have a different problem. A bigger problem."

/-/

"Okay," Qrow said, hand on his head. "Now this is officially a problem."

There could have been doubt before, but that was gone now. Nicholas' reaction had as good as confirmed his suspicions, and if it wasn't his sister, then why would he have been so nervous about answering? There was literally no other reason for Nicholas Arc to be so shady. Not unless he was married to the wicked witch of the north or something.

"He might as well be where Raven is involved. Gods…" He slammed his flask down on the bar counter. "This is messed up."

"Another drink, sir?" the waiter asked.

Qrow held his flask out. "Top her up."

Right, he needed to come up with some kind of plan. Nicholas was involved with Raven, which was all kinds of bad, but mostly his own business. Jaune, on the other hand, was kind of _his_ business, since the kid was his student and assigned to him.

The kid dating his own half-sister was _also_ his own business, mostly on account of all the different kinds of messed up it was. _At least he didn't seem to pick up any of the Tribe's bad tendencies. Nicholas said it himself – a bad influence, indeed._

There was a chime from the door behind him, heralding another person entering the bar. He didn't turn, even as heeled footsteps echoed towards him. Even as they paused, indication that the figure had seen something that shocked her. They resumed a second later, and the stool to his left was drawn out with a scrape of wood on tile.

Qrow would admit to a little shock once he saw who it was. It wasn't so much the fact she was in a bar, even if that was crazy in itself, but more that she'd sit by him without some kind of fight. Then again, it was usually he that started it, and he wasn't really in the mood.

Judging by the long sigh Winter Schnee let out, she wasn't either.

"Tough day?" he asked.

"I just found out my sister is in a relationship with someone and I had no idea." Winter's shoulders fell. "I don't know what to think about this, but I can't say I'm pleased."

Qrow nodded and turned back to the waiter. "Make that two."

He had a feeling this was going to be a long night.

* * *

 **Poor Winter, poor Qrow – and both of their sisters are dating an Arc… allegedly at least. Actually, there are even more similarities since both are FAKE NEWS. Gasp. The plot thickens.**

 **I'd just like to also point out that insulting me for writing incest kind of doesn't make sense. If it wasn't somehow explicitly clear, Yang and Jaune are not related. It shouldn't even come into the equation.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 10th August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	30. Chapter 30

**Here we go.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 30 - Off to Lamb**

* * *

Winter tried to be kind towards her sister's boyfriend, she really did. She tried to keep her thoughts positive as she watched him spar with Qrow, but it was hard. Maybe that was because he'd taken her sister's innocence, and although Winter preferred to imagine they hadn't gone _that_ far, there were still other forms of innocence he'd tainted. It could have been that which turned her against him, or it could have been the lack of sleep and the bright, morning light that burned through her retinas.

Or it could have been the crippling hangover. It was hard to tell, really.

Now she remembered why she didn't normally drink, except for the odd glass at some social event or military gala. It wasn't that she lost control of herself or couldn't handle it, for her discipline held strict either way. It was just that her body made sure she regretted it come the morning. The fact that Qrow, despite imbibing far more than her, looked as fresh as a daisy only made it worse – and made her want to wring his neck. Qrow, or Jaune Arc. She wasn't feeling particularly picky.

He was just so… aggravating and weak. Both of them with the former, and Arc with the latter, naturally. Whatever she might say about Qrow Branwen – and there was a lot to say – but she wouldn't have called him weak. Arc, or Jaune as she tried to force herself to refer to him as, was as skilled as a sack of potatoes, and posed about the same risk to Qrow's long-term health.

 _Not everyone falls in love for reasons of strength,_ the logical part of her mind pointed out. _If Weiss cared for such things, there were plenty of strong and influential suitors for her back home._ She'd turned them all down however, much to Winter's not-so-secret pleasure. Once she'd joined the Atlas military, and father made Weiss his official heir, Winter had worried her sister might be swallowed by his machinations. To her joy, Weiss had proven more robust than that.

But this was far too much! What if her relationship here was a form of rebellion? Weiss had already defied their father by doing this, and then chose to dye her hair bright green – white hair which _defined_ her as a Schnee. The twin acts, and now a relationship with a young man of no particular standing or ability.

Winter didn't want to question Weiss' feelings, but… well, she was questioning them. She bit her lip and wondered if that made her a bad sister. Probably, but it didn't make the thoughts go away. Instead, she tried to think of his good points – things she might be able to appreciate in him as her sister's partner.

…

Well… he was trying to get stronger by training with Qrow. That had to mean something, right? He was also okay-looking, she supposed. He was polite and spoke well. And… uh… probably other things. Maybe.

 _Maybe I need to get to know him better. If this continues, I'm only going to end up upsetting Weiss._ Decision made, and with a little nod to herself, Winter subtly edged closer, enough so as to hear the muffled conversation and instruction between the two. From what she could see, Qrow was goading him in and using variations of the same move on him each time. It honestly looking like he was trying to enrage the blonde, but the younger man wasn't having it, and seemed patient enough to take the humiliation without complaint.

"So," Qrow said, "I hear you picked up a girlfriend."

Damn that man. What was he doing?

"You mean Weiss? Um, yeah, I did. Well, it was more like she picked me up."

"Blonde bastard," Qrow mumbled. "Anyway, how's that going for you?"

"Oh, you know… every day is wonderful." The boy's eyes slid to her. "Every day, I wake up and thank my stars Weiss is in my life. That kind of thing."

"You shared a bed yet?"

Winter's hands clenched into fists.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Well, it's not come up, I guess." Jaune ducked under Qrow's fist and almost – almost – managed to sweep his legs out from under him. All he got for his trouble was a fist against his cheek. Despite that, he spoke as if unaffected. "We have enough beds in the room, and we've not had to share. Even if we did, I think Ruby and Pyrrha would be better to sleep with one another."

"Wait, what? Ruby and that girl…?" Qrow's eyes widened, before he sighed and shook his head. "Ugh, you're talking about actual sleeping, aren't you?"

"Yeah. You asked if we'd shared a bed."

"Sex!" Qrow yelled, a little too loud if the sudden nervous looks from several students was any indication. "I meant sex, you moron. Have you and the Ice Princess done it?"

"W-What!? NO!"

Winter slumped on the spot, and it was only once he'd denied it that she realised she'd been holding her breath, and was actually on the verge of passing out. Thank the heavens above.

"Sheesh kid, don't be such a prude." Qrow blocked a kick with his leg, then winced at the force behind it. "How'd you not know what sharing a bed means, anyway? You _do_ know what it means to sleep with someone, right?"

"O-Of course I do. Everyone explained that to me, it's just that Mom and Dad never really used those terms for it." He frowned. "I mean, I don't even know why people say that. There's no sleeping involved from what I regularly hear late at night, and judging from the places me and my sisters keeping walking into and getting scarred for life, the _bed_ is the last place on Remnant they'll actually do it. It's normally a table, a doorway, a wall, a convenient rock-"

He was cut off by a vicious blow that came out of nowhere, Qrow suddenly going from bored to brutal in an instant. Jaune bounced several times across the grass before he came to a stop.

"Too much information, kid." Qrow said, looking ill. "I did _not_ need to know that."

"You brought it up," Jaune grumbled, staggering to his feet and wiping his mouth. "Why are you so interested in what Weiss and I do, anyway? Isn't that a little weird?"

"Yes," Winter said loudly. "Yes, it is."

"No, it's not," Qrow denied with a little growl her way. "You're my student. It's my responsibility to make sure you're not making any mistakes in your life."

"And sleeping with Weiss would be a mistake?" he asked.

"Yes," Winter said.

"No," Qrow countered. "Quite the opposite. I say go for it."

Winter's lips peeled back. "Excuse me!?"

"What?" Qrow looked at her with an innocent expression… one she immediately mistrusted and wanted to pin to a wall with her sabre. "You can't get in the way of young love like that just because you're middle-aged and alone."

M-Middle-aged!? Winter choked on air. She wasn't middle-aged. She wasn't even thirty, yet. So what if she'd never been with a man? She was still young. "Watch who you call middle-aged, old man! Weren't you a student here before your dear student was even born?" She grinned viciously when he flinched. "That would make you what, forty-five?"

"Thirty-five, actually."

"I'm afraid I'm not some foolish bar wench with a poor grasp of mathematics, Qrow. That might fool them, but not me." She looked away and sighed dramatically. "It's a poor sight to see someone lie about their own age like that."

"At least I _have_ a social life. You're only as old as you act, Ice-Queen!"

"Keep telling yourself that, Qrow." She leaned forwards, eyes flashing dangerously. "Why don't you go enjoy your mid-life crisis instead of interfering in my sister's love life."

"I guess it's because I'm such a nice person," he growled, striding up to her and staring into her eyes. "I'm not the one trying to get in the way of his sister's happiness." He paused. "Sort of…"

"I'm not trying anything! Why are you so insistent he date Weiss, anyway?" Her eyes narrowed. "You're planning something, aren't you?"

"Talk about paranoid…"

"That's not exactly a no, Qrow."

"I'm just doing my best to offer some manly advice to me young student."

"At the expense of my sister!"

"They're already together," he taunted, forehead close to hers. "Far as I can see, _you're_ the one who looks about ready to interfere."

"How _dare_ you. I would _never_ betray my sister like that!"

"Then bless their relationship."

"I… Weiss is still young. It's too soon for such a thing…"

"Ha!" Qrow placed his hands on his hips and laughed. "I guess that shows it. The wicked witch of Atlas is here to ruin her little sister's love life. You spent all last night whining about it."

"As though you were any different! You couldn't shut up about your sister sleeping with someone!"

"That's different!" Qrow growled.

" _Ahem…_ "

"It's no different at all you… you _infuriating_ man."

"Oh, infuriating. What a scathing insult. Can you not swear, or is it that you're afraid you'll upset Daddy?" The bastard of a man smirked. "Or is it Ironwood you're worried you'll upset? Then again, from what I've seen, maybe you call _him_ Daddy as well."

Her patience snapped.

"You've crossed the line, you stupid piece of sh-"

"AHEM!" A loud voice interrupted. The two of them froze, eyes shifting to the left in time to see Glynda Goodwitch, and beside her an amused headmaster Ozpin. "If you could," Glynda said, "there are students around. I doubt they need to experience your _advanced vocabulary_ , Miss Schnee."

Oh Gods. Her cheeks turned red immediately. Suddenly, she became aware of just how many people were watching, students and teachers alike. Had they really been that loud? Then again, it was a weekend, and there were no classes. If Ironwood ever heard…

"Huh, where did the brat go?" Qrow asked, far less bothered than her.

"I believe he left when it became clear the tow of you were more interested in one another than training him." Ozpin sipped from his mug and smiled. "In future, I think I should ask you to keep your emotions in check, or at least reserve them for a private rendezvous."

Winter bristled. "He and I are _not_ like that."

"Not in a million years," Qrow agreed, scowling at her. "I'd not tap that if I was the most desperate man on Remnant."

"I believe the headmaster was merely referring to a spar," Glynda said. "Should the two of you have something else in mind, then I will ask for you to handle it off-campus. There are several hotels in Vale which might be able to cater to your… tastes."

Qrow grumbled something under his breath, while Winter's cheeks flushed. She stammered something unintelligible and stormed away. Damn Qrow, damn her hangover, and damn the White Fang in general for putting her through this.

Oh, and damn Arc and Weiss, too.

Qrow was planning something, and if it involved her sister, then she was _not_ going to sit by and let it happen. Not at all.

/-/

Jaune found his team outside the library, and on their way inside. It was a common haunt for them, though not for the reasons Oobleck might have wished. The library was quiet and unoccupied, which meant they could be as loud as they wanted to be without interference. By now, the librarians had given up trying to stop them, or maybe they just hadn't cared from the start. With Nora among their group, it would have been a wasted effort anyway.

"How did your training go?" Ruby asked.

"It was cut short," he said, standing beside Weiss. They nodded to one another, but when a group of students walked by, she tapped her hand against his. He swallowed and took it, their fingers intertwining.

The three girls noticed – and one of them noticed for so long that she walked into a wall, and had to be helped up by her friends. Was it really that strange to imagine he and Weiss being together? It wasn't the first time someone had stopped and stared. Ruby giggled as they moved past. "You're safe now."

"Thank God," Weiss said, letting go. "What do you mean it was interrupted? What happened?"

Jaune wasn't sure what to do with his hand now. It was overly warm from Weiss' touch, and he could admit to having been both surprised, and subtly pleased with how soft her skin felt. Holding hands was something he'd come to enjoy. The problem now was what to do with it. Did he wipe his hand on his trouser leg? Weiss might notice and take affront. In the end, he stuffed it into his pocket and followed Pyrrha and Ruby into the library.

"It got interrupted, I guess, but in terms of what actually happened?" He sighed. "I have no idea. Your sister came to watch."

"Winter did? Why?"

"I've no idea. She arrived with Ruby's uncle."

"At the same time?" Ruby asked, suddenly interested. "Why would Weiss' sister be with Uncle Qrow?"

"Why, indeed," Weiss said, humming to herself. "Strange. I wasn't aware the two knew one another, but I suppose it's possible. Your uncle is a huntsman, as is Winter. They might have worked together in the past." She glanced at him. "How were they interacting? Were they on good terms?"

Huh, how was he supposed to answer that? Jaune held a hand to his chin and hummed, trying to find the right way to explain it.

"Let's just say they either hate one another, or want to tear each other's clothes off."

Weiss and Ruby stopped so quickly that he and Pyrrha bumped into them.

"Y-You must be mistaken," Weiss said. "Winter would never be like that."

"Yeah," Ruby agreed. "Uncle Qrow could never be _successful_ with a girl. That's crazy!"

"Well, I could be wrong," Jaune allowed. "I only have the way my family acts to draw on." He'd have asked Remy what he thought, but the parasite was currently asleep, and didn't like to be woken up for useless stuff like that. "Maybe it was something else."

"But Jaune _did_ say your sister arrived with Ruby's uncle," Pyrrha pointed out.

"She probably wanted to witness Jaune's training," Weiss said. "She _does_ believe he is my boyfriend, after all. It would make sense for her to want to know more about him."

"Couldn't she just talk to him?"

"I'm afraid you don't know my sister, Pyrrha."

"Ah, I suppose you're right." The redhead chuckled. "Still, did either you or Jaune _tell_ her about the fact he was training with Mr Branwen in the morning?"

"I don't think we did," Jaune said, eyeing Weiss. She shook her head as well.

"Then how else could she have known other than to speak with him directly? It seems obvious to me that she _must_ have spent time with Ruby's uncle, and he must have told her."

Ruby's mouth fell open. "No way… I have to tell Yang!"

"My sister and your uncle?" Weiss asked. She looked queasy, though there was no telling if that was disgust at the idea of the two of them being together, or the concept of Weiss and _Yang_ becoming sisters. "This is can't be happening. It's a nightmare!"

"I didn't mean they had to be like that," Pyrrha said. "They might have just spoken to one anot-"

"I refuse to let my sister marry that man!"

"Hey," Ruby protested. "That man is my Uncle. Besides, you can't get in the way of true love."

"Watch me…"

"I didn't say they had to be lovers!" Pyrrha said louder. She went ignored. "Oh, forget it," she said, turning to him. "Did you at least manage to put Yang's training into practise and get past Mr Branwen's one move?"

Jaune sighed and shook his head. "I tried, and I got close, but he seemed unusually vicious today. He also smelled of cheap booze and smoke, and his eyes were bloodshot. I think he was sick."

They pushed into the library proper, with Pyrrha and him rolling their eyes as Weiss and Ruby debated the merits of their respective family members and why that meant one was too good for the other, or why the other was more than good enough. The argument died as they reached the table with Team RYBN, however. Blake was on her feet, a shocked expression on her face as she stared down at her scroll.

"It came through," she gasped.

"What did?" Weiss asked, drawing out a chair.

"The…" She cut off and looked around to make sure no one was watching. When it was safe, she lowered her voice and continued. "The White Fang… they sent me the message about meeting with the _actual_ White Fang. Don't you remember that I gave my details to that recruitment guy?"

"He got in contact!?"

Blake nodded, and silently pushed the scroll out onto the table. They all leaned over to read it.

 _Brave Warriors,_

 _Your enthusiasm for our cause has been noted, and the chance to become a part of something greater than any one of us has arrived. If your determination has not yet waned, then meet at the following address one night from now. Be safe, and tell no one._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Your friend._

"Friend, he calls us," Weiss snorted. "That fool certainly likes to wax lyrical. I suppose that's the point. At this stage, anyone who still attends is going to be a frightened little lamb. They don't want to make the work sound dangerous or frightening."

"It's so soon, though," Yang added. "One night from now, so that's tomorrow night, right? It doesn't give us much time."

"That's kind of the point," Blake said. "If there _is_ a spy among the recruits, then they don't want to give them any time to mount an ambush. I imagine the rendezvous location is heavily guarded even now. Any attempt for the police to form an ambush would end in disaster." She tossed her hair, then frowned when it caused her bell to tinkle and chime. She cursed under her breath. "The address came in a separate message. It's an abandoned warehouse in an old industrial district, the kind of place the White Fang love."

"Out of the way and unlikely to draw attention," Weiss nodded. "You'd think it would be the first place the police would look."

"Nah, they're too busy trying to protect people," Yang said. "They're already stretched thin with normal crime and the like. They can't afford to scope and watch every single empty place in Vale."

"And Torchwick is probably making it worse with his robberies," Jaune added. It was an easy distraction, and one Uncle Watts would have approved of. Have the loud and flashy party draw attention, while the far more dangerous one laid low. There was still one problem, though.

He didn't want this to go ahead.

Another attack on the White Fang was another chance for him to run into Roman, which was more chances for his alter-ego to get exposed.

"Should _we_ really be the ones to do this?" he asked.

Predictably, his words mad everyone pause. Blake in particular scowled, crossing her arms and glaring at him. "If not us, then who?"

"The police? Weiss' sister?" He nodded vaguely in the direction of outside. "That's what she's here for, after all. Didn't you all say it would be terrible if she found us doing this? Why not let her do it instead?"

"Jaune raises a good point," Pyrrha said, earning a relieved nod from him. "Our initial plan was to do this because no one else was and we can't afford to leave military hardware in their hands. With Atlas here, surely it would be best to leave it in their hands."

Jaune nodded happily. "Exactly!"

He should have known it would never last. Even before Blake could form some kind of argument, Weiss killed the idea stone dead.

"And how do you propose we let Winter know?"

"Eh?"

"We can't go up and tell her, or she'd ask where we found such information," Weiss pointed out. "Similarly, if we're unable to come up with a good excuse, she simply won't believe us. If you have any ideas, I'll be happy to hear them, but we have barely a day to come up with something."

"Well… couldn't we just say we overheard it somewhere?"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Jaune, no one would just _overhear_ the White Fang talking about something like this. Be realistic. Even if we came up with an excuse, it would just draw Winter's attention onto us. The best-case scenario is she becomes suspicious and we're in danger, while the worst might lead to her finding out the truth, or discovering Blake's past."

"Which isn't good," Nora said needlessly. "Weiss is right. We're kinda stuck with this. We can do it or not do it, but we can't tell anyone else without telling them what we did the first time."

Jaune bit down on his rising panic. Okay, this wasn't good, but it wasn't a disaster yet.

"Isn't this a bit risky, though? We're not enough to take on an entire terrorist organisation."

"I know, but that's not the plan." Blake crossed her arms. "We're not going to fight them. We're going to investigate them, find out what their plan is, and then leak that to Weiss' sister and ruin the White Fang's plan."

"Isn't that just the same as my plan but with an added step in the middle? A dangerous step?"

"Not at all."

"I really think it is."

Weiss sighed dramatically. "Jaune, it's similar, but not the same. This will give us time to think of a good way to inform my sister, of which we have none now. Besides, like Blake says, we're not planning to cause a scene. We'll go along, stand in the crowd and leave peacefully when it's over. Right?"

Everyone nodded.

"Wasn't that the plan for the last meeting?"

"Yes. What's your point?"

"Oh, I don't know… maybe that it's nice to make plans, but that ours never work?" Jaune waved a hand. "When was the last time _anything_ we planned went according _to_ the plan?"

The long silence as good as confirmed his point.

"I see what you're saying, but it's not that simple," Weiss said. "We have a choice here, and as I see it, there are three options. Option one is that we tell my sister, and then invite suspicion onto us from Atlas itself. Do you want that?"

"N-No…" Not with _his_ secret.

"Option two is that we choose not to do anything here at all, and let the White Fang get away with their goals."

"Not an option," Blake said, scowling.

"I'm not sure I'd comfortable with the idea either," Yang added. "This sounds pretty dangerous, especially if Torchwick is involved. There could be innocent lives riding on it."

Jaune shuffled awkwardly. She had a point… and he _did_ come to Beacon to try and be a hero. What kind of hero let others suffer because they were scared of getting in trouble? A pit opened up in his stomach. "And option three is us going to stop it," Jaune finished, defeated. There just didn't seem to be a way out, or not one he was willing to take. "Fine… I'm in."

"It'll be fine," Ren said. "We'll come up with a good plan."

"That's what I'm worried about…"

/-/

"You want _me_ to watch over him!?" Emerald asked, horrified. "Why me? I thought Mercury was supposed to follow him?"

"Are you questioning me, Emerald?"

"No, no, no!" Emerald shook her head, suddenly wary. The news was unwelcoming enough, but she didn't want to draw Cinder's ire by rebelling against it. "I'm just trying to understand. Could I at least take Mercury along?"

"Unfortunately, I have need of him." Cinder closed the door of her wardrobe and looked down at herself. She was back in her red dress, which certainly would have turned the student's heads. "Roman is worried about this red-eyed monster who has been causing him problems. With the rally tomorrow, he's concerned it might make an appearance, and we _know_ it isn't Jaune."

"You're going to hunt it down?"

Cinder nodded, distractedly checking her scroll. "That is why I want Mercury with me. Your skills and your Semblance make you better suited for subtle work, of which I doubt this will count. On the other hand, I want you to speak with Jaune, and make sure he isn't doing anything related to the rally tomorrow night." Cinder looked her way. "You heard what I promised Roman, I take it?"

"That you'd keep him distracted," Emerald agreed. She didn't bother to point out that Cinder had said _she_ would keep him busy, and not one of her underlings. That would just invite trouble. "I understand, but I'm not sure how to manage that."

"I'm sure you will come up with something, Emerald. Simply put, you are best suited to this because you can use your Semblance if needs be. Mercury has more direct applications, which is why I want him with me if things turn bad."

Emerald sighed. As much as she hated the idea, it made sense.

"I understand, ma'am…"

Maybe it would be a chance for her to earn a little more of Cinder's attention and goodwill. After all, she was being trusted with an important task on her own, and that task was protecting Cinder's family. There was a small tug in Emerald's stomach. It wasn't happiness, but it was better than nothing. This had potential… if she played her cards right.

"When are you leaving?" she asked.

"Now." Cinder said, and stepped past her. "If anyone asks as to our presence, tell them we're out camping, drinking or whatever else you come up with. I wouldn't expect us to return until the end of the weekend."

Emerald nodded. She didn't imagine the teachers would care. As long as they made it back before classes on the Monday, it was usually fine. Beacon was a boarding school for teenagers, and young adults, so they often got up to things in their free time. The green-haired girl waited for the two to leave, and wilfully ignored Mercury's cocky smirk. The bastard was smiling now, but she would be the one to do so when he returned to find her boasting of her triumph.

The first thing was to find out what he was up to, which was why ten minutes later, she was stalking the hallways outside of their room. No one had seen them recently when asked, and luckily there was no Cardin plotting any more problems for them. Whether that was lucky for her, or him, she didn't know. If he dyed her hair again, she'd kill him.

 _All I need to do is keep him away from the White Fang rally tomorrow. That shouldn't be too hard. I just need to keep him with me, so I can watch over him._

Any guy would be thrilled to spend time with her, and although it would be a pain in the ass, it was only one day, and then she could report her success to Cinder. In fact, he might even know of some other ways to impress her, which would make this mission even better. Emerald rubbed her hands together gleefully, and secured herself in a nearby alcove, waiting for him to arrive.

It didn't take long.

"I know, I know…" Jaune said. "I said I'll do it. I was just worried."

"And I understand that, but we have to-" Weiss Schnee saw her immediately, and quickly latched onto Jaune's hand. She smiled a wide smile and leaned against him.

Huh…

That was weird.

"Hello… Emerald, wasn't it?" Weiss stumbled over the name, but Emerald nodded. "Is there anything we can help you with?"

Yeah, an explanation for why the two of them were acting so weird would be nice. In the end, that wasn't important though, and she shrugged her shoulders. "I was wondering if I could talk to Jaune for a moment. It won't take long."

"What about?" he asked.

"About something we both got up to the other day," she hinted. It wasn't until the other three looked at her suspiciously that she realised how bad that sounded. "It's about Cardin," she clarified with a sigh. "I helped him with a prank on Cardin."

"Ah, the prank war thing." Pyrrha Nikos tapped her cheek. "That's still going on? I didn't realise you were involved."

"The asshole dropped dye in my hair," Emerald snarled.

Weiss released her partner and stepped forward. For a second, she thought the heiress might attack her, but she instead placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded instead. There was a strange sense of camaraderie Emerald wasn't fully comfortable with.

"I can talk," Jaune said. He broke off from the others with a smile. "I'll be with you all soon. Give us a minute."

They all nodded and made their way inside, and Emerald nodded away once they did, drawing him a few metres down the hall just in case his team decided to try and listen in. He followed easily enough.

"This isn't about Cardin, is it?"

"You catch on quick. What gave it away?"

"You hate Cardin for what happened. If you wanted to cause him more trouble, you'd have said whatever you're about to say in front of my team. It would just make them angry enough to try and help, which is better for you."

Huh, so he wasn't half as dumb as he let on. Cinder had warned her as such, saying naïve and foolish weren't quite the same. It seemed to apply to him for sure. "You're right, it's not about that. Answer me one thing first, though. What was up back there? With the Schnee being all touchy-feely, I mean."

"Weiss is my girlfriend."

"Bull," Emerald said instantly. She already knew he and the blonde, Yang, were dating. Cinder had already confirmed that, so this couldn't have happened under their watch. "I don't believe that for a second."

"It's… uh… complicated."

"Sounds like it." She cocked her head to the side and looked him up and down. He didn't _look_ like someone who'd gotten with a girl, at least recently. You could tell sometimes, normally in the way a man walked a little taller, more confident in themselves, or just a smug asshole. Mercury looked like he got laid every day, but that was just because he actually _was_ that arrogant. "This is fake, I'm taking it?"

He sighed, "Okay, fine. It's not real. Just… you can't make a big deal out of this. Can you tell Big Sis not to, either?"

"Cinder?" Emerald asked. "Why? Why should we agree to this?"

"Because it's _Winter Schnee_ who we're lying to," he explained. "And unless you want _her_ and the Atlas military's attention on me, it'll be good to avoid it."

Emerald opened her mouth, and closed it again a second later. He… had a point. Huh, he could actually be pretty sneaky. She'd thought to force another favour out of him, but he'd caught her dead to rights. Cinder _would_ be angry if she heard about this, and especially if she learned that Emerald had potentially put him in danger with Atlas. It _would_ mean more work for Mercury and her, too. Neither of those were good things.

"Fine," she snapped. "I won't anyone, but I still need you to do what I came here for. I wasn't fully lying when I said it was to do with Winchester. It's related. Do you remember that you promised me a favour for helping you?"

His face instantly became wary, "Yes…"

"I want to call it in."

"That goes without saying. You wouldn't have come to see me otherwise." He shifted nervously. "What is it you want?"

There were a lot of things, but sadly this favour would go wasted, mainly because she needed to use it to check on something. On the way here, she'd agonised over how to ask him. She couldn't specifically mention the rally, because if he didn't know, he would after she spilled the beans. That might only make him go after it. Similarly, she couldn't make any vague hints, because she wouldn't be able to tell if he wasn't catching them because he didn't know about Torchwick, or if he just didn't understand the hints.

That left only one option.

"I want to impress Cinder and improve myself in her books. I was wondering if you could help me with that."

He relaxed quickly. "You mean just to talk?"

"Yeah, sure. Nothing illegal, just you, me, alone in private…" She flashed him a seductive smile and leaned a little closer, bunching her arms so that he could see down her cleavage.

Her smile died an ugly death when he didn't react in the slightest.

"Well, that doesn't sound so bad. Do you want to do that now?"

"No, tomorrow." Emerald smiled cruelly. "Tomorrow evening at ten. Meet me at my room and we can talk. It shouldn't take an hour, maybe two." That ought to be more than enough time for Roman to conclude his business. That was… if Jaune didn't already have plans to go there. She cocked her head to the side. "If you're busy, I understand, but Cinder and Mercury are out tomorrow, so it would be a good chance to talk in private."

The moment of truth… if he tried to make an excuse, then-

"Okay, sure."

Wait, what?

There was a moment of shock in which she stared at him, not quite able to believe his easy acceptance. She swallowed and shook her head. "You're fine with it!?"

"I guess so. It doesn't sound too hard." He glanced away. "I'll meet you tomorrow night."

"You will?"

"Sure. I'm happy to help you get on better with Cinder."

Huh… that was anti-climactic. Emerald nodded stupidly, even as she was breathing a sigh of relief inside. That had been easier than she thought it would be. Maybe he didn't know about it after all. Maybe she'd just been paranoid. Besides, it wasn't like Torchwick would be so stupid as to let news about this get out.

"Great… thanks." She grinned once her surprise wore off. "I guess I'll see you there."

"I guess so."

"My room, ten, and-" Emerald cut off as she sensed someone nearby. There were students passing all the time, but most paid no attention. This was different however, mostly because the person had come to a dead stop behind her.

"Arc," the person, a woman, snapped. "Would you care to explain what you are doing cavorting with another woman, and why you are making plans to visit her room late at night?"

"Oh, hello Miss Schnee."

S-Schnee? That sure as hell didn't sound like Weiss. She turned on the spot, eyes at the same level the white-haired girls would be at – only to instead find herself looking at a much taller woman's chest. She knew her dangerous people, and her brain knew of one other woman called Schnee. Despite that, her eyes still tracked slowly up the figure, until she was staring wide-eyed into the angry eyes of a very dangerous woman indeed. Her stomach fell down to her ankles.

Shit.

"We're making arrangements to work on homework together," Jaune said, lying with far more ease than she'd have been capable of. This was Winter Schnee, an Atlas Specialist, and _definitely_ someone Cinder either wasn't aware was here, or wasn't aware was involved with Jaune. _What's she doing here at all? This is ridiculous. Is Atlas on to us already?_

"Homework, hmm? So late at night?"

"It's when we do it in Team WJRP. This is Emerald Sustrai, by the way. She's a friend of mine, and of Weiss'," he added. "Emerald, this is Winter Schnee, my girlfriend's sister."

Frankly, she was glad he felt it prudent to take over the introductions, even if he did lay the hint on a little thick with the girlfriend comment. So _this_ was who they were trying to fool. Good Gods, that wasn't something she needed to know. He was right. Cinder would go _ape_ if she knew he was getting himself in trouble with Winter Schnee of all people.

Better that she didn't know. Better for her and Mercury, at least.

"I-It's nice to meet you," Emerald said, wincing at her stupid stammer. "I'm a friend of Jaune's, and in case you're wondering, I would never, _never_ try and do what you might be thinking I was doing."

Jaune blinked, and then like an idiot, felt the need to open his mouth.

"Huh? What did she think…?"

"That I was trying to seduce you, idiot!" she hissed, elbowing him.

"Oooh…" He laughed. "Oh no way. I'd never cheat on someone in general, and definitely not with Emerald."

Hey now… what the hell was that supposed to mean!?

"And if I were to ask Weiss about this?" Winter asked.

"Go ahead. She's just in our dorm over there. I can let you in if you want."

Winter Schnee's lips turned into a flat scowl, and although he seemed either impervious or oblivious as to why, she was not. _So, the elder sister doesn't approve and wants to catch him out. If I'm reading this right, she won't ask Weiss because to do so would make that obvious. Jaune might not understand the gesture, but Weiss would, and probably be angry. I'm not sure if there's any way I can actually use this…_

"No, that will be fine," Winter scowled. "It was… nice to see you again, and I apologise for interrupting your morning training. Perhaps I could make up for it by offering some of my own, free time permitting."

Emerald shook her head subtly.

"Sure, that sounds great."

Ugh… forget it. He was on his own, and frankly, her job was done. It was better to escape while she could, and before something happened to make the situation worse. She nodded both to Jaune, and then sent a polite one towards the older woman. "Thanks for agreeing to help me, Jaune. I'll see you tomorrow."

"No problem. Say hi to your team for me."

Emerald fled while she had the chance. The entire time, she couldn't help but be aware of the older woman's eyes boring into her back.

Those piercing eyes followed her around the corner and away.

/-/

Jaune breathed a sigh of relief once Winter and Emerald left, allowing him to head back to his room and team. He paused at the door, letting out a short sigh.

" **You do realise you offered to meet her at the same time you'll be raiding the White Fang, right?"**

" _Technically not..."_

" **How do you intend to be in two places at once?"**

" _I don't, Remy. I'll stick with the original plan and then go see Emerald afterwards. Technically, I only said I'd see her tomorrow night. She was the one who gave a time, but I never agreed to it."_ He grinned. _"I guess there are advantages to people assuming I'm not exactly a genius."_

" **Why the deception, though?"**

" _Isn't it obvious? Cinder would freak out if she knew what I was doing. It's better to just tell a little white lie and dodge it. I'll make it up to Emerald another time."_

Remy didn't respond, but Jaune caught a faint feeling of satisfaction from the Grimm. It looked like it agreed with his reasoning, or at least understood it. He did feel bad for Emerald, but what she didn't know, wouldn't hurt her.

Besides, he didn't want to get her involved with the White Fang and Roman. Cinder would probably be upset if the girl got hurt.

/-/

Far away in the Grimmlands, Salem sat on her stone throne, a fierce frown on her face. She glared down at the information she'd been presented, and her eyes glowed like red hot coals.

"This is everything we were able to find," Watts said. "Much about his past is shrouded in mystery, but one thing that is not is his allegiance to Ozpin."

She nodded and traced one finger across the information, committing it to memory. It was the man her dear Nicky had warned her of, and apparently, he had an inkling as to their relationship. A frantic message to Cinder had assured her Jaune was still safe, but this still presented problems.

What was Ozpin's role in this? It seemed impossible that he would not have slain Jaune if he knew the truth, so had this Qrow Branwen not informed the headmaster? Did he have his own agenda that parted from the fool's?

To strike recklessly might place her son in harm's way.

She could not allow that, and so would have to… curb her desire to deal with this man personally. There were bigger things at stake.

"What would you suggest, Watts?" she asked. While normally loathe to accept their opinions, his approach to such problems was often a little subtler. "I cannot move for fear of what would happen to Jaune. What angle would you take?"

"For now, my mistress, I would investigate further. If his allegiance can be bought, then why not take control of him. If he were truly loyal to Ozpin, then he would have surely killed Jaune by now, and certainly wouldn't have contacted Sir Nicholas."

"Yes, that confused me as well. Do you truly believe there is no immediate risk?"

"If there is, I think it something Cinder might be able to deal with." His expression made it clear how much it hurt to speak kindly of her, but in a matter of such seriousness, he did not bother with petty dislike. "I think she should be warned, but that any overt action might force his hand. Let us see what it is he hoped to gain, but also make our own movements in the background."

"If he were to be removed, he would pose no threat."

"Indeed," Watts agreed. "So long as he died due to an accident or unrelated Grimm attack."

Salem nodded. That would be the plan for now. She could create some Grimm with the express purpose of hunting him, but make them normal ones. As a huntsman, he would likely prove capable of slaying them, but anything more exotic might arouse Ozpin's suspicion. For now, it would have to do.

She rose from her throne and moved away, the folder of information held at her side.

"Come with me, Watts. I believe a visit to the spawning pits is in order, and I would have you take down a missive for Cinder."

He nodded. "As you command, my Queen."

As she moved away, Salem failed to notice a single sheet of paper fall from the collection of such in her hand. It drifted down onto the cobbled flagstones where it lay discarded as they continued on. After a few minutes however, another figure stumbled upon it.

"Hmm," the woman mused. "What's this?"

The blonde figure knelt and picked it up, dusting it clear and looking at what turned out to be a printed photograph. In it, a roguish figure with black and grey hair winked at the camera. His red eyes, chiselled jaw and stubbled chin were on full display – as a was a generous portion of his chest.

The girl's cheeks darkened as she continued to stare at it.

"Oh my…" she breathed, fanning herself quickly. She glanced around, suddenly nervous, and then stuffed the picture into her pocket. "She'd never seen a human like _that_ before. Maybe this required a little extra research…"

For taking over the world purposes, of course…

Maybe he could be a prisoner.

Her cheeks darkened even further as she recalled what her mother had done with her _last_ prisoner. M-Maybe she could do the same…? It was okay, right?

"I just need to find out his name first."

Coral Salem Arc placed one hand against her bright-red cheek and giggled. Behind her, four tentacles swayed dreamily, several intertwining and playing with one another. Maybe there was more wisdom to her little brother's decision than met the eye if the humans in Vale looked like _that_.

* * *

 **And there's the chapter. Kind of busy this week since I'm finishing NTF, while also putting up with a few idiots from it actually going so far as to send me death threats. Yay… the joys of Fanfiction, sigh.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 17th August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	31. Chapter 31

**Due to me having to spend all of yesterday with a client for work, I didn't have time to write this for CF to see. The chapter plan was sent over and discussed, but not the chapter itself.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 31 – Black and White**

* * *

It was an awkward procession of eight teenagers who made their way through the deserted industrial sector of Vale. Though he'd never been here himself, Jaune could tell it must have once been a centre for factories and more. Many now lay empty, though given that it was almost ten at night, they could have just as easily been abandoned for the day. Even so, some were boarded over and in clear need of repair.

"Is this the place?" he asked, ducking down into a covered alcove where the others were crouched. "It certainly looks abandoned enough."

"This is it," Blake confirmed. "According to the message, it should be that warehouse over there." She pointed to one perhaps three or four hundred metres away, and true to her word, there was an unusual congregation of people by it. Unusual in the sense that there were people there at all, even before the suspicious way they moved around was any indication.

"It certainly looks like the message was accurate," Ren said. "Blake, do you have the masks?"

"I do." Blake fished them out, and handed them around the group. "I'm not sure we should all enter together, however."

Weiss flashed the faunus an odd look. "What do you mean?"

"Well, your hair is back to normal for one." Blake nodded to the white locks, which had shed their final green tint in the shower that morning. "Even beyond that, this is the _actual_ White Fang we'll be dealing with. We got through the other guys because they're the amateur branch, but we're dealing with professionals now. Professional killers," she added, leaning forward. "They're not going to make the same mistake, and you're easily recognised."

"Pyrrha, too," Yang agreed, flashing an apologetic smile. "I see Blake's point. Your disguise was to wear sunglasses and claim you're a bat faunus, but this meeting is in the middle of the night. It's a little weird to do that now, if you could even see with them on."

"I see your point," Pyrrha said, removing them with a relieved sigh. "Still, what should we do now? Even with the masks, Weiss will be easily recognised."

"We could split up," Jaune suggested.

Everyone turned to look at him.

"W-Well, think about it like this," he said. "Blake and Nora are the ones who snuck in before, and Ren and Yang are unknowns to most of them, so won't be recognised. Yang also has the best disguise with her hair, and Ren's eyes aren't something that can be faked. Team RYBN wouldn't have too many problems getting in."

"That's true," Ren mused. "Where would that leave you and your team?"

"Backup and support, I guess. We can be look outs, or help you guys if you need it." Basically, anything that meant he didn't need to go in and potentially be recognised by Roman Torchwick. "That's my idea, anyway."

The others looked between themselves for a moment, before Blake nodded and turned back to him. "It's not a bad one. Our goal here is only to find out what their plans are. If all goes well, we won't have to fight at all, so the size of the infiltrating party will be safer if it's small. As Jaune says, it's Team WJRP who has the easily recognised members on their team. If you could take up positions around the building in case something goes wrong…"

"I guess we can," Ruby said. "I can get up high and use Crescent Rose to watch it. I'll even be able to snipe if you need me to."

"There are plenty of disused cranes she could climb," Pyrrha added, looking around. "While they look to be in bad shape, Ruby is light enough that she shouldn't have a problem."

"Even if I fell, it wouldn't be as bad as initiation. I have a landing strategy." She shrugged. "I won't fall, though. Those things are pretty big. I'm hardly going to slip off."

Weiss nodded, one hand on her chin as she looked to Ruby, and then to the cranes nearby. There was no telling what went through her mind, but she didn't seem _against_ the idea, which was good. If things went bad, Ruby could keep the enemy pinned while the others escaped, and she'd have no problem getting out with her Semblance.

"It's as good a plan as any," Weiss eventually said. "I'll admit that I might not be the best for infiltration here. If Ruby takes a high position, that leaves the three of us to make a perimeter around the building itself. If you need to escape in a hurry, I can have glyphs prepared for you at the exit."

"And I can slow down the enemy with my Semblance," Pyrrha added. "If you need a distraction inside, I might even be capable of creating that. There's bound to be a lot of metal equipment in there."

Pyrrha's Semblance, of course. She'd told the team about it a while back, and she was right about it being useful. Jaune slowly started to smile as his plan came together. "I can keep lookout," he said once they turned to him. "Since everyone else is taking positions in a way to help or distract people, I'll watch the whole thing from the roof. If you guys need help, you can make some kind of signal, and I'll pass the message on to them."

"It's a sound plan," Ren said, with a quick nod. "We'll need some kind of obvious sign we can use, but also something subtle."

"If I take my mask off, that's the sign," Blake said. "At least it will be if I have the chance. If anything goes worse, we'll have to adapt."

Jaune nodded. "Well yeah. If you start shooting or get found out, I'll alert everyone. I don't think we need anything more than a subtle sign. I'm not oblivious."

"I don't know about that," Ruby mumbled.

Hey, what was that supposed to mean?

"Okay, it's settled," Weiss said, completely ignoring Jaune's questioning look towards Ruby. "Team WJRP will provide support and take up positions once Team RYBN has infiltrated. We won't move until all the stragglers are inside, however. There are too many people to see us right now. If you need help, then any of you remove your masks and Jaune will pass the message on. Pyrrha will cause the distraction, I'll give you a speed boost out of the exit, and Ruby will cover the retreat. Is everyone happy with the plan?"

Everyone nodded, but that didn't seem enough for Weiss.

"And you, Jaune? You were the one to criticise out plans before, after all."

"I-I'm fine," he said, laughing nervously. "I mean, this actually _is_ a plan, so it's fine. We just sort of walked in the front door the last time and hoped for the best."

"What was that, boyfriend?"

"N-Nothing, dear!"

Weiss glowered. "That's what I thought. Let's get the show on the road."

Jaune let out a breath of relief as his partner's gaze moved away. Team RYBN slipped into their disguises and pushed out from behind the wreckage on their way towards the warehouse, while the rest of them waited. Idly, Jaune brought out his scroll and checked the time. It was ten on the dot… not only the point at which the White Fang rally was supposed to start, but also when he'd said he would meet with Emerald.

 _I'll make it up to her another time,_ he thought. _I'm sure she won't mind._

/-/

Blake kept her mask firmly in place as she made her way towards the crowds of faunus with her team in tow. There had to be about a hundred people in attendance, though some of them were bound to already be members. Out of their own recruitment group, they were probably the only ones to escape the police, which meant the rest had come from other branches. In that way, the White Fang were smart, minimising the chances for loss by having several cells in charge of recruitment, each of which knew nothing about the other.

They were away from such amateur operations, however.

"Do your best to keep silent," she warned her team. "These aren't the same people as we saw at the recruitment rally. This is the real White Fang. They'll be more professional, more alert, and far more cautious. The same tricks won't work on these people."

"You almost sound defensive of them," Yang whispered.

"I was a part of them once, so I know what they're capable of. If possible, just stay quiet and let me do the talking. We don't want any trouble, so our best bet will be to avoid attention and try not to stand out."

So long as they did that, there shouldn't be any problems. The masks covered most of their faces, and the crowd was large enough to get lost in. The only real danger was that someone might see and recognise her. She'd been a visible figure after all, both for her parents, and for her partner.

"You there," someone called. "Halt!"

"Keep moving," Blake hissed, leading them on.

"Wait, stop those four – there, stop them!"

Many of the faunus in the crowd backed away, suddenly afraid, and that only made the team stand out worse. It also prompted three White Fang grunts to move forward, cutting off their path. Yang bumped into Blake's back as she stopped, and the four of them quickly stood back to back.

They'd been found out so soon? How?

"Do you mean us?" Blake asked innocently, one hand slipping behind her back to grasp Gambol Shroud. If it came to it, they could cut their way free, but that would mean they'd failed.

"Yes, I mean you," the first faunus said, storming forwards. He wore his mask and uniform, and it was all but impossible to tell what kind of faunus he was. "I recognise you… I'm sure of it."

Someone who knew her before she left…? Blake's muscles tensed. "You must be mistaken," she said. "I don't recognise you. We were told to come here to join the White Fang. Is that wrong?"

"Not you," the man growled, pushing her aside. He strode towards Nora instead. "You!"

Nora blinked. "Me?"

Blake wanted to scream.

"You are the cow faunus, no?"

"I am," Nora said, unable to really argue. "Why? I'm not showing you my udders if that's what you're asking. That's just rude. Only Renny gets to see my udders."

"I would never suggest such a thing, my lady. In fact, I've heard nothing but incredible things about you from our recruitment agent. He spoke often of your skill and dedication to the cause, even to the point where you were instrumental in saving his life from a police raid."

Instrumental…? Blake's eye twitched. She'd been just as much a part of it as Nora, but no, only her efforts got recognised. _Wait, I'm not supposed to want recognition. That's the exact opposite of what I want!_

Even if the fact everyone ignored her was getting irritating.

"Oh yeah, I was there." Nora giggled. "That was fun."

"Fun, she says," the man said. He turned to his fellows. "You see, men? This is how a _true_ White Fang warrior acts. How are we supposed to wage a war capable of taking our place in the world if we balk at the mere sight of police officers? We must grasp opportunity with our hands-"

"Or hooves," Nora interjected.

"Or hooves, or paws," the speaker went on, completely missing the blatant sarcasm. "We must be prepared to fight for what we desire, for what we deserve!"

Several members of the crowd cheered.

Blake wanted to shoot them all. The White Fang had never seemed this stupid when she was a part of it. Had she simply been blind to it, or maybe sheltered because she worked with the best? Maybe there was something in the water in Vale that lowered their IQ. There had to be something. She refused to accept that the organisation she'd dedicated her life to would be this… this dense!

"One of our finest leaders is also a cow faunus," the man explained. "They are rare, but considered strong. I had the pleasure of working alongside him once, and he cut a swathe through the enemy with his crimson blade."

Adam…? Blake winced, imagining what her old partner would say if he heard someone refer to him as a cow faunus. It wouldn't be pretty. Also, how could this guy remember working with Adam, but not recognise her?

And why did that annoy her so much!?

"I hope that you too will have a fraction of his strength. The White Fang needs people like you. Oh, and your friends," he added, looking to the three of them as though they were nothing but an afterthought. "I'm sure they'll be great here too."

"I'm sure they will~" Nora shook hands with the White Fang soldier and waved as he went off to talk with the others. She then turned back to the team. "Ah, he was nice."

Blake's palm met her forehead. "Nora…"

"What? I was fitting in."

"We're not supposed to fit in!"

"Actually, it's not a bad idea," Ren said.

"Please don't encourage her."

"Nora needs no encouragement, Blake." Ren placed a hand on her shoulder and offered a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry. Rest assured, I've lived with this for years and know what you're going through."

Blake dared to hope.

"Which is why he's so relieved he got me as a partner," Yang said. "Since it meant he could finally get a break and lump Nora on someone else."

Blake's dreams cracked, but it wasn't until she looked at Ren and he coughed, but didn't dispute the claim, that they truly shattered. She was stuck with Nora. This was punishment for all the things she'd done as a terrorist, she just knew it.

"Blake's impending existential crisis aside, I think we should get inside while we can," Ren instructed. "We're lucky Nora was recognised, even if it's for all the wrong reasons. A distraction is still a distraction, and we might as well not tempt fate with my being a sloth faunus again."

"You got it partner," Yang said, hooking an arm around Blake and dragging her along. "Come on, Blake. Let's get this over with."

It took a few seconds for Blake to break out of her funk, no thanks to her partner, who cheerfully waved and chatted with every potential terrorist they passed. Sure, it worked to distract attention away from them, and if there was one thing Nora was good at, it was drawing attention, but still – this was the exact opposite of blending in and not drawing attention to themselves.

 _Adam would have a fit if he saw this. I'm not sure who he'd kill first, us, the guards, or himself._

Considering how she could make out various unguarded windows, and doors, it would be all three. Maybe things had been better in their branch of the White Fang. At the very least, everything had seemed more organised, more focused. This was still better than the recruitment faction of Vale, but far less impressive than the White Fang's Mistral operations.

"They seem to lack organisation," Blake whispered. "There's a wilful lack of attention put to security. I'm not sure if it's confidence or arrogance."

"Considering who we saw leading them at the docks, it could be both," Ren replied. "I doubt Torchwick would even care if the majority of people here were arrested or killed. So long as he remains safe, everyone else is fair game."

Blake frowned, but couldn't find room to argue. It was the only explanation which made sense, and that painted a pretty damning picture if it were true. Still, in what world would the White Fang allow a human to lead them? Aiding him on a robbery was one thing, and bad enough, but to follow Torchwick's orders? That was madness.

As luck would have it, they managed to avoid detection for the most part after that, even if Yang's hair caught eyes occasionally, and some people looked at Nora with something Blake would later realise was awe in their eyes. She refused to admit how much that irritated her, and instead focused on the stage as the audience went quiet.

"Don't react to anything that's said," she whispered. "Stay quiet and see what happens."

Ren sighed. "You're the only one speaking, Blake."

Right then and there, she wouldn't have minded knocking him out with the bell he'd made her wear. She settled for a fierce scowl as Roman Torchwick strode out onto the stage. Luckily, it went unseen, mostly because the crowd gasped and began to chatter. Apparently the news that the crook was working with the White Fang hadn't reached the new recruits. She'd almost forgotten that.

"Yes, yes, it is I, Roman Torchwick, gentleman, criminal extraordinaire and all around _human_ in front of you." The arrogant man removed his hat and bowed to them all. "Now I know what you're thinking… how _does_ he look so good, how _does_ he pull off his crimes, and _why_ are we sitting here looking at a human when we're faunus? That about right?"

"Yeah!" the crowd kind of said. It was "kind of" because of how most people were mumbling between themselves and only a few dared shout it out. "Human!" another called. "Crook!"

"Thank you, thank you – there's no need for the applause. Suffice to say, my little freedom fighters, we're working together because our goals align. Nothing more. Now don't get me wrong, humans suck." Torchwick swirled to the side, spinning his cane as he spoke. "They lie, cheat, and steal, and I should know since I'm one of them. But the thing is, the White Fang _need_ things. They need dust, tools, weapons, and even brave fighters like you! Should we be asking brave warriors to steal dust from local stores?"

The crowd mumbled and grumbled, and while there was no definite answer, a few people shouted out "no". Blake wondered if those had been planted in advance by the White Fang, actual agents who would shout out the right answers to make the speech work.

"Of course we shouldn't. You are the next generation of the White Fang, the people history will remember as those who won freedom for their children. Why, to steal from humans, you need someone equally despicable – another human, in fact. That's where yours truly comes in, but it's not just me."

Blake's eyes narrowed. _Not just him? What does that mean?_

"There are so many people in the world who want to see the White Fang succeed," he called, "and working together with them, we've been able to achieve so much more. Take for instance your latest tools."

Torchwick turned to the White Fang behind him and called out an order. As one, they tore the coverings from several figures at the back of the warehouse. Huge, mechanical constructs revealed themselves – emblazoned with the symbol of Atlas. Blake cursed, and easily imagined Weiss doing the same outside. Torchwick had the stolen Paladins. What else had she expected? This was bad. If those things were made for war, then they'd probably be strong enough to overwhelm Vale's defences. Atlas didn't make inferior machines, after all.

"The latest in Atlas technology, prototypes for their next great weapon of war, and now under _your_ control, just a little gift from my associates and I to show you how serious we are. We're in this to win, after all. The last thing we want is to send you into battle unprepared."

His words struck a chord. Whether it was with those who had been frightened before, or those who had seen the self-sacrificial nature of the White Fang in the past, she wasn't sure. Either way, the acrimony towards him seemed to have faded, and the audience were now cheering the news. He was good at controlling them, but that was all it was. She doubted very much him or his associates cared in the slightest about these people's lives.

"But that's not the only event for the night, my friends. Oh, no! You see, I have a very special guest tonight who I thought it might be good to introduce to you. One who you may have seen before, and who is waiting back stage even now."

Hentacle.

He had to mean Hentacle. Blake bit her lip and looked around, suddenly aware of how many others had come to the same conclusion, for several women in the crowd looked a little too eager. She caught Ren's eye, and her leader shook his head, telling her to stay calm. If Hentacle saw them it would all be over, but she had to trust he wouldn't recognise them. They had their masks on, and they'd already known the monster was working with Torchwick. Working and doing a little _extra service_ if the rumours were to be believed.

So long as they remained calm, there wouldn't be a problem.

/-/

Emerald leaned back on the couch of her team's dorm room and checked her scroll for the fifth time. The digital dial told her it was 22:22, which aside from being a neat coincidence, was still twenty-two minutes past when that idiot had said he was going to meet her. Had he gotten lost or something? She wouldn't put it past him.

"Ugh, what a moron… is it so hard to remember a simple time and place?"

She tried calling his scroll but got a message that told her it was switched off. Well, that or out of battery, and there was no telling which. Swinging her legs over the edge, she hopped onto her feet and set down her drink on a nearby desk. She'd even gone out of her way to dress up for this, assuming his attention would be firmly on her if she looked her best. A tight cream top with a V-neck that cut a little low and trousers that hugged her figure. She'd show him for having no reaction to her flirting the other day!

Well, she would if he ever showed up.

"What could he be doing that's more important than this?"

The door opened and she stuck her head outside, just to make sure he wasn't waiting there and hadn't known how to knock or something. Nope. He was nowhere to be seen. Her eyes narrowed and her lips turned down. Had she been stood up? No way. No one would dare do that to her. A woman walked past the room, a brown-haired faunus with rabbit ears. Emerald thought she looked vaguely familiar, but couldn't place where.

"Hey, you!" she called.

The girl paused. "Do you mean me?"

"Yes, you. Who else would I mean!?"

"Literally any of the other people in the hallway…?" she said, gesturing around. "The area isn't exactly abandoned."

Emerald growled, not quite in the mood to be sassed by some random girl – especially since she reminded her of Mercury for some reason. She tried for her friendliest smile, and managed something between one seen on a murderer pretending to be innocent to the police. "Have you seen Jaune Arc around here?"

"Jaune?" The girl's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but he promised to meet with me to help with something. Look, it's a simple question. Have you seen him or not?"

"I saw him, but he wasn't coming here." The faunus shrugged and looked in the other direction. "He was headed to the Bullhead docks about an hour and a half ago. I think he was off into Vale with his team."

Vale? But why would he be going there, and why with his entire team? The only thing in Vale was…

Emerald's eyes widened.

That son of a bitch!

"Out of the way," she snapped, pushing past the girl and rushing down the corridor. The faunus might have yelled something out, but she didn't hear it. She was too busy panicking. Jaune, the bastard, had given her the slip. He'd lied to trick her into not being in his way, and now he'd gone off to the White Fang rally.

Damn it, that was bad. If Cinder heard about this… no, she couldn't. There wouldn't be anything to hear about, because she'd stop him before he could get himself killed. Either that or she'd be finding the safest and quickest way out of Vale before Cinder killed her. Her legs moved faster as she rushed down the corridor.

She didn't even notice the unusually placed Atlas soldier nearby, how his eyes followed her, or how he whispered something into his helmet.

/-/

" **I'll admit,"** Remy said, **"this was actually pretty clever of you."**

Jaune smiled to himself and squatted a little lower on the roof of the warehouse, looking down through an open hatch. He could see much of the audience as well as the stage, and had even picked out Team RYBN in the crowd, prepared for their signal. All in all, it was a complete success.

" _I'm not an idiot, Remy. If I was in the crowd, then Roman would surely recognise me, and if things do go badly, he'll force me into helping him again. Even if he didn't, Cinder would go nuts if she knew I was here. Better to sit above it all like this."_

" **Oh, I know. I just had the terrible idea you might ignore conventional wisdom altogether. What do you think about those robots?"**

" _They look a little… unfinished."_

" **I know what you mean. There's something missing. Still, if you're whiny team leader is to be believed, it's not a good thing that they have them."**

" _Weiss isn't that bad,"_ Jaune automatically defended. _"But yeah, I don't know why Big Sis would want these things, even less to give them to a bunch of violent terrorists. They're going to use them for evil…"_

" **Which, I shall remind you, your Big Sis also is. Evil, I mean."**

" _I know, I know, but she isn't evil-evil. She's more… pragmatic evil."_ The distinction felt weak, even to him – but come on, it was _hard_ to defend Cinder. She was unabashedly cruel, and actually was quite happy to admit it. In fact, she'd have been offended if he said otherwise. _"My point is that she wouldn't do this unless it served some kind of purpose, and wanton destruction wouldn't be enough. She's not some cartoon villain. She has reasons for doing what she does."_

" **And those are…?"**

Jaune's cheeks flushed. _"I didn't say I knew…"_

Cinder was his Big Sis for a reason, and that was because she was older than him and had helped raise him since he was a child. She knew how to run rings around him, and didn't mind doing so at any opportunity. Even if he wanted to know the truth, it wasn't like she would tell him, and he couldn't just order her around. Sure, she was probably _supposed_ to follow his orders, but she definitely wouldn't. She'd also make him regret ever daring to try and pull rank on her – and he'd be grovelling on hands and knees within days.

" _It doesn't matter in the end. All we need to do is keep watch and help the others get out. Once this is all over, I won't have to worry about Roman or the White Fang again."_

Remy didn't respond, but also didn't disagree. There really wasn't much more to be said. Jaune edged closer to the opening, testing the roof beneath him to make sure it wouldn't give way. Despite the ramshackle nature of the building, it seemed strong enough to support him. There was still no sign from down below that Team RYBN needed an out, and although he couldn't make out Roman's words, it was clear the whole thing was going as planned.

Maybe this would be an easy night after all.

The foot that was placed in the centre of his back disagreed.

The world spun as he was non-so-gently thrust forward, and he caught the briefest flash of colour before he was sent through the hatch. There was a loud clang as his body struck it, one that reverberated through the warehouse. It was followed by a high-pitched cry and an altogether _louder_ sound as he impacted the wooden stage.

Directly in front of Roman Torchwick, of course.

The crowd froze.

Roman did, too.

It lasted barely a few seconds, during which Jaune cracked his head up to look into the criminal's eyes. He saw fear there, fear mixed with panic and helplessness. He understood why. Roman knew he'd be in trouble if he did anything or let him get hurt, but was also clearly terrified because Jaune kind of _had_ threatened to kill him if he caused him trouble again. On the other hand, he couldn't do _nothing_ – not in front of the White Fang, who even now were stirring to life and drawing weapons.

It all took less than ten seconds, but it felt like a lifetime, during which Roman looked to him, to the ceiling, to the crowd, and then back to him.

Jaune imagined his friends were in much the same predicament.

"W-Well," Roman eventually laughed, "If this isn't a surprise, huh? Someone's out a little late at night, isn't he?" He looked to the audience. "Don't fuss, ladies and gentlemen. It's just an unannounced guest. There's no reason to panic. I'll just deal with him…" Roman hooked an arm under Jaune's and hoisted him to his feet. "My associate back stage has actually been looking for him, and will be far more vicious than I. Just…" he tugged Jaune back a bit, "You lot all wait there, okay? I'll be back in no time at all!"

Roman dragged him bodily off the stage and back through a door before he or the crowd could complain. The moment they were alone, Roman pulled him in front and stared at him.

"What are you doing here!?" he hissed. "Cinder said you were supposed to be busy!"

Jaune stared pointedly at the hands gripping his collar.

"S-Sorry," Roman stammered, ducking back a little and letting go. "Wait, why am I saying sorry? What the hell are you doing here!?"

"Investigating the White Fang," Jaune answered honestly.

There didn't seem to be much point in lying.

"Inves- oh for crying out loud, all your little friends are here as well, aren't they?"

"No."

"You're as bad at lying as you are at sneaking around." Roman ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Okay, I can't believe I'm about to say this, but if you have some way to alert your friends – then do so now. Tell them you're okay or something. If they ask later, tell them I didn't frisk you for your scroll or something and you got a message off."

Jaune eyed the man warily. "Why would you let me do that?"

"Ugh, do I have to explain everything? Because I can't _kill_ you otherwise Cinder will have my head, and I can't refuse to get rid of you or the White Fang will go nuts. Meanwhile, if your friends decide to go crazy over this, things are going to get complicated and we'll end up in another fighting for our lives situation." He sighed. "It would be easier if they stayed quiet and everyone walked away without any problems." He bit down on a cigar and growled. "And yes, I know that means you brats will have interfered with yet another of my plans, but at least you'll have done it quietly! I can run damage control on that, at least."

" _Remy, do you think it's a trap?"_

" **I doubt it. Like he says, he can't do anything to you or Cinder will kill him. Even if he tried,** _ **you**_ **could just kill him."**

True, he supposed. With his friends away from him, he could transform without problems – and that would make him strong enough to deal with Roman. He shrugged and fished out his scroll, and then sent a quick message to everyone to tell them he was okay and was looking for a chance to escape. "It's done," he said. "They should hold off for a bit."

"Yeah, I certainly hope so," Roman grunted. "Why did you fall in, anyway? Don't tell me you're _that_ clumsy."

"No, someone pushed me in. I didn't see a face, but I thought there was a flash of pink." Jaune paused when he noticed Roman flinch. "Someone you know?"

"No, no," Roman blatantly lied. "I was just thinking how I need to have a talk with a little friend of mine, because I asked her to do me a favour and I think we're on different wavelengths here." He trailed off and growled something under his breath. "Anyway, now I've got to figure out what I'm supposed to do about you!"

"Let me go."

"Can't, kid."

"Allow me to rephrase." Jaune's eyes flashed red, and he pulled a smile Cinder would have been proud of. "Let me go or I'll transform and let myself go."

Roman's face turned an interesting shade of white, and he took a step back. It definitely looked like their last meeting had made an impression, probably when Jaune pinned the man to the side of a Bullhead and threatened to kill him.

"I-It's not that I don't want to, so much as I can't. You need to at least stay here until after the animals up front are gone. You can _escape_ after that, but if you run now, those idiots out there will try to hunt you down. It might put your friends in danger," Roman added, right when Jaune had been about to protest.

His mouth clicked shut. Roman was right.

"Fine," he said, sighing. "Take me as a prisoner or something and lock me in a back room. I'll keep my scroll handy and pretend I smuggled it in. Then, once this is over, I'll sneak out and we can both go our separate ways. How does that sound?"

Roman rubbed his forehead. "I can't believe I'm having this conversation, and with a brat so young as well. I used to _be_ someone. My name used to _mean_ something. What went wrong? If the old mob bosses could see me now, I'd be a laughing stock!"

"Roman…?"

"Give me a moment. I'm mourning here."

" **He's more dramatic than Tyrian and Watts combined,"** Remy grumbled. **"I wish you could just dispose of him."**

He personally agreed, but felt it might be a little rude to say that out loud, and his Big Sis apparently wanted him around still. Jaune crossed his arms instead and looked towards the ceiling for answers. So much for not drawing attention… who was the person who pushed him, anyway? He was certain no one had been on the roof with him. Remy would have seen them otherwise.

"Don't you have a crowd to get back to?" Jaune asked. "Just put me in a room and leave me there. I'm not going to cause a scene when that would be bad for me as well."

"Yeah, not quite," Roman said. "I didn't lie on stage. My associate really has been looking for you, and she'd rip me a new one if I didn't deliver you straight to her. Let's just say she isn't the kind of person I want on my bad side right now."

Uh-oh…

" **Uh-oh, indeed…"** Remy echoed.

Cinder was here…? Jaune swallowed his fear, but couldn't entirely keep it from showing. This was bad. This was very bad. Not in the "threat to his life" kind of way, but something infinitely worse. Cinder was going to be _furious_.

"How about we don't…?" he suggested. "I mean, you could just tell her I was never here, and neither of us has to get in trouble. We'd both come out looking good."

"And run the risk of her finding out? Not a chance, kid." Roman caught his arm before he could escape and dragged him down a corridor. "This is more than my life is worth – and don't think about transforming to break free, either. I'll just point her after you. Right now, I'm more afraid of her than I am of you."

Sweat ran down his brow, and much like he had whenever he'd done something bad as a child, he started to run through the different scenarios he could give her. He'd been moon bathing on the roof when he fell in. No, that wouldn't work. He'd been taking a walk and got lost? Gah, she'd never believe it.

Oh, perfect – he'd been kidnapped by White Fang radicals, and they'd dropped him through the hatch. No, that would lead to her asking for names and descriptions, and Roman already knew the truth.

He was screwed. He was actually screwed! His eyes clenched shut as a door approached, and he took a deep breath as he heard it open. His only choice now was to employ his only defence, the one thing he knew might work. It was tried and tested. It was his only hope.

" **Jaune, no…"**

" _There's no other choice, Remy. It has to be done."_

/-/

Weiss bit down on a snarl as she clambered up the side of the building with the aid of a few glyphs. That idiot, that absolute idiot! Ooh, she was going to make him _suffer_ when they rescued him. How the idiot had managed to fall through the roof, she had no idea, but now he'd been captured, and Team RYBN had no idea what to do. The message she'd received from him hardly helped.

Leave things in his hands while he escaped?

What did he think he was - some kind of super hero?

Who did he think _she_ was - some kind of monster who left people behind!?

"Leave things in your hands," she whispered, "Yeah, right. I couldn't leave sitting on a roof in your hands apparently. I'm not doing this as well." She crawled over to an open hatch, maybe even the one he'd fallen through, and looked inside. The crowd was talking loudly between themselves and clearly distracted. She used the opening to call a number.

Blake answered it, voice low. _"We have a problem…"_

"I know," Weiss hissed. "What happened? Why didn't you do anything?"

" _It was too sudden! One second everything was fine, the next Jaune fell through the roof – then he was gone five seconds later. We didn't even have the time to process what was happening, least of all what to do."_

"Jaune says he's fine," Weiss reported. "I suppose we could wait until the White Fang start to leave before we rescue him. If Torchwick tries to take him away, then we can-"

" _We can't wait,"_ Blake hissed. _"Weiss, he's here! Hentacle is here!"_

Her heart stopped. "You're sure?"

" _As sure as I can be. Torchwick said his associate was here, and when he captured Jaune he said his associate wanted to see him, and that they would be `more vicious` than he could ever be. Who else could he mean?"_

Not good. Not good at all. Weiss gnawed on her lip as she struggled for an answer. It was up to her now to come up with a plan since Team RYBN were busy trying not to get caught below. Did they break in now and cause chaos, using that time to find Jaune? If Torchwick and Hentacle were together, it might be a hard fight, though. Would it be better to wait for Torchwick to return to the speech and attack at that point, while the two were separated? The fight would be easier, but Jaune's location unknown and all the White Fang would join in.

Nothing came to mind, but she was the leader, and she'd promised she would do her best to lead them all with honour and care. That meant not leaving any of them behind. Weiss' eyes hardened as she drew Myrtenaster. "Blake, stay down there with your team. We're going to break in a back entrance and try to find my partner. If you hear a commotion, I need you all to distract the White Fang and try to find us."

" _Understood,"_ Blake said. _"We'll be ready."_

The call ended with a click, but another one came through before she could even think to put it away. Weiss checked the screen to see it was Ruby, and answered soon after.

" _Weiss, we have a problem!"_

"I know, Ruby," Weiss growled. "We're dealing with it right now. We're going to save Jaune."

" _Not that! We have another problem. Look behind you."_

"What do… you…?" Weiss' eyes widened. "Oh…"

It wasn't behind her per se, so much as in that general direction, but that hardly mattered because it wasn't like she could have missed it. The airship dominated the empty sky, lit not only by the moon, but also the various lights across it. Several searchlights were aimed towards the ground, and it was clearly coming closer.

Weiss recognised it easily enough. How could she not. It was her sister's personal ship.

" _I don't know what to do,"_ Ruby cried in a panic. _"I don't think I can scare it off with sniper fire. I don't think I could scare it off with a dust missile!"_

Oh… well, that wasn't good. How had Winter found out about this? How did she know where it was? The questions came to mind, but probably weren't quite as important as the question of what on Remnant they were supposed to do now.

" _Weiss, are you still there? I'm uh… now would be a really good time for you to come up with a plan. I could really use one right now!"_

"Yeah," Weiss sighed. "Me too…"

/-/

They reached their destination in only a few short minutes – all the while Jaune prepared himself. It was when the door opened that he moved.

"Okay, here we go-whoa!" Roman almost fell forward when Jaune broke out of his grip. He staggered and caught himself on a wall, even as Jaune leapt into action. He sailed through the air, hit the ground shoulder first, and came to a stop with his hands and forehead on the floor.

"I'm sorry!" he yelled. "I didn't mean to, it was a mistake, I won't do it again, and I'll give you as many massages as you want. I'm sorry, Cinder. Please forgive me!"

" **I no longer know you."**

"As many massages as I want, hm?" a feminine voice giggled. "Oh my, it looks like Cinder has been taking advantage of you. I'll have to talk with her about that, won't I?"

Jaune's eyes widened. That... wasn't Cinder.

His head rose up off the floor as he looked up at a pair of tight denim jeans leading up towards a white blouse. The girl was pale, but that made sense since she also had white hair and red eyes on black sclera. It was the ringlets that framed her face which gave her away, falling in curls around her shoulders. There was a sword at her hip, but it looked out of place, as though the wielder was too sweet to imagine with such a weapon. She was not. He knew full well she could - and would - use it.

The girl smiled a beautiful smile and tilted her head to one side. Several tentacles twitched happily behind her.

"L-Lavender…!?"

"Hello big brother." Lavender Salem Arc said. "I've been looking for you!"

* * *

 **And oh dear, the Salem family have reared their heads. It was bound to happen eventually. It** _ **is**_ **the family business, after all – and what would a White Sheep be without the family of black to compare it to.**

 **More answers next chapter as usual.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 24** **th** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	32. Chapter 32

**Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 32 - Black Sheep**

* * *

"Jaune!" Lavender cheered, rushing forward to wrap her arms about his shoulders. A head shorter than him, her cheek pressed against his neck, and her breath washed over his skin. "It's so good to see you!"

"L-Lavender…?" His mind still wasn't working straight, let alone coming up with the right words. Questions surged through his mind, but only one had the presence to pass his lips. "What are you doing here!?"

"I'm here for you, dummy!" She laughed and stepped back, but clasped both his hands in hers. "You ran away and scared everyone, even if they wouldn't admit it. Everyone is scattered over Remnant, but we still knew, and you should have heard Sapphire - she wanted to storm Vale herself to reclaim you. That is if Mom didn't do it first."

His face paled as he imagined that, and the resultant nightmare it would have caused.

"And you?" he asked. "Is that what you're here for, to drag me away?"

"Drag you?" Lavender pushed him away slightly and looked him up and down. "Is that what you imagined? I seem to remember it was you who dragged _me_ around, normally when you'd found a book you wanted to tell me about."

"W-When we were kids," he said, flushing slightly.

"I still remember it. You treated me like a doll or a teddy bear, always holding me close." She held up a hand and laughed into it. "And you used to read me your stories before bed time."

"I remember," he said, thinking back on those times. She'd been his youngest sister, the only one until Amber was born, and he'd kind of claimed Lavender as his own. She'd never complained about it, of course. She was always indulgent like that, but he liked to think she'd enjoyed it as well.

 _Either way, I've always been physically stronger than her, even if she's better with a sword. If she tried to actively remove me from here, I could transform and overpower her._ She couldn't _force_ him home… at least not against his will.

"I don't want to go home, Lavender. I'm sorry."

"I know."

His eyes widened. "You… know…?"

"How could I not? You chose this path in the first place, and if there's anything that makes you stand aside from the others, it's your stubbornness." She giggled and danced away from him. "I think you got that from Mom, you know? You may look like Dad, but she's the one who's held a grudge for untold millennia, and now you have that same belligerence. Either way, I knew you wouldn't want to come back if you'd already come here."

"Then why are you here?"

"Didn't I already answer that? It's to see _you_. You're my favourite brother in the world."

He wrapped his arms around her again when she stepped into his reach, and he felt her arms – and tentacles – wrap about him, too. Lavender had always been the cutest, maybe because she was the only one younger than him that _wasn't_ an absolute terror. Either way, while everyone had grown up in their own different ways, Lavender had always been his little sister.

" **Don't be a moron…"** Remy groused. **"You're her only brother, so obviously her favourite."**

" _Don't ruin the mood, Remy."_

" **And you shouldn't let your guard down."**

What was he on about? It wasn't like she was going to attack him. In fact, she let him go once he pushed back, releasing her tentacles easily. "I get why you're here in Vale," he said, "but why are you _here_ at a White Fang rally, and with Torchwick of all people?"

"I'm right here you know," said man complained.

"And I'm still wondering why," Jaune growled with a little flash of red to his eyes. It made the man step back in fear. "Don't you have a horde of terrorists to impress?"

"Jaune, be nice," Lavender whispered, tapping his arm. She stepped past him and towards the criminal, who backed away in abject horror. His back hit a wall, and the way her tentacles waved in the air made it seem like he'd try to break through it anyway. Lavender, however, bowed her head. "I'm really sorry for him, Mister Torchwick, sir. My big brother is just a little upset because of everything that's happened. He doesn't mean anything by it."

"E-Eh…?" Roman froze, sweat still running down his brow, but now that imminent death appeared to be off the menu, he wasn't quite so afraid. Wary, of course – but less terrified. "O-Oh, uh, yeah, no problem. No problem at all."

"Mister Roman here has helped me out a little," she said, turning to Jaune once more. "He's provided me a room at Cinder's request, and he's been a perfect gentleman." She smiled back at the criminal. "I really am thankful, sir. It must have been awkward, and I know Cinder doesn't ever give people any warning." She bowed low. "I apologise, and hope I have not troubled you too much."

Roman peeled himself off the wall, coughing into his fist as he regained his confidence. "Not at all, uh… Miss Lavender. You've been great."

"You can just call me Lavender." She smiled and tilted her head. "Oh, but we've distracted you from your speech to those faunus outside, haven't we?"

"Oh crap…" Roman glanced back the way he'd come. "Yeah, I'd best go handle those animals before they start to butt heads. I swear there's not a brain between the lot of them."

"That's why Cinder trusted you with this, Mister Roman. After all, if someone has to do their thinking for them, who better for the job?"

"Heh, true." He puffed up a little. "Will you two be okay here?"

"We'll be fine, Mister Roman. Thank you again for everything." Lavender smiled and watched as the taller man left the room, rushing back to his rally. Once he was gone, and the door was closed, she turned back to Jaune, the simpering smile absent from her face. "I question Cinder's taste in men already."

"I know, right?" Jaune sighed. "She could do so much better."

"He's an absolute-" Lavender paused. "Wait, you agree? You're normally so defensive about humans."

"Yeah, normal people…" He crossed his arms and looked away. "It's only Cinder's feelings that stopped me from killing him the first time he got me in trouble."

" **The first…?"** Remy teased. **"I seem to remember the first time had you make a fool of yourself fighting off a huntress and the silver-eyed midget."**

"Second," he amended, cheeks red. "Don't ask."

Lavender didn't. In fact, it looked like she hadn't heard him at all. Her eyes were too wide. "Her… feelings…?" She looked back the way Roman had gone. "You're telling me Cinder has _feelings_ for him?"

"Not sure how else I can put it. She said he's the only one who can provide for her needs."

"Oh my…"

"And he said she'd be lost without him, that Cinder needed him more than anything else."

"Goodness… that's surprising."

"I know. He's not good enough for her!"

"Not that," Lavender said, shaking her head. "I can't believe Cinder actually has feelings."

Jaune's face was flat. "Lav…"

"A-Ah, not that I mean any disrespect of course... Ha ha." She looked around desperately for inspiration, and then slammed a fist into the palm of her hand. "Oh, you wanted to know why I'm helping him. It's because Cinder asked me to. She seemed rather desperate, and I, being the person I am, decided that I ought to offer my aid. Isn't that wonderful of me?"

"That's great!" He blinked. "Well, not the helping him part, but you getting on with Cinder, I mean. I thought you two hated one another."

"Y-You did? Whatever gave you that idea? Why, we're beloved sisters – even if she isn't a real sister and just a pretender."

"Well, I'm glad you're getting on now."

" **Please don't be an idiot, Jaune. Those two have never clicked."**

" _Don't be a sour tentacle, Remy. You always see the worst in people."_

" **And you always see the best! Those two have butted heads since the day Lavender could walk and talk. There's no way they're helping one another… not without Cinder giving up something of value."**

Bah, Remy was as suspicious as ever, but his sister wouldn't lie to him. She was his little baby sister and even now stood with both hands linked behind her back and an adorable smile on her face. Her eyes looked up into his lovingly.

" **C-Can't you see the smirk on her face!?"**

" _She's happy to see me."_

" **Her tentacles are wagging!"**

" _Very happy, then…"_

"I still don't think you should get involved in something like this, Lavender. I know you're helping Cinder out, and I appreciate that, but it's dangerous."

"Oh?" A tentacle came up under her chin, almost like she was thinking. "I never knew you were so big on caution, big brother. Are you worried that big, nasty, Mister Hentacle will get hold of me?" Her eyes flashed to his, suddenly a little more serious. "That would certainly be a shock, wouldn't it?"

"Erk… I… I guess I deserve that one. In my defence, I didn't _mean_ to be seen like that."

"I know, but you need to be more careful before you can start lecturing me about it, Mister!" She wagged her tentacle before his nose, and laughed at his embarrassment. "Either way, I don't really intend to get involved in any of _her_ plans, or this White Fang business. I certainly don't intend to run around town transformed like _this_ , either. We're surrounded by enemies as it is without either of us making it worse."

"They're not our enemies, Lavender."

She raised an eyebrow. "They'd kill us both without a second thought."

"Okay, so we're _their_ enemies," Jaune admitted with an awkward cough. "But that doesn't mean it has to be the same in reverse."

"That's… a nice sentiment." The look on her face said she wasn't quite so sure about that. "Either way, I hope you won't be upset with me if I react less than peacefully to anyone who tries to kill me. If someone wants to hurt me or my family, then they are my enemies."

"Mine too, but this is different." Jaune sighed and ran a hand through his hair. This was all distracting him from what was really important. "I'm here with my team and friends tonight, and I don't want them getting in trouble."

"Friends…?" Lavender's expression was blank for a moment, but she recovered quickly. Her eyes flicked to the side before they came back to his. "I see. You've made friends. That's… good. I should meet them."

"No!"

She looked offended. "Why not?"

"Because right now, _you_ are Hentacle, and I'm captured. Pus, you're waving your Grimm parts around."

"Oh right," she giggled. "Later then, when I'm in human form?"

He had a feeling he was going to regret this, but at the same time he knew he'd regret leaving Lavender to force an introduction herself even more. And she would. She'd totally go behind back to meet them if he said no. "Okay fine, but on _my_ terms, okay?"

"I trust you, big brother. You always know what's best, and you've always been good to your baby sister."

Jaune puffed out his chest, both pleased and a little embarrassed at the honest praise. It felt nice to have someone who trusted you like that, and even more so to know it was your own sister.

" **Oh please, don't be naïve… she's worse than Cinder!"**

Jaune ignored him.

"It sounds like your friends are important to you. I can't wait to meet them. Still, for now it might be best if you got out of here before people started to worry about you." She paused, and then quickly hugged him once more. "It really is good to see you again. Meet up with me soon, okay?"

"Sure thing, Lav. I'll-"

His words were interrupted by a huge explosion, one that rocked the entire warehouse and sent dust falling down from the ceiling. Lavender fell against him, knocked off her feet, and several tentacles gripped him for balance.

"Was that you?" he asked.

"Me? How could I have-?" She pushed off him and shook her head. "No, I don't know what's going on." She fished out a scroll and dialled a number quickly. "Mister Torchwick, what is happening?"

" _It's the Atlas military!"_ Roman shouted, his voice coming easily over the device and to their ears. " _They've found us and are moving in! Get the hell out of here!"_

Atlas?

Winter!

But how had she found out about the White Fang, and what would happen to his friends still hidden among them? Jaune turned back to find them but was snared by a tentacle. "Let me go, I have to get to my team!"

"Don't be foolish, big brother. You'll be killed."

"Not if I transform," he whispered, eyes flashing red.

"No! You'll be killed by Atlas, then – and what of your friends? I very much doubt they know the truth." Lavender watched him look away, watched his eyes fade to blue. "Good. Be reasonable. I'm sure they'll be escaping as best they can, but we need to do the same."

"But…"

"No buts." She dragged him to the side of the room, a wall of solid sheet metal. "If they find you back here, they'll assume the worst, and if they see me, they might not wait before opening fire. We both need to escape, and you can reconvene with them later." Lavender reached out a hand to touch the metal wall. Her eyes narrowed, and two tentacles shot forth, piercing through it. She used them like hands, gripping the sheet metal and peeling it aside. With a horrific screech, it gave way. She stepped out of it, dragging him along behind. "Once we're clear, I can turn back into human form and we can look for your friends. So long as the military see us coming from outside their cordon, there should be no suspicion."

"You'll help me look for them?"

"Of course. What kind of sister would I be if I did not?"

"Thanks, Lav. I-" He broke off as something swirled into life behind his sister. Thick red, crimson, almost, like a whirlpool in the air. His mouth fell open, and it was that alone which alerted her to the danger.

Right as a crimson sword lunged for her throat.

/-/

That bloody bastard.

She was going to kill him.

She was going to take his tentacles, bend him over, and then shove them up his own ass!

Emerald cursed under her breath as the huge ship above her opened fire. Oh, and those bastards could get lost as well! How they'd found out about this, she had no idea, but they'd arrived mere minutes after she had – and that was suspicious enough in her mind. _Did they follow me here? No, of course not. What reason would Winter Schnee have to be watching someone like me?_

It didn't matter. She had to find Jaune and get him out of here, preferably before Cinder got back to Beacon and realised he was missing. And then… and then she would make him suffer for lying to her, that surprisingly manipulative bastard!

Also, Mercury would _never_ find out how she'd been tricked by Jaune Arc of all people.

Never!

An explosion nearby had her ducking into a space between a disused construction crane and a digger. As the white ship passed by, she watched the White Fang pour from the warehouse, some returning fire, but the majority trying to flee in a panic. Those fools weren't doing anything to stop the Schnee bitch. Couldn't they at least distract her for a few minutes?

Shaking her head, Emerald scanned the crowds for any familiar faces, or more likely, the distinctive hair colours. She saw one to the side, thankfully not inside the warehouse or the crowd, but between the warehouse and another. The less annoying Schnee bitch's white hair flapped in the wind.

More than that, the girl had seen her, too, and was waving her over.

"Where's Jaune?" Emerald asked once she reached her. She had to raise her voice to be heard over the noise of battle.

"What are you even doing here?" Weiss replied.

Damn it, there wasn't any time for this.

"I'm here looking out for that idiot," she answered honestly. "He told me he wasn't going to do this, and then he goes and does it anyway. Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?"

Weiss scowled and gestured to the airship above, and the explosions around them. "Funnily enough, I think I do!" She sighed and ducked deeper into the ally, Emerald on her heels. "Whatever, it hardly matters now. Jaune fell inside and was captured by Torchwick."

Of _course_ he bloody did… what had she expected? Well, at least he'd technically be safe since Roman couldn't kill him. Emerald let out a breath of relief.

"We're going to go in and get him out."

Oh no… oh, hell no. If they went in, she knew damn well what that idiot would do when he found out. He'd rush in straight after them and get himself injured or arrested. That would quickly get back to Cinder, who would no doubt hunt her even if she fled all the way to Vacuo. She'd then die a horrendous and fiery death while her ex-mistress peeled the flesh from her bones.

Basically, a bad day…

"No, no, no, there's another option."

"Is there?" Weiss asked. "I won't leave my partner behind, and I'm not afraid to fight if necessary. Retreat is not an option."

God damn these idealistic and moral idiots. Emerald bit down on the insult and ran through some options in her head. She could cast an illusion on the girl to make her think Jaune was here, but that wouldn't work in the long run, and would reveal her Semblance early. There was also only the Schnee here, and no doubt the others would keep looking for him. She couldn't cast illusions on so many people, and not when they were so spread out.

What believable excuse could she give to drag these idiots away from here? She couldn't let them get arrested by Winter Schnee and Atlas when they might find the truth out about Jaune.

"There's something else we can do…"

"Then tell me what it is!"

 _I'm trying,_ Emerald thought. _Just give me a second to `think` of the alternative plan, and I'll come up with it. Damn it. Okay, think. Jaune is probably safe inside or finding his own way out. Torchwick would know better than to harm him, and he could just transform if he needed to. It's fine if he escapes as Hentacle, since he can transform back later. I just need these two teams out of action. Ugh, if only I could get to that idiot and get him out. That would give them a chance to escape… wait, that's it!_

"My teammate," Emerald gasped, right at the moment where Weiss was about to give up and run into the fray herself. "My teammate can get him out in one piece, and she can do it without being seen at all!"

"Mercury?"

"No, Neo." Emerald grabbed her scroll and sent a quick message to the girl, one filled with urgency and just enough begging. There was no telling what this would cost her, but a favour was a favour, and she _needed_ this. "Neo can get in there without any trouble, and she can rescue him, too. Her Semblance lets her cross short distances almost instantly."

"Teleportation?"

"Uh, well…" Emerald tried to think of a better way to explain it, but the exercise was rendered useless by the sound of shattering glass. Neo appeared beside the two of them with a shit-eating grin on her face.

Emerald's eyes narrowed.

 _That was far too quick. How did she read my message and get all the way from Beacon to here so soon? There's something off here…_

Not that there was any time for that.

"Neo, I need you to get in there, fine Jaune, and get him out," she instructed. While she relayed the orders, Emerald tapped a finger against her scroll, indicating that the true message would be sent by text instead. After all, she didn't need Neo to save Jaune at all, only to look like she was, or to find and transport him back to them so that they could leave safely. "Get him out of there, and then meet back with us, okay?"

"Wait, are you sure she can do this?"

Neo laughed silently and nodded. Her eyes contained far too much confidence to doubt, or maybe it was just mirth at the thought of any of this stopping her. Either way, she vanished with a shatter of glass a moment later.

"There," Emerald said. "He'll be fine, but we won't be if we don't get out of here. We need to get your teams out of the area before Atlas kills them by mistake. Where are they?"

Weiss pointed to the warehouse.

"Oh, come on… give me a break!"

She was supposed to be the villain here. Why was she stuck helping these goody-two-shoes idiots?

His tentacles were going straight up his ass!

/-/

"It's time to go," Blake hissed, grabbing Nora by the back of her collar and dragging her to the side. "We need to get out of here before Atlas catches us."

"What about Torchwick?" Yang asked.

"We'll deal with him if we see him, but right now, we should be focused on our own survival. Atlas isn't afraid to act first and ask questions later, and I imagine Weiss' sister is much the same. They could very well open fire on this place, and right now we're all wearing White Fang masks."

It only took a second for them to understand, and Yang's face paled.

"Blake is right," Ren said. "We leave now."

"What about Jaune?"

"We find him as well, of course. Come on, if we go the same route Torchwick went, we'll-" Ren's words were cut off as the man in question came barrelling back out of the corridor. His eyes were wide, and he had one hand holding his hat down. Blake moved for her weapon, but Ren caught her wrist. "Wait," he said. "We need to find Jaune, not stop Torchwick. Let him go."

It was a hard decision to make. Blake's mind raged against it, but she felt an immediate rush of guilt a second later, followed by disgust. Was she really going to risk a friend's safety in order to get her revenge – Yang's boyfriend, no less?

No, she wasn't. She bit down on her frustration, even as she felt ashamed that it required that much effort at all. With a sigh, she released her weapon.

"You're right…" Blake nodded to Ren, grateful for his intervention. There would be times in the future to make Torchwick pay for his crimes, and maybe Atlas would handle that for her now. The most important thing was escaping, and not leaving Jaune in Hentacle's hands.

Or, well, Hentacle's tentacles.

Torchwick ignored most of the panicking White Fang, other than to throw out some line about fighting for what they believed in. It rang as hollow as him, and did little to inspire anyone as he clambered into the huge robot and closed the cockpit. Lights flared to life and it began to move a few seconds later.

"Now's our chance," Yang said, rushing past the bipedal robot's foot. "Come on. Ruby will be crushed if anything happens to him!"

"Ruby will, or you will?" Ren whispered.

Yang didn't hear it, though Blake did and let out an amused snort. It was quickly quashed as an explosion rocked the warehouse once more. Was Atlas opening fire on them? No, that seemed unlikely, not to mention dangerous. It was likely the force from the ship's engines rocking the flimsy and dilapidated building.

The huge Paladin rearing up from within it hardly helped. Torchwick paid no attention to the girders his huge frame tore through, or for the White Fang that scurried around below. There was a loud crack and dust rained from the ceiling.

"He's going to bring the entire building down if he's not careful!" someone yelled.

Blake had a sinking suspicion Torchwick didn't care, and as he moved towards the huge, and very firmly closed, doors to the warehouse, and raised a canon – she saw her worst fears realised. "Get down!" she cried, more a warning to her own team than anything else, but most of the White Fang around her instinctively followed her orders.

The noise was deafening. It was the shot first, followed by the impact, and then a sound of twisting metal giving way to high energy. It all happened in less than a tenth of a second, but her ears continued to ring after it, and her vision swam. Above her, she heard a groan from the ceiling.

"Get out!" one of the White Fang grunts screamed. "The entire place is coming down!"

"Down, down, down!"

"Gods protect us!"

Blake looked up, her eyes growing wider. There was a twisted piece of metal falling straight towards them. She cursed and scrambled to het feet, drew Gambol Shroud and prepared to somehow knock it aside. Maybe if she used the ribbon as a lever to-

A hammer struck it first. The head caught it in the middle, and followed with an explosion of dust that sent the girder flying against a back wall, where it crashed to the ground.

"Got it!" Nora yelled. "Whew, that was close."

 _Well, that's one way to solve it I suppose…_ Blake coughed and put her far smaller weapon away. She'd never really felt self-conscious about her weapon before, but well…

"Did the Gods save us?" one of the White Fang recruits whispered.

"No," another replied. "A Goddess!"

Nora blinked owlishly at the kneeling crowd before her. "Eh!?"

"No time," Blake scowled, catching her partner's arm and dragging her away despite the loud protests of those left behind. "And don't let this go to your head either!"

"Let what go to my head? Are you jealous?"

"Of course not! We need to find Jaune and save him before this somehow gets worse."

"Uh Blake...?" Yang called. "I uh… think you jinxed it."

Through the hole that had been made by Torchwick, the huge airship could still be seen, and although it had yet to open fire, there were smaller Bullheads shuttling troops down out of it. Worse however, was the figure falling from it.

Wait… that was too big to be a human.

A _second_ Paladin crashed down to the ground opposite Torchwick's.

"This isn't good," she whispered. "We need to-" she broke off as she tugged, but was jerked back. "Nora!?"

"I-I-Is that _another_ mech?" the ginger girl whimpered.

"Yes, but as long as we get out of here quickly, we won't have to deal with it." Blake pulled again and got nowhere for it. With a sigh, she turned and crossed her arms. "Nora. No!"

"B-But a mech fight!"

"We need to find Jaune."

"He'll be okay."

"Nora…" Yang warned.

"But… but a mech fight!"

Ren narrowed his eyes. "Nora…"

Nora looked to the impending fight once more, and as the two robots faced off, a tear dripped from her eye and ran down her cheek.

"We can watch it on the news tomorrow, Nora."

"It won't be the same," she whispered, turning away. "Fine… let's save Jaune. But he owes me at _least_ a million pancakes for this! Can't believe I'm going to miss an actual mech fight. This is _so_ unfair."

 _And I can't believe you're thinking of leaving him behind to watch two stupid robots fight._

"W-Wait," one of the White Fang members said. He was an actual White Fang officer, and in full uniform. "Are you looking for the prisoner who fell through the roof earlier?"

"Yes," Blake said. "He's… he's…"

"A potential leak we have to chase down," Ren came to her rescue. "Being the most combat ready, we felt we'd be best suited to this. We can't let him escape since he knows about our plans."

"Not sure how much use that'll be, but I see your point." The man turned to one of his fellows and nodded. "Anyway, I doubt it'll be much of a problem. He's taken care of."

Blake's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Well, my friend here saw Hentacle drag him out the back exit. Not sure what he wants the kid for, but I don't expect anyone will ever see him again."

Yang gasped.

"Which way did they go?" Blake demanded, grabbing the man's vest. "Tell us!"

"W-What? I don't take orders from new recruits!"

"No, no, like this." Nora pried her fingers apart and took hold of the man. She shook him violently. "Which way did they go?"

"They went south, oh mighty and brave one."

"See?" Nora said, smiling. "It's all in the wrist." She dropped the man at her feet and stepped past him. "You should all run while you have the chance. Well, that or get arrested. Come on, guys. The sooner we catch up with them, the sooner I can get back to watch Robo-Torchwick versus Mecha-Schnee."

"Nora, we're not watching that!" Ren sighed, chasing after her.

"That's what _you_ think~"

/-/

Her brother's widening eyes was the only warning she received, but harsh training from Uncle Hazel kicked in immediately. She turned on the spot, drawing her thin sword with one hand and bringing it up in time to parry a crimson blade that seemed to come from nothingness. The steel slid down her own, scraping a line across her cheek as a hand, shoulders, and eventually a face appeared from the strange miasma.

The first thing she noticed were eyes as red as her own.

But it was no Arc sister. Tall and deadly, with long, black hair and a terrifying smile – the woman appeared from the portal and pushed Lavender back.

"Who are you?"

"Interesting," the woman said. She paused and looked Lavender up and down, before she rolled her eyes. "Of course he'd miss the obvious details, although it seems he was correct on _one_ account." Those red eyes trailed to Jaune meaningfully, though her vision was quickly obscured when Lavender dragged him behind her back. Instead, the woman looked to her waving tentacles and smirked. "You're aptly named, at least…"

"You cannot have him." Lavender said. "I shall not allow it!"

"Release him, Grimm."

"No."

"So, you _are_ after him." The woman stepped to the side, weapon ready. Lavender turned to keep her in sight. "What is it Salem wants with him? What draws you to him?"

She couldn't answer that, not when it would mean revealing Jaune's secret to this new threat. Lavender glanced back to him, but he seemed as shocked as she, and definitely didn't recognise this person. Well, that was good. At least she wouldn't be killing one of her brother's little friends. Winding her tentacle tighter about Jaune, she covered his mouth to prevent him from saying anything that might doom him.

 _I'm sorry, brother. Just bear with me for a moment and I'll have you to safety. Once I've dealt with this weirdo, that is._ She took a step back, falling into a stance with her sword held against her shoulder, pointed to the dark-haired woman.

"So, you know who I am, or at least a little. You should know you cannot defeat me, human. Leave and I shall not follow."

"And allow you to take the boy?" The woman smiled. "I think not."

Lavender huffed. The woman wouldn't have a choice. She was the sixth daughter of Salem, and also of Nicholas Arc. She would not be bested by someone like this… not when her dear brother's life was on the line. Her tentacles flickered behind her, two holding Jaune, and the other two free. One swerved left, the other right.

As the woman's sword moved to defend, Lavender struck from the centre.

 _You've nowhere to dodge and no escape. I have you!_

The woman chuckled and stepped back. Something swirled into life behind her – and a second later, she was gone.

What? How?

"MPHHH!"

Jaune's cry was muffled, but it had her turning her head nonetheless. It was just in time to see a red streak cut behind her – and for her to scream in agony as her limbs were severed. She fell forwards, one hand clutched to her back as two of her tentacles squirmed and flopped on the floor.

The woman had cut her… had hurt her. Tears stung at her eyes as blood oozed down her back, but it was nothing compared to the fear she felt inside.

She'd lost hold of Jaune, and now the crazy bitch stood between them!

"Give him back!" she screamed.

"That's quite the focus. Very well, if you wish to have him, you will need to take him from me." The dark-haired woman raised her blade and held it before her. "In this world, the strong succeed and the weak perish. Show me which one you are."

"Rargh!" Lavender rushed in, eyes blazing. She had to save him, had to get him out. Her blade crashed down, the momentum augmented by her monstrous strength. There was no way the woman could hope to block it. "Back off. He's mine!"

The red blade caught hers on the side, not blocking but parrying the strike aside. Her sword hit the ground, but one of her tentacles surged in instead, aimed for the woman's throat. She blocked it with one hand, but scowled when the limb wrapped about it, drawing taut and immobilising her.

"Now!" Lavender howled, lunging forwards.

Agony shot through her as the tentacle was severed. But how… how, when the woman's weapon and arm were locked down? Lavender looked down in shock, seeing her own sword had done it. She'd cut through a swirling black portal – one whose other end had appeared beside her limb. She'd cut off her own tentacle.

"ARGHHH!"

"MPHHH!"

Through agonised eyes, Lavender watched as Jaune struggled to his feet. He looked to her and stepped forward. She knew that expression. He was about to transform to try and help her, but that would only place him in danger.

No, winning this fight wasn't necessary. Only escape.

The woman narrowed her eyes and cut off another slice of her wounded tentacle as it rushed for her face, but she was left unprepared as blood spurted out and into her vision. Had she remained still, she might have been cut down – but the woman threw herself back the instant she was blinded.

Lavender ignored her entirely, rushing forward to catch Jaune's wait on her shoulder. Breath exploded from him and he bent double over her back. Pushing up, she fled, his body bouncing up and down behind her.

"That woman," she hissed. "By Salem's name, who is she? She's strong!"

"Mfll!" Jaune's mouth was still full of tentacle.

"Relax. I'll be fine so long as it's just my tentacles. They'll regrow."

"MRBBL!"

Lavender caught the warning in time to roll to the side, accidentally crushing Jaune beneath her a little. There wasn't any time for apologies however, as a boot caught her in the chin and launched her away. She crashed into and threw a weakened metal wall. As she dragged herself back out, it was just in time to see the woman reach down and grasp her brother by the back of his collar.

He looked terrified.

"I'll deal with _you_ later," the woman said. She threw him backwards, but he didn't hit the wall, or the floor. A swirling portal appeared behind him and he vanished into it. The thing winked out of existence a moment later. "There, now that he's out of the way, we can-oof!"

Lavender's fist buried itself in the woman's stomach, her body having travelled the distance between them in less than a second. Her eyes burned, her irises glowing like hot coals. The fury that rushed through her was hotter than fire. "Where did you take him?" she snarled. "Why did you interfere?"

The woman gritted her teeth against the pain, but an attempt to bring her sword down ended with Lavender catching the blade in the palm of her hand. Blood dribbled down her fingers, but her immense aura ensured it could not break through.

"He's out of your reach, Hentacle."

"He won't remain that way. You won't keep us apart."

"Oh? There's a _personal_ reason involved?"

"Enough talk! Give Jaune back to me or I'll make you regret it!"

"I do not answer to Grimm!" The woman clicked something on her scabbard, and an explosion of dust caught Lavender in the stomach, knocking her back and away. The black-haired woman used that moment to hop back and rub her stomach. "Your strength is immense. Hm, I'll admit that this is interesting. You may call me Raven."

"I don't care for your name!" Lavender said, lunging for the woman.

"Tch, perhaps your mother should have taught you some manners," Raven said, catching the blade and locking it before her. Their faces were scant inches apart. "Then again, you _are_ just a mindless Grimm. Even if you can speak and act like a human, you'll never be one."

"A mindless Grimm, huh?" Lavender backed away, laughing softly. She could feel her rage bubbling beneath the surface, something she normally sought to keep bottled away. Oh, her Uncle Hazel would be upset if he could see her now. Still, he'd understand. Her brother was in danger. "The blood of the Grimm runs through my veins, the blood of all Grimm, the blood of the Queen of the Grimm."

Her smile became twisted, her eyes somehow even redder. Something snapped inside of her, something raw and primal. With a long hiss, she brought her sword up and gripped the blade with one hand.

"If you want mindlessness, however… that can be supplied."

She tore the blade out of her hand – tearing through flesh and muscle, and spilling blood across the floor.

Raven's eyes narrowed. "And what was _that_ supposed to accomplish?"

Lavender's shoulders shook as she panted for breath. She was exhausted, but still managed a small smile filled with blood-stained teeth. With a sigh, she reached deep inside of herself.

" _Elena… could you be a dear and help me?"_

Something within her stirred.

" **Of course, Lavender."** the tiny parasite whispered. **"It's what I'm here for, my sweet."**

The blood she'd spilt bubbled and oozed. It was all across the floor before her, but also behind Raven and along the route she'd run, all of it having sloshed from her wounded tentacles, and now the cut in her palm. There was a lot of it.

Enough of it…

It pooled together, moved and slithered across the floor to form solid masses that reached up into the air. Raven saw it immediately, and stepped back, eyes wary. It only took a few seconds, during which Lavender smiled at the caution she now saw.

"You asked for this, Raven," she growled. "You had plenty of opportunities to retreat and leave us alone. I… I do not wish to do this, but I shall. Nothing can be allowed to stand in my way."

"Summoning Grimm within the city…" Raven looked at them, and turned to face the closest. "Do you believe this will go unnoticed?"

"I think it will be enough," Lavender said, standing tall behind her small army of Grimm. She held a hand out towards the woman who had stolen her brother. "KILL HER!"

* * *

 **More of a plot pusher than one rich in ze comedy, but hey ho, the plot needed a shove. The resolution next week, as well as the fall out. There was originally a bit more lore in this chapter as to Salem's family and Lavender, but CF correctly suggested I take that out and let people either figure it out for themselves, or infer it from the information and hints given here.**

 **I agreed, since it's always better to show rather than tell. As such, yes, there are hidden aspects to Lavender, and they should mostly be things you can work out if you look at it. If not, then don't worry. You'll see them in time.**

 **Again, she's a side character, like all of my OC's. They exist to serve plot purposes only.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 31** **st** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	33. Chapter 33

**Here's the next chapter of White Sheep**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 33 – Steel Sheep**

* * *

Yang wasn't sure what she'd expected when they decided to try and rescue Jaune. Sure, there'd been the expectation of a fight somewhere along the way, and probably an awkward moment where she saved the guy who maybe liked her, well, definitely liked her if the dates were any indication, but whom also liked Ruby, and was now also kind of Weiss' boyfriend. Either way, it was bound to be awkward and weird. And she knew that, accepted it, even.

What she _didn't_ expect was to see a vaguely wounded and furious Hentacle stood opposite a woman who set Yang's heart racing. That old image she'd found among her father's possessions must have been twenty years old at least, but the woman before her seemed to have aged not even a single day.

 _M-Mother…?_

"Yang, Yang, snap out of it!" The world slowly came back into focus, and she noticed the worried looks her teammates were sending her. Blake took a step forward. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine," she lied. "Where's Jaune? I don't see him."

"Not here," Ren said, watching the two combatants with a wary eye. "In this regard, I think no news is good news since we can rule out him being in Hentacle's possession. Still, who is that person he's fighting against?"

Raven Branwen… her biological mother.

"Someone who isn't our problem," Blake pointed out. "We still have Atlas behind us, remember. We need to get out of here before we're caught." She tore off her White Fang mask and threw it aside, the three of them doing the same. "Now's as good an opportunity to escape as ever…"

"First my mech fight, and now an epic showdown," Nora whimpered. "I thought you were my partner, Blake. I thought I could trust you…"

"We'll watch it on the news," Ren promised for the second time.

Nora sighed. "It's just not the same…"

Yang agreed, and wanted nothing more than to rush forward and help the woman against the monster. On the other hand, Blake was right, they _did_ need to get out of here, and there was still Jaune to think of as well. He was more important… more important than even confronting the woman who had abandoned her. She swallowed her frustration and nodded. "Let's try and find the others. We can track Jaune's scroll using their team beacons."

"That sounds like a good idea-" Ren was cut off as Nora tugged on his arm. "Nora, what's wrong? We're not staying to watch this figh…t…"

His words trailed off.

"I think we are…" Nora said.

Grimm.

So many Grimm…

They appeared as if from nothing, though as she looked closer, small puddles of what seemed to be blood proved to be the cause. Ruby had mentioned something similar, how Hentacle had created Grimm by splashing his blood atop the roof of a building. Two Beowolves, if she remembered correctly.

This was far more than that. There were Beowolves among them, but Ursa and Boarbatusks, too – and it was only luck that prevented there being airborne foes to contend with at the same time. In total, there had to be at least forty, and they ranged from small to large, filling the deserted warehouse complex.

Yang took a step back, less afraid, and more shocked – horrified, even.

"Grimm…" Ren whispered. "In the city…"

"They've breached the walls," Blake added. "No, they bypassed them altogether. If someone can _summon_ Grimm within the city, then it could fall in a single night."

"There's not enough of them for that," Nora said. She sounded more serious than ever before. "But there's enough to hurt a lot of people. This area is deserted, but if they move too far outside of it, they'll be in the middle of the shopping districts."

And then it would be a massacre. It was late at night, so the crowds weren't there, and that was maybe the only thing which prevented the Grimm from sensing humans nearby. Still, there would be enough people up late at night to make this a tragedy.

"Change of plans," Ren said. "We can't ignore this now, not with so many lives in the balance. It's our responsibility to contain the Grimm if possible."

"He might summon more," Blake warned.

"Then we'll have to deal with him as well."

If they could… they'd failed to beat him and Torchwick when even Mercury Black was helping them. Then again, this time Hentacle didn't have his ally to hand, and they had Raven. If she was as strong as Dad and Uncle Qrow, the fight might be more in their favour.

"Focus on the Grimm first, and keep an eye out for any who make a break for the city proper," the normally quiet boy ordered. "Stay together and look after one another."

"Aye-aye," Yang cheered.

"KILL HER!" Hentacle roared, one hand pointed out towards the woman.

That was the chance they'd been waiting for. As one, the Grimm surged towards Raven, who watched them with an unconcerned expression. She brought her sword up into a ready position, and Yang felt confident saying she'd deal with them all. That left the four of them with Hentacle, and they rushed towards the figure, intent on putting him down once and for all.

Hentacle turned before they reached him, and seeing the element of surprise lost, Ren and Blake opened fire. Dust rounds pinged off his tentacles.

"How many of you are there?" Hentacle growled. He flung one severed tentacle before him, throwing blood onto the concrete that hissed and bubbled. Yang came to a halt, eyes narrowed and fists ready. If he wanted to summon Grimm in Vale, then she'd have something to say about it, and as the first Beowolf formed, her fist was already flying for its face.

Still… was it just her, or had Hentacle sounded a little different?

/-/

She couldn't believe her bad luck. This was just ridiculous!

Bad enough that they'd been attacked in the warehouse and forced to flee, but she'd soon been challenged by some crazy broad after her big brother, and now she had four other teenagers trying to kill her as well? How did Jaune deal with being in Vale if this kind of stuff kept happening?

" _Keep spawning more Grimm,"_ Lavender communicated, falling back. _"Make most of them go for that Raven woman. I have to keep her away from Jaune. Just distract these four."_

" **As you command, my dear,"** Elena replied.

The parasite within her was as good as her word, and several more Grimm continued to spawn from the blood that lazily oozed from her severed tentacle. That could have been regrown, but Elena had instead reduced the blood flow to allow for more spawning. The wound could be sealed at a later time, and the tentacle regrown. The bigger problem was the amount of Grimm she'd summoned, and what that had taken out of her. She didn't have the vast reserves of stamina her other siblings had, and she was nothing compared to her eldest sister, Sapphire. This alone was enough to drain her, and she wasn't sure it would distract Raven for long.

Her more traditional wounds would take a little more time as well, and Lavender sagged to one side, clutching her bruised ribs. Those bullets had failed to pierce her aura, but the impact hurt, and there'd be some nasty marks come the morning.

Still, that paled in comparison as to what might happen to Jaune. That woman sent him away, but there was no telling where. What if he was gone forever?

" **He's not gone, my sweet,"** Elena whispered. **"I can sense my sibling. He is relatively close."**

Lavender's crimson eyes widened. _"You can sense his parasite?"_

" **To a degree… it is not something I can use to pinpoint him, but I can feel Remington in the direction of the warehouse."** One of her tentacles pointed in the direction, and Lavender followed it with her eyes. **"I expect the woman did not want to send him too far away in case your brother wandered away and was lost to her. She likely kept him nearby so that she might collect him later."**

Then there was still time to fix this and get him away. Lavender nodded and sprinted in back towards the warehouse. There was no way he'd been put inside, and the tentacle shifted slightly to indicate the direction as Elena came closer and sensed him more effectively. A quick glance back told her the Grimm were still doing their job, though she could feel each one as it died.

 _I'm sorry for throwing you all away like this,_ she thought. _Please forgive me._

" **He is close, my dear…"**

Good. She just need to find him, get out, and then transform back into her human state. No one would be able to find them then. She placed one hand against the metal wall and slowly made her way down it, all the while aware of the loud explosions and gunfire taking place on the other side. It sounded like Roman wasn't having quite as easy a time as he'd expected. Cinder had asked her to help him, but hadn't specifically said she should risk her wellbeing to do so.

"I kept up my side of the bargain. She only asked me to be present at his little rally, not to fight against the Atlas military." Roman would be fine, maybe… and if he wasn't, then she wouldn't lose all that much sleep over it.

A shape ahead caught her attention, dazed and slumped by the warehouse side. Her heart beat a little faster in her chest, and as she closed in, she saw him more clearly. He was there… Jaune was alive, in one piece, and still with her.

Thank Salem for that! She increased her pace, tentacles wriggling in joy as she rushed over to him.

"Jaune!" someone screamed. "No!"

He looked up at her. His eyes were dizzy, and he staggered a little as he pushed himself up. "Ugh," he moaned. "I feel… I feel sick. L-Lav, is that you?"

"It's me, big brother," she whispered, reaching out for him with both hand and tentacle at the same time. "I'm here. Let's get out of here before things get rough."

"Y-Yeah, sure…" Jaune nodded and made to move towards her, only to freeze for some reason. It didn't look like he wanted or intended to, more like something was holding him back. He looked down at his chest.

There was a small pair of arms wrapped about it, one under his left arm and the other over his right shoulder. A face materialised there, eyes twin shades of pink and brown, with hair a similar colour that spilled down around him. The girl wore a cocky grin.

"No!" Lavender growled, lunging for him.

Jaune winked out of existence, and Lavender's fingers smarted as they struck the sheet metal wall. They clenched into a fist, which slammed against it a moment later. Again? He'd been taken away again? What the hell was going on here? Why was everything so messed up!? Her teeth started to grind together, and her eyes flashed a dark crimson.

They were taking him from her… she would kill them…

" **Ware your emotions, my sweet,"** Elena whispered. **"Or you'll lose control."**

R-Right, yes… she couldn't let that happen. Lavender took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds. She only let it go once her lungs hurt, and she allowed her rage to flow out with it. _"Thank you, Elena. You always look after me."_

" **Of course I do. I will always be here for- behind you!"**

Lavender reacted immediately, spinning on the spot and throwing herself to the side. The attack Elena had seen came in the form of a sheet of ice which splashed against the wall she'd stood in front of. It was followed by a short girl dressed in white.

"Die monster!" she screamed, lunging forward with a rapier aimed for her throat.

Lavender reacted quickly. One tentacle lashed out and wrapped itself around the girl's face, plucking her out of the air and throwing her into the side of the warehouse. There was no time for this, and these idiots wanted to get in her way? She would never allow it. She moved towards the girl, but a flash of red caught her attention a second later.

She swayed past the bronze blade and caught the shield on the back of one arm. Pushing it back, she leaned forward and drew her own sword as fast as she could. The pommel slammed into the girl's midriff, but surprisingly didn't knock her down. Her foe winced and fell back, but kept her guard through the pain.

A dangerous one, then… White Fang or Huntress, it mattered not. Normally, she might have stayed to deal more effectively with the fool, but right now, she was distracted, wounded, and fast running out of time. If that Raven woman found her while she was distracted, it would all be over.

" _Elena…"_

" **I shall summon more, worry not."**

Only three or four for this girl due to the limited blood she could afford to spare, but it was enough to make the girl's green eyes widen. They attacked her en masse, and Lavender staggered past towards the struggling girl in white. She'd struck the moment after Jaune vanished, so she surely knew something… Lavender's gaze darkened as she considered the various methods she could use to extract that information.

Her hand reached down to pluck the girl from the floor.

A gunshot echoed through the air.

It struck her hard and propelled her backwards, robbing the air from her lungs. She fell on her back, one hand clasped to her left breast as she struggled to breathe. That… what had been so much more painful than any of the others, some kind of high calibre.

" **The crane,"** Elena hissed. **"I see a sniper!"**

Lavender saw it, too, now that it was pointed out. There was a figure in red on the neck of the crane, perched between metal struts with a huge rifle in hand. No doubt she was cocking another shot, but Lavender's body was too weak to move.

Elena moved her, instead. The parasite took control of the tentacles and used them to drag and flip her away, even as another shot blasted the concrete where she'd lain, chipping it away with ease. **"Lavender, can you move?"**

" _Right… Right in the boob,"_ she whimpered. _"It… it hurts so much…"_

" **I know it does, but we** _ **must**_ **leave!"**

" _But… Jaune…"_

" **Your brother is alive and nearby, I can still sense Remington. What I cannot sense, however, are the Grimm I summoned to distract that woman. Please, we must escape. Your mother and father would be aghast if you were harmed, and your brother would fare no better. For their sakes, we must flee."**

Flee… retreat…

Defeat…

Lavender's eyes burned, but she couldn't argue with it. Mom would never retreat, nor would Dad. Even Sapphire had never been bested so badly, not when it mattered. The thought that she, young and weak, would fail where they had succeeded…? It hurt.

But it would hurt more to imagine them all in grief over her. Lavender staggered up and placed one hand on the brick building Elena had carried her over to. It was far enough away that the others couldn't chase her, but she still had to step aside to dodge another shot from the red-cloaked sniper. Lavender's eyes narrowed on the girl, who she could see scaling down the crane – no doubt coming to chase after her.

"I'll remember you for this," she threatened, hand massaging her bruised bosom.

For now, however, it was time to leave. Lavender ducked behind the building and out of sight, the tentacles that defined her slipping back within her body. Jaune was alive, and that was what mattered. To continue fighting would only risk that changing.

But next time, they wouldn't be so lucky.

/-/

"I'm fine," Weiss groaned, accepting Ruby's hand and help. "He caught me off guard, but I'm unharmed. Good shooting by the way. Is Pyrrha okay?"

"She's finished the Grimm off," Ruby said, one arm beneath Weiss'. "I couldn't do the same for Hentacle, but I hit him in the chest. It hurt him, but it didn't draw any blood or put him down." Ruby tapped her chin in thought. "He was knocked on his back, though. I'm not sure why. He's taken bigger hits than that before and been fine."

"Maybe he was already exhausted," Weiss said. She raised her head as Pyrrha approached. "Did you notice anything unusual there, Pyrrha?"

"Not unusual but… did Hentacle seem a little _different_ to you?"

"No…" Ruby blinked. "Why?"

"It's nothing. I must have imagined it."

Weiss remained silent, but only because she was lost in thought. She'd noticed it too, but wasn't confident enough to express such a thought. There had been something _off_ about the monster, but who was she to judge? It wasn't like she had a lot to go on when it came to comparing Hentacle's biology. He could look and act different depending on what day of the week it was for all she knew. Ruby probably hadn't noticed because of the distance between them. She didn't use a scope when sniping, after all.

"Where's Jaune?" Weiss asked. Her panic mounted as she noticed his absence. "I saw that monster reaching for him, but I didn't see what happened."

"It looked like he vanished…"

"Vanished? Ruby, don't be ridiculous – he can't have just disappeared. We should spread out and-" Something caught her eye, and Weiss waved. "Emerald, have you seen Jaune? He was right here, but someone took him."

The green haired girl waved back and jogged over. She looked a little worse for wear, probably because of the Grimm, but wore a small smile nonetheless. "He's fine… a little shaken up, but okay."

"You have him!?" Weiss' eyes widened, and even Pyrrha and Ruby took a step forward in obvious relief. "But I don't see him anywhere…"

"That's part of what's keeping him safe," Emerald boasted. "Neo, bring him out!"

It was a flicker at first, or maybe more of a ripple in the air. Weiss watched as it formed the shape of a person, or what soon after turned out to be two people. Jaune stood before them, dazed and a little surprised, while a far smaller girl hung off his back, her arms around his neck.

Emerald tapped Jaune's shoulder and smirked. "See, I told you I could get him out of there in one piece. Thanks for the help, Neo."

"Jaune…"

"Huh, Weiss, Ruby, Pyrrha…?" He blinked at them and shook his head. "Where's-"

"You're okay!" Ruby wailed. She covered the distance between them in less than a second, and then crashed into his chest. Anyone else would have been flung back, but Jaune took the attack as he normally did and didn't budge an inch. He did look down at Ruby, however, with a vaguely confused expression on his face.

"Well yeah… of course I'm okay."

 _That_ proved to be the final straw… that casual dismissal of the danger he'd put himself through. Weiss stormed forwards, lips downturned. "You absolute _fool_ ," she hissed. "What were you thinking getting involved in this? If it weren't for Emerald's teammate, you might have been taken by Hentacle!"

"Wait, what? Hentacle…?"

"You dolt! Don't tell me you didn't even _notice_ who was dragging you away? You practically fell into that monster's hands, and there's no telling what he would have done with you!" Weiss pushed away from him with a snarl, and turned to Emerald. Neo had moved beside her teammate, and Weiss nodded to them both. "Thank you for helping our team. I know it must have been difficult, and I really do appreciate it."

"Eh…" Emerald waved a hand. "It's fine."

Neo smiled happily, and Weiss had the strangest feeling the little girl felt almost _too_ satisfied with the state of affairs. Well, it was hardly her place to be suspicious, not after Neo saved her partner's life.

"It seems obvious now that Hentacle is after you," she said. "We suspected it before, but there was always the potential for doubt."

"Oh come on, Weiss," Jaune laughed. "This was probably just a coincidence."

That… that blasted fool. Weiss opened her mouth to tell him exactly what she thought of that, but Pyrrha beat her to it. Quite literally, in fact… she even smacked him across the back of his head. As if to make it even clearer, Ruby punched him in the stomach, too.

"Weiss is right," Pyrrha said. "This is dangerous, Jaune, and we can't afford to risk you if Hentacle has his sights set. You could have _died_ if he took you away. How do you think we'd feel if something like that happened?"

"But I'd be okay…"

Ruby punched him again. Considering his stamina and endurance, Weiss didn't think it would do much good. Maybe she should hand Ruby her rapier and see if that made things a little fairer. She certainly wanted to ram it through his throat herself.

"Your over-confidence knows no bounds," Weiss snarled. "Well, it's not like it matters. You can continue to believe or disbelieve as you wish. The rest of us will just keep an eye on you regardless, since it's clear we're the only ones with functioning brains around here." Weiss shot an apologetic look towards Emerald and Neo. "No offence meant."

"Oh, none taken," Emerald said. She crossed her arms and glared at Jaune as well, which only made the girl seem all the better in Weiss' eyes. "I think I have good reason to have words with him too, since he decided to do something stupid like this when he _knows_ better."

"Heh…" Jaune laughed nervously. "Uh, maybe we can keep this between us and not tell-"

"Not a chance in hell," Emerald interrupted. "Not _one_ chance."

Weiss looked between the two, and her interest was definitely piqued when she saw how ill Jaune looked. Before she could ask for more details, however – and the number of whomever she could threaten him with – a call from further down the road caught their attention.

"Yang!" Ruby cried, releasing Jaune and rushing over to give her sister a hug. "You're okay!"

She was indeed, along with the other members of Team RYBN, who were making their way towards them with weapons drawn and grime smeared across their faces. Weiss and her team approached them, and she took a quick second to catalogue their injuries. Fortunately, they seemed unharmed.

"Grimm," Ren said, in answer to her unspoken question. "Hentacle summoned a large group of them and we had to clear them before they could spread out into the city." He looked at them in turn and nodded. "I see you found Jaune. I'm glad to see you're all well."

Weiss noticed his eyes on Emerald and Neo, and quickly introduced them. Once that was done, she left her partner to be both coddled and rebuked by Yang and Ruby, and instead focused on the matter at hand. "The Grimm have all been defeated, then? Hentacle fled on our end."

"We killed them all," Blake said. "There was someone fighting against him, but she vanished before we could talk to her."

"She left before the Grimm were finished," Ren said. "Rather irresponsible of a huntress, since that could have left Vale in a difficult situation if we weren't there." He looked to Yang and opened his mouth, but quickly shook his head and turned back to Weiss a second later. "That's all we have to report, really. If you managed to frighten Hentacle off, that's a win for us, but I can't help but worry about someone who has the potential to summon so many Grimm."

"I agree. We'll inform Ozpin." It was the best they could do, and Ren nodded, satisfied with the decision. As much as she would have liked to offer more, this was an enemy beyond them, and someone who could be a real danger to the entire city.

They couldn't afford to keep this to themselves…

"Either way, we ought to get out of here while we c-" Ren paused. "Nora, what are you looking at?"

"The mech fight."

"That's still going on?" He shook his head before she could answer. "I said we'll watch it on the news tomorrow. It's on the other side of the warehouse, anyway. It's not like we could see it properly from here."

"Really? I have a good view."

"Nora…"

"Uh, partner…?" It was Yang's voice, and filled with enough panic to catch their attention. "I think we should move to the side a little. Like… now. Right now!"

They looked up in unison, and probably gasped in it too, as the large robotic figure crashed back towards them, falling through the warehouse and tripping over a low wall. Weiss' mind froze, but luckily for her, Jaune's didn't. His shoulder caught her stomach as he dashed away with her in tow. Her head bounced off his back, but she saw the others running as well.

Facing backwards, she was able to see the exact moment Torchwick's Paladin fell onto what she desperately hoped was a disused building. The solid construction proved no protection against the giant machine, and the walls caved inwards, spilling bricks and masonry down below. Eventually, the Paladin's momentum was bled, but at that point it had already carved through a third of the building itself. The debris scattered down onto the ground where they'd just stood, and would have buried them if not for Yang's warning. Weiss let out a breath of relief, but it caught in her throat a second later.

There, in the smoke – was that… no, it couldn't be. She tried to shake the hallucination away, but it remained still. There was a person still there, hunched over and clutching her stomach, all the while unaware of the danger falling down above them. No one else noticed because they were looking ahead, and she was the only one able to see behind them.

"Civilian!" Weiss gasped. "There's someone back there!"

"What?" Yang half-turned, but wasn't in a position to help. "Damn it. Oi," she called. "Get out of there! Run!"

The girl, for Weiss could see her face clearly now, was perhaps a little younger than them, with curly blonde hair and bright eyes. Almost in slow motion, she looked to them, and then upwards to the falling rocks that would surely crush her.

"Damn it," Yang hissed, moving to help.

Ren beat her to it. The quiet teen dashed away from the group and back towards the building, only just reaching the girl in time to push her down and shield her with one arm. Several bricks struck him and kicked up a cloud of smoke that obscured them both from view.

"Renny…?" Nora whispered.

There was no answer.

"REN!"

"I'm – cough – okay." His voice came from the thick smoke, and brought crushing relief down on all of them. Nora, especially, looked like she might collapse. As the smoke cleared, it revealed Ren stood off to one side, the girl held in his arms. She was staring up at him, and there was a light sheen of dust across his head and body. He looked down to the young girl. "Are you hurt?"

"U-Um, no…"

Weiss felt Jaune's grip on her tighten. She winced and struggled to free herself, but he didn't seem to even notice. Idiot partner and his carrying of her! Was he that worried about some random civilian he had to cut off her oxygen supply!?

"You should get out of here," Ren said, lowering the girl back onto her feet. She swayed and fell against him, one hand on his chest. "It's not safe. Move back to the city and leave this to us."

The girl was red in the face, but nodded and stepped away. She spared one final glance before her saviour, before the glanced back at Winter's approaching Paladin and fled. Weiss took the time she had to slam her fist against Jaune's back. "Let me down, you idiot!"

"She's safe…" Jaune whispered.

"Yes, and that's wonderful – but _you_ won't be safe if Winter sees you holding me like this!"

"Oh right… I guess she'd be worried about you and angry at me." Jaune laughed nervously and knelt down, gently placing her heels against the floor. She pushed off his shoulder and stood up. She dusted her dress down.

"No, I meant _I'd_ kill you if Winter saw you carrying me." she corrected. Yang snorted, but Weiss did spare a tiny nod for him. "Thank you for getting me out of there."

"No problem. I couldn't let my partner be hurt, right?"

Quit so, but he still deserved her gratitude nonetheless. She nodded to him and stood patiently next to him as Winter's cockpit opened. There wasn't much point running away now, and it would just look suspicious if they tried.

"What are you all doing here?" Winter demanded. She shook her head before they could answer, and quickly shouted out some orders to the Atlas soldiers on the ground. "Surround and secure the target. I'll have Torchwick behind bars for this."

"Yes ma'am!"

The four or so men rushed by them and started to clamber up the defeated Paladin's body. Much of it was hidden by smoke and rubble, but Weiss didn't have time to think any further on that as Winter leapt from her machine and down to the ground. She stormed towards them, eyes narrowed.

Weiss swallowed and met her half way, "Winter, I can explain-"

"And you shall in a moment," her sister growled. She stepped past Weiss and drew her weapon. "You are under arrest!"

Emerald balked. "Eh!?"

"Do not play innocent, fool. I had my men watch you in Beacon, and it was yourself who led us here. If that isn't an admittance of guilt, I don't know what is."

"W-Wait, you've got it all wrong. I came to help them!" Emerald took a step back, but froze as Winter's sabre tickled the underside of her chin. She looked frightened.

"A likely story, girl… I'd been looking for someone with huntress training and green hair, and those aren't exactly common traits. If you are truly innocent, you will have nothing to fear from a little interrogation, no?"

Weiss' heart leapt into her throat. It only took one look at the terrified girl's face to shock her into action, and she pushed Emerald back, stepping before her sister's sabre. "Emerald is innocent of the crimes you suggest!"

"Weiss, step back. You know not who you stand before!"

"I know I stand before a friend." Weiss held her arms out. "Emerald didn't come here because she knew about anything that was going on. She… she came here because I asked her to."

"You asked her…?"

Weiss nodded. It was a white lie, but not one she regretted. However Emerald had found her way here, it hadn't been because of her – but it _had_ been to help Jaune, not to get involved with any of this White Fang stuff. Besides, there was the favour she owed the girl for getting Jaune out, not to mention the simple fact that Emerald couldn't have been involved with the enemy.

 _She_ was the green-haired girl from the White Fang meeting, after all.

"I messaged her and asked her to come," Weiss lied. "Our teams were out in Beacon when we saw the devastation being wrought by Hentacle and wild Grimm summoned into the city. As huntresses and huntsmen, it is our responsibility to react to such danger. Emerald came quickly at my request, as I feared we wouldn't be enough to handle Hentacle."

"That's right," Emerald said, nodding quickly. "W-Weiss asked me to come and I did. We're good friends."

Okay, that was pushing it a little, but Weiss supposed it wasn't a bad thing. Emerald _had_ helped her, not to mention the two had shared their own misery over their mutual hair disasters. Hm, maybe they _were_ friends, if only by association of misery.

"Emerald also could not have been the green-haired individual you were looking for," she said. "I can personally vouch that due to an ill-thought prank, her hair was bleached white up until only a few days ago."

The others nodded when Winter looked their way, and Jaune was quick to add his own thoughts. "You can probably ask the teachers, Miss Schnee. We had lessons, so they would all have seen her with white hair. The headmaster might even have video evidence."

Faced with such facts, there was little Winter could do – not that Weiss felt she would have attacked them anyway. The sabre was sheathed, and although her sister looked frustrated, it was more at her assumption than anything else. "Please accept my apologies then. I acted rashly, but would like to make it clear the mistake was mine and not representative of the Atlas military."

"It's fine?" Emerald didn't sound entirely convinced, but this was probably better than being arrested and interrogated. She slumped behind Weiss and muttered something about miracles under her breath.

"Ma'am," one of the soldiers called. "The cockpit is empty – he's gone!"

"What!" Winter whirled away from them and stalked to the foot of the fallen machine. "How can he have escaped, we have the entire area surrounded!?" She slashed an arm out. "Spread out and find him – have the Bullheads search the nearby streets. Do whatever is necessary to find that man!"

"Yes ma'am!"

"He's escaped, seriously?" Yang scowled and glared at the Paladin. "How the hell did he get away?"

"A question I shall be looking into, have no fear." Winter nodded to the blonde, but didn't know her name and likely didn't care to talk with her any longer. She turned back to Weiss and Jaune instead. "You say the lot of you were in the area? That feels odd. What were you doing here?"

"We were… visiting Vale…" Weiss answered. "We heard the ruckus and decided to investigate, and when we saw Grimm, it wasn't like we could ignore that."

"A commendable decision for sure, but I'm more curious as to why you would be in this area to begin with."

"We were on a date," Jaune said immediately.

Weiss stomped on his foot. He didn't feel it.

"You decided to take my sister on a date and chose the Vale industrial district as the venue?" Winter's voice made it clear she took offence to that, but whether it was over the blatant lie, or the choice of romantic date, Weiss wasn't sure. "I find it hard to believe two people your age would visit such a place."

She wracked her mind for an answer or excuse, anything she could say to get out of the current situation. Winter was right; this _was_ a stupid place for a date – and that made them look rather suspicious.

"And why are there so many of you on this date? I count nine here right now."

Nine-? Weiss glanced back, but Winter was right. Where had Neo gone? Bah, it didn't matter.

"Well, you see…" she began. "It's a little hard to explain…"

Winter crossed her arms and made it clear she was going nowhere. "Go on."

Jaune looked to her for help.

Weiss looked to any gods that were listening.

"They came here to try and lose us," Blake said.

Winter's eyes narrowed. "Explain."

Blake looked a little uncertain, but with Winter staring at her, and everyone else also waiting expectantly, she probably couldn't be blamed for that. She swallowed and looked away. "W-Well, when we heard about the date, we wanted to know how it would go. We decided to follow them and watch."

"You decided to spy on my sister's romantic rendezvous?"

"I-In a manner of speaking… It was your idea, Yang. Why don't you explain?"

Yang's eyes widened as Blake threw the hot potato in her direction, but her anger was instantly frozen solid when Winter's glare turned on her. "H-Ha ha, yeah… my idea… well, that might be giving me too much credit, you know. I mean, Weiss and Jaune are such _good friends_ of ours, and we just wanted to make sure things were going well. I mean, Ruby's the one who likes him-"

"Yang!" Ruby gasped, and then cringed when the attention turned to her. "I-It's not like that. T-They're my teammates, and I only went along because Pyrrha wanted to go."

"I, what!? Ah, I mean yes… but only to ensure no one interrupted their meal. Weiss is quite famous, after all. I really believe that most of the fault lies with-"

"I was only there to keep an eye on my friend," Ren said, pointing to Nora. "I had no stake in this."

Pyrrha balked at having her target taken away like that, and instead vaguely pointed in Nora's direction. The ginger girl blinked at Pyrrha, then blinked at Winter, too, when she glared at her. "Hello Weiss' sister."

"And what do _you_ have to say for yourself?" Winter growled.

"I like your robot."

Winter's brow twitched, and her hand fell to her sword once more.

"And that's how we ended up here," Weiss interrupted before blood could be spilt. "Jaune and I noticed them following us and tried to lose them in what we thought would be a relatively busy area. Sadly, it wasn't, and then the Grimm appeared and we reacted to them as we're supposed to."

"I see…" Winter only looked partially convinced. "While I commend that decision, I must also question your decision to try and face off against someone as dangerous as… as…" She sighed. "That Grimm monster."

"Hentacle?" Jaune prodded.

"I would prefer not to use that name…"

"I know, right?" Nora said. "I wanted to call him the Grimminator."

"Regardless of what he is called, that man – if he can even count as such – is dangerous beyond belief. With this ability to summon Grimm in numbers not seen before, I'll need to contact General Ironwood. The Kingdoms need to be made aware of such a threat."

Jaune shifted awkwardly next to her for some reason. Weiss clasped a hand about his wrist to keep him still, and then cringed when Winter noticed and smiled indulgently. It wasn't like she was holding his hand or anything.

"For now, I'll ask you all to remain quiet about this, or to only speak of it to Headmaster Ozpin. I would rather keep this debacle out of the media."

Weiss wondered if she should point out the plume of smoke rising from the demolished warehouse, the huge robot half-embedded in a building, or maybe the military airship floating above the city. In the end, she chose not to. There was no way this wasn't tomorrow's headlines. No way at all.

"We'll do our best," Ren said with an impressive degree of self-control.

"I appreciate that." Winter stepped back and looked to Torchwick's Paladin once more. She frowned and shook her head. "I will handle things here for now. You may all return to Beacon – or perhaps to your date."

"I… uh, think the mood has been a little ruined now," Jaune said.

Weiss nodded, pleased for the excuse. He was playing the role rather well, and she was relieved they hadn't been expected to do anything more, like hold hands or display their affection. In that regard, the Schnee reputation for being controlled and not showing their emotions was working to her advantage. "I appreciate the sentiment, Winter, but as Jaune says, I think we should return to Beacon with our teams."

Winter's face softened. "I'm sorry if my actions here interrupted your date, Weiss…"

"No, no – there's no problem." Weiss wasn't sure whether she should smile or try to look sad to sell the idea. In the end, she shrugged helplessly. "It can't be helped, I guess. It wasn't like it was your fault Hentacle appeared."

"Weiss and I can finish our date another time," Jaune added.

"Exactly, we're fine with this."

"Nevertheless, I will make amends for this," Winter said. "Worry not."

Okay, that wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear, and contrary to Winter's words, she was starting to a worry a whole lot more. "There's really no need."

"I shall be the judge of that. I'll have to leave you for now. I need to make sure this and the other stolen Paladins are firmly back under our control." She nodded to each of them in turn. "Thank you all for your services against the Grimm, and rest assured that I will speak to Ozpin and recommend you all for suitable rewards."

Rewards, huh? Weiss wondered what those might entail, but was more worried about her sister's insistence on their ruined date.

That could only spell bad things ahead…

"Well, all's well that ends well," Ruby giggled.

"Ruby, I hope you're joking…"

"Should I be? We got what we came for, and we got out without any problems. Sure, we ended up facing Hentacle again, but none of us were hurt and we even made him retreat." She grinned at them all. "And all of that without getting in trouble. I say that's a win."

"Heh, you might have a point," Yang said. "Then again, I did just get betrayed by my own teammate." She glared at Blake. "Yang knows about stalking Weiss-cream, does she? No, she bloody well doesn't!"

"What did you want me to say? I was out of ideas!"

"Not _that_! You made me sound like a jealous girlfriend, oh, and to Weiss' _sister_ , no less!"

"Weiss' sister who is also part of the Atlas army," Ren added.

"And is currently piloting a big robot," Nora said.

Blake whirled on them, eyes wide. "Stop trying to make things worse!"

Weiss sighed. Well, Ruby wasn't wrong, she supposed. As crazy as the night had been, as worried as they'd all been when Jaune fell through that roof, they'd still pulled it off in the end. That was something to celebrate.

"If I get bombed into oblivion by Atlas, I am _so_ haunting you!"

/-/

Neo skipped down the sidewalk with a huge grin on her face. She always wore one, of course, but tonight's was especially big – and not just because she'd been able to sneak Roman out while everyone was distracted.

She was smiling and whistling silently to herself because she was the winner – the absolute winner.

Roman was thrilled because she'd saved his bacon, while Emerald owed her a favour for picking Jaune out of the melee. He'd be pleased too, since she'd saved him from that dark-haired maniac, and his teammates were in her pocket – the rich Schnee girl especially. On top of all of that, Cinder would be grateful, which meant more freedom and trust there as well. Oh, and the headmaster and all the teachers would praise her once they found out from the older Schnee woman.

Not bad for a night's work.

Not bad when she'd instigated it all in the first place.

Neo skipped happily down the sidewalk with a huge grin on her face.

And not a single person dared get in her way.

* * *

 **It's always the quiet ones you need to watch out for, especially when they've been silent for a good portion of the story. Just because she's not on-screen doesn't mean she isn't doing her own thing – and what a coup she pulled.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 7th September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	34. Chapter 34

**Here's the chapter.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 34**

* * *

For Yang, it seemed to happen in slow motion. She was back at the docks, fighting against the Grimm that had spawned from Hentacle, except that the beast was nowhere in sight, and the sky was a dark crimson that moved like blood. Her team was cut off from her, too, with no sign or sound of them at all. She was trapped by Grimm, held back from reaching the epicentre of the battle.

She had to get there.

 _I do? Why?_

She wasn't sure. It didn't really matter. All she knew was that it had to be done, and that as she punched her way through another Beowolf, her limbs felt heavy and weak – as though gravity itself was dragging her down.

Where was Ren? She could have really used her partner's help right now.

"Ah, no – let go of me!"

That voice… it came from ahead of her, past the Beowolf and a few other Grimm, and it was painfully familiar. "Jaune?" she whispered. Her eyes widened and she called out, this time louder. "Jaune, is that you? Hold on, I'm on my way!"

"Y-Yang? Argh, help, please!"

It sounded like he was in trouble, and she hurled herself at the Beowolf before her, trusting her aura to take the blow. It did so, even if her brain rattled in her skull. It was a risky move for sure, but she couldn't let Hentacle get away with him. There was no telling what might happen. Even as her vision blurred, she lashed out with a right hook and planted her fist into the monster's teeth. Ember Celica roared, sending the shells directly up into its mouth and through what might have passed as a brain. The monster fell. She was already pushing past it to kill the next.

"Hang on, Jaune," she shouted, side-stepping an Ursa and shattering its knee with an aura-infused kick. "I'm almost there!"

"I can't-" His voice cut off with the sounds of struggling. "She's got me!"

She…?

Yang burst past the Beowolf and towards his voice, but froze at the scene she came upon. It wasn't Hentacle. The monster was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Jaune struggled in the grip of a woman dressed in red and black, with a face so similar to hers, it hurt.

"M-Mom…?"

The woman's face turned, and Yang flinched back from the disinterest in those crimson eyes. There was recognition, but no emotion, not even surprise. "Oh," Raven said. "It's you."

"I…I…" The words didn't come, and it was all she could do to stare at the older woman. She'd wanted for so long to meet her, but now that she had, the questions she'd always dreamed of asking had fled her mind. The sounds of struggle drew her attention to Jaune, who writhed in the woman's one-handed grip. "What are you doing with Jaune?"

"I'm taking him."

Her heart beat a little faster. There was something wrong… something so very, very wrong. "Taking him where?"

Raven's eyes held hers for the longest moment, and when she sighed, Yang knew it was because she was exasperated… because she saw her own daughter and considered her nothing more than a pest. "Does it matter? I have no interest in you, but _he_ is different. I will be taking him."

Just like that, with no explanation or warning? An unfamiliar feeling rose within her, and yang shook her head, teeth gritted together. Ruby would be devastated, and so would his team – and she… and she wouldn't stand for it, either. One foot shifted back as she fell into a combat stance.

"I won't let you take him."

"Let me…?" Raven burst into laughter. "You could never hope to stop me. You're weak, Yang."

Yang's eyes burned. "I'm not weak!"

"You are. Look at you, you're crying even now. Little wonder I left you behind. Who would ever want to take a pathetic weakling like you along with them?" Raven sniffed and sheathed her sword, unwilling to even use it on her. "Run back to your sister and Taiyang. I have no time for you."

A crimson portal flared into life behind them.

"Yang, save me!" Jaune yelled.

"I'm coming!" Yang surged forwards, but was cut off as two Beowolves appeared in her way. Her eyes flashed red. "Get out of my way!" One went down, its face crushed in by her fist, but the other clamped down on her shoulder. "Let go," she hissed, gripping its maw and snapping it in one go.

Others had closed around her, however, and though they couldn't hurt her, they held her back. One clutched at her shoulders from behind, while another wrapped furred arms around one of her legs. She ignored them both and tried to take another step forward, to reach Jaune and Raven before they could depart.

It was all for nothing.

Raven dragged him towards the portal, ignorant of both his protests, and Yang's cries for her to stop. At the last second, she turned to look at her once more – to see Yang burdened down by four or more Beowolves, unable to take another step forward.

Her mother's eyes were filled with bitter disappointment.

"Pathetic…"

Yang's heart broke.

-and she lurched forward with a gasp.

"Hah… hah…" Her breaths came out ragged and hoarse, one hand clutched before her face. It shook violently. The scene was gone, however, the red sky replaced with a white ceiling, and the familiar snoring of Nora only two beds down from hers. Yang's eyes adjusted to the darkness slowly, and it wasn't until she saw her partner and Blake asleep that she relaxed. Ren was in the bed to her right, while Blake occupied the one between Nora and her, and the faunus had a pillow clamped down over her ears. She'd fallen asleep like that – surrounded on both sides by loud snorers.

 _It was just a dream,_ Yang told herself. She fell back with a sigh, arms splayed out on either side of her as she stared at the ceiling and mused at how uncomfortably hot her bed was. The pillow was damp with sweat, and she flipped it over quickly. Even the cool side didn't ease her thoughts, though. _Why did I have a dream about Jaune and Raven? Why did it happen like that?_

Dreaming of Raven made sense. It was the first time she'd ever seen her Mom in the flesh… no, she wouldn't call that woman her mother. Summer held that position. It was the first time she'd ever seen _Raven_ in the flesh, so it made sense it would occupy her thoughts. That, she understood.

Jaune, though, not to mention the contents of her dream…? That was a little less obvious.

 _If anything, I should have dreamed about Hentacle kidnapping him. All Raven did was fight off the Grimm and try to kill Hentacle, even if she did send him through one of her portals._ She'd got the lowdown on the story from the man himself, and they'd all come together last night to fill everyone in on what happened. According to Jaune, he'd been dragged outside by Hentacle, and then saved by Raven. The portal she'd sent him through had disoriented him, but not actually sent him very far.

 _Raven saved him. But if that's the case, then why does it feel so wrong?_

It looked like sleep wasn't going to come back anytime soon, so Yang swung her legs over the side of the bed and padded out onto the carpet. She'd never been a particularly stealthy person, but with Nora grinding two rocks together in her throat, she didn't have to be. She considered her uniform for a moment, then slipped into her casual outfit instead, and stepped outside.

The air was cool in the corridors and helped to wake her up. They weren't really meant to wander around Beacon this early in the morning, but they were allowed into the common rooms, and to use the gardens if necessary. It was the latter Yang made her way towards, in the hopes that the cool morning air might wake her up.

The questions, however, there was little hiding from. Why _had_ Raven appeared again after so long away? It obviously wasn't to see her daughter, as much as it hurt to admit that. She hadn't even stayed after the fight to share a word, and if Raven _had_ been watching everything, then she'd happily left Yang stuck in a warehouse full of terrorists being attacked by Atlas.

Mom of the year material right there.

No, Raven had ignored all of that in favour of saving Jaune… or fighting Hentacle. The two went hand-in-hand, but didn't necessarily have the same motive. Then again, if Raven really did want to fight Hentacle, then why send Jaune away? Wouldn't it use up some energy to make that portal?

 _Does that mean she really was there for him?_ No, not quite. If Hentacle wanted Jaune, it was possible Raven sent him away to make sure the monster couldn't flee. It would be a way of ensuring the fight happened. _If she was there for the fight at all… I literally know nothing about the woman that gave birth to me. I'm not even sure what kind of personality she has._

Argh, it was all a pointless waste of time anyway. Why bother analysing a dream when it didn't even mean anything? She'd probably just taken the two biggest things – Raven's appearance and Jaune's almost kidnap – then smashed them together in her head. Nothing unusual, nothing weird and definitely nothing she wanted to waste her time thinking about any longer than she had to.

An odd `swooshing` noise caught her attention. It was quiet enough, but given that most of Beacon was still asleep, it stood out. It might have been a bird diving on some prey, so Yang closed her eyes and listened.

It sounded again, this time a little more clearly. It sounded like it was coming from one of the fields off by the west side of the Emerald Forest.

"Well, it's not like I didn't want to be distracted. Might as well go investigate." If she was lucky, it might be a Beowolf – which would be a good way to get her mind off of things. The early morning – or late night – exercise might also make her tired enough to fall asleep again.

It was no Beowolf. It wasn't a Grimm at all. Yang rounded the corner and then hopped back behind it when she saw someone swinging a sword over their head. Someone was out early for some training, it seemed. She was about to politely back off and find somewhere else to sit, when she realised who it was.

"Jaune…?"

"Huh?" He stopped mid-swing and turned in her direction, even as Yang ducked back behind the wall. She instantly felt stupid a second later, not really sure why she was hiding at all. With a nervous chuckle, she stepped back out and waved. "Yang? What are you doing out at this time? Did I wake you up?"

"Swinging your sword a good hundred metres away from the dorms?" Yang teased. "How loud do you think you are? Nah, I just wasn't able to sleep and felt like getting some fresh air. Heard you training and thought I'd see what it was. You _are_ training, right?"

"As best I can." Jaune turned back around so that he faced the forest, and Yang took the opportunity given to ogle his back a little. He was covered in sweat, so had decided to take off his top so he didn't make it wet. She wasn't ashamed to admit she liked the way his muscles moved when he raised and lowered his arms with each strike.

She wasn't embarrassed about it, either. If he wanted to show off what he had, she'd look!

"I couldn't sleep, either," he admitted. "Kept trying, but it wouldn't stick. In the end, I figured I might as well do something."

"Hoping it would wear you out?"

"That was the plan." He laughed and allowed his arms to slump, the blade's tip coming to rest against the grass. "I guess you can see how well that's going."

"How long have you been going at it for?"

"Two hours, I think."

Yikes, that long? She'd heard impressive things about his stamina from Ruby – and then been sure to tease her sister for knowing in the first place – but this was a little ridiculous. Two hours of constant swinging would be enough to leave most people's arms almost falling out their sockets. He was covered in sweat, and his arms were red, but he was still going strong.

"Take a break with me," she suggested. He shot her a confused look and she shrugged one shoulder. "We're both stuck awake, so we might as well talk. Working yourself to death isn't helping."

"True." Jaune wandered over and sat down cross-legged on the grass. She did the same next to him, though she pushed her legs out before her and stretched so that she touched her toes. When her back popped, she leaned back and grinned at him.

"So, champ. What's keeping you up at night?"

"I keep remembering what happened yesterday," he said. "Or what almost happened. It's not that I woke up, so much as I wasn't able to fall asleep in the first place." He glanced at her. "And you…?"

"I had a rough dream. It woke me up and I didn't feel like going to sleep afterwards."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really." She shrugged and looked up at the sky. "It was just a weird nightmare. I'd rather forget about it, to be honest." The last thing she wanted was to tell a guy she'd had a dream about them, especially if it was about them being kidnapped. That would be such an obvious lead-in to some kind of cheesy line from them.

She didn't feel like knocking Jaune's block off. Then again, he wasn't the kind of guy to make lines like that anyway.

"You've been training really hard lately," she said, if only to fill the silence with something.

"I need to get stronger."

There was something about the way he said it which caught her attention. The sentiment wasn't an unusual one, especially not in a school designed to make you stronger. It was just that it felt a little heavier, a little more desperate. Yang watched her unusual friend from the corner of one eye, and easily noticed the panicked, almost frightened, look on his face.

"You're afraid someone will try to kidnap you again, aren't you?"

Jaune sighed. "Yeah… I was… I was just so weak back there. I wasn't able to defend myself, and everything got out of control so quickly. I just sort of stood there being useless while everyone else fought to look after me. If I'd been stronger, she wouldn't have been in danger."

She…? Was he talking about Ruby… or maybe even her? It didn't really matter either way. He'd almost been abducted by Hentacle, and maybe it had been silly to think he'd be over that. Jaune was always so lively and happy, that it was sometimes hard to imagine stuff like this getting to him. That was a little short-sighted now that she thought about it. He was as human as her, after all.

"You couldn't have been expected to do anything, Jaune."

"I could."

"You couldn't! You're a student. You're our age. What do you think you are; some kind of god of war?"

"No, but… I should have been able to do more than just sit there."

Yang bit her lip, unsure what to say. She could understand where he was coming from, and it kind of reminded her of the time she'd nearly gotten Ruby killed. She'd stood there in shock and horror too, and the memory still pained her. In the end, she closed her eyes and went with the tough love Uncle Qrow had given her. "Yeah, you should have."

"W-What…?"

"You should have been able to do something," she said. "You were kind of useless, and you froze up, and that could have gotten someone hurt."

"I…I…"

"But it didn't happen," she whispered, opening her eyes once more. She reached out to grip his shoulder in one hand. "Yeah, you messed up a little, and yeah, you probably could have done more, but do you think no one has that happen once or twice? It's happened to me."

"It's not the same."

"The hell it isn't. I nearly got my sister killed because I froze up!"

The complaint Jaune was about to give died. His eyes widened, almost frightened as he stared at her. It looked like she'd gotten through, though not in a way she'd entirely wanted. Her shoulders hunched as she drew up her legs and wrapped her arms around them.

"It happened when we were younger and Summer died," Yang began. If anyone else had asked to hear the story, she'd have told them it was private – and the thought of telling Jaune wasn't exactly appealing either. In hindsight, she'd blame the lack of sleep, since instead of making up some cock and bull story, she went with the truth.

It was a tale long in the telling, and delivered without much emotion. Once upon a time, it had stung, but nowadays, it was nothing more than a dull ache. How could she have been so stupid? How could she have been so useless?

"And that's it," she said. "Uncle Qrow saved us and Ruby wasn't hurt, but she could have been, and I was the older sister. I was meant to be the one who looked after her, and she trusted me to do that. I've got no idea why Ruby doesn't hate me for it." She laughed bitterly. "Maybe she can't even remember. She was really young back then."

She looked up into his eyes – which were still wide with shock.

"But that's why I know what it feels like to be useless," she said. "I froze up and nearly lost Ruby, and you froze up and nearly got yourself killed. At least you didn't risk anyone else's life when you did."

"I…" Jaune swallowed. "Yang, I…"

"I'm over it," she said. "Or well, not over it, but I don't beat myself up about it anymore. Uncle Qrow gave me this same speech, but I was younger then and didn't understand it. I railed against him and locked myself in my room. Told him I never wanted to see him again, and that he should leave me alone because I was so worthless."

Jaune's fingers wrapped around her wrist, and his sapphire eyes bore into hers. "You're not useless, Yang. You're an incredible person."

Eh…?

"You're strong, skilled and beautiful," he continued, apparently misunderstanding her pause and assuming he needed to explain himself. "You're one of the strongest people in Beacon, and that's despite not having the kinds of resources Weiss would have, or Pyrrha would have gained being a championship fighter." His other hand came around to rest under her chin. "You're amazing, Yang."

T-That absolute idiot! She was supposed to be the one comforting him, not the other way around.

"S-Stop saying that!"

"Saying what?"

"This all happened ages ago, and I'm not even all that upset about it anymore." She shook her head and glared at him, but the effect was lost because it wasn't her eyes that were red, but her face as a whole. "I was trying to tell you this to make _you_ feel better. You… You don't need to lay out a list of compliments to try and boost my ego. Geez… s-saying I'm beautiful and things." She laughed. "Save stuff like that for Ruby – or maybe Weiss, too. She _is_ your girlfriend, after all."

"My fake one," Jaune protested. "I've not even been on a date with her before."

 _Unlike with you,_ his unspoken words went on. Yang's entire body went stiff, and she suddenly found it hard to breathe, let alone swallow whatever was stuck in her throat. Did he… did he see her as his girlfriend?

That would be bad. He liked Ruby, and Ruby liked him, while their `dates` together had been an accident formed from her casual use of the word, and Jaune not realising it was just a saying. Had she… had she accidentally made him like her during those dates? Had she potentially stolen her sister's crush?

It was a horrifying thought… or it should have been. The fact she _didn't_ feel a rush of guilt was what truly made it horrifying. _No, no, no, I can't do this to her – and I sure as hell can't `like` the idea. No way!_

"F-Forget the story," she said. "I was just trying to point out how you're not the only one who's frozen before." She glowered up at him. "I wasn't fishing for compliments or sympathy, you goof. I was trying to help _you_."

Jaune opened his mouth. Yang clamped a hand over it.

"And don't you dare suddenly use that as an excuse to say how kind or sweet I am," she hissed, face crimson. "It's too early for me to deal with that. I just had a nightmare. I'm not thinking straight. You can't make me feel like this."

"Feel like what?" he asked, pulling her fingers away.

Yang's brow twitched, and she vaguely remembered Summer once warning her about boys who made her heart race without meaning to. Those were the ones you needed to watch out for, or so Summer had said. They were dangerous, and could make you think dangerous things without meaning to. "Nothing," she said. "I feel nothing. You're imagining it."

"But you just said…" Jaune saw her expression and wisely decided to leave the issue alone. "Ah, never mind. I guess you don't need to hear me compliment you anyway. You can see it for yourself in the mirror."

What a bastard. Was he doing that on purpose? Deep inside her head, a tiny part of her squealed happily. Luckily, she was able to track that part down, drag it into a secluded corner of her mind, and then curb stomp it.

"Maybe you're right about the lesson, though," he said. "No, you're definitely right. I'll stop whining about it. Besides, that won't help anyone, will it?"

"It won't," Yang agreed. "You need to think about what you'll do next time instead."

"Yeah…" He nodded. "Next time, I need to be prepared. I need to fight. That's why I'm out here. I don't want to have to rely on someone to rescue me if this happens again."

Yang swallowed. He meant Raven.

"Y-Yeah, about that…" How was she supposed to broach such a topic? He couldn't trust Raven, he just couldn't. If she _did_ have some interest in him, there was no way it was good. Sure, she'd technically saved him – but that had to be a happy coincidence. If Raven _really_ wanted to help Jaune, she'd have escaped with him. Not sent him a small distance away and then fought a group of Grimm. "About that woman…" she tried again. "About Raven…"

"What is it?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

There was no good way to put it, at least not in a way that wouldn't sound weird. In the end, she clenched her eyes shut and went with the direct approach. Ruby would have called that the usual approach, to be honest.

"You can't trust her."

"Oh, I know."

"I mean it," she said. "Even if she saved you and even if she technically helped you get away from Hentacle, you can't-" Yang paused. "Wait… what did you say?"

"I said I know," Jaune repeated, with no anger or disbelief to his voice at all.

"You do…?"

His eyes narrowed. "I don't like her."

"You don't?" Yang blinked and realised how stupid she sounded. She shook her head. "Good! Great, even. She can't be trusted and you shouldn't let your guard down around her."

"I won't. I didn't feel safe anywhere near her."

Yang nodded happily, relieved and maybe even a little pleased to see him siding with her on the matter. She'd been afraid he would be so happy to have been saved from Hentacle, that he'd trust Raven implicitly. That didn't seem to be the case.

"I didn't think you'd believe me for a second," she admitted. "I thought you'd think I was being stupid or something."

"Why would I think that?"

It was something she didn't want to explain. She'd already shown him more than she cared to, and her history with Raven was something she wanted to keep away. Instead of answering, she shrugged helplessly and remained silent.

Jaune, noticing, wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"You don't have to tell me, Yang. Besides, it's not like I wouldn't believe you. I'll always trust you."

Yang's cheeks flushed, but she managed to smile impishly. "Is that your best attempt to flirt with me? It needs work."

"Huh? No, it wasn't. I was telling the truth. I trust you. I'd trust you with my life."

Argh, he was doing it again – nooo! She buried her face in her knees instead. It was safe there; safe from the heavy words he delivered with such casual ease. Why was she the one blushing when _he_ said corny stuff like that?

Where did he get off not looking embarrassed!?

"I guess that's why I came out here to train," he said. "I need to make sure the next time something like that happens I can look after myself. I don't want you guys nearly getting hurt trying to save me. I don't want anyone I care about to get hurt."

She felt a weight lift off her shoulders. One she wasn't quite aware she'd been carrying. With a sigh of relief, she leaned back so that her shoulder bumped against his. It was cold enough to share a little heat, and after his workout, he was practically radiating it.

Jaune didn't complain at her for stealing a little bit of it. He did glance her way, but simply moved his arm a little so that she could fit easily against his side. She squashed down the little voice that teased at what they must have looked like. Ruby's misunderstanding as to her and Jaune's relationship was making even her think stupid thoughts.

"Thank you…"

"What for? I didn't even do anything."

He didn't understand, naturally. Yang giggled into his shoulder, and then almost knocked him over entirely as she burst into laughter. She caught herself before she could fall on top of him, and then laughed even louder when she saw his bemused expression.

"I-I'm sorry," she said, struggling past her giggles. "I-I just lost control. Snrk…"

"Did I say something funny?"

"Not anything you'd understand," she said. She grinned to show she didn't mean anything by it, and offered him a hand to help him up. "Hey, you said you wanted some help getting stronger, right? How about we spar a little?"

His face lit up, all prior anger gone. "You'd be willing to…?"

"Sure I would. What are friends for?"

"Thank you, Yang!" He rushed forward to hug her, and although her cheeks did heat up a little at having a topless guy wrap his arms around her, she was able to hug him back without feeling too awkward. "You're a great girlfriend, Yang. You really are."

Forget heating up a little- suddenly she felt on fire. At least he was too close to see.

"You're not so bad yourself, champ," she returned, trying to laugh it off. When he felt confused, she wiped it away and fell into a fighting stance. "You ready, lover boy? It's about time I taught you how to get past Uncle Qrow's move."

He nodded and picked up his sword once more.

"Ready!"

/-/

"Weiss, it was exactly what it looked like," Jaune said, sighing for what felt like the tenth time.

"Oh, is that so? And here I thought you were supposed to say it _wasn't_ what it looked like." His partner pressed a finger into his chest and scowled. "You were laid on the floor _topless_ with Yang draped all over you."

"And we were covered in bruises, with my sword at my side, and Yang had me in a submission hold," he pointed out. "I'm fairly sure just about anyone would see that as us sparring."

"Looks like someone's jealous," Yang crooned.

"You can stay quiet!" Weiss snapped. "Ren, control your partner."

Ren looked up and opened his mouth, then clearly thought better of it and put a slice of fruit into it instead. The two teams were sat at the breakfast table, and had met up once everyone awoke to find him and Yang missing from their respective rooms. Maybe they should have thought twice about that, since it was less than a day after that crazy woman had tried to kidnap him. Everyone had assumed he and Yang had been attacked.

Well, everyone else assumed they'd been attacked by Hentacle – aka, his sister. He, of course, knew better, but it wasn't like he could say it.

" **I can sense one of my siblings in the distance, Jaune. If your sister was dead, I would know."**

" _Thanks, Remy. That means a lot."_

Lavender was alive, then, even if she hadn't contacted him yet. To be fair, it was only eight or so hours since the drama the night before, and she might still have been sleeping off her injuries. Things would take time, and right now, the knowledge she was safe was enough to keep him calm.

"I think the big question is what we're going to do about this," Ren said. "Yang and Jaune's late night rendezvous aside-"

"Hey!" Yang yelped.

"There's still the issue of Roman Torchwick working not only with the White Fang, but now with the Grimm as well." he continued, ignoring his partner's red face. "It was bad enough when we thought he was in league with terrorists, but the personification of all evil as well?"

"It's a recipe for disaster," Blake agreed. "I just can't understand why they'd work together…"

Weiss rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Are you still hung up over this? Look, I said I'd accept that not all those in the White Fang are bad, but you can't believe they wouldn't work with a wanted criminal. They _are_ still criminals themselves."

"Not that. I understand and accept the fact. It's just…" Blake struggled for words for a few seconds, before eventually blurting out; "But the Grimm!? How does one even _work_ with mindless monsters, and why on Remnant would they? Their goals aren't exactly compatible. The White Fang want to kill all the humans, Torchwick _is_ a human, and the Grimm want to kill everything." She threw her hands in the air. "How are they even working together? That would be like asking a cat, a mouse, and a Beowolf to build a house."

"Does the how matter?" Yang asked. "We know they're on the wrong side, so we'll do what we have to do and huff, puff, and blow that house down."

"Yeah!" Nora cheered, while Ruby nodded happily beside her.

Jaune sighed and gave up on any attempt to stop them. He didn't want them involved, but it was a little too late for that, and there was a small part of him which wondered why, too. His sisters would never normally deal with people like Roman, and especially not terrorists. What had changed, and why now?

 _And what do I intend to do about it? I'm firmly on the side of the humans in this equation, but I can't fight against my own family._

Except that if he did nothing, he'd probably have to. It certainly looked like they were headed in that direction. He had to do something to stop that, either to derail their plans, change their minds, or at least figure out what they were in the first place and see whether he was okay with them. If Cinder and Mom were just using them all for their own means, with plans to throw them away afterwards, then he was pretty on board with that. It could have been that they needed lien or dust, and Roman and the Fang were the best ways to get it.

As long as it didn't cause any problems for his friends, that wasn't a big deal.

" _I think it's time we started to look into this a little more, Remy."_

" **Oh? I wondered if we'd be doing something about it. You've been pretty passive lately, just letting people run roughshod over you."**

" _I've not been that bad,"_ Jaune protested. _"Have I…?"_

" **You've focused so much on fitting in and being friends with these people that you've not done anything towards your `make peace between Grimm and humans` thing. I wouldn't exactly call that pro-active."**

He wanted to argue, and was about to do so, but the doubt set in before he could. Was Remy right? Had he really thrown away his main goal in order to fit in with everyone here? That wasn't a bad thing, per se. He needed to not stand out, and he felt fairly confident saying he'd done a good job. He had a team, friends, a fake girlfriend in Weiss, a maybe real-girlfriend in Yang. Okay, so things were a little confusing at times, but he hadn't made any social faux pas. He even had a not-so-secret admirer in Cardin. That was all good progress.

It was just a shame the same couldn't be said about his other goals…

" _You're right,"_ Jaune sighed. The disappointment fell thick on him. _"Everything here was so new and exciting, that I focused on that and lost sight of what I'm really supposed to be doing."_

" **That's why I didn't say anything,"** Remy said. **"You were having fun, and I could feel that. I'm meant to be your advisor, but even I wanted to let you just relax for a bit. I guess I should have done something more."**

" _No, don't blame yourself. I'm the guilty one here."_

" **I don't think either of us are guilty of anything, really. I don't think you should try and go all serious either, if only because your team would get suspicious. You should act like you usually do, but you weren't wrong when you said you need to get stronger this morning. Whether you like it or not, if you're going to pursue this route, there's bound to be violence involved."**

" _I don't want to fight my family. I might kill them."_

" **Then you'd better make sure you're strong enough to beat them** _ **without**_ **killing them."**

That wasn't a bad point. If he could subdue or immobilise them, that would let him fight against them without being afraid. It wouldn't be easy – not when Lavender was the weakest of his sisters, and she was already a better swordswoman than he.

Still, it might well be the only way.

" _The first step is information, Remy. I think it's time I had a serious conversation with my Big Sis. I need to know why she's working with Roman and the White Fang."_

Remy didn't reply, but Jaune felt his approval. It was the right decision to make, and honestly one he should have made weeks ago. Instead, he'd been too enthused with being able to live like a normal person for a change, and that had distracted him.

No longer. Now was the beginning of a new era!

"Mr Arc, the headmaster wishes to meet with you."

If he didn't end up being killed first, that was! Jaune's shoulders tensed as he recognised Miss Goodwitch's voice, and right behind him, no less. He wondered why no one had warned him, but found everyone looking in the teacher's direction. Oh right, he'd just been so into talking with Remy, he hadn't noticed.

"Um, can I ask why?" He winced at the teacher's arch expression. "If that's not rude, I mean."

"Yeah, what's up?" Yang asked. "We've already told the headmaster everything we could last night."

"Is something wrong?" Weiss enquired. "I can personally attest that Jaune was with me at all times, so there's nothing he could have done to attract any kind of punishment."

"And it's not his fault he was too startled to fight against the Grimm," Pyrrha added. "He'd just been abducted by Hentacle."

"Mr Arc is not in trouble!" Miss Goodwitch practically yelled over the tidal wave of complaints. She sighed and rolled her eyes towards the ceiling. "I do not believe I even made mention of punishment, and if I did, you'd be wiser to fear _me_ more than you would a meeting with the headmaster."

"Then what's it about?" Ruby asked.

"Not that it's any business of yours, Miss Rose-"

"Eep!"

"But the headmaster merely wishes to speak with your teammate about his near ordeal, and how Beacon can help to prevent such repeat performances in the future." The teacher crossed her arms and waited for everyone to relax. "A student of ours was nearly abducted… again, I might add. This is obviously a big concern for us, hence the meeting."

Everyone seemed to relax and lean back once they had an explanation, and Weiss nodded, content with what she'd heard. "That makes sense," she said. "Well, in that case, I see no complaint. We'll see you later, Jaune."

"Y-Yeah," he said miserably, rising from his seat. Maybe they all saw no problem here, but he did – especially if he was going to have to give information away about his sister. He turned to the teacher and nodded. "I'm ready, ma'am."

"Then follow me."

He could have found his way to the headmaster's office without the lead. They'd been their last night after the warehouse incident, and they'd given the headmaster a doctored story about why they were there. Namely, they'd left out the explanation of why they'd been there, and just gone with the excuse that they'd heard and seen the Grimm, then reacted as they'd been expected to. Honestly, he wasn't sure Ozpin believed it, but the man seemed willing enough to let it go.

Had something changed now, and he was being drawn up alone to answer for what they'd done?

As the elevator door opened, he was surprised to see it wasn't to be a private meeting at all. The headmaster was there, and beside him was Ruby's uncle, Qrow. Miss Goodwitch nodded and walked over to stand on the other side of the headmaster, who gestured to the seat in front of the desk.

Jaune sat down nervously. "You wanted to see me, headmaster?"

"I did, Mr Arc."

"I already told you everything I know about last night. There's nothing more I can say."

"It's not about that," Ozpin said, placing his hands atop his desk. "In fact, this is a rare moment where I will not expect you to talk much at all. I think it's time _I_ explained some things for a change."

It didn't sound like an interrogation, and Jaune felt his stomach settle as he nodded and waited for the main to continue.

"Firstly, I believe it goes without saying that you are aware of the danger you're currently in. Am I correct in assuming so?"

"Danger?" Jaune asked nervously. Did… Did he know…?

"Oh for crying out loud, how oblivious can you be?" Qrow growled. "Hentacle. You. Being kidnapped. The whole Beowolves carrying you away at Forever Fall. Don't tell me you somehow missed all of that!"

"Oh right, yeah. I remember." It wasn't like he'd forgotten so much as feared Ozpin meant something else. "I'm still here though. I've had good friends to look after me."

"And that is to yours and our benefit, Mr Arc. The problem is that they might not be there at all times, and I fear deep inside that our enemy might soon pit greater foes against you. This is the reason I asked Qrow to begin training you; to better prepare you for what may come."

Wait, so Ozpin was behind the training? Qrow looked stone-faced, showing little of the embarrassment he probably ought to be displaying. The training had achieved nothing, after all. He'd honestly learned more from Yang.

"Is that why you sent Raven after me?"

Ozpin paused, as did Glynda – but Qrow flinched and spilled some liquid he'd been drinking from his lips.

"Raven…? Do you mean Raven Branwen?" Ozpin sounded curious, and also a little concerned. "Why would she be-?" He turned to Qrow.

"W-Why, indeed?" Qrow spluttered, still struggling with his drink. "Why are you looking at me like I'd know? I don't know what goes on in the crazy woman's head."

"It seems you might," Ozpin whispered, earning a gulp from the other man. "I do apologise, Mr Arc. I had no hand in your… encounter… with her. Still, I suppose it worked to your advantage here, so it's not an unfortunate event."

Yeah, for them maybe…

"I suppose you must be asking yourself what kind of threat it is you face," Ozpin went on. "I understand this may be hard for you to understand, especially considering that the Grimm have never before shown any penchant for strategy or higher thinking."

" **And yet we have you pinned into the last five per cent of Remnant,"** Remy groused. **"Seriously, do they even listen to themselves? Oh look, we're mindless – and we're winning. Look at big stupid Grimm who knows nothing. Duh…"**

"I had wondered," Jaune lied, a little distracted since he was listening to two conversations at once.

"What I am about to say next will be difficult to believe, and I want to warn you that it will shock you. That said, you must believe me, for it is nothing more than the truth. This is information I would not normally share with a student, or anyone, in fact. It is knowledge that could shake the very foundation of our Kingdom."

Ozpin waited for him to nod, or maybe he was just waiting for dramatic purposes. Either way, Jaune shuffled in his chair and placed his hands between his legs.

"The Grimm are not as leaderless as they appear."

Jaune blinked, waiting for more. Ozpin blinked back, apparently waiting for something in turn.

"And…?"

Ozpin recovered quickly. "They are ruled by a single entity. A creature of incredible malice, cruelty and ambition. They are ruled by Salem – the Queen of the Grimm!"

Jaune waited for something more, his face set in an inquisitive, almost interested smile. It became clear a second later that there wasn't anything, and that Ozpin was awaiting some kind of response. He glanced at the others in the office for inspiration, and saw them all staring expectantly at him. "What…?"

"Mr Arc, I just informed you as to the existence of someone _controlling_ the Grimm."

Yeah, and it was his mother. Was this supposed to be a secret at all? Why else would the Grimm be laying obvious siege to the entire world? Did they think that was just a happy coincidence or something?

" **I think they're waiting for your shock, since – you know – no one knows about your Mother?"**

He almost choked.

"I-I mean _what_!? That's crazy! You're saying there is someone who rules over the Grimm!?"

"There is indeed," Ozpin nodded, apparently either happy to believe his poor acting, or maybe assuming the shock had robbed Jaune of the ability to properly show emotion. "She is a dread queen, and one who could very well spell the end for all of humanity as we know it."

" _Only if she wanted to…"_

" **Which she does…"**

"I can see you're shocked to silence, Mr Arc, and I can understand that. One of the greatest tools in keeping hope alive has been the belief that Grimm are mindless, and thus inferior to ourselves. We pin them as a plague and a disease, because humans treat and kill diseases. The truth is far less kind, and it is nothing less than a war we are involved in."

"The headmaster has chosen to inform you because of your unique circumstances," Glynda interrupted. "You've had several attempts to abduct you already, so it's rather clear that Salem wants you in some way. We're not sure why."

He was. She wanted to bend him over her knee.

"Glynda speaks the truth," Ozpin said. "Whatever Salem wants you for, you can rest assured we will not allow. The safety of all our students is paramount, but yours more than ever. If she wished to kill you, she could have done so, but instead she has moved to acquire you – and that hints at things we dare not imagine. Could it be that within you lays the tool to defeating the Grimm? Could it be that she fears you?" Ozpin shook his head. "And what of you, Mr Arc; are you committed to ending the Grimm once and for all?"

No, not really. He nodded and picked his words carefully. "I want to end the Grimm threat."

"Excellent. I applaud your determination, but now is not the time. The important thing at the moment is to protect and keep you safe, while also training you to protect yourself. With that in mind, I've asked Miss Goodwitch to also take part in your training. This will happen secretly, however, as such preferential treatment would draw attention – and few would understand why it is so essential."

"Can I tell my team?"

"Would it matter if I said no?"

Jaune had the good grace to look embarrassed.

"Tell them about the training, for they'll only notice your absence if you don't. I would appreciate it if you mentioned only that it is to protect you, however. While I understand the allure of sharing knowledge of Salem will be great, it will only dishearten your teammates."

"I'll keep it secret," he promised – and he meant it this time. He didn't exactly want everyone knowing about his mom, either.

"I'm glad to hear it," Ozpin said. "For now, we'll focus on training and improving you, and then we will look into this Hentacle – which is the first we've ever heard of a Grimm that can act and think like a human… much like Salem herself can." The headmaster held out a hand, and Jaune took it after a moment's hesitation. "To the end of the Grimm," he said.

"To the end of the Grimm threat," Jaune echoed.

" **Have you just joined a secret society aligned against your mother?"**

" _I honestly have no idea…"_

* * *

 **We're going to be wrestling this back to the main plot of the story, since it has been allowed to divert a little a month or so ago. The recent chapters have focused on that, as this one does as well. Honestly, I've been really enjoying the improved planning I can put into my bi-weekly fics, and maybe I'll consider something like that again in the future.**

 **I still do write five times a week, it's just that on some days (Tues and Sat), I have two fics that alternate, with one being every other week, and the second filling the gaps.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 14** **th** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	35. Chapter 35

**Here's the chapter. I have a busy week this week, and probably busy for the next two coming as well. I have to do my big speech at an event to a few thousand people. Ugh, how very annoying.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 35**

* * *

Qrow parried the cut towards his head and reversed his blade, locking it against the other and twisting to the side. The opponent's sword flew through the air and hit the grass a good fifteen feet away. His own tickled the underside of his student's chin.

The kid knocked it away with the back of his hand and threw a punch towards his face. It missed, but he followed up with another, this time aiming for Qrow's ribs.

It wasn't too hard to catch it, even if he did wince at the unexpected force hidden there. The kid was strong. Twisting and kicking out with one foot, Qrow swept Jaune's legs out from under him and then placed a foot on his chest when he tried to rise. This time, Qrow made sure to push down a little more firmly with his sword.

"I yield," Jaune Arc gasped.

"Heh, yeah you do." Qrow grinned and sheathed his weapon, holding out a hand. He took it, and Qrow pulled him to his feet and pushed him in the direction of his lost weapon. The kid staggered over without complaint and picked it up.

When Jaune turned once more and fell into a ready stance, it was all Qrow could do not to groan.

"Again?"

"I want to be stronger," Jaune said, one hand clutching his shoulder as he worked his muscles loose. "I know it's a pain for you, Mr Branwen, but I think I'm improving and I don't want to stop now."

The kid _was_ improving; Qrow didn't feel bad about admitting that. What he _did_ feel bad about admitting was that it wasn't annoyance that made him want to cut the training short. It was exhaustion. He'd been knocking the guy around for over an hour now, and as much as that didn't seem to affect Jaune limitless stamina Arc, it _was_ having an effect on him.

But admitting that would make him sound – and feel – old. He bit down on a sigh instead and held his weapon before him. The bloody thing had never felt so heavy before, but he was _not_ bowing out of this. The students at Signal feared his training methods, feared _him_ because he would work them until they collapsed. He had a reputation to uphold.

He just wished the bastard could at least look a _little_ winded.

 _Not sure if that's Raven's stamina or Nicholas'. Raven always could go on for a long time, especially when she was after a good fight. Still, why would he be so useless with a sword? She'd never accept that, and the last I checked, Nicholas was fairly handy with a blade._

His thoughts were interrupted for a second as Jaune charged in, his blade coming down in an overhead swing. Qrow blocked it easily, then flicked his sword to the side to knock him off-balance. Adrenaline rushed through him, and he quickly caught his second – or was it third – wind.

"Spread your legs a little further apart," he barked, pushing forward with both hands and pushing Jaune back to prove his point. He was rewarded with the kid quickly taking the lesson to hear and attacking again. "Follow through with your swings. I know you expect me to block them, but stop pulling them at the last second. If you do hit, you'll do no damage if you get that habit."

Jaune nodded, and Qrow winced as the force behind the blows quickly increased. He wasn't imagining that, and there was no way he'd accept youth or old age as having anything to do with it. He'd thought before that the kid was strong, but this was ridiculous.

 _Is it a part of his Semblance or something? It honestly feels like I'm being hit by someone twice his size._ Qrow's arm twinged and he fell back, ducking under the next swing. _Hell, he's going to wear me down through sheer power at this rate. You wouldn't think he had the muscle mass for all this looking at him._

Feeling was believing, however. Sure, he could have killed the kid ten times over already, but if he _did_ learn to have a better defence, then he could use his ridiculous stamina and strength to devastating effect.

That was _if_ he could get his skill under control. Qrow swung his blade to the side, caught Jaune's around the mid-point, then slid it down to the hilt and flicked. It pushed the hilt out of the blonde's hand, yet again disarming him. Once more, Jaune went into melee straight after, but it wasn't too hard to knock him down. The second he hit the floor, Qrow slammed his sword down into the dirt.

"We're done," he gasped. "I'm calling it over for the day."

"Already? But I can still fight."

 _You might be able to, but I can't, you bastard._ Not that he could admit that. He straightened instead and crossed his arms. "If we keep fighting, you'll have too much to try and improve on. It's better if you take time to think on the mistakes you made and fix those."

Yeah, that sounded like a good excuse.

"But isn't this about creating muscle memory?"

Erk.

"Yes and no. It's a bit of both. Either way, we're done for now." Qrow slumped as gracefully as he could and pulled out his hip flask. He didn't normally guzzle at it so desperately, but the kid had pushed him harder than he'd pushed himself in years. "You've shown improvement," he said once his thirst was sated. "There's still work to be done, especially footwork, but the will is there. I like how you keep going when you lose your sword, too."

"Would be better if I didn't lose it…"

"Yeah, but I've seen people become useless when disarmed." Ruby was a good example, not that his niece would ever listen to him on that front. "Better to have a fall back if something goes wrong. You never know, you might one day be stuck in a situation where you don't have your weapon. What are you going to do then?"

"I'd probably just use my bare hands."

From anyone else, that might have seemed a sarcastic answer, but given the idiot's strength, Qrow had the sinking suspicion Jaune Arc _could_ badly hurt someone if he wanted to. _You always said you liked strong men, Raven, but sheesh – what the hell did you create?_

Whatever the case, Jaune was getting better, even if only by a little. What he lacked in skill, he made up for in willingness to learn, and that would serve him well. He hadn't complained about the training and seemed keen to have as much as he could get.

That was fortunate, really, since Ozpin wanted the kid to be as strong as possible, as fast as possible.

Qrow just hoped the old man didn't put too much on the kid's shoulders. He had potential, sure, and the fact that Salem wanted him was a big tell that there was something special there, but putting the weight of the world on him wasn't a good idea. They'd done that once before with the silver-eyed warriors, and he'd seen first-hand how that went. His hand gripped the flask a little tighter as he thought of Summer. There was so much to regret there.

"You've got some serious stamina, kid," Qrow began, partly to fill the silence, but also partly to dig a little deeper. "How much did you have to train to build that up?"

"A little, but most of it came naturally."

"Your Dad was always a pretty active guy." Qrow shot his student a furtive look. "What about your Mom? Does she fight?"

"Yeah…"

"She strong?"

"You could definitely say that."

"What's she like?"

"Oh, you know. Like any other Mom. Where's Ruby? I thought she normally joined in with the training?"

It wasn't hard to spot the attempt at changing the conversation. Honestly, it would have been more impressive if someone could miss it. _He's defensive when it comes to talking about her. I guess that's understandable._

There was no point in pushing further, so Qrow bowed out with a shrug. "I figured it would be best to focus on you after the talk with Ozpin. I promised Ruby some one-to-one training this afternoon. I'll be helping her with her scythe work, though she could use some pointers on hand to hand, too."

Jaune nodded but didn't reply, fishing in his bags for a drink of water. The attempt to dodge talking about his mother aside, he wasn't so bad. That didn't stop Qrow feeling awkward around him, though.

 _He doesn't seem to know I'm his Uncle, but if it's true, then I've been absent his whole life. Well, not like that was my fault since my dear sister didn't tell me, but still… should I feel guilty? Should I say something?_

What was he supposed to even say? "Oh hey, I'm your Uncle. Want to go to the beach?"

No, that sounded stupid and it was too late to start acting like nothing was wrong. He wasn't sure if he should apologise at all, or if that might just make things even weirder. Jaune clearly didn't want to talk about his family at all, so he could just not bring it up and it would never need to be dealt with. Was that the right thing to do, though?

 _Talk about awkward. Why am I the one getting stuck in this situation?_

Better to think about work, probably, even if that wasn't exactly pleasant either. "Ozpin wants you trained up quickly," he said. "We're not sure if Hentacle will make another move on you, but it would be best if you were able to hold him off if he did. I know you agreed to it from Oz, but I'm just going to warn you in advance about Goodwitch. She won't go easy on you."

"I've never seen her fight before," Jaune admitted. "I know she's strong since she's a teacher, but she doesn't look like it. Would she even fight me normally?"

"Maybe. That's up to her." Glynda definitely wasn't what you'd call a melee fighter, but it wouldn't be much in the way of training if she just pounded him with her spells. Then again, maybe she was looking to teach him how to dodge. It was a valuable skill, after all. "You sure you're okay with all of this, though? I know Oz didn't give you much of a chance to say no, but all of this… it's a bit much for a guy your age. You should be enjoying your first year of school, making friends, getting into silly fights and getting caught by Glynda smuggling alcohol into school."

He still shivered when he recalled that. The worst part was that she hadn't even been a teacher at the time, just an upper year prefect whose job it was to monitor the halls. Gods, she'd been terrifying.

Hot, but terrifying.

"I wouldn't have agreed to this if I didn't like it." Jaune's voice was cagey at best, but Qrow didn't call him out on it.

 _It's not like he has as much choice as we'd like to pretend. Even if Oz wouldn't ever force him against his will, the fact he's got Hentacle and Salem after him will pretty much do the same. If he wants to survive, he needs all the help he can get._

It sucked… especially since the kid was family, as weird as it was to admit that about Raven's spawn. He was though, wasn't he? He'd always dreaded the idea of Raven ever having a kid, and even worried when Yang was born. His sister abandoning Yang was a sore spot, and he still hated her for it, but a selfish part of him had also been relieved.

Raven was _not_ mother material.

Still, Jaune had come out okay, though Qrow had a sinking suspicion that wasn't because of anything his sister had contributed. The fact he'd apparently run away from home without his mother's permission solidified that, and frankly, if his nephew wanted to run away from that den of evil, then more power to him. He'd offer whatever help he could.

"Well, we'll call training there for the day," Qrow said, lying back on the grass. "Good work. We'll focus more on your sword in the future. At least you got past that trick I was using. That's worth celebrating on its own."

Jaune seemed to cheer up at that, a small smile gracing his face. "Yeah… I had some help with that. I guess I should thank her."

"Oh?" Qrow asked curiously. "Asking someone for tips to get past me?"

"Yeah, Yang and I spent the other night out here together."

Qrow choked.

"We didn't feel like sleeping after, so we trained until morning." Jaune grinned in his direction, apparently unable – or perhaps unwilling – to understand the expression of horror on Qrow's face. This couldn't be happening. "She taught me how to get past your trick."

Yang and Jaune.

Jaune and Yang.

Branwen and Branwen.

"I-I thought you were dating the Schnee girl?" he managed to croak out. Winter was pissed about it, but what wasn't she pissed about nowadays? Still, that had been the only thing letting him sleep easy at night!

"I-I am," Jaune replied – far too quickly, and far too defensively. "Weiss is my girlfriend."

"And Yang…?" he dared to ask.

"Well, if training is over, then I guess I should head off." Jaune stood and dusted himself down. "Thanks for all the help, Mr Branwen. I'll see you around."

As clumsily dodged as he had the question about Raven, but this one was far more horrifying. Did he know and not care…? Or… no, was it possible? Raven _was_ just bitch enough not to tell anyone, and it wasn't like she considered Taiyang her husband if she'd gone and shacked up with Nicholas. Could it also be that she'd never told Jaune about Yang?

She _was_ called Yang Xiao-Long, after all. It was possible Jaune didn't realise at all… and since he had his father's surname, Yang wouldn't know either. They both thought things were normal, while both were headed down a path that filled him with dread. Dread and ick.

Qrow groaned and gripped his head with both hands. An Uncle's job was to be cool, offer advice and occasionally babysit when needed. It was _not_ to explain to your niece and nephew why they couldn't get it on with one another.

That was Taiyang and Nicholas' job.

Bloody blonde bastards…

/-/

" _Is it just me or does he keep prodding about my mother?"_

" **It's not just you. I've noticed it as well."** Remy shifted about under his skin, and Jaune felt him settle between his neck and shoulder, as though to better whisper into his ear. **"He could just be curious about your past, but I'd be careful. He is aligned with Ozpin."**

And Ozpin was aligned against his family. Jaune nodded, even if he wasn't sure where exactly he fit into that scale. He was firmly on his Mom's side, of course. But he was also kind of on Ozpin's side, since he stood in defence of Beacon, and that was where all his friends were. So long as his Mom didn't actually attack Beacon - and he couldn't see a reason why she'd want to - there wouldn't be a problem.

It wouldn't even be tricking Ozpin, technically. It seemed pretty obvious he was being trained up as some kind of anti-Grimm weapon, and that was fine. No one said he had to use it against the Grimm, and it wasn't like anyone could control him if he didn't want to be controlled. _I only said I'd help against the Grimm threat. So long as there's no threat, I don't have to do anything._

And if being in Ozpin's little group helped him to find out any plans that might hurt his family and stop them…? Well, that would just be a bonus.

Better in than out, especially when it came to this.

" **You do realise you'll need to play ball with them, right? If you act too suspicious, they'll cut off their support."**

Or maybe even dig deeper into his past. Jaune nodded. He understood. It was dangerous, but something he had to do. If he wanted to make peace between Grimm and humans, then it had become increasingly obvious he'd need to force the issue. To do that, he'd need to prove the Grimm could be harmless, which meant gaining control of the Grimm so that he could order them to stop hunting humans at every opportunity.

That would mean taking his Mom's position, which would mean being stronger than all of his sisters since they were technically all heirs. His Mom hadn't exactly planned on having loads of children, so issues of succession had never been considered.

If he wanted control, he'd need to best his sisters – and that meant being strong enough to stand up to them. He gulped and tugged at his collar. Well, that was easier said than done. Lavender was younger than him, and already stronger in some ways.

Come to think of it, he still needed to find out whether she was okay. It had been a day or two since the incident with Torchwick, so she should have gotten in contact already. Jaune fished out his scroll and looked around. It was still early and most people weren't up, so there wasn't much chance of being overheard.

It took three or four rings before it was answered.

" _Hello…?"_

He couldn't believe the rush of relief that washed over him. He'd known she was fine, of course, but there was a difference in knowing and hearing first-hand. "Lavender, it's me."

" _Jaune!"_ There was some hustle on the other end, the sound of things being moved around. _"How are you? Are you okay?"_

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? You're the one who got injured."

He supposed that showed what his sisters thought of him. Even when it was one of them who'd been viciously attacked by that crazy woman, they thought of him first. If he was stronger, they wouldn't worry so much.

" _I'm fine, big brother, but thank you for asking. Elena healed my tentacles, and I didn't take too much damage. Mister Torchwick has agreed to put me up in his place, too. Isn't that sweet of him?"_

"He's in the room, isn't he?" There was no other reason why she'd be so polite-sounding, especially about Cinder's half-underling, half-boyfriend. Jaune sighed and palmed his face. "You're wrapping him around your finger, aren't you?"

" _Yep,"_ she giggled. _"To both."_

"Just be careful, sis. He can't be trusted, no matter how nice he's acting." Jaune continued his route across the gardens. "Speaking of, do you have any idea what Cinder and him are working together on?"

" _No."_

"You didn't even ask?"

" _Would she have told me if I did? No, I didn't ask. Why?"_

"Because you agreed to help her, and by extension, you agreed to help Roman too. Don't you want to know what it is they planned to use you for?"

" _Not really. My objective was to find you, and Cinder offered that in exchange for my help. The specific reason as to why was never any interest of mine."_

That was so like her, and so like the rest of his family now that he thought about it. They only ever cared about the results and never the means, and now that he thought about it, his dad was the same. Lavender was focused only on what she wanted, her family, and to hell with whatever plan Cinder intended to use her for.

So long as it didn't interfere, there would be no problem. That was the usual approach to their family. Anyone could do whatever they wanted, without reproach, so long as it didn't interfere with anyone else's plans.

But things were different now. He had other people to worry about, and he couldn't afford to just ignore what was going on.

"Never mind, then. I'll see you around, Lav."

" _Wait, wait, wait-"_ Lavender pressed her face close to the scroll, and although he couldn't see her face – not having made a video call – he could imagine her expression.

"What? What's wrong?"

" _When are you going to introduce me to your friends?"_

He held the scroll away from his face and cringed at it. He _had_ promised, and she _would_ keep badgering him if he didn't agree. To be fair, she was probably a more convincing human than he was anyway. "You're still going on about that?"

" _I want to meet him,"_ Lavender said. There was a short pause, before she quickly added, _"Them. I want to meet them."_

"Soon," Jaune promised. "I'll bring them into Vale, or maybe introduce you to them one at a time. We need to come up with our stories, though. It wouldn't make much sense if we both agreed on different things."

" _I'll hold you to it, big brother."_ She giggled airily. _"And I'll go with whatever story you came up with. I won't bother you anymore. It sounds like you're busy."_

"Ah, just a little. But you're never a bother."

" _I love you, big brother."_

"I love you too," he replied, ending the call. He pocketed his scroll with a smile and a newfound hop to his step. Lavender really was the sweetest of his sisters and the only one who ever looked and spoke to him with such obvious respect and admiration. To be fair, that was probably more because of how she was than him – since it would be hard for the rest of them to admire the guy who was categorically the weakest.

Still, not even Amber called him big brother. She was too busy training on being strong.

" **Ugh, you are disgustingly easy…"**

" _What?"_

Remy didn't answer and Jaune dismissed him a second later. He was already nearly at his destination, and with it being a little later in the morning, some of the early risers were starting to leave their rooms. There were two such outside the room he was headed to, though come to think of it, they _did_ seem to always be up early.

He was fairly sure he'd seen them a few times when he was training, and that was long before most people even thought about getting up. They were outside of his Big Sis' room, and were both looking over some pictures held between them. One had a camera on a ribbon about her neck, while the other was leaned over, one hand on the wall beside the girl's rabbit-like ears.

It didn't look like they'd seen or heard him coming, so he raised his voice in greeting.

"Hey Mercury, hello Velvet."

The two reacted instantly. Velvet yelped and leapt back from her companion, fumbling and dropping the pictures she'd been holding. She gasped and knelt down to start picking them up, and Mercury rushed to help before Jaune could even make a move to do so.

"Don't worry," Mercury said. "I've got it."

"N-No, it's fine," Velvet whispered.

Jaune blinked and cocked his head, not quite sure why Mercury angled his body in such a way as to block him off. He realised a second later why, namely because Velvet looked his way, and quickly went red in the face and ducked behind the taller boy. Mercury was hiding Velvet from him… probably because she was still scared of him.

"Sorry," Jaune said, stepping back. "I must have startled you both. I didn't mean to. Is Cinder in?"

"Yeah, she's in there with Emerald." Mercury picked up the last of the pictures and pushed them into Velvet's hands. When they both stood back up, the faunus was still half-behind him, and Mercury looked down to her in question. "Huh, what's wro-ow!"

"Nothing," Velvet said, smiling brightly.

"You hit m-ow, stop it!"

"What are you two up to?" Jaune asked.

"Er…" Mercury scratched the back of his head. "You know, just out for a walk. Right, Velvet?"

Velvet nodded her head furiously. "Y-Yes."

"We hang out," Mercury said, shrugging. "Anyway, Cinder is in there, but she's kind of busy and- whoa!" His voice cut off as Velvet tugged him to the side, and apparently quite roughly if the way he stumbled was any indication. The red-faced girl shook her head and dragged him away, never quite looking in Jaune's direction.

 _I guess she's still afraid of me,_ he thought sadly, watching them go. There wasn't much he could do about that, not if she couldn't even stand to be in front of him without running away. He was glad she'd made a friend in Mercury, though. He was cool.

His eyes turned back to the door and he sighed. Contrary to how people often saw him, he wasn't a complete idiot. Cinder was definitely busy with something, and didn't want to be interrupted. He needed to speak with her, though.

Ugh, the things he did…

/-/

Cinder sat on the edge of her bed, swirling some white wine about the inside of her glass. Her eyes were fixed ahead, one leg crossed over the other and her foot swaying dangerously in the air. It would have been impossible to mistake her mood, even before one took her expression into account.

Behind her, Emerald Sustrai knelt with her head bowed.

"You have failed me."

"M-Ma'am…"

The girl's voice was choked with fear, regret, and something deeper. She could have said more, but chose not to, accurately guessing it would be unwise to dig the hole deeper.

"I specifically asked you to keep my idiot brother away from Roman's operations. Not only did you fail to do this, but your actions directly led to the Schnee finding him. As such, we've now lost the Paladins Roman struggled so hard to obtain."

And he'd made sure she knew all about that. There could be no blaming Roman for this one. He'd done his part, secured the goods, and then paraded them before the White Fang as she'd instructed. Despite his typical penchant for failure, Roman had gone above and beyond – even fighting against Winter Schnee in an effort to keep hold of their latest toys.

He had failed, of course… but not through any action or inaction on his part. He'd failed because Winter Schnee was the better pilot, and because his soiree had been crashed by her brother and his meddling friends. And none of that would have happened had Emerald simply done as she'd been ordered.

The wine swished about her glass, and some droplets spilled from the rim. It remained untouched, for she was not in the mood for drink. It was only there to keep her hands busy, lest they reach for weapons or fire.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Emerald?"

"I… ma'am, I…" There was a long pause, and Emerald seemed to shrink in on herself. "I have nothing to say, ma'am. I failed you. I-I'm sorry."

"You did fail me," Cinder agreed. "I made an agreement with Roman, and when I instructed you to keep Jaune away, it was with the belief that you would act on my behalf. I trusted you, Emerald." Or she hadn't, not in any significant way. Meeting with Lavender Salem Arc was more important, and Emerald had been the only one available for this task. "We still need Roman, which is why his near-capture could have been disastrous. Would have been disastrous, were it not for Neo rescuing him at the last moment. It was she who helped Jaune as well, I'm led to understand. Where were you in all of this?"

"I was-"

"Ah yes, liaising with the Schnee girl and her friends. Perhaps a valuable position had I any use for the brat." The wine glass shattered as she clenched her fist, and crystalline shards of glass rained down onto the floor. "I gave you your task, Emerald. I gave you strict instructions. Jaune was to be kept away from-"

There was a click from the main door, and Cinder tossed her head angrily. "Did I not make it abundantly clear you were to wait outside?"

"Did you…? You didn't tell me."

It wasn't Mercury who entered, and Cinder quickly schooled her face into a calmer, kinder, expression as she regarded her little brother – adopted, of course. She felt a stab of irritation. "It's good to see you, Jaune, but I'm a little busy disciplining one of my people. Perhaps we should meet again after lunch if you wanted to talk with me."

"I'd rather talk now."

Cinder's words failed her for a moment as Jaune did the exact opposite of what she'd expected and pushed further into the room, closing the door behind him. He would normally have noticed her mood and made a quick retreat; she wasn't angry at him, after all. The defiance, small as it may have been, was unexpected. Not to mention unwelcome.

"Now is not the best of times…"

"It's important."

He intended to push this, then. Cinder sighed but nodded her head nonetheless. It wasn't like him to be so insistent, and even if he was also a part of the reason Roman had lost the Paladins, it wasn't like she could punish him like she could Emerald. "Fine," she said, waving one hand. "Let me deal with this first, then I'll speak with you."

Jaune nodded, and Cinder returned her attention to her underling.

"Your failure has complicated my plans, and has also left me in a position owning a favour to Roman – or at the very least an apology." Neither of those things she cared for, but she needed him still, and that meant she'd have to do what she had to do. "More than that, my mistress' daughter was harmed, and her son almost abducted. If she were to learn about that, your death would not be a swift one." She strode past Jaune to stand in front of Emerald, and sneered down on her as the girl shook. "I wonder what punishment I should even give you…"

"None."

Cinder froze. Her eyes shifted to the right, narrowed and angry. "Excuse me…?"

"You shouldn't punish her," Jaune said. "She doesn't deserve it."

Anger flashed through her, but she tempered it with ironclad discipline. Even so, it was all she could do not to snarl as she crossed her arms and turned to face her `darling` brother. "Emerald failed the task I set her," she said curtly. "I specifically asked her to keep _you_ away from that warehouse. Not only did she fail, but she led Winter Schnee directly there, endangering you, your friends, and Roman. Tell me, Jaune. How is it that she does not deserve punishment?"

"Because it's not her fault any of that happened." Jaune stepped past her, and she didn't fail to note how his path brought him so that he stood between her and Emerald. That fool was protecting her. "I tricked her into believing I'd be in Beacon. If anything, it's my fault."

"Fault does not forgive failure, nor beget it. Regardless of who tricked her or how, her task was to prevent one thing happening. She failed."

And frankly, if she could be tricked by him so easily, then she deserved everything that happened to her. Jaune was hardly the subtlest of people!

"Even so, it was my fault. If you want to punish someone, punish me."

 _I fully intend to, you stupid idiot!_ Oh, she hadn't missed the fact he'd interfered in her plans, and he was as guilty as Emerald of making their lives harder. That said, Jaune wasn't her underling, even if she did have a lot of influence with him. She hadn't instructed him to do something, and he hadn't failed her.

Emerald had, and that was why she needed to suffer the consequences. It was important for maintaining her control over the girl. Not that he'd understand. She doubted he would accept it, either. All for his bleeding heart.

She could bull past him and his wishes and punish Emerald anyway. It wasn't like he could stop her, or watch out for the girl twenty-four, seven. Then again, he'd learn about it sooner or later, even if she gave Emerald a relatively light punishment.

He'd then be upset with her, and she'd lose what influence and control she had.

"Fine," she snapped, furious beyond belief. She glared at Emerald just to make sure the girl _knew_ how much a reprieve this was. "You will be forgiven for failing me this once. I suggest you show your gratitude."

"T-Thank you, ma'am-"

"Not to me. Were it my choice, I'd have you dating that Winchester idiot as punishment for this." Cinder watched as the girl's face twisted in disgust and horror. Good. "Regardless, it seems like Jaune sees some value in you… enough so to force my hand. Do not forget it."

"I won't," Emerald said, rising unsteadily. She turned to Jaune, eyes wide. "Thank you, I won't forget this."

"It's fine," he said, waving it off.

Cinder's glare warned Emerald she should do no such thing, and the girl gulped. _He_ might not see any value in such a thing, but Cinder would not allow it to be thrown away. _Know that the only reason you are not suffering now is because of him,_ she thought, frowning.

Judging by the look on Emerald's face, she knew.

"Leave us," Cinder snapped. "Jaune and I need to talk."

"W-What should I do, ma'am?"

"Go for a walk, entertain yourself." Cinder rolled her eyes. "I'd give you a task, but I'm afraid you'd fail me yet again."

Emerald flinched and her head fell. The despair would serve her well, and perhaps even do as an incentive not to repeat her mistake. She looked once more to Cinder for instruction, but moved to the door when it was clear nothing was forthcoming.

It looked like she wanted to apologise again before she left, but a sharp glare from Cinder had her scurrying away.

"Don't you think that was a little mean?" Jaune asked as the door slammed shut. "She did her best."

Cinder shot him a similar glare, but he remained as impervious as ever. He'd gotten too used to them, or maybe he was simply made of sterner stuff. "Her best was not good enough, then. Personally, I believe she could have done better."

"It was me who tricked her."

"Then she should learn not to underestimate her foes."

"Technically, she saved my life by sending Neo after me…"

"And that would have not been an issue at all had she kept you at Beacon as I instructed."

Jaune opened his mouth to argue, but gave up with a sigh. He wouldn't win and seemed to realise that. Her plans were not always absolute, but in this case they were. Had Emerald taken her task seriously, then none of this would have happened!

Still, that was not what she was here for now. Cinder pushed her way over to the table, where the bottle of wine stood. She considered offering Jaune a glass, but she was still angry at him and poured herself one instead. He looked at it, but didn't dare comment when she raised an eyebrow.

If he wanted a drink, he could damn well serve himself.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" she snapped. "I hope it's worth my time."

"You're upset…"

"And you're observant," she countered. What did he expect? She'd woken up to find her Paladins gone, the White Fang faith in her at its lowest in months, Roman upset, Lavender injured – and all her plans scattered about the floor like someone had taken a bulldozer to them.

Oh, and it was all _his_ fault.

"I am a little irritated, yes. Would you care to guess why, Jaune?"

He winced. "I don't think I need to."

No, she supposed he didn't. He was well aware he'd stepped on her toes, and that was probably why he'd come around – to beg for her forgiveness. She hummed and considered that. Her anger was still there, and he'd cost her dearly. If he wanted to make it up, he'd better be prepared to put the effort in. Back in the Grimmlands, she might have let him off with attentive service and maybe a massage. Here, she was feeling a little more demanding.

Her feet had been aching after so much strutting on heels. Perhaps he could start with that.

"So," she said, sitting down and crossing her legs. She smirked up at him, amused at the thoughts of the things she would make him do. "What did you wish to see me so soon? Do you perhaps have something you wish to say to me? Something you wish to ask for…?"

"Yeah…" He took a breath and sat down opposite her. "I want to ask what your plans are."

The glass in her hand paused half-way to her lips. "Are you sure that was what you wanted to ask? Don't you owe me something, first?"

"No. I don't think so, anyway."

 _Calm,_ she told herself. _Stay calm. You can't afford to break another glass, or you'll be drinking from the bottle and that is unsightly._ Delicately, gently, she placed the champagne glass down and placed both hands on her knee.

"Not even an apology?" she half-asked, half-seethed. "After all, you caused me quite the trouble the other night, Jaune. Enough so that my plans have been set back… significantly."

"Yeah, but that's kind of your fault as well."

Cinder's brow twitched. "Oh…?"

"Yeah." Jaune nodded, apparently oblivious to his impending doom. "After all, if you'd just told me what was happening, then I could have avoided it. I only got in your way because I didn't realise I was there in the first place. If you'd just told me…"

"My plans are my plans, Jaune. You don't really need to know about them."

"Then you should probably be prepared for me accidentally ruining more of them," he said flippantly. "Not like I know what's going on, but if I stumbled on them, then it's hardly my fault since I didn't even know they were yours in the first place."

That… that… Cinder bit down on her immediate response and schooled her features. If he wanted to make her angry, then he was well on the track to success. _He would never normally do something like this. He wouldn't even normally care about what I was doing. What's changed to suddenly? What's happened to make him act so different?_

Could it be Lavender? Her appearance had been an unwelcome surprise, but one she'd been forced to adapt to. Had the arrival of his younger sister sparked something in him?

"If you're not here to apologise, then what are you here for?"

"I want to make a deal…"

Her lips thinned. This definitely felt like Lavender's influence. Lavender was younger than her siblings, and as such had less time to train and prepare herself. What was more; she was born physically weaker – at least by the standards of the Arc's Grimm-enhanced family. Given her unique disadvantages, it would have been understandable if she'd faded out of attention and accepted her lot in life.

She had not.

The girl's focus on the sword was impressive, and with many of her sisters eschewing mundane tools in favour of their Grimm abilities, it gave her an edge the others lacked. It didn't stop there, however. Weaker, slower, less hardy – Lavender used what she did have to great effect. A cunning intellect, and a willingness to entwine herself with anyone and everyone who might prove useful.

Cinder could respect such ambition and cunning. She did respect it, but she was also cautious. Lavender Arc cared for and loved her family, but she was very specific with who she considered such. Jaune was family. Cinder Fall, most pointedly, was not.

 _It would be just like her to try and turn Jaune against me, and instructing him to question my motives is something she would encourage. It's too early to know for sure, but Jaune has always been trusting and easily manipulated in the past. Something has definitely changed now if he's questioning me like this._

"What kind of deal?" she asked warily.

"I was thinking a deal for information. I can share things with you in return for you answering a few questions."

"And what would you know that I would need?" Cinder resisted the urge to scoff and phrased it as an honest question instead. "You're not as familiar with the outside world as I am, and I very much doubt you know anything I couldn't find out myself."

"I know exactly who is in Ozpin's circle."

Cinder's mouth fell open. Her mind whirled, even as her thoughts tried to catch up and warn her that she was staring at him like some kind of slack-jawed idiot. She slammed her teeth together with a click and looked at him, properly this time.

Jaune stood no different to how he usually did, but there was something about his eyes. He seemed more focused, more attentive – and dare she say, more cunning? He was wary too, and she could sense that he was watching her just as closely as she watched him.

It was a new development and she wasn't sure what to think about it. She'd lost count of the number of times she'd tried to mould him into someone like her, someone ambitious and cunning, who could manipulate and scheme. Her efforts had been rewarded with failure each time, and she'd come to accept that it wasn't the kind of person he was. She'd just have to guide him from the shadows, or maybe make his decisions for him. Now, however… now, he looked to have embraced some of her wisdom.

It was equal parts enticing and frustrating. On the one hand, she was pleased to see him using his mind and not being afraid to barter like this. On the other, why had he felt the need to start with _her_ of all people!?

"Who is it, then? I already know of a few."

"Ah, ah, ah…" Jaune shook his head and smiled. "I'm not telling you until I you agree to answer a question in return. It was _you_ who taught me that, Big Sis."

"So I did…" Cinder turned her head to the side, looking at him in a new light. Instead of a naïve and bumbling idiot, she saw what he could be in time. It was clumsy now, but if it could be refined? She'd given up on the idea a long time ago, but maybe it could work after all. Maybe she could sculpt him into something more dangerous.

Into someone powerful, dangerous and with a razor-sharp intellect. Yes, just the thought of it was enough to make her lips draw into a slow smile. He had the potential to be more than his sisters, and she, of course, would stand at his side as his most trusted advisor.

" _Remember dear, there's more than one way to power than conquest. Jaune and you are around the same age."_

Salem's words came to her in a flash, and the smile was wiped from her face, replaced with red that suffused her cheeks instead. She scowled at it and squashed the stupid thoughts away. Madness, stupidity… as though she would ever consider such a thing. She didn't care for him in the slightest. She was only doing this because Salem wanted to, or because it was a route to power. Definitely one of those two things - she couldn't remember which.

Regardless, if he _did_ have information, then she would need to play along.

"Very well, Jaune. Let us make a deal." She would not go easy on him. If he wished to play games with her, he'd best be prepared for her full effort. "What are your terms?"

"I want to know things about what's going on," he said. "I want to know what your plans are, and I also want to know the next time one of my sisters is coming by. I don't want to only find out when she's already pretending to be me."

"On the latter, I can agree, but the former is more complicated." She tilted her head to the side and sipped some wine. "My plans are ever changing, and they need to be after you so thoroughly compromised them."

She paused for his apology, and rolled her eyes when none came.

"It's also a poor trade. All my plans for a little information I could find out anywhere else? Don't make me laugh. If you want something from me, you had best be prepared to offer something of equal value."

"Then how about if I offer myself?"

The glass froze halfway to her lips and she stuttered and spat her wine out. "W-What is that supposed to mean? Why would you even think I would desire such a thing?" She choked a little and thumped her chest, and when she'd finally swallowed her drink, her cheeks were dark red. "You presume too much! What your mother says is said in jest and-"

"I was only saying I could help you out."

"And… and…" Cinder paused. "What was that?"

"I could help you out," Jaune repeated. "I won't break the law or do anything I don't agree with, but you already tried to cast Lavender as Hentacle. Wouldn't that have worked better if it actually _was_ me?"

Oh…

 _Oh…_

He'd meant…? He hadn't meant…?

Cinder coughed into her fist and forced her face into a neutral mask. Her eyes bore into his, demanding to know whether he'd seen her unsightly outburst. Luckily, it seemed he was as oblivious as ever. Thank the Grimm for that. As for his offer? Well, it had legs.

"Yes, well… that might work. How far would you be willing to go?"

"That'll depend on what you want. I won't kill any of my friends if that's what you're about to ask."

She knew that, and wouldn't have wasted her time asking. He was still painfully predictable. "Would you fight in self-defence if they attacked you?"

Jaune hesitated, but eventually nodded. "Only enough to escape…"

"That would be enough."

"Only if you agree to my deal," Jaune reminded. "Like for like, Cinder. If I have to do things like this, then you have to answer a question from me. And if you want me to help you out with something, then you need to repay me in kind."

"I believe I can work with that."

There would need to be further haggling, of course, and there were some things she knew he would not do. Still, as the deal went, it was not a bad one. That was her first warning something was up, of course. She was no fool. _I'll need to watch him carefully. As appealing as this sudden deviousness is, it could still be a problem in the future._

"Tell me who Ozpin works with, then," Cinder said.

"Not yet. I need to know you'll answer my question."

Cinder nodded and waved a hand. "Ask, then. I'll tell you if I can answer it or not – but you will share your information first."

"What? Oh, never mind. I agree." Jaune sighed and leaned forward. "My first question would be what you're doing here in Beacon – and I mean other than looking after me. I know Mom will have told you to do that, but there's something else you're here for, otherwise you wouldn't be doing all this stuff with Roman and the White Fang."

"You're correct," she admitted, again impressed with his reasoning. What a day of surprises this was turning out to be. "Very well, then. I agree. Should you tell me who is in Ozpin's circle, I will answer that question."

"Ozpin, Glynda Goodwitch, Qrow Branwen – and also Raven Branwen."

Four names for four people. Cinder hummed and leaned back on her sofa. She'd known about most of them, but the latter was a new name and she made a mental note to investigate. The relation to Qrow was obvious, but the fact it had not come up before was not. If someone evaded her attentions, it was usually a sign that they were doing so on purpose.

 _There are more people than that, however. I know for a fact Ironwood is involved, but I suppose Jaune does not. Still, this does help. It tells me I need not worry about Oobleck and Port. They are likely as ignorant as any other as to what Ozpin hides._

"How did you find out?" she asked.

"You'll have to offer me something else for that, Cinder."

She smiled and waved a hand, conceding the point. His honesty wasn't in question, not after he'd accurately identified those as involved. The fact he knew about Ozpin's little group at all said he was telling the truth. She had never mentioned it to him.

"I suppose it is my turn," she said, uncrossing and crossing her legs the other way around. She could have refused to tell him, but that would harm the trust he had in her, and it wasn't worth the effort. He was still her mistress' son, after all. "I am here because I won something of great power and value, but Ozpin and his people took it from me. My goal is to reclaim that at any cost." She smiled at him over the rim of her glass. "You might call it my lost treasure."

"That's the only reason…?"

"Well, I'm still here for you," she answered honestly. "It's a bit of both, but my personal desires lay with that treasure. Your mother would rather I focus on you but… well, you know how she is."

"Tell me about it," he groaned. "What kind of treasure is it?"

Cinder rolled her eyes and stared at him.

He laughed. "Oh right, one question. Can you just answer one more for free, though?"

"For free? I'm not normally in the mood for charity, Jaune."

"It's just a small one, and it'll determine whether we can work together without getting into any problems."

Cinder raised an eyebrow.

"I just want to know whether you intend to harm any of my friends. That includes my team and also Team RYBN."

Well, all things came to an end in time, or so they said. It was a shame to see his darker side give way to concern about his stupid friends, but she supposed that was to be expected. As to the question, she saw no harm in giving it an honest answer. "I don't care about any of those people, and have no real plans for them. So long as they don't interfere with me, I don't see any reason to do the same in kind."

"You promise?"

" _If_ they do not interfere with my plans," she stressed, leaning forward. "They've already done that more than enough already, and I believe I've been quite patient with them. It wouldn't be hard to bomb their entire rooms. But I won't," she added when she saw his panicked expression. "That would draw attention. Frankly, I'd prefer to not have to deal with them ever again. Keep them away from me and we won't have any problems."

"I can try, but I'll need to know what your plans are in advance. I might have been able to steer them away from that warehouse if I'd known about it."

"I'll consider informing you next time," Cinder said. Her head fell back against the cushions and she glared at him. "Now, I think it's high past time we spoke of the _other_ thing you owe me."

Jaune stared at her. "Huh?"

Her left foot landed on his lap.

"Ten Paladins, Jaune," she seethed. "Ten state of the art military robots. Those were neither easy nor cheap to acquire." She wriggled her foot suggestively and raised an eyebrow. "You can start earning my forgiveness right now."

"With a foot massage?" he asked curiously, but took her foot in his hands and removed her shoe nonetheless. Both his thumbs pressed down on the sole of her foot, and she let out a sigh of pure relief. "That sounds fair."

"Fair? Don't – oh - make me – ah – laugh." She glared at him and brought her other foot to rest beside his legs. "You and your friends ruined far too many things! You're going to be making it up to me for hours, and I will feel like jelly by the end of it, or I'll remind you just why Salem entrusted me with your upbringing."

"Eep! Yes, Cinder." He went back to work on her skin, kneading and squeezing her flesh with one hand, while his other rubbed warm heat into her ankle. Her head lolled back against the cushion, eyes drifting shut.

Ah…

It was hard being such a forgiving woman.

 _I could get used to this... maybe every day..._

* * *

 **And there we go. No scenes for the teams, I'm afraid, but Jaune progressing his thing, and forging some alliances of his own. It's a dangerous spot playing both sides against one another, but that's kind of his long-term goal anyway.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 21** **st** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	36. Chapter 36

**Hey all, here's the next chapter.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 36**

* * *

Emerald barely saw the people around her as she walked through the halls of Beacon. Walk itself might have been too strong a term, for it suggested a destination and she had none. She meandered, hesitated, and generally did her best to get as lost as she could. Anything to avoid what she'd left behind. Nothing made sense. Cinder had been angry, but had let her go – but was that any mercy given the look on her face?

 _I failed her. I failed Cinder, and even if she wouldn't kill me – not in the middle of Beacon – I know she won't trust me as much anymore._ Her hand clenched into a fist at the thought, and had she been any less than what she was, she might have shed a tear. As it was, she felt a pit open up in her stomach. Cinder, the woman she respected most, the person she'd dedicated her live to serving, had thrown her away like a used dishcloth.

Would there be any recovering from this? Cinder would still use her – of course she would. She would use every tool at her disposal, and Emerald was still that. Would there be any future for her afterwards, however? She didn't know.

What if she had become as expendable as Torchwick?

 _This can't be happening. I've gone from her favoured, to a failure. Mercury's taken my spot, and I've not just taken his, I've fallen through the floor._ Meanwhile, Mercury himself was off carousing with that rabbit faunus. Not that she cared what the two of them got up to!

The whole situation was a complete mess – and worse – she'd become some kind of chess piece trapped between the two titans that marked her mistress and the Prince of the Grimm. It sounded like the story to some kind of terrible smut novel, but life wasn't nearly as kind.

Jaune had saved her by speaking out, but he'd damned her too. Cinder would have punished her, and she'd have fallen out of favour, but there might have been a chance to reclaim that in time. Now, she wasn't quite so sure. Cinder would always look at her and wonder whether her loyalty was to her or to her brother – and there was no way for Emerald to prove herself.

Did she stick with Cinder, or did she cling to her new benefactor instead?

The choice wasn't as easy as it might have seemed.

Jaune was untested, but his position was strong – very strong. Better still, he was still allied to Cinder through his family, so either choice wouldn't end with her being killed off by the other. He'd shown a willingness to protect her, which was good, but she didn't know him as well as she did Cinder. There was still a big part of her which longer for the attention and trust of the woman who had picked her up off the streets and given her a home.

And yes, it was manipulation and nothing more, she _knew_ that. Cinder hadn't _really_ cared for a street urchin, but that didn't matter. Even fake love was preferable to nothing, and Cinder was very good at faking it.

Emerald's feet came to a halt as a far more terrifying prospect settled into her head.

What if Jaune had planned all of this?

The very idea was stupid enough to make her scoff, but it didn't quite leave her head entirely. She'd always considered him a bit of an idiot… intelligent in a way, sure, but definitely not wise, and lacking in any common sense. He'd been an easy read and someone she felt comfortable saying she could trick if she needed to.

And then he'd gone and slipped past her with ease, not only tricking her – but also manipulating the situation so that it was _she_ who got scolded by Cinder, and _he_ who came out smelling of roses. Worse, he knew damn well she owed him her life.

He had her at his mercy – and all because she'd underestimated him.

 _I'm such an idiot,_ Emerald growled, shaking her head from side to side. _What was I thinking!? Cinder as good as told me she raised him. Why would someone raised from birth by Cinder come out as a naive idiot?_ They wouldn't… especially not with the kind of genes someone like Cinder's master could provide. With an upbringing between those two, the answer seemed obvious.

Jaune wasn't foolish at all. He simply let her believe he was.

Hoisted by her own petard. She'd never really considered the saying before, but it seemed apt here. Her arrogance had done her in, and now she was a toy dangled between the two of them. That Cinder had spared her wasn't a good thing. It meant she would be annoyed, even if she'd hidden it well. Jaune had basically called her out on something, and forced her to change her mind.

You didn't do that to Cinder Fall.

 _I have to make a choice, but what…?_

Jaune had given her an offer of friendship, even if it was in a manipulative way that left her trapped in the middle of the ocean. He had extended a tentacle.

Did she dare take it?

An image flashed into her mind, more a memory. In it, she stood naked in the shower of Jaune's room, poking and playing with the tentacle he'd pushed through the door. With a sigh, she turned to the nearest wall – and then startled passers-by as she slammed her head against it. When she pulled back, her cheeks were flushed a dark red, and there was an equally red mark on her forehead.

 _Bloody tentacles…_

Either way, she had to be careful. Jaune Arc was apparently much more dangerous than he seemed.

/-/

Jaune rubbed his head and wondered if he'd done the right thing as he entered the library in search of his friends. The meeting with Cinder had calmed him down a little, mostly because he knew that if she was looking for something, she might leave when she got it, but also because she'd said how she wouldn't hurt his friends if she didn't have to.

" **If,"** Remy pointed out. **"Keep in mind that this is your team you're talking about. They don't exactly shy away from danger."**

Yeah, he knew. Cinder could be as nice as she could be, but sooner or later she'd decide it was easier to deal with them in a more permanent manner and that would be the end of that. Or rather, she'd try. He would stand up in their defence, and all of a sudden, his world would come crashing down around him.

Cinder was cruel, calculating – and honestly quite demanding with her massages and such, but she was still his Big Sis. She'd been there for him when he had nightmares (reluctantly), and she'd kissed his knee when he scraped it (reluctantly), and even sat down and held him when Tyrian and Salem explained `the talk` to him and he'd been scarred.

And yes, she'd been reluctant about that too, but that wasn't the point.

He loved Cinder. He really did.

But he loved his friends, too.

Nothing was ever easy.

"Jaune!" Nora waved him over, and it was testament to her reputation that the librarian didn't even bother to ask her to be quiet. "Hey. Why the long face?"

He winced as Nora's question had everyone turning to look at him, and he managed to school his features into something a little more relaxed. "It's nothing," he said. "I was just lost in thought."

"It must have been frightening," Weiss groused. There wasn't much heat in it. "Is your training with Mr Branwen going any better?"

"It is, actually." Jaune sat down at the table and smiled at each of them in greeting. "Those tricks Yang taught me really helped me push him back. I didn't win, not even close, but he had to use his weapon. Thanks for that, by the way," he added, nodding to Yang. "You're the best."

"Aw, shucks." Yang looked away, her neck tinted pink. "Nothing to it, lover boy."

"Eyes on me," Weiss snapped. "I'm your girlfriend." The white-haired girl paused a second later and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I can't believe I just said that. Argh, this is playing havoc with my patience."

"Maybe it would help if you were more natural," Nora teased. "You could always kiss."

"No."

"No!"

"No!"

The three girls who had shouted the responses paused to look at one another, and there was a smothered snicker from Nora as Weiss, Yang and Ruby's cheeks all started to light up. In the end, it was Weiss who broke it, coughing into her fist.

"I don't think that will be necessary, Nora. Jaune and I have already decided to masquerade as shy and uncertain partners, nothing more."

"Y-Yeah," Yang agreed. "Don't want to confuse things, right?"

"Hm, maybe you're right." Nora tapped her lips in apparent thought. "Then again, there's the dance coming up anyway. You need to decide what you're doing for that, right?"

The dance? Had anyone ever said anything about s dance?

"It's the mid-term dance," Pyrrha explained, no doubt noticing his expression. "It's only a few weeks away, but people are already making plans. No one wants to go alone, after all."

"Yep, but someone will have to," Nora pointed out. "Who will it be, Jauney? Weiss, your girlfriend? Yang, your girlfriend, or Ruby, your-"

Ren coughed loudly. "Nora."

"What?"

"Stop stirring the pot."

Nora giggled and pushed Ren's shoulder. "Boo. Don't be such a spoilsport."

She smirked and winked at Jaune, but didn't say anymore. Not that she had to. The three girls in question had gone very still, and come to think of it, so had Pyrrha. He'd read about dances, of course, but never been to one. Luckily, he did know how to dance.

" _Nora raises a good point about who to ask, though. If we want to keep up the disguise, I should ask Weiss – but Yang is the one I'm actually dating. Aren't I?"_

" **I have no idea,"** Remy said. **"Human mating rituals never made sense to me, and they especially don't after dealing with these people."**

"I don't know who I'm going with," Jaune admitted. He looked to Ren. "What about you?"

Ren might have answered if not for Nora throwing an arm around his neck and dragging him against her side. "Oh, me and Ren do everything together. We're together. Right, Ren?"

"But not together-together," Ren chuckled, extricating himself. He didn't seem to notice how still Nora had gone. "I have no idea, Jaune. I suppose I've not thought about it."

"What about Blake?" Pyrrha suggested.

"Going alone," the girl-in-question replied.

Ruby gasped. "You can't do that! A dance is a special thing! You have to go with someone."

"Eh," Nora waved a hand. "She always has Sun."

Blake looked up. "Who?"

Off in the distance, Jaune thought he heard someone cry out in frustration.

"The stalker."

"Ugh," Blake scowled, her memory jogged. "I'd rather go with Cardin than him."

"Isn't he gay?" Weiss asked. "I'd be curious to know who he's going with."

"Jaune, perhaps?" Nora teased.

He shuffled awkwardly. Hopefully that wouldn't happen. If it came to it, he could always just ask Yang out. They were already dating, and while they hadn't danced on any of their dates, he figured she knew how.

Hey, she was looking at him too, maybe thinking the same thing. He waved at her, and smiled when she blushed prettily.

"L-Let's focus on something else," she said. "You guys watched the news at all?"

He blinked. "Why, what's on it?"

"Are you an idiot?" Weiss snapped. "Hentacle, of course, not to mention the Grimm that were summoned into the city en masse."

Oh… he winced and quickly tried to pass it off as a sneeze. He supposed they would all be talking about that, even if it had been more Lavender's fault than his. Then again, she wouldn't have needed to summon any if he hadn't fallen through the roof. There was blame all around. If only he could figure out who pushed him.

"What are they saying?" he asked instead.

It was Ren who answered. "There's a bit of a blame game going on now. Even though no one was actually hurt, the media are trying to figure out whose fault it is. Some are blaming the soldiers on the walls, but they did their job. Others have said the Council is at fault, or the police for not going after Hentacle with more force."

"They're not blaming us, though," Weiss said proudly. "In fact, they've painted a glowing picture of the students of Beacon as people who reacted to a crisis with admirable haste and dedication. Winter also got high praise for bringing Atlas equipment to protect the city."

Jaune stared at Weiss. "Wasn't she only there to reclaim the Paladin, though?"

"T-That doesn't matter," she stammered. "Even if she wasn't technically there to help people, she still did."

"It's not like Atlas want to admit they lost a huge robot to the White Fang," Blake explained, filling in the holes. The disguised faunus looked unusually happy with herself, and it wasn't like her to explain anything at all. "From their point of view, it's a good thing if the people of Vale think it was all in their protection. It's a good thing for us, too. Torchwick and the White Fang don't have those big robots anymore."

"Blake's been over the moon about that," Yang said, rolling her eyes. "First time I've ever seen her so cheery. It's creeping me out to be honest."

"We did what we intended to," Blake said. "We should be proud!"

"Does this mean you'll stop dragging us into every little White Fang thing to crop up?"

Blake hesitated. "Sure."

"I'm not sure I believe that," Yang said, eyes narrowed. "Nora?"

"Hmm…" Nora leaned in towards Blake, her face scant inches from her partner's. "Hmmmmm…"

"I'm telling the truth!" Blake protested. Her skin flushed, face turning red as she realised everyone's attention was on her. "I'm being serious."

"HMMM…"

Yang grinned and leaned her cheek on one hand. "What's the consensus, detective Nora?"

"Maybe," Nora eventually said. "I can't tell. Blakey _has_ been on best behaviour, though."

"Yeah, that's suspicious…"

"How is it suspicious for me to act normally?" Blake demanded. She managed to look vaguely offended, and flicked her hair behind her. When the bell at her neck tinkled, she scowled. "Speaking of, isn't it about time I was allowed to remove this yet? You said a week, but we saved innocent people last night because we were there. I think that's grounds to have it removed early."

"A month," Ren said.

"W-What…?"

"You have to wear it for the rest of the month."

Yang snickered.

"WHY?" Blake hissed, just holding herself back from shouting the question. "We saved people. I did what you asked me to. I was-" She cut off with red cheeks, but not before Yang filled in the rest.

"I was good?"

"I-I didn't say that."

Ren sighed, but didn't budge from his position. "The whole month," he said, earning a frustrated whine from his teammate. "We saved people, but that was an accident. Your `cunning plan` ended up with us in a fight involving Grimm, Hentacle and a giant robot piloted by Roman Torchwick. That wasn't exactly the `safe` infiltration you promised."

Blake coughed in embarrassment and looked away. The little bell on her collar chimed as she did, turning her face even darker.

"Aw, cheer up, partner," Nora said, throwing an arm around Blake's shoulders. "It looks good on you. I like it."

"I bet Ren likes it too," Yang teased. "Right?"

"Hm?" Ren paused, taking a long look at Blake – as if he'd only just considered the idea. "Yes, it looks nice. It suits you."

Blake scowled, even if her ears turned a little red.

Nora tilted her head to the side.

Jaune shook his head as the conversation descended into more madness soon after. He was relieved they hadn't thought to go hunt down Hentacle, but maybe they didn't think it was necessary now that Atlas was on the case. If so, that was good. He wouldn't need to transform if his team didn't get into danger.

" **Aren't you forgetting something…?"**

" _Am I?"_

" **You just promised Cinder to masquerade as Hentacle if she needs you to."**

He winced. _"Ah, yeah…"_

Hopefully, she wouldn't him. He couldn't back out of it now that he'd offered, and he didn't want to, either. Cinder and he had made a deal. To break that now would mean she wouldn't accept another from him. If he wanted to know what she was doing so he could keep his friends out of trouble, then he needed to stay in her good books.

If he was lucky, all the hype and drama around his alter-ego would die down if he didn't make a repeat appearance.

Jaune made his excuses to leave when the others stood, turning down Pyrrha's offer of a spar because of how tired he was. He wasn't sure she believed it, what with his stamina, but she seemed willing to let it go and wished him well. A decision had to be made, and as much as he would have loved to spend the rest of the afternoon messing around, this wasn't something he could afford to put off.

He slipped out of the library and down one of the corridors, headed somewhere he didn't really know. Just trying to keep his feet busy while he thought, to be honest.

A set of rapid footfalls behind him caught his ear.

The voice followed a second later. "Jaune, wait up!"

"Ruby?" It was his teammate indeed, and rushing up to him with a wide smile. "What's wrong?"

She came to a stop in front of him and let out a long breath. Her hands curled into fists and planted on her sides. All in all, it was an intimidating pose, but failed to have much effect since it came from her. Honestly, her silver eyes did more to him – and just because they were that.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Ruby said. Her face fell a second later. "You've been acting weird since the fight. Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine," he said automatically.

Ruby frowned. "Jaune…"

"I'm being honest, I promise." He looked away awkwardly when she locked her eyes to his. "Well, I've been lost in thought, I guess. I'm not in a bad mood, though. I'm just… thinking about several things."

"Things like?"

"Private things."

"Like…?"

Was she-? No, she wasn't. Jaune looked down at her and almost laughed at the innocent look on her face. She hadn't chosen to be rude. She'd just missed the hint entirely. _I guess Yang did say she was socially awkward, but I never noticed it before._

Probably because he was too busy eclipsing Ruby in that department.

"Things I don't want just anyone to know," he said, not unkindly.

Ruby regarded him for a second before she nodded. "Okay. I know a place."

"You – whoa!" Jaune yelped as Ruby gripped his wrist with one hand, or more the sleeve of his uniform. She tugged him down the hall, taking two left turns and then a right. Eventually, they came to a small door, and she pushed him in.

It was a small office of sorts. Once upon a time, it might have been a teacher's office, but they'd either re-purposed it or didn't have enough staff to make use. Now, it was abandoned and covered in dust. There were several cleaner patches, however, hinting that people had been using it recently. Probably not for its intended purpose, though.

"What is this place?" Jaune asked, moving over to the desk. He rested a hand on it, but winced when his fingers came away a little wet.

"I don't know," Ruby admitted, smiling. "I saw a girl drag a guy in here yesterday, though. It's probably just a room where people can talk. You said you didn't want just anyone to know. This is perfect, right?"

" **Doesn't she understand she was included in that?"** Remy asked, rolling his tiny eyes. **"Is she for real?"**

" _Yeah, she is. This is Ruby all over."_

It was a part of her charm, he supposed. Even now, he felt his will wavering – and the friendly smile she was giving him hardly helped. He tried to hold. He really did.

He just wasn't very successful.

"I guess I've just been bothered by things," he said. "It's been weighing on my mind. Sorry if I've been a bad teammate or something."

Ruby punched his arm.

"What was that for?"

"You've not been a bad teammate," she said, glaring. "That's from me, but if you say it again I'll tell Pyrrha and Weiss. They won't be so gentle." Her face lightened up a second later and she smiled to show she didn't mean it. "Besides, there's nothing wrong with feeling a little down. Do you Weiss and Pyrrha didn't notice?"

He had… though now that she mentioned it, he felt pretty stupid.

"We're your teammates," Ruby continued. "We notice things. Weiss said to leave it be, and Pyrrha didn't want to push, but I guess I was worried. We're friends, right?"

"Of course we are."

"Then I wanted to help. Everyone else said to leave it because you wanted time to think, but I didn't want to. If someone's in trouble, then it's your job to help them. That's what being a Huntress is." She paused. "Uh… and a Huntsman too, I mean."

It was a fairly simple way of looking at things, and he wasn't sure it was exactly right. Yeah, you were meant to help people, but that was more of a saving lives things. Not barging into every problem a person had. That might cause Ruby problems later, though he couldn't bring himself to feel too upset. Ruby was Ruby, after all.

"So," she said, bouncing on her heels. "What's wrong?"

"I…" He had to pick his words carefully. That or just tell her it wasn't any of her business. In the end, he went with something as close to the truth as he could. "Imagine you had the power to help people, but it meant sacrificing the thing you loved most in the world. What would you do?"

"I'd help people, of course." Ruby's answer was as predictable as ever. He shouldn't have expected anything less.

"What if you had to give up the people you loved for it?"

"I… You should always help people in need…"

"What if you had to go against your family, against Yang and your Dad? What if it meant you could never see any member of our team again?"

Ruby hesitated. She looked like she wanted to speak, to blurt out an instinctual answer, but that something held her back. Fear, perhaps, or just the realisation of what he meant. Her eyes widened and she swallowed loudly. "I… I don't know…"

That fact seemed to shock her.

"What if you had to go against your mother's wishes to do it?" he asked, thinking of Salem.

"I said I don't know!" Ruby said, clenching her eyes shut. "I… I guess it would depend on how many people it would save, but…" she winced. "I don't know. It's a weird question. Why are you asking? Is something wrong?"

"No," he lied. "Just thinking about how Hentacle is after me. That's all."

"Are you thinking you should give up because Hentacle wants you? Because it will mean we're safer!?"

"No, I-"

"You can't!" Ruby yelled, ignoring his protests. She punched his arm, and this time it was a heavy blow – actually making him wince. She hit him again and again, then stood back and _glared_ at him. "Don't be so stupid! You're our friend. We care for you. We're not going to sit back as something happens, even if that _does_ mean we're put in danger."

"T-That wasn't what I was talking about…" He rubbed his arm and glanced away when Ruby shot him a suspicious look. It hadn't been, but he had been thinking it. They were in danger because of him, after all.

"Well don't ever think it," Ruby warned. "It's stupid. It's like saying we can't ever be friends because one day I might get killed and you'd be sad. Even if my death hurt you, it would hurt more for us to never be friends in the first place."

"I guess so…"

The sounds of students from outside coming and going echoed through the room for a few long seconds. He didn't know what to say, and Ruby seemed content to wait for him. Her advice wasn't as helpful as he'd have liked, but he should have expected that. She couldn't exactly give him good advice if she didn't properly know the problem, and he couldn't tell her the full story.

Even if he wanted to bring peace between the Grimm and humans, he had to do it from one side. He could either go home, try to take over, and change things from there. Or he could stay in Beacon, fight against his mother, and try to make the humans realise the Grimm could be reasoned with.

Whichever he chose, he'd be giving something up – either his friends or his family.

"I love my Mom," Ruby whispered.

"Huh?"

"I love my Mom…" Her head rose, and her eyes flickered to his. "Not loved, love. It doesn't matter that she's not around anymore. I love her, and I can remember a lot of the things she told me about why she wanted to be a Huntress and what she believed in. I… I guess I have a lot of those same things. I want to be like her."

"What do-" His words cut off as Ruby pressed her hand over his mouth. She had to reach up to do it.

"I want to be like her, but I don't want to _be_ her. I'm my own person. I'm Ruby Rose, not Summer Rose. I have a different life, different friends, and I do things differently." She stepped back, releasing him. Her cape swirled around her as she twirled, and despite the heavy words, there was a soft smile on her face. "That's why it wouldn't make a difference to me. Even if Mom didn't want me to do something, or wanted me to do it a certain way, I'd still think about what _I_ wanted. I'm me, after all. It's my life. I have to do what makes me happy. Not her."

Do what made her happy… or made him in his case. Was that really the answer?

"What would you do, then?" he asked. "In the earlier example, I mean."

Ruby shrugged. "I still don't know. It would depend on all sorts of things, like how many people were in danger, if I knew them, what you mean by losing my family…" She sighed and looked away. "Even so, it's not as easy as saying I would or wouldn't. I'd have to think about it."

"But you'd choose what's best for you?"

"Yeah…" Ruby tilted her head to the side. "Is that weird?"

Yes. No. Maybe…

He didn't know. Perhaps he was still shocked at the idea Ruby had a selfish bone in her body at all, though he really shouldn't have been. Everyone had their own best interests at heart, even the best of people. Even so, what exactly did that mean for him?

He didn't want to lose his friends, nor his family. He wanted both.

"What is it you want?" Ruby asked, echoing his thoughts.

He answered without any real thought.

"I don't want to lose you."

Ruby froze like a deer in the headlights. "Eh?"

It was selfish and greedy. He should have been thinking about peace, about how he'd bring it to fruition, about how he'd save lives – but all he could think about instead was how he didn't want this to end. How he didn't want to lose what he'd gained.

He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the unnaturally still girl, drawing her into a tight hug.

"I want to keep hold of the things I love," he whispered into her hair. "I want to stay like this."

It was wrong, and not just from his mother's point of view. Just about all conventional wisdom would have said him being here was a bad idea. He was drawing attention to his friends, both because of his accidental role as Hentacle, and also from his mother sending Grimm to reclaim him. Even by being associated, he was putting them in danger.

But if he stood by and protected them, then wasn't he putting his family in danger, too?

" _I want both, Remy. I want to keep the friends I have here, but also keep my family. If I have to choose what makes me happy, then which do I pick?"_

" **Isn't it obvious? Pick both."**

He froze. _"What? How can I do both?"_

" **You probably can't,"** Remy said. **"It's unrealistic for sure, but… well, that wasn't part of the question, was it? You didn't ask what the most** _ **realistic**_ **way of doing things was. Only what you wanted."** The parasite chuckled darkly. **"And what you want is to keep both. It's selfish and egotistical to think you can have it, but maybe that's the point. You're part Grimm, after all, and a Prince. You're supposed to be demanding."**

" _W-What do you mean?"_

" **I mean that maybe you should take a risk and try it. Sure, it might fail, but if you go with the easy option and go back home, you'll only hate yourself later for it."** Remy sighed. **"You need to do what** _ **you**_ **want. Not your mother."**

He was floored. Remy had been a companion all his life, but his advice had always been to follow what his mother said. There'd been more criticism from the little parasite than praise. Not that he'd done much to deserve the latter.

" _Are you… are you serious?"_

" **Your mother created me to advise and guide you. My existence is thanks to her, but my loyalty is to you, young master."**

" _Remy…"_

Jaune's eyes drifted shut. His hands tightened on Ruby's cloak, and he squeezed her against his chest.

"Thank you."

"I-I-I don't know w-why you're thanking me-" Ruby interrupted his thoughts, misinterpreting the words for her. It was enough to draw his attention down, and that was to see the girl wriggling and writhing in his grip, struggling to escape.

He eased up a little, and was rewarded by her pushing back. Her eyes shot up to his, then skated off like she'd stepped on an ice-rink. They focused on the ceiling instead. Her face was as red as her cloak. All of it, from the tips of her ears down to her neck, a bright, cherry red.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"N-Nothing is wrong!" Ruby used his moment of hesitation to pull out of his arms. She could have stood a foot or two away, but instead hopped back out of arm's reach. She still didn't meet his eyes, and it looked like she wasn't sure where to focus them. "Nothing is wrong with me," she said. "Nothing at all. Ha ha. No way. Not me."

"Are you sure?" he asked, concerned. "Your face is bright red."

"W-Well maybe that's because-" She gasped and cut herself off, and then eeped and slapped a hand over her mouth. "Nothing," she mumbled past it. "You're imagining things! I-I need to go now. I have to… I have to talk to Pyrrha, or Weiss, or Ya- no, no, no. Not Yang!"

She wasn't making much sense. He'd heard of rambling before, but this was a little odd. "Okay," he said. "I'll see you later?"

"Y-Yeah, sure. Bye now!"

The door slammed shut a second later.

" _Remy?"_

" **Don't ask me. I don't understand these weirdoes. Still, you realise this will lead to conflict against your mother, right? Even if you eventually want to bring peace – if you choose to stand with them, it will be against her."**

Jaune nodded. "I know."

" **Are you prepared for that?"**

"Not yet, but I will be."

/-/

Ruby's back pressed against the door, her heart hammering in her chest. Her face was on fire, almost literally, and she could just imagine the heat she was giving off. It hardly helped that people looked her way with wide eyes before they started frantically gossiping to one another.

Not that she cared about that. She had bigger things to worry about!

" _I don't want to lose you."_

Eek, no, no, no. Bad brain. Bad! He'd probably been talking about something else.

" _I want to keep hold of the things I love…"_

She was bad with social things. She didn't understand people. She was stupid, goofy and… and not cool. Not pretty and not desirable. She was totally misunderstanding. He had feelings for her _sister_ , for crying out loud. He was dating her sister!

" _I want to stay like this."_

Ruby had, too.

Her eyes widened.

No, no, no! She hadn't. She really, really hadn't. That was why she'd been fighting against it. That was why she'd struggled to escape, and then run away when she had the chance. That… that was why her insides had turned to jelly and she was less leaning on the door to keep it shut than leaning on it because her legs weren't working.

"I-I just wanted to help," she whispered. "I just wanted to see what was wrong with him!" She wasn't sure who she was trying to convince. Jaune, Yang, herself…? She took a deep breath and let it go. "Jaune is with Yang, Yang is with Jaune. That's good. That's… that's what I wanted." She shook her head. "What I _want_!"

Argh, why did he have to make everything so complicated!? Beacon was supposed to be super-cool moves and fighting Grimm, not feelings and confusion and… and things!

"Mom, I need advice…" Ruby whimpered.

It took her a second to recall her mother was someone who had stepped in the second her best friend had run off and left her husband – catching her Dad on the rebound without so much as a care in the world.

"N-Never mind, Mom. I'll figure this one out myself."

It was probably best that way.

/-/

"That is everything to report, sir," Specialist Schnee concluded, hands linked behind her back as she floated on a hologram before General James Ironwood. "I would like to personally apologise for the media furore, sir. They moved with unusual haste, and I didn't expect them to arrive so quickly, let alone witness the fight."

"There's no need to apologise," Ironwood said, sat behind the desk in his office in Atlas Academy. "I expect they were tipped off about the whole affair, but this works to our advantage regardless. Tell me, what is the general sentiment towards us? You may stand at ease."

Winter relaxed and fell into a more natural stance, even if her face remained as professional as ever. "Thank you, sir. The sentiment towards Atlas is fairly good right now. We have the Grimm spawning in the city to thank for that, since it not only overshadowed the fact our Paladin Prototype was moving around, but made our response work in the defence of the civilians. My soldiers moved quickly to suppress the Grimm, aiding several Beacon students who were nearby."

"They were unhurt?" James asked, suddenly a little worried.

"They were, sir. There were no reported injuries, civilian or otherwise. Some minor wounds on my unit, but none that are life-threatening or serious enough to warrant more than a week's rest."

Ironwood relaxed. It would have been bad enough had any of their men and women been hurt, but to have students caught in the crossfire…? No. That was a path he would not countenance. "You have done well, Winter," he said. "Despite the media's presence, I would say this has worked well for us. I never thought I might be relieved at the presence of Grimm within the city."

"Myself as well, sir. We are fortunate no one was harmed."

"And Vale is fortunate we were there to intervene," Ironwood mused. That was particularly good from a diplomatic standpoint, and a victory for them since the loss of the Paladin could have had led to a devastating outcome if the White Fang had used it. All in all, what he had expected to be a particularly bad report was almost joyous. Had he less control, he might even have laughed out loud. As it was, he would partake of some fine brandy later and toast the day. "How is my old friend, Ozpin?" he asked, curious. "I've not yet had a chance to meet with him and discuss this. Did he have any messages for me?"

"He seemed well, sir. He thanked us officially for our intervention, and expressed his relief at the Paladins being reclaimed."

No hidden message then. That was fine. Channels such as this were dangerous and he trusted Oz would get in touch if he had anything to say. "All is well, Specialist," Ironwood said. He leaned forward and the chair beneath him creaked ominously. "Now, has your _real_ mission yielded any results?"

Winter's face settled into stone. "It has, sir. I am forwarding you the material now."

The hologram flickered and jerked to the side, Winter minimising somewhat as the majority of the space was instead taken up by a tall figure with white skin and white hair. The details were not quite there, other than red eyes and red lines on the face, but there were four tentacles that seemed to protrude from its back. Ironwood stood and moved around the image, inspecting it.

"Interesting. Very interesting. You are sure this is accurate?"

"As accurate as we could make it, sir. My technicians were unable to get a close up image, so I have had some of the details filled in on what we believe the figure would look like. I have also taken testimony from my sister, who has seen him directly."

Ironwood nodded to show it would be enough, even as he made a mental note to keep that titbit away from Jacques. He didn't expect the man would care overmuch about his daughter's safety, but knowing his precious `heiress` was in danger might lead him to act up. As much as he would not say it out loud, James approved of the Schnee girl's choice to study outside of Atlas. In truth, he would not have shown her the favouritism she no doubt expected, but studying here might still have led to other students trying to influence her. Let her be Oz's problem. He would see she grew into a fine huntress.

"He is quite androgynous," Ironwood said. "Are we sure it is male?"

"My sister claims so, but the footage we recorded suggested no defined gender." Winter sighed. "Unfortunately, it was grainy at best. It could be that he has a deep, male voice when close up. In terms of physicality, we believe this to capture the important features."

He nodded. "Yes, I can see. I suppose I can now understand why they call him as they do…"

Winter grumbled something in embarrassment, not that he could blame her. A name like that would have never flown in Atlas.

"What of his capabilities?" Ironwood asked. "I suppose it's too late to question the spawning of Grimm, now…"

"Yes," Winter said, frowning. It had been one of the main things he had asked her to ascertain, mostly because they both hoped it had been nothing more than an exaggeration. "Hentacle was able to spawn numerous Grimm, and while they would not have been enough to destroy the city, the havoc they could have caused would have been nothing short of catastrophic."

"How many were there?"

"We did not see them all, but I have correlated what we did see with reports from my sister and the other students involved. We would estimate between twenty and thirty, with the latter being a safe limit. Hentacle fled soon after."

Twenty to thirty, hm? He would always assume the upper number, and then add a little more for safety. The Grimm's retreat was both worrying and promising, for it spoke of intellect and strategy. It also hinted that the effort of spawning so many had been tiring, however. If not, why flee?

 _If we assume fifty to be an upper limit, adding some more for safety, then that is a number that could reasonably be handled by a single team of four experienced huntsmen. Then again, that is not taking the creature itself into account. Two teams would be safest, perhaps with back up support to keep the Grimm from spreading._

Ironwood broke off from his musing as he heard a shuffle of feet through the hologram. While Winter would not complain or make any overt noise, it was as much a hint as any. He hid a smile as he turned to her.

"I apologise. I was lost in thought."

"There is nothing to apologise for, sir."

Winter was amusing in her own way… once you got used to her that was. He bowed his head regardless, letting the issue go. "Thank you for your efforts, Specialist. You have done well in finding this information out. I trust his movements and sightings are included in the data you have provided?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very good. You are dismissed."

"Sir…"

"Is there something you wished to ask me?" He waited, and waved a hand when she hesitated. "You have permission, Winter. Speak your mind."

"Thank you." She nodded. "I wished to ask what your next move will be, sir. If that is not too impertinent a question, that is."

"It is not. I shall be coming to Vale myself in order to speak with the Council and address the public over our intervention." He held a hand out to forestall her argument before she could make it. "It is not that I do not trust your ability to handle some press releases, Winter. In truth, this is simply an excuse for me to visit Vale a little earlier. This is an opportunity for us to push ahead with the Vytal agenda."

Winter nodded, understanding his reasoning. "You believe we can pressure the Council of Vale into putting us in charge of security for the event?" she asked, earning a nod from him. "Sir… I am not sure Ozpin will be favourable to such a change."

"I expect he won't be. This is for the best, however." He shook his head sadly, and then perked up as he recalled something. "Oh, Winter. Have you had a chance to meet with your sister yet?"

"I- Yes." Winter flushed. "I realise it was not part of the mission, but-"

"There is nothing to apologise for. Family is important." Not that he had any, but still. "How is she?"

"She is… She is well, sir."

The response was more reserved than he expected, for while Winter was taciturn and strict in all matters, there was usually a certain light that came to her when speaking of her younger sister. It was always a guaranteed way to make her loosen up a little.

"Problems?" he asked.

"No, of course not. Weiss has excelled in her classes, as expected, and is also the leader of her team." Winter's smile was wooden at best. "I could not be more proud."

Okay… that wasn't awkward at all. "Is she fitting in well?"

"A little too well…"

"Excuse me?"

Winter straightened. "Nothing, sir. Is that all? May I be dismissed?"

"You may, Winter. Good work."

Winter nodded, and her image winked out a second later, leaving Ironwood to his thoughts. Well, that certainly sounded ominous, but he supposed she would have told him if it were anything he needed to worry about. His thoughts turned to his old friend instead, though they were, for once, rather unpleasant.

Oz would be frustrated for sure, but hadn't he already shown he could barely keep a hold of things as it was? First the attack on Amber, then Torchwick, and now Grimm summoned under his nose? "I trust you, Oz," he whispered to the room. "I really do. It's just that this is too much. If you were as in control as you thought you were, you wouldn't have Grimm running around your city, let alone terrorists and people like Torchwick."

Ozpin always liked to assure people he had everything in hand, but maybe there was just too much on his plate. It wasn't a case of trying to steal anything away from him… just lessening the load. Still, he would do what he had to do for the betterment of mankind. He leaned back and smiled.

"Did you hear all of that, Penny?"

"I did, sir…" The orange-haired girl moved from the corner of the room and towards the projector, and yet again he found himself impressed by just how normal she looked. She often didn't _sound_ normal, and still had some speech patterns that were… odd at best… but she was working on it.

"Had your father imported all the information we have on him into your memory?"

Penny nodded. "He has. I know everything there is to know about the target, though I'm sure Miss Schnee's information will be helpful, too."

"I'm sure it will," Ironwood conceded. "What do you think from what you know so far?"

"What do I think? I think it is strange…" Penny's brow creased, and it was perhaps the first time he had ever seen the girl look pensive. "It doesn't make sense, and I don't understand why people would endorse such a thing."

"Endorse what?"

Penny looked up to him, as she often did when something about human behaviour particularly troubled her.

"It's… they are tentacles. I do not see why applying them to human reproduction would be a good thing. Biologically, they offer nothing – yet the material I've seen shows that they're often inserted into-"

"About _him_ ," Ironwood interrupted loudly. "I meant what do you think about _him_ , not… not that."

And damn Doctor Polendina for including that in the material. It was perhaps a good idea for her to know what it was, but… argh.

"Oh… I think he seems strong," Penny said. "If he can spawn Grimm, then it would be dangerous to leave him free."

"You understand the importance of your mission, then?"

Penny nodded. "I do. I will help to capture Hentacle, sir."

"Good girl, Penny." Ironwood smiled at her, even as he looked up towards the ceiling. Ozpin could play his games as he always had, and the people could seek the creature's death, but where they saw danger, he saw opportunity.

A Grimm that could flee, that could think and talk – that could perceive the world about it. Such a thing was a terrifying prospect, but also a wondrous opportunity. If it could think and feel, then it could communicate. If it could communicate, then it could be interrogated.

What secrets would it hold? How far would it advance the cause of humanity?

The possibilities were endless.

"I just… why tentacles…?" Penny was still confused.

"Because Mistral," Ironwood replied with a sigh. "Because Mistral…"

"It will be good to see Jaune and Ruby again," Penny cheered. "I can't wait to continue our intercourse!"

Ironwood's headache only grew larger.

/-/

The scroll flickered and clicked.

"Yes?"

" _It's me, Cinder."_

"I know. I can read the ID." The masked man's eyes roved over the meadow around him, taking in the various figures in masks and uniforms training. "Why are you calling? I was under the impression we were done."

" _There's been a chance of plan."_

"I don't like sudden changes, Cinder."

" _I know you don't, Adam. Neither do I. This one was unavoidable. Roman has lost the Paladins."_

"Don't you mean _you_ have lost the Paladins?"

There was no response.

"We needed those."

" _We won't need them anymore. I have something else in mind."_

"I'll repeat, Cinder," Adam said, frowning. "I don't like sudden changes in plan."

" _Trust me a little longer. Things have changed, but the overall results should stay the same. Just keep your men busy for now. I'll have new instructions for you soon."_

* * *

 **This was very much a fallout chapter. The kind designed to highlight how things have changed – and they have changed. I'm hoping to step away from canon a little as a result, even if massive events like the Vytal Festival's influence can't exactly be avoided.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 27** **th** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	37. Chapter 37

**Hey everyone. I just want to pre-face this by saying there will be no White Sheep chapter next week. The reason is simple; I need to take a week off of this fic to do some planning to try and improve it. It was always intended as a rather cracky fic, but last-minute additions in the past set of chapters have slowly started to push it away from what I'd originally planned, and that's bad. It means the quality suffers, and with my update schedule being every week, I get no time to sit down and fix it.**

 **That's why no update for this fic (and only this fic) next week. It lets me sit down, see where it's going wrong, and fix it so that it gets better moving on. I might have to do this again in time, and you may find the plan familiar to Forged Destiny, which has a story arc, then a week off for me to plan, then moves into the next story arc.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 37**

* * *

Everyone was unusually excited as they filed out of Oobleck's latest class, with teams chattering between themselves as they rushed off to plan, plot or prepare. The Vytal Festival was coming, and Oobleck had just given a lecture on what it all meant, its history, and what they could expect when it came around this year.

An international event designed to promote friendship, camaraderie and co-operation. It sounded amazing to him, a sign that people _could_ put aside their differences and band together. If they could do that with one another, then surely it wasn't so crazy to imagine it happening to the Grimm one day.

The others were excited for a far more mundane reason, however.

"We've got a shot at winning this," Weiss said, whirling on them with narrowed eyes. "With both Pyrrha and I on the same team, we're an unstoppable force!"

"And us, right?" Ruby added, pouting.

Weiss waved a hand dismissively. "Yes, yes, whatever. Can you imagine the looks on people's faces when a first-year team wins the whole tournament!? Think of the glory, the fame… the rewards!"

"Fame is overrated," Pyrrha said.

"I'm not really after glory," Jaune added.

"Rewards?" Ruby asked, vaguely interested.

"There's a prize of lien for the winners."

"Aww… that's boring."

Weiss palmed her face. "You could use it to buy new upgrades for Crescent Rose."

"Let's win this!" Ruby's transformation was sudden, but Weiss seemed pleased at least someone was showing some enthusiasm, even if it wasn't her original target.

"I doubt it will be that easy," Pyrrha warned. "The Vytal Festival is attended by all four of the major academies, and we'll be the youngest people there. I'll fight as best I can, but I'm only one person."

"Aren't you some kind of super athlete, though?" Jaune asked.

Pyrrha smiled, and probably would have looked a little more embarrassed if anyone else asked it. The fact she'd had to explain it to him kind of nixed that, however. He hadn't been lying when he said he had no idea who she was. "I was a tournament fighter, but I stuck mostly to Mistral. Even if I did fight some international competitions, it's not to say the best of the best were there. Take Yang for example; she's one of the better fighters in class, but she never appeared on any of the competition circuits."

"That's Yang for you," Ruby laughed. "I think Signal suggested it once, but she didn't like the idea of all the travelling."

"That's just it. I might have been the best at the time, but there could have been stronger people my age who simply decided they didn't want to compete. To a lot of people, there are more personal reasons to become huntsmen." Pyrrha shrugged. "Better reasons, too."

Jaune nodded, understanding what she meant. Pyrrha hadn't expressly said what her reason for being a huntress was, but he knew it had to be more than fame or glory; otherwise she'd have stayed in the competitive scene. That she was here at Beacon made it clear she had other things in mind, and a lot of other students would, too. Ruby was probably another example, even if she wasn't on Pyrrha's level. To her, being a huntress was about helping people, not wasting time fighting for a crowd.

"Well it's not like my plan was just to rely on Pyrrha," Weiss said, crossing her arms. "The whole point I brought this up in the first place was about _you_!"

Jaune leaned back from the finger threatening his nose. "Me?"

"Yes, you! Who else am I pointing at!?" The finger shook, as if she were debating pushing it through his skull. She drew it back instead and planted both hands on her hips. "You need to be a better fighter by the time the festival comes around."

"I _am_ trying."

"Try harder!"

Ruby smothered a giggle.

"I'm not saying you're useless," Weiss said, her eyes softening just a tad. From diamond to concrete, really. She still looked deadly serious. "Your staying power is… well, impressive doesn't really cover it. Your staying power is obscene, your strength illogical and your fitness ridiculous."

"Thank you…?"

Was it a compliment? It felt like one, sort of...

"The problem is your skill with a sword. All the aura in the world won't matter if our opponents are able to force you out of the ring, or even just ignore you and gang up on us. You need to be a credible threat."

"Or we could come up with some strategies to off-set his weaknesses," Pyrrha offered.

"I'd prefer a bit of both. No plan survives contact with the enemy."

"Especially not when they're listening in," Ruby grumbled, jerking a thumb towards Yang's leering face behind her. "Go away, Yang. We're strategizing."

"And we're doing the same," Yang laughed, resting an arm atop Ruby's head and leaning on it. "Don't let us interrupt you though. We'll even offer our thoughts on your super-secret plan. How good a deal is that?"

Weiss sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Whatever their planning session was going to be about, it wouldn't be finished now. Not with their rivals listening. "I think we should do some team training sessions," she said instead. "That way we can focus on making you better with a sword, while also building up our own stamina."

Jaune nodded. It sounded like a good plan. He was already working with Qrow on that as well, but it wasn't like more training would be a bad thing.

" **Human training might give you an edge over your sisters, too. They've all trained with your Uncle Hazel, but his is only one style. Other than that, they rely on their Grimm abilities."**

" _And we can match those,"_ Jaune agreed. It wouldn't be easy, but the benefit of him being just about useless with a sword was that he'd relied more on his hereditary skills. He wasn't just good with his tentacles, he was a master.

Now, if he could just say the same about the sword, he'd be a lot better off.

"How much training?" Ruby asked nervously. "We already do all that homework at night and-"

"I'll let you out of the catch-up lessons if you agree."

"Sold!" Ruby cheered. "Whoo! Training!"

"Looks like you've got the handle of her," Yang complimented Weiss.

"Ruby isn't so hard to understand when you try. It's simply a matter of finding out what she wants and offering it." Luckily for Weiss, Ruby didn't seem to hear what sounded like a fairly frank comparison to a dog. "How about your team?" Weiss asked. "Do you intend to compete in the tournament?"

"We intend to _win_ it," Nora replied casually. "Blake's agreed to let me dress her up like a princess if we win."

"I did no such thing!"

"It was more of an implied agreement."

"This is the first I've even heard of it!" Blake glared at her partner, who have an unapologetic shrug in return. "I'm not dressing up as a princess, Nora."

"Whatever you say~"

Blake growled.

"Well, I don't imagine we'll have too much problem with your team," Weiss smirked. "They'll be too busy fighting between themselves. I dare say this whole tournament is in the bag. Who will even challenge us?"

Cinder would.

The thought came to him randomly and he paled at it. In terms of raw strength, Cinder was nowhere near him, but she had not only skill on her side, but brains too. One look from her would have him cowed, and he dreaded to imagine what kinds of tricks she had up her sleeve. She'd have to compete, too. It would be suspicious if she didn't.

"You know," Nora said. "We've got the dance before the festival. Are you taking anyone, Ren? Has anyone asked you yet?"

"No one at the moment."

"Oh my Gosh, what a coincidence – me, too! If only someone would ask me!" Nora paused, arm wrapped around Ren's neck. "Anyone?" she repeated. "Anyone at all? Any _guy_ I've known for a long time?"

Ren blinked and looked at her. "I wasn't aware you knew many of the men of Beacon, Nora. Other than Jaune and I, that is."

Nora's face twitched, but she managed to keep the smile in place. Mostly through force of will. Her teeth did grit a little tighter, however. Jaune watched the display for a second, before his eyes widened. Was…? No way. But maybe.

"Hey Weiss," he whispered.

She looked up at him. "Hm?"

"This may be a little out there, but… do you think Nora…" He tried to find the right words, but instead settled for the direct approach. "Do you think she _likes_ Ren?"

"I would have thought that was obvious."

"No, I mean _like-like_."

Weiss stared at him like he was some kind of alien. With the most put-upon sigh he'd ever heard, she brought one hand up to cup her face. "Suddenly, everything is starting to make more sense. I don't know if that makes me feel relieved, or just pushes me even further into despair."

"So, you think I'm wrong?"

"I think you're an idiot," Weiss replied. "No, I know you're one. I also pity whatever woman you fall for, or whoever has the misfortune of falling for you." She regarded him for a second, during which he again nodded in their direction. With an explosive sigh, she nodded. "Yes, you incredible buffoon. Nora does like-like him."

He wasn't sure why Weiss called him that, but she often did and it never felt like it had any heat behind it. Maybe it was more a term of endearment than anything. Still, the realisation that Nora liked Ren certainly did open his eyes. It explained so many things.

He chuckled. "Ren really is oblivious, huh?"

Weiss threw her hands in the air and walked away.

"Who are you going to ask to the dance, Jaune?" Ren asked, turning the focus back on him in a single question. Jaune froze, suddenly aware of the attention, and nursing a thought that maybe Ren wasn't so oblivious after all, and this was his revenge for Jaune even thinking it.

He was to ask Yang, of course. It was the expected thing to do. The problem was how to go about it, and whether it would be a good idea to do it in private or not. She wasn't giving any clues, since when he looked over in her direction, it was to find Yang studiously staring at a ceiling tile, her face bright red. Well, he had to make a decision at some point, didn't he?

Now was that point, it seemed. Everyone expected it thanks to Ren's question. He swallowed loudly and opened his mouth – but his words were cut off as a dark shadow loomed over him. Loomed over them all, in fact. The light from the nearby window had been obstructed entirely, casting the corridor into momentary darkness and drawing all eyes outside.

"Whoa…" Yang stared out at the huge, metallic construct. "That's huge."

"More to the point, what is it?" Ren asked.

"Duh. It's an airship. You're so silly, Ren."

"I can see…" He sighed. "Thank you, Nora. I was hoping for a more specific answer, though."

"It's an Atlas airship," Weiss explained, stepping forward to place one hand against the glass. "It's far larger than Winter's, probably for someone much more important." They watched in awe as it passed by, revealing the sky once more. It came to a halt over the main building, and students outside were already rushing over to get a closer look.

"What is it doing here, though?" Blake asked.

"Docking. Duh…"

Blake sighed. "Thank you, Nora…"

Jaune's scroll pinged a message before he could offer his own thoughts, and a few of them turned his way at the noise. He fished it out and read through it. "The headmaster wants to see me," he reported. "Now. Looks like I won't be able to do any training at the moment."

"We'll start tonight," Weiss said, nodding. "Don't keep the headmaster waiting."

"I won't. See you all later."

"But you didn't say who you were taki-"

Jaune turned and fled before Nora could finish her sentence. Ozpin had given him the perfect escape, and he wasn't going to miss it. Whoever he was going to take, he needed to figure out, but making a hasty decision now? He had a feeling that would lead to problems.

" **You can't hold off forever, Jaune."**

" _I know, Remy. I just need time to think on it."_

Time he would take later. For now, he let out a breath, more relieved than concerned over whatever Ozpin wanted to see him about.

/-/

"There he goes," Yang said, wiping away an imaginary tear. "One brave noodle."

"I wonder what the headmaster wants to see him about." Weiss held a finger to her chin and narrowed her eyes. "The timing is far too close to that airship's arrival to be a coincidence, but I don't understand why he would need to meet with anyone from Atlas."

"You sure it's not your sister again? She could be giving him the interrogation right now."

While that thought was certainly terrifying enough, Weiss wasn't too worried. Winter had her position as a Specialist, but there was no way she'd ever warrant a ship that large. Besides, she was already in Vale and had her own aircraft. It was sleeker, smaller and faster, as befitted someone of her rank.

"It's not Winter. This is something bigger, though I can only guess as to what." She sighed. "I suppose we will have to ask him this afternoon."

"He didn't say who he was taking to the dance," Nora pointed out.

Pointlessly. It wasn't like any of them hadn't noticed. Weiss bit back the bile that rose in her throat, not at the thought of her partner as her date, but at the guilt she felt at it. Her eyes slipped over to Yang, who was pointedly looking away, and then to Ruby, who was unusually quiet.

What a can of worms she'd opened there. The last place Weiss wanted to be stuck was in the middle of a love triangle like this. Or was it a love rectangle, now? She was fairly sure Pyrrha's reactions hinted at something.

"He should go with Weiss," Yang said.

"He should go with Yang," Weiss said at the exact same time. They stared at one another, and she could just tell it wasn't a conversation she wanted. "We'll let Jaune decide," she said, ending it then and there. "His relationship with me is a disguise, nothing more. Even if we were to go together, it would be as partners and friends." And wasn't it a weird thing to call him a friend? Still, as bumbling and stupid as he was – and Gods, was he stupid – he was still a friend. Of sorts. "He might as well go with you, Yang. I doubt it will be an issue."

"I think a lot of us will be going with friends," Pyrrha pointed out. "Unless there's a sudden influx of men in our lives." She paused. "Or anyone swings in a different direction."

No one replied to that, though Yang sent a teasing look to Ren, just in case. There was no telling with him. Weiss wasn't sure if he was oblivious, or just pretending to be. With Nora on the other end, who could tell?

"Or we could just not go," Ruby suggested quickly. "I mean, do we _really_ have to go to a dance like this?"

"You're going," Yang said, raising her voice a little louder since it sounded like someone was running through the halls nearby. Someone rather heavy from the sound of it. "Stop trying to weasel your way out of it."

"But I don't even have a date!"

"Find one."

"As if it's that easy," Ruby howled. "I'm socially awkward. I'm small. I'm- I'm fifteen! Where am I going to find someone to take to the dance? Wouldn't it just be easier if I went with you or Pyrrha?"

"Making some really big assumptions about Pyrrha being alone there," Yang said, wincing.

Ruby winced too, and looked to her partner in apology.

"Not entirely incorrect assumptions," Pyrrha said weakly.

"S-Sorry, Pyrrha…" Ruby cringed, but tried for the best smile she could. "Besides, it's not like you'll be the only one not going with a dat-"

Ruby cut off as something hit her side, earning a panicked squawk as she was thrown off her feet. Weiss barely had the time to blink before Yang was moving, though the over-protective girl seemed to calm down when she realised it wasn't an attack.

Well, not entirely an attack. The girl, for it was a girl, had tackled Ruby to the floor, and was even now proceeding to squirm on top of her happily. She had ginger hair, but it wasn't Nora.

"Friend Ruby!" the girl shouted.

"P-Penny? What are you doing here!?"

"I am here to have intercourse with you."

Ruby choked.

Weiss sighed.

Ren coughed.

"Well," Pyrrha teased, "Maybe you won't be going alone, after all."

"It's not like that!"

/-/

"Ah, there you are, Jaune. Thank you for heeding my summons. Come in."

Ozpin gestured towards him, and Jaune made his way quickly into the room, noting the new figure stood beside the headmaster. He was tall and wide, dressed mostly in whites and greys, but with black hair that offset both. His face was stern, but not unkind. It reminded him of Uncle Hazel.

"I see you have noticed General Ironwood beside me," Ozpin continued once Jaune had sat down. The General stood to Ozpin's right, Glynda to his left. "He is an old friend of mine, and also a part of our little group. As both the Headmaster of Atlas, and the General of the Atlesian army, his efforts against the Grimm have saved many lives."

At the expense of Grimm ones, presumably. He knew of the man. How could he not? Even though he spent most of his time back home reading and dreaming, it was impossible not to hear his Uncles and Big Sis talk shop. The name `James Ironwood` had come up time and time again, and not always in a good light.

Then again, since his family wanted the destruction of mankind, that probably meant he was a good person – at least to humanity.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Ironwood said, nodding. His voice was strong and confident, but not as gruff as he'd expected. "Ozpin has told me much about you, but this is the first time we've had a chance to meet. It's good to have more within our circle."

" _He seems nice."_

" **Keep your guard up. He's a dangerous man."**

Weren't they all? Ozpin was his Mom's biggest enemy, and the two had spoken on more than one occasion. Ruby was an enemy too, apparently. Her silver eyes still made him panic a little, even if the response was much more muted than what it had been.

"It's nice to meet you as well," Jaune said, realising a little belatedly that they were waiting for his response. He looked to Ozpin. "Did you want me here to meet General Ironwood?"

"Partly, but that is not the whole story. I believe it's important for you to know who you can trust, and there are few secrets between us."

"Fewer secrets," Ironwood corrected with a little laugh. "I doubt even Glynda or I know everything about you, old friend, and I doubt you would tell if we asked."

Ozpin smiled and bowed his head in surrender.

"Even so, I've heard about what has happened to you," Ironwood continued, this time looking at him. "Is it okay if I call you Jaune? Perfect. Well, I have to admit I was sceptical at first when Ozpin spoke of Grimm seeking to capture you. Please understand that this is completely unusual behaviour on their part."

"Or we thought it was," Ozpin interjected. "How many cases of missing people might have been abductions rather than death? And what terrible horrors await those taken?"

Jaune cringed but didn't speak up. They weren't abductions, and the only person who'd ever actually been kidnapped by Grimm was his Dad. As for what horrors had befallen him, it was best not to think about. He'd been scarred enough walking in on them. The dining room table was for eating, not… not that!

"I don't see anything that might have set the Grimm off," Ironwood said, inspecting Jaune with a critical eye. "Then again, I suppose it wouldn't be something obvious or we would have known about it by now. A Semblance, perhaps? Something deeper?"

"We are not yet sure," Ozpin replied.

"I can have my teams run some tests. Blood samples can be analysed and researched. Urine samples, too. If he'll just come to my airship for an hour or two I can have the results here before the week is out."

Panic shot through him. Blood samples…? Jaune ducked his head and tried not to show his fear. He had no idea what those would find out, or what other medical scans would see. Would they be able to identify his tentacles within his body? Would the blood reveal him to be something less than human? Was there any way for him to refuse without drawing suspicion? He could harden his aura to break any needles which tried to pierce his skin, but they'd notice that. He'd be found out!

He glanced towards the door, breath coming out a little sharper. If he flipped the table towards them, it might distract them long enough for him to escape. He'd have to flee Beacon and Vale, and he'd never see his friends again, but that might be better than certain death. His hands tightened into fists and he shifted on his seat.

"Stop that!" Glynda suddenly snapped, making him flinch. Had she seen him? "James, Ozpin, I won't hear of you discussing him like he's some kind of test subject. Look at the effect you're having on him."

"Oh? Ah, I apologise, Jaune. That was rude of us." Ozpin inclined his head. "You need not worry about anything happening against your will, right James?"

"Of course," Ironwood agreed. "That said, such tests could help us to pinpoint-" He paused, looking to Glynda, who glared back with steely eyes. "Another time, perhaps. We can discuss this when you're a little more comfortable with the idea."

"That's kind of you," Glynda said, smiling.

Jaune's entire body relaxed. Thank Salem for Miss Goodwitch. He had no idea what she wanted, but he was going to find it and give it to her as a gift for saving his ass. He flashed the teacher a grateful smile, and though she pretended not to see it, he did notice her nod gently. "I'm not very good with medical stuff, but I'll think about it."

It wasn't entirely a lie, either. It might not have been the main reason, but when you had Uncle Watts as your family doctor and dentist, you still found reason to be afraid. The man was a genius, sure, but he wasn't one for wasting time. If the tooth wasn't perfect, it was coming out – and no, you couldn't have anaesthetic, that would take too long and he was busy. So many things to do, and oops – there goes the tooth. You're bleeding? Well, go and wash your mouth out. Don't spill any blood on my research, though.

It left a lasting impression, and for all the wrong reasons. The fact he'd had a chance to see Beacon's doctor once before didn't help, not when he'd seen her wagging her tail as she delivered a monstrously large injection into a struggling student.

The only way he was going to the infirmary was in a body bag.

"Right now, we're focused on training Mr Arc up so that he might defend himself," Ozpin said. "From there, we'll consider other options, but we are on the defensive for the moment." The headmaster regarded him with a curious expression. "It is my hope that the reason for _her_ interest will reveal itself in time."

"And of this new threat within the city?"

"Of Hentacle, you mean?"

Ironwood's face became a lot more gravelly, but he nodded.

"Hentacle is… indisposed at the moment, at least as far as we can tell. We believe he was wounded in the last fight, because it was the first time he sought to retreat when Mr Arc was still on the field. Normally, he has proven more tenacious."

"Against students," Ironwood said. "We have no idea how strong this creature is, but it might be possible that a team of experienced huntsmen could slay him. Why has this not been considered?"

"Because my resources aren't limitless and hers might be. Better the demon we know at the moment, than two demons if this one fails. Or three, or four, or however many she deigns to send forth." Ozpin's fingers tapped on his desk. "I would rather keep the threat to a minimum, especially so close to the Vytal Festival."

Ironwood hummed. "I see your point. While I don't like the idea of that beast still being here during it, I can't disagree his death might just draw more. What do you intend to do about the festival itself?"

"I don't yet know. There are a few more players in the game than I expected, no thanks to Qrow's little efforts on the side."

"What has that drunkard done now?"

"Involved someone I didn't wish involved. It won't be a problem and I'll fill you in later."

"How about the Festival, then? Have you given my warnings on the security any thought?"

"We can discuss that between the three of us," Ozpin said, eyes flickering to Jaune's face. "I wouldn't want to bore our guest with that. In fact, you may lea-"

"If I may," Ironwood interrupted. He waited for Ozpin to nod before he continued. "I don't think our newest member should compete in the tournament."

Jaune's mouth fell open. Before he really knew what he was doing, he surged to his feet. "What!?"

"It is too dangerous," the General said, watching him from the corner of his eye. Most of his attention was on Ozpin. "If that beast wishes to make a move, then the tournament would be the perfect place for it. It could lead to mass panic, or even a massacre in itself. There are too many people there for us to risk letting him compete."

"That is not an easy request, James. Miss Nikos and Schnee are on his team. If those two don't compete, people will be in uproar."

"Then we change something," Ironwood said. "Or we limit how he can compete. Make his team the first match, then win or lose take him off the colosseum. His team can enter the doubles and singles without him. Whatever the case, I believe saving lives to be more important than personal glory."

Jaune looked between them, eyes wide. He wanted to complain, but what could he say? Ironwood was right… or he would be right if Hentacle was even a thing outside of being himself. If he was at the tournament in his human form, then there would _be_ no Hentacle.

He couldn't say that, though.

Weiss was going to go ballistic. She would kill him!

"I do see your point, old friend, but this is not a decision to be made lightly." Ozpin smiled apologetically at Jaune. "No decision has been made yet, and one won't be made without your input. I wouldn't want to keep you any longer, however. You may return to your friends if you wish. I just wanted you to meet Ironwood, and to know that if you find yourself in danger, he will do what he can to assist."

"My ship will always be a safe haven if you need it," Ironwood promised.

Yeah, and he'd only have to give up a vial of blood while he was there. It wasn't going to happen, no offence to the man. Jaune nodded, however, knowing there was little else he could do. He stood and pushed the seat in behind him, and shook Ironwood's hand when the man held it out.

"To the destruction of all Grimm," Ironwood said, smiling.

A tiny flicker of red flashed in Jaune's eyes.

/-/

Mercury wasn't sure he was hearing things properly. "You want me to ask Jaune to the dance?"

"N-No!" Velvet said, though it was after a second's pause in which her cheeks went very red indeed. Had she just thought of the two of them like that? "N-Not that it would be a bad thing…" She had! "I mean that I want your help in _me_ asking him."

Huh, so Jaune was her mystery interest. He'd have liked to say it surprised him, but he'd have had to be an idiot to not notice how she locked up around him. Getting him to go with Velvet to the dance, though? It would involve effort, something he always dreaded, but he wasn't sure he could say no.

He wanted to make Velvet happy.

So she'd keep working as his contact, that was. Nothing more.

"Can't you just ask him?"

Velvet's ears drooped. "Don't you think I would if I could?"

"Okay, yeah, stupid question. It's not like I have much experience dating people either."

"You don't?"

"Why are you so surprised?"

"You don't look like someone who would have trouble."

Mercury's words died in his throat, and he coughed to clear them out. Had she just called him hot? Well, not in those words, and he didn't think he could even imagine hearing Velvet use words like that, but it was close enough. His chest puffed out before he could stop it and he tried his hardest to keep his smile on the right side of smarmy.

"Thanks for the compliment. I'm not exactly what most girls call a reliable guy, though."

"Why not? You've helped me out a lot, and you've kept all my secrets. I know Coco thinks you're attractive, so I doubt it's looks."

"Coco said that?"

"She's… pretty open."

Yeah, he could tell. Somehow the thought of Coco discussing him behind his back was neither surprising nor comforting. He couldn't help but wonder if Velvet took part in that, and what she'd said about him. "I guess I'm one of those bad guys dads warn their daughters about."

"How can you be a bad guy if you haven't even dated anyone?"

Ugh, straight through his gut – and she'd twisted the logic just to make it hurt. He could already feel what remained of his street cred dribbling down onto the ground. He was lucky Emerald wasn't around for the coup de grace.

"Okay, emasculating my pride aside, you're sure you want to ask him to the dance?"

"I-I do…"

"Well, okay. I guess I'll help."

"You will!?" Velvet jumped on him before he could respond, her arms wrapping around him as she laughed happily. More than a few people walking by paused to stare at them with wide eyes. Seeing the normally shy and reserved faunus tackle someone like that was rare, especially a guy. "Thank you, Mercury. Thank you. You're the best friend I could ask for!"

And to think, he was just doing it because of the use he had for her. Something unpleasant bubbled in his stomach. "Y-Yeah. A great friend…"

"I was so worried I'd go alone." She pushed back and smiled, cheeks red. "I-I need to go ask Coco for help with a dress. Thank you again, Mercury."

He watched her rush away, ears swaying happily as she darted back to her dorm. Only when she was out of sight did he lean back against the wall and pinch the bridge of his nose. This was messed up. Everything was messed up.

What would Cinder say?

" _You used `my` brother as payment for some animal-eared flooz-"_

Actually, the less thought on that, the better.

/-/

Blake wasn't one to usually find herself confiding in another, but for all of her annoyances, Yang wasn't a bad sort. Compared to Nora, she was practically a saint. That the two of them found themselves walking through Vale together wasn't too shocking. They both needed dresses for the dance, and Blake didn't want to get caught between Nora trying to convince Ren to ask her to the dance, mostly because she had a sinking suspicion she'd somehow get dragged into the sorry affair.

That the two of them found themselves complaining to one another? Well, who could blame them?

"It's not like I _asked_ Ren to give me a stuffed toy," Blake said, rolling her eyes. "And it would be rude of me to throw it away, but no, if Nora so much as sees it within a yard of me, she glares like I'm trying to seduce him or something."

"Hm, she needs to just ask him out," Yang agreed, walking beside her with a shopping bag in hand. "Guess I'm lucky she hasn't started to suspect me. I am his partner, after all."

"Being partners hardly means you're in a romantic relationship." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, brushing against her feline ears gently. "I imagine she's just happy to see you with Jaune instead of Ren."

"Ha ha, yeah…" Yang laughed awkwardly. "Jaune and I… we're not… well, we're not _really_ together, you know?"

"Not together-together?"

Yang grinned and hit Blake's arm. "Not funny." Her smile fell a second later. "It's not that, it's just… well, you realise I basically asked him out by mistake, right? It was a slip of the tongue. Just me calling the thing we were doing a date." Yang winced. "He took it seriously."

 _And you didn't?_ Blake wondered. If anything, she felt Yang had taken it just as much, especially when she panicked and flushed when Jaune bought her flowers. That wasn't the reaction of someone embarrassed or uninterested.

"If anything, it should be Ruby he's dating."

Blake looked to her friend, confused. "How do you figure?"

"When I first met him, it was him and Ruby," Yang explained with a forlorn sigh. "Those two had made fast friends, and I could tell she liked him. You should have seen the way she blushed!" The blonde paused to chuckle. "He liked her, too. Or he was starting to. I don't think it was fully there yet, but he was kind of awkward around her. The way he kept looking away from her eyes was pretty telling. I mean, if he didn't like her he wouldn't have hung around, but he was embarrassed about something." She shook her head. "Right then, right there, I thought those two looked perfect for one another."

"Hmm," Blake hummed noncommittally. "What changed?"

"I did." Yang sighed. "You need to understand, back when we were in Signal I was the most popular girl in school. I had looks, attitude and the skill to back it up. I wasn't some rebel, more like one of the hottest girls who also happened to be the best fighter and all-around likeable." Yang rubbed her head. "That sounds arrogant when I say it like that, but it was true."

"I understand. Those things happen in schools." Not that she knew from experience, but she'd hard it often enough, and read about it in some of her saucier books. "I'm taking it Ruby wasn't the same."

"Not at all. She was just as good as me, for her age anyway, but she was so awkward around people that she ended up alienating those around her. Some thought she was showing off, others that she was a geek – and she was. Still is," Yang added. "I mean, that's just who she is. Either way, she got compared to me a lot, and not always in a good way. Teachers and students alike did it. I told her never to let it get to her, and she didn't, but that doesn't mean bad stuff didn't happen."

"What like?"

"Nothing abusive…" Yang paused and rubbed her eyes. She looked exhausted. "I'll just lay it flat. Basically, there were a few cases of Ruby's friends, male friends, developing feelings for me. I was the older sister, they were hormonal, it happens. I turned them down and thought that was it, but they were so hurt they basically stopped being friends with Ruby. That's just one example, though. I remember when Ruby found this girl she got on with, and I was really excited for her. I wanted to make a good impression too, so I was super nice to her. Any friend of Ruby's is a friend of mine, right? I didn't want to scare her off. Wanted to the coolest big sis I could be."

"Sounds ideal. What was the problem?"

"She became my friend instead of Ruby's." Yang grimaced and looked away. "It wasn't sudden, not even obvious, but she started to call and message me more and Ruby less, and before I knew it she was sitting with me during lunch and Ruby was all on her own again. Ruby never sat with me," Yang added, seeing her confusion. "She felt my friends were just being nice to her because she was my sister." She sighed. "Ruby wasn't wrong, either. They were."

Yang kicked some pebbles down the street and kept walking, head held high. "She never blamed me, you know? Well, I guess it's probably easy to imagine Ruby not doing that. Still, she always smiled and always said she loved me, but I couldn't help but notice how I kept stealing things from her. Attention, interest, friendships… even if she never blamed me for it, I know I was at fault."

"Yang…"

"Not intentionally," Yang hurried to add, waving her hands between them. "I'm not having a drama moment, I swear. Besides, what kind of friends were they if they didn't stick with her? Point is, I made it a habit to not get involved after that, and Ruby managed to make some of her own friends in time. She left them behind when she came to Beacon, but the important part is that she had them."

Blake saw the problem, and sighed loudly. "And then Jaune."

"Yep." Yang echoed her sigh. "And then him. I had to get close to him. He was interested in Ruby and I wanted to see what kind of guy he was, and he was cool. I liked him." One hand came up to cover her eyes. "And now I've stolen him. Again. That's why I want him to stop looking at me like that. I figure if I can back out, Ruby can start afresh, win what was hers. Be happy."

"And you'd be okay with that?"

"Sure."

 _Liar_ …

If not to her, then Yang was lying to herself. Blake hummed but didn't say anything. There was enough crazy drama in their team without adding some of her own, and Yang was a lonely island in a bastion of insanity. Blake needed her to stay in one piece.

"You get on well with him."

"Huh, Jaune? Yeah, I suppose I do. He's a good guy."

"Anything in particular?"

"No one thing that stands out," she said. "Just… I guess there's a lot of little things I like. But that's normal, isn't it? I don't like you because of one thing."

Blake raised an eyebrow.

"That came out wrong." Yang paused and slapped her forehead. "I mean that you're more than just one thing. You're a teammate, but that doesn't mean I have to get on with you. I do because you're smart and sarcastic, and kinda funny in your own way. Not as funny as me-"

"That's debatable…"

"See? That's what I mean!" Yang slapped her arm and grinned. "You've got that sharp wit. I dunno. It just makes you easy to hang around with. Let's me know you're serious, but not just being an ass. If someone just told me you were a quiet girl who doesn't speak much, reads, and insults people every now and then, I'd not want to know you."

Blake nodded, understanding a little. To be fair, as first impressions went, she knew she didn't set the best. That wasn't always accidental, however. She hadn't _wanted_ to set the best impression for Yang, mostly because she'd been next to Ruby, and Ruby had set off the Schnee.

It all worked out in the end, though.

"What do you like about Jaune?" she asked.

"Well, just little things. I liked him first because he got on with Ruby, but he was pretty cool with me too. Didn't look at my babies." Yang paused to adjust her breasts, and Blake rolled her eyes when a man walking by almost walked into a light post. "And he just talked normal, you know? Even made me laugh with a few jokes, and laughed at mine, too!"

That Yang found the last detail endearing probably made sense. No one laughed at her jokes.

No one.

"He just sort of grew on me from there," she said. "I thought he was funny, but he wasn't exactly friend material at first, but the more I hung around him, the more I liked it. It's nothing special," she added with a little shrug. "He just snuck up on me. Before I knew it, he was a friend."

"And then a boyfriend."

"And then a boyfrie-" Yang's nod turned into a rapid shake of the head. "No, no, no. Not a boyfriend. Look, it's complicated."

"Sounds it."

"He'll be better with Ruby."

"You asked for her opinion on that?"

"Ugh, she'll just say whatever she thinks will make me `happy`," Yang explained, holding up her shopping bags and making air-quotations with her fingers. "Even if it left her in the dust, she'd smile and cheer me on. Trust me, I'm not doing this again. I've messed up, but I can fix this. He liked Ruby first. He's perfect for her."

"Which is why he started dating her sister instead?" Blake rolled her eyes. "Wow, I should add this book to my collection. It sounds ridiculous."

"It is ridiculous! That's why he needs to stop with me and go with Ruby."

"Or," Blake said, "Maybe it isn't Ruby he wants at all."

Yang wasn't an idiot. She knew what Blake meant, even if she refused to believe it. The blonde's face turned pensive as she bit down on her lip. "That won't happen," she said. "He liked Ruby first."

"People change, Yang. Maybe it's too late to go back to that."

"It can't be." Yang bit her lip. "Ruby was there first. I'm her sister! I can't just…" She shook her head. "I can't."

Couldn't steal her sister's crush away, Blake supposed. It made sense, but damn was it irritating. She didn't envy Yang being stuck in that situation, especially when it was clear to her – if no one else – that Yang liked him back, at least to some degree. You didn't get that worked up over dressing nice for a date that didn't mean anything, and you didn't turn that shade of red over an easy compliment from someone you didn't like.

Then again, Yang was afraid of something. Blake hadn't sensed any lies in her story, but there was something missing. It was like a puzzle missing a single piece, with the image still distorted for it.

 _Which would I prefer?_ Blake wondered. Both Ruby and Yang were good people, and she couldn't say who she'd want to see happier more. Maybe Yang, just because they were closer, being on the same team. Even so, it was close.

She wanted to tell Yang to ignore all of that, to follow what she wanted and not what she thought was right. Wanted to, but didn't. Who was she to give advice? Her first case of doing what she wanted led to her abandoning her family to stay with the White Fang, and then work with them to make it more militant. Not exactly a good example.

There were enough mistakes she'd made already without lecturing Yang on hers. Time would tell where that went, and if her friend would realise her own feelings. Blake shook her head and let her eyes drift over the nearby crowds.

Yang bumped into her back, and would have tripped over her if not for a stumbling recovery which kept the blonde on her feet.

"What's wrong?" she asked, sighing. "You stopped in the middle of the street. Don't tell me you're channelling you inner-cat and tripping people up now."

The cat jibe made her ears twitch, as they always did. She glared back at her friend, but couldn't quite bring her all into it. She'd seen- no, she thought she'd seen… well, it didn't matter. She shook her head, dismissing the thought. It was silly. She was thinking about her past, and that had her jumping at shadows like a little kitten.

Like a child.

Damn Yang and her cat puns.

"Nothing," she sighed, moving on. "Come on, we should get back to Beacon before Nora assumes I've been kidnapped and sends out a search party."

"Or throws a party since a rival for Ren's heart has been stolen," Yang teased.

"Or that…"

The two bantered back and forth as they made their way back, and Blake soon dismissed what she'd seen from her mind. All this drama with the White Fang had rattled her… left her seeing things. It was understandable, she supposed.

But there was no way she'd just seen _Adam_ walking around the streets of Vale.

No way.

* * *

 **Okay, so there is two weeks before the next chapter, i.e. there will be a week of no update. This really is necessary as a way to let me piece together the plot and get everything back on track, and also iron it out. There were too many ideas being thrown in, and not enough thought given to how they stack and interact.**

 **Similarly put, College Fool and I aren't getting enough time to bat ideas between us, and that leads to some being mixed or implemented poorly.**

 **Things should get better for the break.**

 **Also, just got back from my speeches and seminars, so exhausted and my throat hurts. Yay. ALso, six hours of driving involved, three either way. My feet hurt and I feel weirdly dry-skinned, probably from the air conditioning blasting me for so long. My eyes are sticky and dry, and stuck wide open. Everything feels broken, lol. On the bright side, the speeches went well as usual, and no drama this time. Some drama, i.e. one of the projectors failing, but no _serious_ drama like one of the guys panicking and not even showing like last year, leaving me to fill in his material on stage despite not knowing _anything_ about it.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 12** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	38. Chapter 38

**Back from my break – here we go.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 38**

* * *

"That's it for now," Qrow called, waving for them to stop.

Another hour or three of training passed, and a little more confidence in his step, Jaune complied, lowering Crocea Mors and dusting some grass stains from his trousers. He'd eaten dirt more than Qrow had, in fact the man had yet to fall at all, but he could feel the improvement and that was all that mattered.

"You're getting better but you're still a far way off," the older huntsman said. "Your foes aren't normal, at least not compared to the average Grimm. You can't afford to be good; you need to excel."

"We could keep training. I could go for another few hours."

Qrow grumbled something under his breath and shook his head. He sat with crossed legs, breathing heavily and motioning for Jaune to do the same. He did so, and for a while, the two of them sat in silence, nothing but the early morning wind and the faint bustle of distant students their company.

Jaune liked those moments, even if they weren't exactly productive. The sounds and smells were different from back home, where no life reigned and the land was bathed in perpetual hues of purple and black. It was beautiful too in its own way, but not quite as vibrant as it was in Beacon. There was just so much going on.

"What are you thinking about?" Qrow asked.

The truth wouldn't suffice, so he went with a different excuse. "The school dance. It's coming up soon and I don't know what to do about it."

"Aren't you going with the Schnee girl?"

"You know that's fake. I'm sure I told you."

"Could be real, though," Qrow muttered. "Why not go for it? She's nice… for a Schnee."

"Weiss is great," Jaune said, feeling the strange need to defend his partner. "She's loyal, kind and helpful – even if she does expect a bit much from people. She's helping Ruby catch up with all the schoolwork she missed by moving ahead, you know."

"I'll be sure to send her a gift basket as thanks," Qrow said sarcastically. "Anyway, sounds perfect. Why not go with her?"

"Because I'm already in a relationship?"

Qrow went silent, as he often did when Yang was brought up. Jaune had never been able to figure out why, but he had an idea. Qrow was Yang's uncle, after all. He probably felt it was weird talking about his niece's love life.

Jaune could respect that. He'd have felt weird if one of his sisters picked up a boyfriend, and he normally wouldn't have pressed Qrow on the issue if it wasn't for one important factor. "Actually, I need some advice."

"Advice?" Qrow's head perked up. "What kind?"

"Girl advice."

"And you want to ask a forty-something bachelor?"

No, but it wasn't like he had a wide range of male figures to pick from, was it? There was Ren, who was a total bro but his age and single. Cardin was the same, with the added complication of maybe hurting the guy's feelings if he brought up his relationship with Yang. The only other alternatives were Ozpin, Ironwood and Roman – all of which were single, and all of which were also either strange, frightening or downright odd.

"Sure," he said, lying through his teeth. "I bet you're great with girls."

Qrow predictably sat a little taller at the praise. "Well, I've been known to leave a few satisfied barmaids behind. Shoot."

"What kind of things does Yang like?"

The wind whistled between them, blowing across his skin as he waited for an answer.

"Qrow?"

"A bit of a ballsy thing to ask, don't you think? Straight to her Uncle's face?"

"I figured you'd know best," he said carefully. "You don't have to tell me, but I thought it would be worth the risk to ask. I wouldn't want to do something wrong and upset her."

"Upset her, huh?" Qrow's face took on a complicated expression and the man looked away, lost in thought. Whatever he was thinking about must have been a sensitive topic, since his shoulders started to hunch together. "Could I? No. That would make me the biggest asshole. Still, if it's for the best? Damn it, Tai. This is your fault somehow."

"Qrow?"

"Okay, okay, I get it." He pushed himself around so that he faced Jaune once more. "Fine, you know what, I _will_ offer you some tips. Take 'em as you will."

"You will!?" Jaune smiled happily. "Thank you, Qrow. This means so much to me!"

Rather than be pleased at the praise, Qrow managed to somehow look more aggrieved. "Don't make this any harder than it already is, brat," he whispered. "Damn my bleeding heart. Okay, fine. Listen up – and stop taking notes!"

Jaune stashed the notepad away.

"Women like different things dependent on who they are," Qrow began. "Everyone is different and they'll all have their personal tastes and preferences, but there are a few things that can be considered universal across the board. Your safest bet is to stick with those things until you can figure out for yourself what they like."

"Universal things? Do girls really have some things they all like? That seems a little simplistic."

"Not really. We all have things we _don't_ like, male or female, so why would it be weird to have it the other way around? No one likes being stabbed in the back. Don't do that."

Jaune sweat dropped. "Isn't that a bit extreme?"

"Don't be an idiot. That was just an example. Point is, apart from some outliers, most girls are going to prefer someone who shows them attention, listens to them and treats them like an equal. Since the whole point of getting to know someone is to find out more, that's a good starting point. If you have any crazy thoughts of sweeping someone off their feet, cheesy poems or love striking like divine lightning, then get them out of your head. Life isn't that simple."

His cheeks heated up as Qrow said that. He didn't think he'd done anything that bad, but he could admit to imagining that romance would be like that – at least the strike of lightning bit. Then again, it always was in the books he read. The hero would go and slay the dragon, rescue the kingdom or fulfil the prophecy, and then the princess, peasant girl or loyal companion would fall in love with him.

 _But life isn't a novel,_ he reminded himself. If it was, it wouldn't be quite so complicated.

"Of course, you have me to drop you some advice on what Yang does and doesn't like," Qrow said, "so you have an edge. Listen closely, because I'll only say this once."

He leaned forward.

"Yang loves formality."

"Huh?"

"Formality," Qrow said, not quite meeting Jaune's eyes. "Yeah, she loves it. The more sentimental, overly romantic and girlish the better. She's the kind of girl who wants to be spoilt in a fancy restaurant and treat like a princess."

"Yang?" Jaune asked, just to make sure they were talking about the same person. "Wow, I wouldn't have imagined that. She always seems more of a free-spirited type."

"That's a mask she puts on. You know how it is."

"I see…" Jaune stroked his chin. It didn't really sound like what he'd have expected, but Qrow knew her better than he did. "Okay, so I need to be the perfect gentleman?"

"Yes, absolutely. Things you definitely _shouldn't_ do include taking her to a club, dancing or out drinking."

"She always told me she liked those things."

"A-Ah, w-well, that's for casual times, right?" Qrow waved a hand before his face and laughed a little too loudly. "Think about it, Jaune. If she likes those things and does them already, then that isn't dating, is it? That's just her hanging out with friends."

Realisation struck with enough force to make him gasp. Qrow was right. That was the dreaded friend zone right there, and he'd almost blundered straight into it. He'd heard about it, but never really understood what it meant. He nodded his head quickly, whispering quick thanks for Qrow saving him from a terrible mistake.

"That's the most advice I can give you, kid. Play it cool, but remember to be a gentleman. That means holding doors open for her, wooing her with fancy speech and every other little thing. Yang loves that old fashioned shi- I-I mean she loves the traditional stuff."

"Thanks, Qrow," Jaune said, pushing up onto his feet. There were already ideas flying around his head. "You've been amazing to me, both in training and this. I really appreciate everything you've done." He bowed his head. "Thank you."

Qrow looked like he'd just murdered a puppy. "Y-Yeah," he rasped, eyes closed. "No problem."

It was only when Jaune left did the man relax, his body slumping to the grass as he pulled out a flash of his strongest booze and took a desperate swig. It tasted bitter and unsatisfying. It tasted like ash and regret. He clasped a hand to his face.

"Gods, I'm a monster."

/-/

Bedrooms didn't make the best place for military briefings, but at his old friend's request he'd docked his airship in Vale so as not to alarm the students and populace. That left him with a room in Beacon, generously furnished and provided by Oz without a second thought. He would have done the same in return, of course, but he appreciated the gesture nonetheless.

Still, it wasn't the best place for a military briefing, and Winter looked absolutely ridiculous stood nervously at attention between a bed and a dressing table. It looked like the kind of scene one would expect to be drawn up in military court, namely of a superior officer taking advantage of a cadet. Ironwood didn't quite like the thought of that and waved her down.

"You can stand at ease, Winter. There's no need for ceremony." He liked even less how greasy _that_ sounded, and quickly busied himself in the kitchenette. "Would you like some tea or coffee?"

"Water will be fine, sir," Winter said.

Ironwood rolled his eyes and prepared their drinks, mixing the tea and handing it over to her in a steaming mug. She took it with a faint start.

"O-oh, but I said water."

"You hate water," he pointed out, earning an embarrassed flush from the specialist. "Winter, you are one of my most trusted officers, and this is just a meeting as to our mission here in Vale. No one is watching, so you can relax."

To his relief, she did so, sitting down on the edge of the bed with a tired sigh. "I understand, sir. Thank you." She sipped from her tea and breathed in the fumes. That was about as good as he'd get, since convincing her to refer to him as anything other than `sir` or `General` usually met with stubborn refusal. Unless she was angry that was, in which case she'd shout his name, and then refuse to admit she'd ever done it later.

"We're just waiting for-" His words were interrupted by a knock on the door. He made to open it, but the door opened of its own accord, the protocols overwritten despite his scroll being at his side. Then again, there was only one person capable of that and he had summoned her. "Thank you for coming, Penny." He smiled kindly at her. "I hope I didn't interrupt your long-awaited meeting with your friends."

"I got to speak with friend Ruby and her team," Penny reported happily. There was an uncharacteristic skip to her step. One that made him shake his head in amusement. It wasn't a necessarily bad thing, however.

"How was it?"

"Sensational! Ruby was as happy to see me as I was her, though it seems my greeting to her might have led to a misunderstanding. I simply tackled her to the ground and informed her we would commence with the intercourse. Was that wrong?"

"Not wrong, per se," Ironwood said, trying to ignore how Winter choked on her drink in the background. "I'm sure your father can upload some more information about casual relationships. Didn't I ask him to do that the last time?"

"You did," Penny said warily. "I'm not sure those videos were helpful, however. I lack the instruments necessary to make friend Ruby scream like that, and I'm not sure she would like it if I did."

Ironwood blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I do not have a phallus, General Ironwood."

Ah, of course. James pinched the bridge between his eyes and let out a long-suffering sigh. He'd have to go and see the good Doctor Polendina and explain the definition of `relationships` and `casual` again. "Penny, please purge those videos from your data banks."

"I already did, sir," Penny said nervously. "They were… strange."

"S-Sir!" Winter intervened, finally having gotten her hacking under control. "Doctor Polendina shouldn't be-"

"Doctor Polendina is a genius of engineering," he interjected before the regular argument could come back to the fore. "As such, we can put up with the fact he is less than perfect in other regards. If anything, he deserves pity. Penny is better at socialising than he is, and that's saying something." A man such as he would have been ridiculed and mocked in any other field, but where others saw eccentricity, he saw potential. Well, potential _and_ eccentricity, of course. You really couldn't ignore it. "We're not here to discuss the Doctor anyway. Now that we've established a forward operating base in Beacon, we can finally commence our true mission."

"Operation Censorship?" Penny asked.

James sighed. "Penny, it is called Operation Nightingale. Where did you get that idea from?"

"Father-"

"Purge that as well," he instructed. _He's a genius,_ he reminded himself. _I can forgive his eccentricities. I really can._ Oh, he knew the idiot would be laughing himself hoarse over that one. Censorship, indeed. "Operation Nightingale's stated objective is simple," Ironwood continued, feebly trying to bring back some professionalism. "We are to defeat, secure and capture Target H-1, at which point he will be readied for transport back to a secure research facility in Atlas."

"I am combat ready," Penny agreed.

"Does the headmaster of Beacon know about this?" Winter asked, a little less certain.

"He does not. Ozpin wishes to play things a little slower. He believes in the potential of his pawns, of Branwen and Jaune Arc." And there was potential there, he supposed. He'd been able to sense it when he shook the boy's hand. Even so, potential or not, there were other things to consider. "Ozpin is a stickler for looking at the bigger picture, but only so long as it is his. He won't even consider the option of hunting down Hentacle, mostly because he doesn't have the people he feels he can trust for such a task. Branwen is busy training his new protégé, while Glynda is needed at Beacon. Given his lack of options, a defensive position is likely the best choice. But not for us!"

He swept one arm wide. "We have resources Ozpin does not, and we shall use them as we need. H-1 needs to be stopped, make no mistake of that."

"I won't sir," Winter said. "I saw the Grimm he summoned after our reclamation of the Paladins."

Ironwood nodded grimly, clenching a hand in front of his face. Grimm. Summoned in the middle of Vale. It wasn't his city, nor his Kingdom, but that didn't make the problem any less his – nor did it make the people here any less under his protection. It was their duty to protect all of humanity, not just those who wore Atlas' colours. If only more within the Council and Military would understand that.

If only Jacques could understand…

"The Operation is to be kept secret from Ozpin and any affiliated to him," he decided. "I know Oz. He will try to head it off, likely citing risk or panic as a reason. While I understand his concerns, I think a little fear among the populace preferable to a Grimm incursion in a residential quarter. H-1 is here for something. We know what that something is."

"Jaune Arc," Winter said.

Penny's hands clenched into fists so tight the sound of grating metal could be heard. "Friend Jaune," she whispered.

"Target A-1 is to be watched wherever possible," he said. "Penny, you will be the best for this given your position, though I'm sure Winter will aid wherever possible."

"Of course, sir."

"I will protect my friends," Penny declared with a rare hint of anger.

Ironwood smiled indulgently at her. Again, some might have preferred her as naught but a weapon, a tool to be used. He saw potential in such feelings, however. They made her human, or as human as she could be. It would ensure she had reasons to always fight for the right side. "I'm glad to hear it, Penny. Your friend is H-1's stated target. There is no telling what that monster will do if his prize is kept from him. Therefore, we must act now. This is why we can't play the waiting game Ozpin wants."

There were too many lives resting on it. If Ozpin couldn't see the dust keg the city was fast becoming, that was on his back. Dust robberies, increased White Fang presence, stolen military weapons and now a monster capable of spawning Grimm at whim.

Those were hardly ideal circumstances, and he could barely understand how Ozpin remained so calm. Was he blind, or had he simply become complacent with his own machinations? No matter. They would do what they had to.

"It certainly does present an interesting opportunity," Winter said. "H-1 has exhibited far too many human-like responses to be a simple Grimm. The very fact he knows to remain hidden and not cause an outbreak of panic is just another example. Any other Grimm would have made itself known by now."

"He is definitely special," Ironwood agreed. How special would have to be determined later. Winter did not know of Salem, and that would remain so. She didn't know of Amber, either, or what lay beneath the school. "We'll find out just how special later. Tell me, are you certain of what your sister said?"

"I am, sir. Target H-1 is capable of human speech."

"Perfect. That means he's capable of answering questions." Ironwood turned to the side. "Apart from questionable material, had your father upgraded you like I asked, Penny?"

"He has, General." Penny answered. There was a certain glint to her eye. "Should Target H-1 show himself, I shall have little trouble defeating him." Her hands tightened into fists. "He will not be allowed to harm my friends."

"I have a shuttle prepared to take the target away at any time," Winter added.

"You've done well, both of you." Ironwood took a moment to savour his tea. Now all that was needed was for something to break. H-1 couldn't remain inactive forever, not if it had its own objective to accomplish.

Time was on their side.

All they had to do was wait.

/-/

Yang fought back a yawn as she waited for the other members of Team RYBN to get ready. Normally, they were left to wait on her, but she'd woken up a little earlier and claimed the first shower, and was now left to watch as Nora tried to convince Blake to let her braid her hair or something. Blake was fighting her partner off with a scowl, and it looked like it might turn violent if Ren didn't finish his shower and intervene.

A typical morning, basically…

A knock on the door introduced something a little different, and since those two were still busy, Yang decided she'd best be the one to answer. She drew it open and peeked outside. A familiar figure stood there, looking as fresh as a daisy despite the fact he'd probably come back from training with Uncle Qrow.

"Hey Yang," Jaune said, waving. "Do you have a second to talk?"

"Do I?" She glanced back inside. "I think I do. Let's do it outside." She nodded for him to step back and slid out without opening the door any further than she had to. Jaune looked confused, so she quickly explained. "Blake and Nora aren't ready yet. Not sure they'd appreciate me giving you a free show. So, what's up?"

He looked left and right, checking the corridor to see if they were alone, and only when he was convinced they were did he speak. "I was wondering if we could talk about the dance."

Yang froze. Crap. Crap, crap, and double crap. Her eyes traced back to the door behind her but it was closed now, and she'd have to step away from it to open it – pushing herself against him. Oh, and it would also be pretty obvious she was making a run for it. She swallowed and forced her eyes to meet his instead. A nervous laugh escaped her. "W-What about it?" she asked.

"Can we talk somewhere else? I was thinking this might be better in private."

"I think here is good."

She could stay leaning on the door for support, after all. The last thing she wanted was for him to see how weak her legs were. _Okay, you can do this. This is nothing big. You've had guys ask you out before and you never had any problem turning them down._ Except that they'd been arrogant kids or nervous wrecks. Funny how she now was the one liable to break out in a cold sweat.

"Okay…" He gave the corridor another look. "So, are you going with anyone?"

Did she say yes? No, he'd see that as a lie the moment she went, or she'd have to force someone else to go with her to save face. Ren wasn't an option due to obvious – and very ginger – reasons. She didn't know any other guys she could trust not to read into it and think she was into them. If she said no, he'd ask her, though.

"I haven't decided," she said instead, hedging her bets somewhere in the middle.

"I guess that makes sense. You probably have a lot of guys wanting to ask you."

Damn him for that! Blood rushed to her cheeks at what was honestly not even a very clever compliment. It was used and cliché, if he even meant it that way. She wasn't sure why it affected her so, other than the fact he was so bloody sincere. It didn't feel cliché when he said it. _Damn it. This is bad._

"Well, you know, less than you'd expect but more than you'd hope for." She laughed it off, unsure of what she'd even just said or what it was supposed to mean in the first place. Her eyes flickered to the side and she bit her lip for a second. "You know, Ruby hasn't had anyone ask her to the dance yet. It would be great if someone did."

"She hasn't?" Jaune seemed surprised. "Huh, maybe someone's waiting to ask her. I'm sure she'll have an offer from someone. Ruby's a wonderful person."

"She really is," she agreed, throwing herself into the familiar, comfortable topic. "She's nervous obviously, I mean, who isn't on their first real dance? But I bet she'd be over the moon if someone asked her. Especially if it was someone close to her. A good friend. Maybe a friend who wants to be something more…" She trailed off, wondering if her hint was just a little too obvious.

"I don't think Nora will appreciate Ren asking Ruby."

Never mind. What had she even been thinking? Obvious? To Jaune? There was no such thing. She was so busy trying to resist the urge to slam her face against the wall, she didn't even notice Jaune reaching behind his back and bringing something in front of her. Not until she had a small box of chocolates in her hand, that was.

"Here," he said, with a disgustingly charming, sweet and handsome smile. "For you."

Yang looked at the chocolates like they were poison.

Her heart skipped a beat.

No one had ever bought her chocolates before… and oh gods, they were even in a case shaped like a love heart. Was it getting hot? Why was her vision fading? Oh yeah, she needed to breathe. When had that stopped being an automatic thing? Pesky body, it was betraying her – just like her face. Oh crap, it was bright red. She could feel the heat.

She had to say something. Had to push him towards Ruby – he'd be so perfect for her. Her mouth opened, and her cleverly prepared words spilled forth. "Blwuh…"

Jaune blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I-I mean thanks. Thank you!" A door opened further down the corridor and someone poked their head out. She didn't even recognise them, but they took one look at her, then to the chocolates, before the girl giggled and pull her head back inside. Yang scowled and hid them behind her back, but that only made it look worse, with her now pushing her chest out towards him.

Damn it. What was she going to do with these now? She couldn't eat them all herself. Greed aside, she'd look like a glutton. If she brought them back into the dorm, Nora would notice, however. Whatever Nora noticed, just about everyone else would soon learn. If Ruby found out, she'd be crushed. Oh, she'd hide it. She'd pretend everything was okay and cheer her sister on, but there was no telling what she'd be thinking inside.

Would she smile sadly and remember how Yang always stole away the people she liked?

"I was going to ask if you'd go to the dance with me," Jaune said, interrupting her thoughts. He continued before she could speak. "But you said you've not made your mind up yet, right? I guess it would be rude to ask."

"I'm not sure I'd be the best person for you. Maybe you should ask someone else." Someone like Ruby, obviously. "A dance is a big thing, you know? If you go with someone, it's like telling everyone in Beacon you're together. You shouldn't rush into something like this. None of us should."

To her surprise, he nodded.

"I agree. We've only been on the one date. It's probably a bit early to do something like that. Everyone would just get the wrong idea."

Yang's mouth fell open. He'd agreed? That was… that was great. It was perfect. She bit down on a strange emotion that rushed through her, one that had her eyes dipping a little lower. This was good. It was what she wanted.

It definitely was…

"That's why I wanted to talk to you in private," he said.

"So you could tell me you weren't asking me?" she asked. She had no idea why her voice took on such a sharp edge. _Why am I getting angry? This is what I want!_ "Sorry," she said. "Just a little tired this morning." She faked a yawn for effect.

"It's fine, but no, that wasn't what I came for." Jaune smiled and nodded to the chocolates she'd brought back in front of her. He coughed and adopted something of a formal pose. "Yang, would you do me the honour of joining me for dinner tomorrow?"

She stared at him. "Don't we always eat together?"

"In Vale, I mean. At a restaurant."

It took a few seconds for the words to filter into her head. When they did, her reaction was anything but expected. Her mouth felt dry and she had to swallow twice to clear it, but there was something else – a sudden jitter to her movements. "Like, a date?" she asked nervously. "Do you mean a date?"

He couldn't mean a date – not after what he'd just said.

"Yeah."

Okay, he did. Typical Jaune, she supposed. Okay, this was fine. It was okay. Deep breaths. He was just asking her out. That was a bad thing. Good? No, it was a bad thing. _Stop feeling happy,_ she howled inside her mind. "Why?" she just about managed.

"Well, you already said we've not really seen if it'll work out. I figured you were right. We went on the one date, but that was with everyone together. I thought we should at least go on a proper one with just the two of us." He tilted his head and smiled at her, and she was shocked at how coy it made him seem. "That's the whole pointing of dating, right? It's to make sure people are compatible."

It was… she'd been on dates before, of course, and hated how some guys seemed to take it as an invitation to do whatever they wanted. A date wasn't a contract, and it sure as hell wasn't her saying she was down for the dirty. Honestly, it had been a while since she'd been on any; a year or two, at least.

Her first instinct was to say no – no matter how much her stomach fluttered and her feet shuffled and played with one another. Luckily, her brain was a little too addled for any words to come out, and that gave her a second to think.

This could work. It could really work.

A date was to see if things could be something more, and since Jaune understood that, this could be an easy and safe way to bring things between them to its natural end. She hadn't ever _meant_ to ask him out, after all. She'd just dropped the D-word by accident and he'd taken it seriously. She'd gone along because she didn't want to hurt his feelings, but that's all it was on both their sides. Maybe biting back on her anxiety and just going along with this would be the best bet.

They'd go out, hang out, and it either wouldn't work – or they'd see they were better off as friends. Then, when they were comfortable and alone, she could direct him towards Ruby instead, who would be so much the better girlfriend for him. The two were practically made for one another.

 _It could be the perfect way to get over my own feelings too,_ Yang thought. _There's not much point hiding it. I'm getting worked up because of the attention, since I've not had a guy do anything like this for me before. It's just nerves. If I go along with it, we'll both see it's just our bodies playing tricks on us._

The more she thought about it, the better it seemed. A casual night out with a friend, something they'd both look back on and laugh – and hey, if everything went really well, he might be a brother in law in ten or so years. Even if he and Ruby didn't get together, Jaune was a cool guy. She'd been down with having a lifelong friend like that.

"Okay," she said, feeling a little better and smiling back at him. "I'm game. This is just to see if things could work out. And you have to keep it a secret," she added, thinking of Ruby. "Otherwise it's just the same as us going to the dance. Don't tell anyone on your team about it."

"I won't, I promise." He laughed and moved forward, engulfing her in a hug before she yelp, let along mount an effective defence. "Thanks, Yang. You can't believe how much this means!"

"Eheh, it's nothing." With her hands pinned against his chest, and keeping hold of his gift, there wasn't much she could do other than put up with the hug and rest her chin on his shoulder. She had to grumble at how comfortable it felt. Why couldn't he be all bony or flabby? It would make things easier.

 _Accursed hormones. You're not even that sexy, Jaune._ He was just nice, dependable and kind of cuddly.

In a friendly way.

Damn it.

When he rushed off to do whatever else he had planned for the day, she was left alone in the corridor, red in the face and clutching a heart-shaped box of chocolates like it was a live grenade. Well, served her right for waking up for the early shower. Lesson learned; she wasn't getting up before the crack of dawn _ever_ again. With a sigh, she turned back and opened the door – only to run face-first into three people waiting eagerly on the other side.

Too eagerly.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Sounds like someone had a productive morning," Nora said, voice dripping with suggestion. "What do you think, Blakey?"

"I think you might be onto something," Blake said, all drama forgotten as she raised a taunting eyebrow in Yang's direction. She nodded to the item hidden behind Yang's back. "Are you going to share those with us?"

"I have no idea what you mean."

"Oh, I bet you don't…"

It was official. She hated her team.

/-/

She'd said yes. He wasn't sure why he was so surprised but he was, and that sent a strange feeling through his body and into his stomach. It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, however. Qrow had said to really pull all the stops out, so a restaurant dinner was the obvious choice. The only problem was that he didn't know anywhere to take her, and couldn't ask Weiss – the obvious choice – either. He'd promised he wouldn't tell anyone, after all.

Would Ozpin or Miss Goodwitch know?

Did he want to imagine the kind of place Ozpin would send him?

Hell, could he afford a reservation? Yes. He'd be fine on that front. It wasn't like he was up to date with how much those things cost, but his bank balance had a lot of zeroes on it, thanks to Uncle Watts' measures.

The answer was obvious, and he dug out his scroll. When it was answered, a cultured voice came through.

" _Young master, is that you?"_

"Hello Uncle."

" _It is!"_ There was a pause, during which he could well imagine Watts scrambling for his mother. _"Please wait, I'll put you through-"_

"Watts, please, don't tell Mom I called."

" _Don't? Young mas- Jaune… you know I am allied to your mother, our master. I cannot keep anything secret from her, and I have a feeling she would be rather cross were I to keep you to myself. Where are you? Is something wrong?"_

"Nothing's wrong, Uncle. I'm in Beacon and I'm safe. I… I actually need a little help."

" _While I'd normally be only too happy to offer it, you do realise your current actions are against your mother's wishes. Unless it were something I knew she would be happy with, I can't-"_

"I need a restaurant reservation for two at the fanciest place in Vale," he interrupted. "I'm taking a girl on a date."

There was a long pause.

" _Name a time and day…"_

/-/

Roman schemed like his life was depending on it. It was, which was an unwelcome development, and the reason for the twenty or so cigars he'd been chain smoking since he woke up that morning. The ash tray wasn't so much that as a pile of ash with a tray buried somewhere underneath, and he couldn't bring himself to clean it up – a rather marked sign of his moon, since he was normally a fastidiously clean individual.

He brought another cigar to his lips and lit it, inhaling and praying for the satisfying kick to wash his fear away. It only managed to mute it. _Let's face it, Cinder is going to kill me once this is all over and done with. I know that. I've always known that._ He puffed out some smoke, eyes fixed on the middle-distance in his plush downtown apartment.

She was the kind of woman to tidy up her loose ends, and he'd have been able to respect that were he not one of them. Either way, his use would only last until she no longer needed the dust, at which point he felt confident he'd wake up with a dagger in his back. That was fine. He was used to such dealings. He just wasn't used to being so utterly outclassed in them.

That was why he'd tried to latch onto the kid. Someone young, idealistic, easily manipulated, but better yet someone who Cinder seemed to harbour a strange affection for. If he could have worked his way into Jaune's good will, he could have counted on him to cover his and Neo's ass. That was the plan, anyway.

Problem was; it wasn't working.

Oh, Neo was doing her best, and he had to admit her latest gambit was nothing short of a miracle. It was the only good thing to take away from the mess that was the White Fang rally. The Paladins were gone – technically not his fault – and the White Fang were nervous as all hell – also not his fault – but at least Neo had managed to make it seem like she and he had helped the kid. That was a damn sight better than the truth, that being of how it was Neo who kicked him down into it in the first place.

It wasn't enough, though, and it wasn't fast enough. Jaune might have good will towards Neo, but apparently being cute and sexy in his presence wasn't winning him over. _Worse, he downright hates me. Not sure if it's the job or just our run-ins, but the chances of us being buddy-buddy seem to be less than none._

Roman had played an ace and a king, but the flop had dealt nothing but twos and sevens. There was no telling what the river would give, but he already wanted to fold. Except that he couldn't. Folding meant death.

 _I need a new angle,_ he decided, rubbing his temples. _Cinder is a bust. She'll kill me when she's done with me. Kids not working out since every time we're together it's a flipping disaster. What else can I do?_

"This is quite the home you have, Mr Torchwick!"

Oh right, and there was the _other_ problem, too. He pushed himself up and followed the voice into another room, where for all intents and purposes a small and innocent teenage girl was inspecting a rack of expensive drinks. Of course, look was all it was. She was more than capable of tearing his head from his shoulders with her bare hands.

"My work pays well," he said. "Or, well, there's not much in the way of tax, anyway. Living in a place like this is just a trade for all the risk."

"And the people know better than to give you up to the authorities?"

"They don't often see me." He brushed past her and poured himself a small glass of an aged whiskey. "I don't know if you're old enough to drink, but you want one?"

"I would not say no." She accepted his offering with a cute smile. "Thank you, Mr Torchwick. You really do look after me. I know you must not have expected a house guest." She held her hands before her and bowed her head. "I'm dreadfully sorry for any inconvenience. I know I can be a little annoying at times…"

"It's fine. Hell, compared to the usual people I deal with, you're a saint."

Her smile said she found the comparison amusing, which he could well believe. She was anything but saintly – at least on a physical level. Still, she didn't seem to throw around her power like her brother did, nor lead him on like Cinder.

Wait a minute…

Was this his out?

The girl was powerful – not to mention related to the kid, and apparently obsessed with him in that way little sisters sometimes could be. Better still, she was on much better terms with him, downright dependent on him, in fact. He provided her safety, food, even the bed she slept on. Obviously, he couldn't go and blackmail her over that, but he might be able to play on it and earn her favour.

 _If I do this, it's one way,_ he thought. _This will be an absolute betrayal of Cinder, which means if it fails, I'm dead. No second chances._ Was that worth the risk? Oh, who was he kidding? Cinder was going to do him in anyway. Might as well take the chance while it was available.

"I like fine drinks and finer cigars," he said, just to keep the conversation going. "When I was younger, I used to look at them and thinks how I could never hope to afford them. I guess now that I can, I like to re-live the feeling."

"That makes sense." She giggled. "In truth, I was much the same, although it was often with me wanting to train and spar alongside my sisters. They were always so strong and powerful, while I was just little old me…"

Roman laughed along, all the while fighting down his mounting panic. More of them? More of them who were _stronger_ than she was!? The idea alone was staggering, and the implications terrifying. Nope, it was decided. His survival was completely reliant on this now. Nowhere would be safe if there were more people like those two, people who could summon and control the Grimm. What use were the walls now?

"Sounds tough," he said. "I never had any siblings – didn't even know my mother – but I know what it feels like to be the small fry. I had to start from the bottom, and there were no end of people who wanted to take advantage of me."

"But being weak also makes people underestimate you, right?"

He grinned. "True. I don't get much of that now, though."

"I can imagine!" Lavender stepped back and spread her arms wide, tilting her head to one side. "Cinder told me you're the best criminal in the field, famous across all of Vale. I can't believe I'm standing here in your apartment."

"Ha ha, well, it's not that special…"

"Oh, but it is. And you helped me meet up with my brother." Her eyes sharpened. "And before Cinder intended to, as well. I'm very grateful for that."

Another sign the two weren't fully on good ground. That was good – very good. It hopefully meant she wouldn't rat him out to her. They seemed to be on the same side, but there was definitely a little animosity there. He made a note of it and soldiered on. "Your brother's pretty important to you, huh?"

"He is. All my older sisters were busy, but Jaune always had time for me. I promised I would always be his little sister – and that we'd always be close." She paused and bit her lip. "His coming to Vale was unexpected, but it changes little. I'll just have to meet these people he calls friends and make sure they don't intent to get in my way. So long as they keep to their side, I see no reason I cannot tolerate their presence."

He saw the opening for what it was. "Then why don't you invite them over?" he asked.

"Here!? Wouldn't that be dangerous?"

"I have other safehouses," he said. "Actually, I can go one better and buy you a house of your own if you like. I can do it legal – there's plenty of money I need to launder, and real estate is as good a way as any. It would let you blend in a little more, plus you could tell your brother to bring his friends to see you."

And, of course, it would be just another reason to love good ol' Uncle Roman. Look at all these convenient reasons to keep him around and alive. Oh yeah, everyone loves having a Roman Torchwick on their side, right? Right!?

Lavender clearly did. She let out a high-pitched peal of laughter and threw herself at him. His instincts screamed a warning, but she was faster, though to his relief the arms that wrapped around his neck didn't strangle him.

"Oh, thank you~" she gushed. "Thank you, thank you. You really are the best, Mr Torchwick. I would love that so much! I would _never forget_ such a gesture." She pulled back and pouted, and for the first time, he realised just how adorable she was. Sure, she was a monster – but she was a cute monster. "It's not too much trouble, is it? I don't want to be a burden."

Against his better judgment, he rubbed her head and laughed. It was impossible not to. "Nah, it's fine. Besides, what are friends for?" He stepped out of her arms and away. "Let me just boot up my terminal and I'll do a little house hunting. We'll have you and your brother back in touch before you know it."

Lavender nodded, and then – almost impulsively – reached up to kiss his cheek. She backed away, red-cheeked herself and staring at the carpet. "T-Thank you, Mr Torchwick."

"Heh, no problem."

/-/

Lavender watched Roman leave with a pleased smile. Only when he was gone did the blush on her face vanish, as did any other emotion. She looked down to the drink he'd offered and ran a finger about the rim. She downed it in one go. It was fiery and strong. Just how she liked it.

" **Two-faced human,"** Elena sneered.

" _Now, now, Mr Torchwick is only looking out for himself. That's an admirable trait."_

" **You're aware of his machinations? Hmph, I should not be so surprised. My mistress is the wisest of all."**

" _Nonsense, Elena. I would be lost without your aid."_

" **Y-You flatter me…"**

Perhaps, but it was always amusing how far that could get you. And well, well, well, if this wasn't the interesting development too. Cinder's little pawn wanted to fly the nest, did he? She would kill him if she found out, and it could be her who brought the news.

But why do that? Why throw away such a delightful opportunity? A chance to gain not only a loyal minion, but also to rub her _darling_ Big Sister's nose in it? Well, people had died for less. _"I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of Mr Torchwick in the future, Elena. He could be… useful."_

" **Then why not tell him that now? Why act oblivious?"**

" _Because I wouldn't want him to relax and take it easy, of course. As long as he believes his life depends on winning my favour, he'll be that much more eager to please."_ She chuckled and turned back to the display, helping herself to another glass of her generous host's liquor. It wasn't like he could say no, after all.

" **Do you intend to move against Cinder?"**

" _Not for the moment. It seems my adopted sister has opened quite the can of worms here in Vale. Let's see how she handles that. For now, we'll play along."_ But that wouldn't remain an alliance forever, of course. Their objectives were far too different. _"In the meantime, I need to help Mr Torchwick with this new house. I must meet Big Brother's friends. I have to make a good impression."_

"Hey," Roman called from the next room over. "Do you have any preferences? I can hook you up with a fake backstory as well if you like."

Lavender's impenetrable gaze vanished, replaced with bright eyes and a brighter smile almost immediately. She clapped her hands together and rushed over. "Oh, Mr Roman, that would be such a good idea. You're so smart! Please, let me come and help. I don't want to be a bother."

Roman smirked and focused once more on the computer terminal.

Lavender smirked, too.

Two could play that game.

* * *

 **And I'm back. It's funny how you make all those plans on what you'll do when you have a week of no work, and somehow it gets gobbled up by something else – in my case my sister deciding she was going to have an argument with her boyfriend and come mope at mine for three days straight. And then, after I have her food, lodge and such, complaining that I'm being anti-social by not talking with her when I get home from work.**

 **Um… kind of trying to work on my writing, sheesh. Oh well, that's sorted itself out (as such things inevitably do), and I managed to do my planning over several late-nights instead.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 19th October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	39. Chapter 39

**Here we go - enjoy**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 39**

* * *

It was probably inevitable that her team would find out about the date. She wasn't sure what she'd been thinking trying to keep it secret. The chocolates were a big enough clue, especially with Nora's big mouth and her inability to perceive – let alone respect – personal boundaries. It had been a choice of telling her or having her ask so loudly that Ruby and everyone else heard as well. Naturally, whatever she told Nora was as good as telling Ren, and Blake had been kind of dragged into the whole thing by virtue of being Nora's partner.

So, yeah, her team knew, but it wasn't a big deal. Even if they hadn't, they would have now when she was digging through her wardrobe looking for something to wear. There would have been no hiding the preparation for a date.

Funnily enough, her biggest supporter and helper was Nora.

"Ooh, I've never been on a date before," the bubbly girl said, almost like this was hers and not Yang's. "You're so lucky. Do you know where he's taking you?"

"No, and it's not like that." Yang ignored the way they _all_ rolled their eyes. "Can you pass- thanks, Nora."

"Can I brush your hair?"

Yang's immediate instinct was to say no, and then to deploy Ember Celica when Nora tried anyway, but there was something about the longing look on Nora's face that had her sighing instead. "Okay, but be gentle with it, please. It's important to me."

"I will be!" Nora laughed and scooted behind her on the bed, taking a lock between her fingers and running the brush through it. To Yang's surprise, she was very gentle indeed. "I always wanted long hair but it's not very good with my weapon. It would get caught in Magnhild." The thought of what damage that might cause when she was swinging it around earned a wince. "It's fine, though. I keep trying to tell Ren to grow his hair long so I can brush it, but he won't."

"I would look like a girl," Ren replied.

"More like a girl," Yang teased, earning an exasperated eye-roll. She idly wondered how emasculating being stuck in a room of girls preparing for a date must have been. She'd heard it wasn't what most guys considered fun. "I think you wouldn't look bad with long hair, so long as it wasn't too feminine."

"I'll take your advice into consideration," Ren said, flipping a page in his book. He obviously wouldn't.

"What about where he's taking you?" Nora repeated. "What are you going to wear?"

"He didn't say, but I figure it'll be some café and then a club or something." Yang leaned forward to pick up a blouse from the pile of clothes in front of her and inspect it, all the while Nora brushed her hair from behind. "As for clothes, I'll just go for jeans and a blouse with a jacket over the top. I'm thinking classy but not overdoing it." She didn't want to send the wrong message, after all. "I'll make it work."

"Probably a good idea," Blake said. "Do we have to set a curfew or do you not plan on coming back tonight?"

"It's only the lack of a pillow to hand which spares you, Blake. Yes. I plan on coming back."

Nora giggled from behind, and Yang had the sinking suspicion that was another reason she'd asked to brush her hair. The two were working together – curse them. Any and all attempts to explain her plan to get Jaune with Ruby had fallen not on deaf ears but comically raised eyebrows and insincere sounds of agreement. She didn't know whether to be annoyed or embarrassed, but she'd settled for something in the middle.

 _It's not like I'm the one trying to jump him or anything. Gods, this is such a mess._

It wouldn't be after tonight, though. Things would be back to normal, back to where they made sense. Jaune would be a friend, and the two of them could move on, him specifically to a point where a cute younger girl could pick him up on the rebound. _Aaand now I feel uncomfortably like my real mother and with Ruby being Summer. Talk about awkward._

At least she wasn't leaving a daughter behind, as if she ever would. If she had a kid with Jaune, then she'd be the best mother ever and – and she was thinking stupid thoughts. Yang cupped her hands over her face and smothered a scream.

"Did I pull your hair?" Nora asked, worried.

"No, I think that was more of a horrified with herself sound," Blake commented. Her lips tweaked into a tiny grin. "I wonder if she thought something naught- OW!" The faunus rubbed her forehead, which had just been struck by a small metallic bowl of concealer. "What was that for?"

"I warned you. Pillows aren't the only things I can throw!"

Blake grumbled something in return, but Yang only laughed and closed her eyes, savouring Nora's tender care. Teasing aside, and all the embarrassment too, there was something relaxing about the current situation. Back in Signal she'd dated once or twice, but it had always been fraught with risk and gossip there. She couldn't ever have imagined something like this, with friends who were so relaxed – and were even cheering her on (as much as she wished they wouldn't).

Honestly, this kind of felt like what she'd imagined Ruby's first ever date would be, with her helping her little sister to get ready to shine. Having herself at the centre of this was different, but not in a bad way. It felt indulgent. It felt nice.

"There," Nora said, patting her hair from behind. "It looks good. I like your hair. It's soft."

"And you're good at brushing," Yang replied, pushing off the bed and grabbing her outfit. She shot a meaningful look to Ren, but he'd already turned one-hundred-and-eighty degrees and continued reading with his face to the wall.

He was a real gentleman like that. They hadn't had a single incident. Well, it was actually more of Nora trying to sneak peeks of Ren that was the issue, but he liked to get changed in the bathroom, much to Nora's despair.

The blouse went over her head, and she pulled the jeans up, tightening them around her hips. She'd only gotten out of the shower thirty minutes ago, so she was still fresh and smelled good – not too strong on the perfume, but enough to show some effort. "How do I look?" she asked, turning to her teammates.

"Good," Ren replied, appraising her lightly.

"I think he'll be impressed," Blake said.

Nora stuck out her hand with one thumb up. "Perfect!"

"Good." Yang took a deep breath and let it go, feeling her confidence come back. She looked good and felt even better. She was in the zone – in control. She stuck her scroll in her pocket, pulled a pose, and grinned. "I'm ready."

And not a moment too soon either, for there was a knock at the door. Jaune was five minutes early, which she'd kind of expected. She headed over, interested to see what his reaction would be despite her desires to push him off onto Ruby. Would he be impressed? Would she shock him into silence? Heh, it would be fun to see.

She yanked the door open. "Why, hello ther-"

Her mind died.

"Hey, Yang," Jaune said, smiling down at her. "You look fantastic."

Yang slammed the door in his face.

"I'm not ready!"

"What?" Blake sat up and sighed. "Don't you think this is a little late to be having second thoughts? Please don't tell me you're having another breakdown because he brought you flowers or something."

"No!" Yang surged into the room, dragging her blouse up over her head. Ren coughed and tried to cover his eyes, but Nora beat him to it – smashing a pillow into his face so he couldn't see anything. Yang barely paid attention, even as she frog-hopped across the room, one leg out of her jeans. "He's in a suit," she gasped, falling over and cracking her head on the wardrobe. Aura flared to protect her, but the woodwork was dented. "He's in a dinner suit! With a bowtie, waistcoat and everything. I'm screwed. I'm doomed!"

"What do you-?" Blake squawked and fell over as Yang's trousers caught her in the face, wrapping around and dragging her off the bed. When she managed to extricate herself, and drag her head back above the mattress, it was to see Yang tearing into a black bag. "Wait, isn't that your prom dress?"

"No time! I'll rent another!"

Oh Gods, why hadn't he told her this was some kind of formal event? Why was he even _taking_ her to something like this? Where _was_ he taking her? Those thoughts and many others whirled around her head as she half-climbed, half-stumbled into a dress she'd intended to save for later. _I don't do formal,_ she groaned. _I'm going to look like an absolute idiot._

"How do I look?" she asked, whirling about once she was done. Her hair was in a little disarray, but she patted it down as best she could in the mirror, one leg held up as she struggled to get her heels on. He was still waiting outside, wasn't he? Oh crap, what must he be thinking?

"You look-"

"Good enough. Thanks!" Yang didn't even wait for Blake's answer, hurling herself across the room to the door once more. Her eyes were wide, her skin flushed, but she pulled the door open once more and tried to pretend nothing had ever happened. "Why, hello there, Jaune!"

He blinked back, obviously a little confused.

"Hey, Yang. You look… uh… even better?" He looked her up and down, as she did him. He'd gone with a black dinner suit that was perfectly tailored to fit his body. It showed off the distribution of his weight perfectly, most of it being towards his chest and broad shoulders. His waistcoat was black, too, although he'd gone for a white shirt with a black bow-tie.

She'd never seen someone her age dress like that before, and certainly not for her. She was used to denim and trainers – not shiny leather shoes with little patterns on them. The most effort someone had made for her before was tucking their shirt in. This was… this was way too much. Blood suffused her cheeks and she tried to laugh, only for it to come out high-pitched and nervous.

 _So much for me being in control…_

"I brought you some flowers," Jaune said, breaking the silence. His hands came from behind his back, revealing a small bouquet of red roses, their petals still wet from moisture. They glistened between the two of them, and Yang felt her heart beat a little faster.

"O-Oh, thank you." It wasn't the first time she'd accepted flowers from him, but they'd never felt quite so charged with electricity before. With him dressed as he was, looking like some kind of older gentleman, and with her the nervous teenager, it somehow felt so much more serious. They were roses, too. She didn't know much about the language of flowers, but even she knew what they represented. "I-I'll just put them inside," she said, smiling and stepping back. "Would you like to come in?"

"I'll wait out here. I don't want to disturb your team."

He was probably trying to follow her request of keeping this secret, for all the good it was going to do. She nodded anyway, slipping back in with the bouquet in hand. Nora's smile split her face in half, while even Ren watched with amusement. To her relief, Blake stepped forward, taking the flowers from her shaking hands.

"I'll handle them," she said. "You go have fun."

"Help me," Yang whispered back.

"She's ready to go, Jaune," Blake called. She then lowered her voice and grinned evilly. "That's for the stupid bell."

Betrayal…

Jaune said something from outside, reminding Yang that she not only didn't have the time to get her revenge, but that there was far more to come. She glared weakly at Blake instead, before she swallowed her nerves – or tried, anyway – and made her way back to her… to her date. A proper date. A romantic date. Not just movies, or a cinema, or some groping teenager.

He looked… he looked like a gentleman. Her cheeks heated up again, and she couldn't quite meet his eyes as she hooked her arm with his. She tried to tell herself it was because she was humiliated at everything being misunderstood.

It wasn't very successful.

/-/

Mercury's eyes narrowed as he watched the two leave Beacon. Their intent was clear, though what was less so was whether he should bother to follow them or not. Cinder hadn't given any specific instructions to look after him, and there was no White Fang activity tonight that he knew of. Then again, judging from how they were dressed, combat was the last thing on their minds altogether. _No orders from the boss, so I might as well leave it,_ he decided. _If she finds out, I can just pretend I never saw them leave in the first place._

"What are you looking at?" Velvet asked. She turned in their direction, but he caught her before she could and distracted her.

"Nothing. I was just thinking for a second. Let's try again."

Velvet nodded and took a deep breath. It took a few more before she felt confident enough to speak, and even then, she looked around to make sure they were alone. He'd chosen their spot well, however. It was outside of the gardens of Beacon, and with it being later in the afternoon, the area was deserted.

"Whenever you're ready…"

"I'm trying," Velvet said, a rare hint of rebuke in her voice. "This… this isn't easy."

"The faster you say it, the easier it will be."

"I-I know…"

He made an exaggerated motion to check his scroll. "I don't have all day."

Velvet bit her lip and clenched her eyes shut. Her entire body shook, like she was trying to fight through some kind of mental block. It took a few deep breaths, but she finally opened her eyes and stared at him – her cheeks red.

"Will you go out with me!?"

Mercury shrugged. "Sure."

"D-Don't agree!" Velvet punched his chest, her face incredibly red and her ears standing at attention. While he recovered, she looked around again, just to make sure no one had overheard. "I-It's weird if you actually answer me…"

"It shouldn't be. You _are_ hoping for an answer from him, remember."

"I-I know…" She played with her fingers, and Mercury let out a long sigh, rubbing his arms to generate a little warmth. Standing outside helping a shy girl practise asking someone to a dance wasn't exactly what he'd wanted to spend his afternoon doing, but he'd agreed without really thinking about it.

The better choice would have been to make an excuse or tell her Cinder needed him. He could still do that, to be honest. Velvet was too shy to argue. He didn't, though. No idea why, only that he knew it would upset her and that somehow wasn't something he was willing to put up with. Maybe it was just easier this way, or maybe he took some perverse amusement out of watching her flounder and struggle like she was.

"Do you think I'll be able to…?" Velvet asked, suddenly far more nervous. "Tell me honestly, Mercury. Do you really think I have a chance?"

Considering what he'd just seen? No.

But Velvet looked so desperately hopeful, so alive, that he couldn't bring himself to say that – even if it would be the easy choice.

"I think you'll do fine."

Velvet laughed and spun around, talking to herself to build up her confidence for another try. Luckily, Jaune and his date had already passed out of sight so she didn't see them. He wished he hadn't, either. No matter what he said now, Velvet was bound to be in for some pain later. He had a feeling she wouldn't be accompanying Jaune Arc to the dance.

He had no idea why that bothered him so much.

/-/

Yang was painfully aware of all the people staring at them as they waited in line at a restaurant she'd never seen the inside of, let alone ever dreamed of visiting in her lifetime. It was called el'Effestro's, and from what she knew, it was some kind of restaurant set up by a chef famous all across Remnant. He had one in each major city, and their standards were considered to be of the highest quality. Even the people who worked for it had to be the best of the best, right down to the waiters and waitresses bringing out the meals.

Naturally, that also made it prohibitively expensive, hence the reason for much of the snooty looks being sent their way by middle-aged and older couples. Apart from the restaurant staff, they were the youngest people there by at least twenty years.

Could Jaune really afford this kind of place? She knew he had money, as evidenced by the way he bought Ruby that limited edition comic she'd loved their Mom reading to her. This was on a bit of a different scale, though. This was the kind of place Weiss' family would go if they had an important meeting or something. Even the Schnee family wouldn't come here frivolously.

 _And there goes my plan of paying for half of the meal,_ Yang thought, glancing at a menu on the wall and wincing at what she saw. _I could maybe afford a starter if I wanted to drain my account in one go. The mains would bankrupt me._

She was just relieved she'd had the prom dress to dive into. If she'd come here in jeans, trainers and a jacket, she'd have died. It was bad enough she was as she was, in her white dress with little else. This was the kind of place where most of the women had pearl or diamond necklaces. Even in a prom dress, she looked underdressed.

"Is something wrong?" Jaune asked.

And there was the other thing, her date for the evening. All of those little plans she'd had seemed so far away now, and it was mostly thanks to him. With the date itself already being awkward as hell, she'd banked on a familiar setting to give herself some confidence. No such luck. This was awkwardness stacked on awkwardness, and made all the worse because _he_ didn't seem bothered by the looks they were receiving at all.

"I'm fine," she said.

"You don't look fine. What's wrong?"

She'd have complimented his ability to see through her lies, but considering her mood, it was probably pretty obvious. "I'm just not used to things like this," she admitted. "You know, people staring at us and things."

"Staring at us?" Jaune glanced around.

"Don't tell me you didn't notice."

"I noticed, but I didn't think it was us," he said. "I thought they were staring at you."

Yang winced. Well, he wasn't wrong – but that wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear, either. On a date scale, that was a black mark. She'd need to make sure he didn't say something like that to Ruby, as socially awkward as she was. "Wow, thanks," she said, rolling her eyes. "So good to see you agree I look out of place."

"Out of place?" He looked down at her and laughed. "Well, I mean, I guess? If you mean `out of place` in terms of being the most beautiful person here."

Yang's breath caught. "Eh?"

"You're beautiful," he repeated, with a confidence that left her speechless. "That's why they're all staring at you."

Yang's eyes, wide as they were, locked onto the floor once more. Her heart hammered so fast it was a wonder he didn't hear it. He was wrong, of course. That wasn't why people were staring at all, and she wasn't being unconfident or sensitive about it – she just wasn't an idiot. The fact that _he_ believed it, though? That he believed her so beautiful people would actually stop and stare?

Damn him! Damn him for turning that black mark into a flipping _black hole_ under her feet. If only she could dive into it and be sucked into oblivion.

"T-Thanks," she whispered, more because she thought it was necessary.

"For what? I was just being honest."

Would it be considered rude for her to pull a Ruby and freak out? Maybe punch him through the windows in sheer embarrassment and run for her life? Blake would give her a long and unimpressed glare, but _screw_ Blake. She had _no_ idea what he was like! He was dangerous; genuinely dangerous. She was at serious risk of a heart attack here.

"To be fair," he went on. "I'm a little nervous too."

That caught her attention. "You are?"

"W-Well, I've never been to a place like this before. Never even really dressed like this before." He tugged at his collar. "Not to mention this is my first-ever real date, and I'm with someone like you. I'm surprised I haven't passed out."

The earnest words, delivered in his usual bumbling manner, helped to relax her, and Yang laughed to herself. "Don't sell yourself short," she said, feeling a little more confident for knowing she wasn't the only one going through a panic attack. "You look good, and it's not like I'm going to grade you after this or something."

"You mean there won't be a surprise test?"

"Idiot," she laughed, nudging his side and earning a few disapproving glares from those around them. This time, she didn't back down – nor feel bad for them. She was having a laugh with a friend. What was wrong with that? They were the ones apparently on romantic dates and yet standing silently like they were at a funeral. "This place is a little fancy, though," she said. "How did you even get a reservation?"

"I didn't," he said – momentarily worrying her. "I didn't even know this place existed before now. I just asked my Uncle to arrange something since he knows more about Vale."

His uncle? So, he hadn't been the one to choose the actual venue. She wasn't sure why, but that made her breath a little easier. He hadn't chosen a stupidly expensive place to try and embarrass her; his family had just picked something and probably not known better. Did that also mean his uncle was covering the cost?

"Then how did you know to dress up like that?" she asked.

"Isn't this what guys normally wear on dates? In my books-"

"Right, your books," she interrupted, resisting the urge to shake her head. Everything suddenly made a lot more sense. Well, at least he'd lucked out and got it right, otherwise they might have been the most over-dressed couple to ever grace a cinema. The thought made her smile, and she stood a little closer to him. It wasn't so bad, really… especially knowing he was as in the dark as she.

"If the next couple would come forward," the man at the front said. He was well-dressed and sported a clipboard on the wooden podium before him. He must have been suspicious of two so young actually being guests, but if so he hid it with professionalism few others had. "Good evening, madam and sir. Do you have a prior reservation with us?"

"I do," Jaune replied, earning a sigh of relief from doorman. "It should be under Arc."

"Arc, Arc… let's see. Oh!" His eyes widened and he looked back up in shock. "Y-Yes, you are here, sir. Please forgive me – if we'd known you were waiting in the queue we'd have brought you forward. There's no reason for you to wait outside, sir."

Yang wasn't sure what to think about how the man acted, or even less so when he clapped and four waitresses appeared as if from nowhere. They looked completely fresh, like they hadn't worked even an hour all night. She looked to Jaune, but he seemed no less sure of what was going on than her.

"These will be your waitresses for the night," he said, "They will lead you inside and tend to your every need. Welcome to el'Effestro's, and I hope you have a magical night."

They were quickly ushered inside by the four women, who took their jackets and coats eagerly and fussed about them. Yang didn't even get a chance to speak before she was through the dining area, now earning even more stares from everyone due to how much attention they were receiving. She saw a table off to one side and assumed they were heading there, but they were instead led up onto a raised platform behind a pane of glass artistically coloured and carved into different shapes.

Yang's mouth dropped open when she realised they were being taken to some kind of hidden area, a table – no, an entire room – dedicated to just themselves. The walls were satiny red, and there was an open fire on a raised platform bathing the area in not only light, but gentle warmth as well. They had a table and seats, naturally, but also a lower table with two couches should they wish it. To the side of the dining table, a small river ran through the room.

Or, well, some kind of water feature she'd have more expected to see in a fancy garden than the interior of a restaurant. There were even little fish inside, many of them swimming to the surface to chase dancing lights atop the water.

"W-What the hell is this?" Yang whispered to her date.

"I have no idea," Jaune replied, equally lost. "I only asked for a table to be reserved. I didn't ask for all of this, I swear!"

The look on his face told her he wasn't lying, and they were settled down on the couches soon enough. "If you'd like to make yourselves comfortable until you've decided what you want to order, feel free," one of the waitresses said.

"And here is your champagne," another added, placing a large bucket filled with ice down on the table.

There were six bottles in it – _six_.

Jaune shook his head when she glanced over in silent question.

"This is… interesting," Yang said once they'd been left alone to peruse the menu's. She'd taken one look at them and given up – the names far too complicated for her to understand. She'd chosen some numbers instead, focusing on the ones with words she recognised. Words like beef. "I… I mean, I'm impressed, but this is a bit much." She wasn't sure how he would take it, so kept her words soft. "Is this your uncle again?"

"Probably..." Jaune groaned. "I didn't know anywhere in Vale to take you, so I had to ask someone for help," he admitted sheepishly.

"Hey." She kicked his leg gently and smiled. "I wouldn't have expected you to, buster. Remember, I'm the one who's lived in Patch and come here shopping my whole life. You've only been in the city for a month or two now. I doubt you'd know all the places to take a girl on a night out. I have to ask, though. Why here? Most people would have taken me somewhere a little less formal."

Jaune laughed. "I suppose you could say a little bird offered me some advice."

Okay… that was weird. She didn't quite understand what he meant by that, but she couldn't think of anyone who would actually advise Jaune to bring her to a place like el'Effestro's. It was well out of her league. The quality of all this food and drink was going to be utterly lost on her.

"Your uncle booked the table?" she asked, and waited for him to nod. "Then he must have requested this one."

"I guess so. I just don't understand why Uncle W-" Jaune froze, his eyes growing wide. "Oh, no…"

"What is it?"

Jaune groaned and slumped on the couch, his eyes drifting shut. One hand came up to cup his face, his other arm wrapping across as though to hide himself from view. "I think I know what's going on," he mumbled through his sleeve. "My Uncles are… well… they have ideas."

"Ideas?"

"Does Qrow ever do things that embarrass you?"

Yang paused to think. She shivered. "All the time."

"Yeah, well, same here – except mind _think_ they're helping."

That wasn't so unusual. Her Dad and Uncle Qrow did that _all_ the time. They never even seemed to realise why what they were doing was so mortifying until it was done. Kind of like the time Qrow tried to dress up as Ruby's favourite cartoon character for her tenth birthday, except he got drunk and passed out in his own vomit instead. Right as all the kids at the party came around to see him, too.

"I think that's normal uncle behaviour," Yang said. "Besides, this isn't so bad, I guess. Sure, it's a little awkward, but at least we're away from all those staring people, right? We have a whole room to ourselves. That's a win from my point of view."

"I don't think you understand. If my uncle is doing this, then there's a fair chance my Mom knows about it - about us." He sighed. "And if she knows about us…"

Jaune didn't get his chance to explain any further, nor did Yang a chance to ask him what he meant. They were both interrupted as the door opened and several men in suits entered. They brought with them several large boxes, and began to arrange them off to one side of the room. Out came a cello, and then a violin, and finally some instruments she didn't even recognise. But when they started to play slow, romantic music? Well, she figured out what he meant.

Her face turned crimson.

Jaune groaned into his hands.

/-/

A faunus supremacist, a wanted criminal and a Grimm in human form walk into a bar. Cinder was fairly sure there was a joke in there somewhere, but this was her reality as she sat at a table in a seedy and nondescript part of Vale. A place that was far below her usual standards, but which Roman had assured her would keep quiet about their meeting.

Still, as Adam Taurus, Roman Torchwick and Lavender Salem sat down opposite her, she couldn't help but wonder if the owner behind the bar had any idea who was using his private function room. Obviously not, or he'd have run away screaming by now.

"It's good to see you all," Cinder said, passing out some drinks she'd ordered ahead of time. "How are you finding Vale, Adam? I hope you haven't had any problems fitting in."

"None at all," the surly man replied. He was, for once, without his mask, and Cinder was a little impressed at how handsome he looked for it. Not at all scarred or disfigured as she had first suspected. The benefits of wearing a mask all the time likely meant he was all but invisible with it removed. The only risk would be him bumping into someone who might recognise him. "As for liking it, it's better than living out in the forests, but not by much. Too many humans."

"But your men should find things easier, no?"

Adam grunted his agreement and shot her a wary, if not frustrated glare. He was much easier to read like this. "I can't complain about you not wanting us to capture live Grimm anymore, but why the sudden change? I don't like plans that don't stick, Cinder. It makes me wonder if those who lost their lives so far did it in vain."

"The plan hasn't changed all that much," Cinder assured. "Merely that I've expanded our operations a little and gained some new resources. It is precisely because of those deaths that I sought a different means to collect the Grimm we need." She smiled insincerely, not that he could tell. "A safer means to acquire the Grimm is now available to us. I felt it would be foolish not to share that with you, and even worse to continue allowing your brave warriors to risk their lives."

Adam hummed in response to her subtle praise. Of all the things he might complain about, her making his job less risky wouldn't be one, and she knew that. "Why are they here?" Adam asked, nodding to the two beside him. "Torchwick, I know, even if I'd rather not – but I won't work with yet another human. They can't be trusted."

Cinder made to reply, but Lavender beat her to it. "Oh, and would things be easier were I not a human?" Her skin paled rapidly and her eyes turned red and black, veins spreading across her face. "Does this help?"

Adam's chair scraped back. "What-? What is this? What _are_ you!?"

"Not human." A lazy tentacle flicked in the air. "That's all that should bother you, no?"

"She is an ally," Cinder said, hurrying to prevent any kind of bloodshed. "She is working with us. Her name is Lavender and she will not harm you or your men."

"Not unless you move to harm me or mine."

Cinder shot her a look that made it clear she wasn't helping, and Lavender sighed and reverted back into her human form. The speed of it didn't do much for Adam's confidence, but he seemed a little more relaxed now that the tentacle had vanished.

"The rumours are true, I see. Then again, I was told you were a man."

"She isn't the same as the one you're referring to," Cinder said.

"Hentacle." Adam's grimace made it clear what he thought of the name – and she could understand and sympathise entirely. "Is _he_ on our side as well?"

"In a way…" she hedged, aware that an outright lie in front of Jaune's sister would only come back to bite her. "Hentacle has his own objectives which don't exactly run in line with ours, but he has agreed to help us within reason. They don't run against our aims, either."

"They don't?" Lavender asked sarcastically.

"Of course not," Cinder argued, narrowing her eyes. "After all, what is your stated goal, Adam?"

"Equality for faunus kind."

"Exactly," Cinder said, smiling at Lavender. "He would be all for that, I'm sure."

Lavender sneered and rolled her eyes, but didn't argue. Jaune _would_ have been in favour of what Adam suggested. It was just that the method Adam wanted to use was a little… extreme. Well, that was in her benefit, of course.

"He's agreed to aid us where necessary, and even be present for some operations if it will make your people feel better. Obviously, he's already saved several from various unfortunate events." Here, she glanced to Roman. "A Bullhead full of White Fang were allowed to escape the docks thanks to him."

"And yet more died," Adam growled.

"Hey, that wasn't my fault!" Roman stepped in, eyes narrowed. "We were attacked by huntresses and huntsmen from Beacon. I can't be held responsible for you animals not being able to hold your own when things get serious."

"Call me an animal again and I'll show you just how much I can hold my own," Adam threatened, his blade clicking as it was loosened in its sheathe.

"Now, now," Cinder chuckled. "We're all allies here. Perhaps not natural ones, but our aims run together and we will work together as a result. The reason I wanted to talk to you, Adam, was to fill you in on why things changed. You did say you hated being left in the dark, after all."

He nodded gruffly. "I… appreciate it." It sounded like the words were forced out kicking and screaming.

"I also wanted to offer a hand in assistance if you or your men need help settling into Vale. I know it must be hard sneaking so many in, and some have lived out in the wilds for quite some time." She nodded her head in understanding. "If you have need of finances or such to help them infiltrate the city, I can provide. Just let me know."

A little generosity never hurt, and having his people feel indebted to her would only ensure their operation ran smoother. It would also be a staging point for her to slowly change their plans thanks to Jaune's interference and Emerald's failure. The loss of the Paladins would make their original plan all but impossible. Convincing fanatical terrorists to ram a train into Vale and die was a lot harder than ramming a train and using military hardware to survive. Sure, in the end they would have died anyway, but the important part was that they _think_ they had a chance for survival.

That was gone, now. There would need to be changes. _But that's fine. Only a fool would have embarked on this kind of endeavour without several contingency plans._

"I'll be in touch if we need it," Adam said. "You just want us to lay low for now. Is that right?"

"It is, yes. Although I apologise for not having any specific tasks for you, waiting until the appointed time will be safer than risking you and your lives collecting Grimm."

Adam nodded. "I don't like sitting around, but I understand."

She'd known he wouldn't.

She'd been counting on it.

"Well, if you want something to busy yourself, I might have a suggestion."

His eyes narrowed. "Go on."

"The White Fang presence in Vale has been lax of late," she said. "You need only look at recent events to see that, with an undercover police agent managing to infiltrate one meeting and nearly capture the organiser."

"I hadn't heard about that," Adam growled. He looked frustrated.

"I'd imagine not. You have been busy out in Mistral, and more recently in the Wildlands between. And I think we both know that some people don't like to report failure."

"Hmm…"

"It's not just that, either. Time and time again the White Fang have failed, and I do not believe it a result of a lack of will or resources. Not with us supplying the latter. I think the cell here lacks organisation. It lacks a leader."

"Not anymore," Adam said. "I see your plan, Cinder. Don't think me so blind. I'll agree, however. I would have anyway. The White Fang will rise again, and if I need to purge some fools from this cell, I shall do so. Recruitment and training will begin anew. I will have these faunus as capable as mine within two months. This, I promise."

And she knew he would. Adam was many things, some good and some bad, but his ability to inspire and control his little insurrection was second-to-none. Even Salem had taken notice of his name, though Cinder doubted he could ever be convinced to join _their_ side. She doubted she would even want him to, either.

"I'm relieved to hear that, Adam. You will have all our resources, of course. We have been supplying vast quantities of dust and lien to the White Fang here. I will see that forwarded to your control instead."

"And you will continue to supply us, I take it?"

"I will," she agreed.

"Then I know what I want," Adam declared, his voice taking on a vicious edge. "I want Hentacle."

The temperature in the room dropped. It wasn't just her, who felt a spike of immediate suspicion and annoyance, but also Lavender, who watched the affair with cold silence. "Why?" Cinder asked, hands clenched atop her knees beneath the table. "I am afraid that if you wish to try and control him, that will be impossible." As if she would ever allow that! He was _hers,_ no one else's.

"Then I want to meet him – immediately," he countered. "I won't trust the fate of my people to someone I haven't met. From there, we'll see how we might work together, but that is the best you shall get from me, Cinder. Bring him to me, or our agreement might come to a sudden end."

 _Along with your life, fool,_ Cinder thought with a snarl. If he so much as tried to make a move towards Jaune, it would be a choice of who killed him first – her, Lavender or the Grimm. Still, Adam had his uses for now, and she'd rather not see him die pointlessly. "I shall see what I can do, Adam. Understand that I will have to speak with him and make arrangements. I cannot show you him immediately, as you say."

"I can wait a few days," Adam said, rising from his seat. He gripped his sword close to his side and gave Roman and Lavender the curtest of nods. "Until later. If you need to get in touch, you know how to reach me."

She remained silent as he stormed out of the room and away. Dealing with people like him was frustrating, especially when she had use of them. It would have been so much easier to kill him quietly and put someone more under her control in power. Sadly, Adam had things she did not – such as fervent control over his people, and the belief and awe of many faunus. His worth was in his identity, his brand.

"Well, what a jolly guy," Roman said sarcastically. "I'll certainly sleep easier knowing he's on our side. Why don't we recruit the Grimm while we're at it?" He raised his arms and looked to Lavender. "Oh, wait!"

"As amusing as you are, I have a task for you as well, Roman," Cinder snapped. "If we're to keep the new White Fang stocked and Adam happy, we'll need more dust." She pushed a folder across the table. "Here are several deliveries of dust headed for Vale. See to it that at least one is inconvenienced."

Roman took the folder and leafed through it, but suddenly looked a little nervous. "Yeah, about that…"

"Roman is currently helping me buy a house in Vale," Lavender said, smiling adorably. "I'm sure he can get on to your task _after_ he's helped me with that. Isn't that right, Mr Roman?"

"Y-Yeah…"

Cinder's eyes narrowed. She was aware of the tiny smirk dancing below Lavender's earnest expression, and of the panic evident in Roman's. So, he was trying to escape her, was he? That was annoying, but not necessarily a loss. More than anything, it was a direct insult – and she would make sure he knew that in time.

Not now, however. To show such emotions would only let Lavender know she'd worked her way beneath her skin.

"That is fine. So long as one is taken care of, I care not how you handle it. Just see it done."

"I'll get it done. Don't worry."

Cinder nodded as they stood and left, Roman shooting her nervous looks, as if he expected her to lodge a dagger in his back. She smiled cruelly at him, just enough to make him yelp and increase his pace to keep up with Jaune's bitch of a sister.

First Emerald had failed her, and now Roman's continued loyalty was in doubt. Things were becoming more complicated, but that would only make her eventual victory all the more satisfying. After all, no matter how many people she lost, there was always the agreement she'd made with her dear, adopted brother.

"Everything else is just a distraction," she hissed. "The power of the maiden _will_ be mine, Ozpin."

/-/

"Okay, I'll admit – that wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be."

"The food was really good," Jaune agreed beside her as their Bullhead landed back at Beacon. "I mean, the prices were high, but it definitely felt worth it."

"Mostly because we didn't have to pay," Yang teased, nudging him in the ribs with her elbow. The two of them were now free of the fancy restaurant, and much to her relief she'd been correct about Jaune's mysterious (and apparently loaded) uncle paying the tab. The food _had_ been incredible, though. She rubbed her stomach in memory of it. "Heh, and the entertainment wasn't half-bad."

"I didn't expect another band to show up…"

"I didn't expect the string quartet to almost _attack_ the rock band. That was awesome!" Yang laughed, as did Jaune. The musical rivalry had been great, especially when they tried to outdo one another. It had turned a potentially mortifying situation into something far more comedic, which helped her feel less out of place.

"I'm sorry about them showing up," he said. "My uncle is… well…"

"Eager?"

"That's one way to put it. It's mostly my mom, to be honest. He probably did it to make her happy. I'm sorry if it was awkward."

"Nah, it's cool. Parents will be parents. I had fun."

And she was surprised to find she meant that, too. The initial horror had been enough to have her knees rattling, but the thing with the bands and the wine, and Jaune looking so utterly humiliated… somewhere along the way it just made her laugh. Nothing broke through the ice like that, and the embarrassing atmosphere had faded soon after. Left in its wake, they'd both ranted about family and over-bearing uncles, finding more common ground than she'd ever expected. She'd enjoyed it, both the food and the company.

And in a strange way, she'd kind of enjoyed being the centre of attention. It had only been the two of them in that room, except for when the food came or the bands played. Everything was on her, which felt a lot more special than the usual night out with friends. Her other dates, if she could even call them that, had felt like something she could have done with friends just as easily as potential boyfriends. This hadn't. It felt different.

"I'm glad," Jaune said, smiling. "I'll admit I was a little worried at first. I wouldn't have normally pegged you as someone who liked fancy places like that, but Q- someone told me you did. For a second I was afraid I'd done something wrong."

Someone had told him she liked fancy stuff? That didn't sound like her at all… or at least it hadn't. She usually hated it. "Being spoiled for a change was nice," she admitted with a nervous laugh. "I liked it more than I thought I would, but I don't think I'd do it every time. Next time let's make it a little more casual."

Jaune smiled. "Sure. That sounds good." He looked around. "Well, we're back at Beacon. Do you want me to walk you to your room?"

From anyone else, she might have suspected an ulterior motive, but this was Jaune, a guy who probably wouldn't have known what to do with her if she turned up naked on his bed. Or rather he would, but throw her some clothing wouldn't have been what most would say.

"I'll be fine," she said, and on impulse stepped forward to give him a hug. "Thanks for tonight. It was great."

"I had fun, too," he said, hugging her back. "I'm glad you agreed to it."

It was a light and airy Yang Xiao-Long who made her way back to her dorm. She didn't even bother to sneak her way through the corridors, smiling and humming to herself instead. When she let herself in, everyone was still awake – it wasn't that late – and looked like they'd been waiting for her. Nora took one look at her expression and grinned.

"Good night?"

"I think it was," Ren replied, chuckling.

"It was okay," Yang demurred, kicking off her shoes and laying back on her bed. "Better than I thought it would be, for sure."

"Did you kiss?" Nora asked.

"No!"

"Boo. Lame!"

Yang flipped her teammate the bird, but didn't bother to argue. It was never worth it with Nora, and besides, the night was too good to waste on things like that. She busied herself getting changed instead, slipping into her sleepwear as Ren turned around to give her privacy. Yeah, there'd been no kiss – though she wondered if she would have let him had he tried. A part of her was relieved he hadn't. The other part could go jump off the cliffs of Beacon.

"So, did it all work out?" Blake asked once she was changed and ready to sleep.

"Yeah, I just said so. There were some awkward bits, but I had fun – it was the best `date` I've ever been on, not that there's much to compare it to. Why?"

"Not that," Blake denied, smirking evilly. "I meant your plan."

"Plan…?"

"You know… the plan to tell him how good Ruby is so that he'd date her instead?" Blake's expression made it clear she didn't believe that had ever been the plan at all. "How did that go?"

Yang froze. Her mouth fell open and her eyes widened.

The plan…

Shit.

"Methinks the plan went abandoned," Ren teased.

" _Methinks_ the plan never existed in the first place," Nora cackled.

Yang didn't rise to the bait. She turned and buried her face into her pillow instead, hoping they couldn't hear her muffled scream. She'd messed up.

Big time...

* * *

 **Poor Yang, and well done to Watts as expected – truly best uncle. Then again, one can likely imagine Salem having a hand in that little display.**

" **Did you make sure to put condoms on the table, Watts?"**

" **Ah, no?"**

" **Perfect! I might have killed you otherwise."**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 26** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	40. Chapter 40

**The next chapter is here, and things moving along.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 40**

* * *

Weiss didn't always get a little time to herself, which meant it was something she liked to savour when she did. Her team were wonderful, they really were. She'd been thrilled to have Pyrrha on it, though less excited at the other two, who she'd expected to be little more than baggage. It hadn't taken long for them to prove their worth, however, and – if she dared admit it – to help her improve as a person as well. Weiss really did like her team, both professionally and personally.

But that didn't mean she wanted to spend every hour of every day with them. Sometimes it was nice to just have some time to yourself, or better yet, time to spend with a sister you really didn't get to see as much as you used to.

"Things are going great," Weiss said in response to Winter's question. "I think we have a good chance of performing well in the Vytal Festival."

"Only a good chance, Weiss?"

"I don't want to tempt fate by saying I'm confident we can win."

"But you are."

Weiss tried to hide her smile. "Perhaps…"

"Well, I look forward to seeing you show the competition who you are." Winter and she chuckled as they made their way through the gardens of Beacon towards the more secluded areas. It was a hot afternoon and various students were lounging and enjoying their free time on the cool grass, or in the shade of various trees, but it wasn't overcrowded. There were just as many catching up on homework or taking lazy naps in their rooms.

That was where Ruby and Pyrrha were, the two playing a board game the last Weiss had seen, and with plans to invite Nora, Yang and Blake to take part as well if they could find them. Jaune had mentioned something about a sister coming to Vale and having to meet her, but had turned down Ruby and Pyrrha's offers to come along. Apparently, his sister was a little shy.

"What about you?" Weiss asked. "Do you have to return to Atlas until the tournament begins?"

"I will be staying, actually."

That caught Weiss off-guard, and she almost gaped at her sister if it wasn't for her discipline preventing it. When last they'd spoken, the clear plan had been that Winter needed to return to Atlas, but would come back for the festival itself. "Oh," Weiss chimed. "Did something happen?"

"It's nothing you ought to worry about, Weiss. How is your team doing of late?"

The conversation change was obvious, but she knew better than to point it out. If Winter couldn't tell her, then she couldn't tell her. "They are performing well," she said. "Pyrrha remains at the top of class for sparring, often fighting entire teams on her own, but I have the highest grades in academics." And if that was a little boastful, it was only because her sister was in front of her.

Winter smiled. "I would expect nothing less." Her smile slipped. "What of the child? Ruby, was it?"

That was something far more complicated, and Weiss had to bite back a little annoyance at the tone of Winter's voice. It was subtle, but the way she'd spoken made it clear she expected Ruby to be a problem. That was probably her fault to be honest, but it didn't make it any better.

"Ruby is doing fantastically," she defended. "Her poorer academic score was only because she missed two years of lessons being moved ahead. She's hard working and has managed to catch up with my aid in tutoring her."

"You have been forced to tutor her? It seems unfair her deficiencies should drag you down."

"I was not forced to do anything, sister. I volunteered."

"Even so, such charity will only impact your free time. If the girl is not ready, she should not-"

"Ruby is fine," Weiss stated. No, she declared. Her tone made it clear there was no argument. "She is a valuable member of our team. I will not have her spoken ill of, Winter. Forgive me, but not even by you."

Winter's intake of air suggested her surprise, and her displeasure. Like a good Schnee, she hid it, however. A Schnee did not make a scene. "You are the one who complained of her in your letters," she pointed out.

"Yes." Weiss' eyes closed as she felt shame well up inside. "I was wrong. I made a poor judgment based on insufficient information. She has taught me the error of such thinking."

"I see…"

She did not, but that was fine. In all measurements, Ruby was not someone who should have ever been considered a friend of a Schnee. Loud, brash, foolish, naïve, idealistic, poor, uneducated, and far too enthusiastic about everything. She failed on every account. It made Weiss wonder if it was not Ruby that was faulty, but the standards they tried to hold themselves to. Her entire team failed on the scale of what friends a Schnee should aspire to, and yet she was the happiest she had been in years.

"And what of your final teammate?"

"Jaune?"

"Yes," Winter said, looking as though she were swallowing a lemon. "Your boyfriend."

Oh, right. That. It still hadn't quite sunken in that they were `dating`, and the thought still caused her cheeks to heat up, which was probably a good thing and helped to sell the disguise. It certainly seemed enough to convince Winter, who wasn't quite able to hide her quiet sigh at Weiss' implicit response.

"Things are… things are good." She hated how much of a cop-out that sounded, but she still had no idea what to actually say or do in regard to him. As far as Winter knew, they'd been on a few dinner dates with one another, but that was about it. If she sounded too confident, she might think it suspicious and investigate further.

"Have you…" Winter hesitated.

"Have we what?"

"Taken the… well…"

Weiss raised an eyebrow, intrigued and a little disturbed. Her elder sister rarely sounded so uncertain, and hesitated to speak her mind even less. What was it that had her so tongue-twisted?

"The two of you," Winter began anew, sighing. "Have you… taken the next step in your relationship?"

Weiss had no idea what she meant. "Engagement? It seems a little soon to be speaking of that."

"Not that!" Winter somehow managed to look even more ill at the thought of them tying the knot, though to be fair she was probably imagining their father's response. "I mean, other things. Teenagers these days are so quick to make decisions, and I know studying in a place like Beacon can be stressful, and you _do_ share a room together…"

All of those things were true, but Weiss still wasn't sure what her sister meant. She also shared a room with two other girls. Did she mean Weiss seeing Jaune in various stages of undress? That did happen occasionally, despite his attempts to not show them anything and their efforts to afford him his privacy. Or, well, her efforts, anyway. While Ruby and Pyrrha always tried to be polite, there was no denying that they were the first to look every time Jaune pulled his top off.

She did too, of course. Whatever people might have said about her, she was still a young woman, and Jaune – if nothing else – was a huntsman in training. His physique was not in question. It did not mean she held feelings for him, just that she could admire what was on show.

Pyrrha and Ruby? She wasn't so sure on that front. Those two seemed to go a little beyond mere admiration, even if neither would admit it. With Ruby's sister involved, it already looked like the most complicated romantic scenario seen on Remnant, so Weiss was relieved to be left out of it. The day she developed feelings for Jaune Arc was the day she threw herself off the cliffs of Beacon. It would be a more merciful fate than getting involved in that mess!

"We all do our best to respect the privacy of our teammates," Weiss said in answer to Winter's question. "Even if we share a room, we're polite enough that there aren't often any problems. I certainly haven't heard any complaints, and I feel we're close enough to be vocal about it if there were."

"Erk-" Winter choked on air, and then tried to hide it in a quick coughing fit. "I-I see… that is… that is polite of you both, I suppose."

Was it? She felt it was fairly obvious. "Anyone would expect the same courtesy in return."

"I'm sure they would." Winter didn't quite meet her eyes. "Such things are banned in the Atlas Military."

Changing in front of people was banned? Weiss shot her sister an odd look, but didn't question it. It wasn't like Winter would lie, and even if it didn't make sense, it wasn't her place to disparage military doctrine.

"Such things could cause distractions," Winter said, no doubt seeing her confusion.

"I suppose," Weiss allowed.

"There are places off the base where people are free to go if they wish to continue with such things. We don't seek to make it impossible."

Changing rooms off the base? "Wouldn't that be hugely inconvenient?"

"W-Well, yes, but… It's just not the same, Weiss. Far be it for me to try and control your life, but I would appreciate it if we could leave this topic behind. I do not need to know what my sister, my little sister, does behind closed doors."

Winter was totally overreacting, which was a little odd given her character, but maybe Vale really was more liberal than Atlas. She'd never noticed before, but it wasn't like she'd ever shared a room with anyone before Beacon, either. The mansion back home had almost fifty spare rooms for visiting guests, after all.

Honestly, she didn't see the issue. So what if she occasionally caught a glimpse of Jaune's back? It wasn't like she was giving him a show, and he was a perfect gentleman, retiring to the bathroom of waiting outside if they needed to change. But if Winter wanted to change the conversation, she'd allow it. All this talk of her fake relationship was tiring as it was.

"Have the two of you been on any more dates since the last?" Winter asked.

Or not. Weiss sighed, realising she wasn't getting out of this so easily. "We have not," she said. "There hasn't been much time and we are both busy with our preparations for the Vytal Festival."

"That is strange," Winter said carefully, almost as though she were nervous of something. "It is just that… one of my men may have seen something… contrary to that statement."

Weiss swallowed nervously. "What do you mean?"

"Two nights ago," Winter said. "Jaune Arc departed Beacon with another woman."

Two nights…? It didn't take Weiss long to realise what she meant. It was the night Jaune had dressed up in the fanciest suit she'd ever seen him wear, and then claimed that he was going to meet his sister in Vale. She hadn't believed him, of course. She doubted anyone had. Even Pyrrha and Ruby had instantly caught on to what was _really_ happening – Jaune being, as usual, very bad at the whole lying business.

That Ruby's sister just so happened to also be absent that night only confirmed it, and Weiss honestly wished them well. She'd kept that to herself, of course, reading the air in their room perfectly and realising that Ruby and Pyrrha – despite their apparent happiness – were both walking around like people at a funeral.

Jaune and Yang going on a date had been interesting, but not overly exciting. She'd asked him how it went, he'd made up some story about him and his sister, and she'd let it go. If the two of them wanted to keep it secret, it was none of her business. She trusted her partner to handle his own affairs, and Yang wasn't a bad sort.

She just hadn't factored in the possibility of Winter finding out – and neither had Jaune, she expected.

Well… this was awkward.

"He went out to meet with his sister," Weiss said, deciding that sticking to his story might be safest. At least that way they'd both give the same excuses if questioned. "He is doing that today as well, I understand."

"He left with a woman from Beacon. One Yang Xiao-Long."

"The two are friends. He likely wanted to introduce Yang to his sister."

"And not you?"

"It's a little soon to meet the family, don't you think?"

"Considering what the two of you are doing already?" Winter grumbled. She sighed and shook her head. "Weiss, the two were dressed in finery, and went to dine at el'Effestro's of all places. With no other guest, I might add."

Hm, el'Effestro's? She would give Jaune points for effort – and then subtract ten thousand for not thinking to watch out for spying older sisters. Curse him! "I have complete faith in the two of them," Weiss said, aiming to shut down the topic entirely. "I know what you are suggesting, sister, and it is nonsense. Jaune would not cheat on me. He… we… what we have is…" She cringed. "Special. We love one another." Gods, she felt ill even saying it.

"And you trust him in this?" Winter asked. "Are you sure you are not allowing your emotions, your heart, to cloud your judgment?"

"I am not," Weiss assured.

"Very well, sister. I will trust you in this."

Weiss relaxed, breathing a sigh of relief.

She never noticed Winter's eyes narrowing.

/-/

When Jaune had said he was going out into Vale to meet with his sister, he hadn't been _entirely_ lying, just bending the truth. "Hello, Cinder," he said, stepping into the dilapidated warehouse she'd invited him to.

His Big Sis was alone, but he could hear movement and sound a little deeper in. She turned and placed a finger to her lips, dragging him into a side room that was empty. "You came," she said. "I'm glad."

"You told me you needed me. You said it would be part of our agreement."

"I did. It is." She glanced around and quickly checked the corners of the room, searching for something. Whatever it was, she seemed relieved to not find it. "I need you to transform," she said. "I need you in your natural form for this."

"For what? I don't even know what's going on."

"I apologise, but I need you to transform first. You don't want anyone here knowing the identity of your disguise in Beacon."

It was clear she wasn't going to explain until he did, and it wasn't as though she was wrong, either. With a quick nod, he closed his eyes and concentrated, breathing a sigh when he felt the change come over him. In a way, he always felt a little more comfortable in Grimm form. Controlling and hiding all of that within him, tentacles included, wasn't exactly comfortable. "There, I'm transformed. Can you tell me what this is about now?"

Cinder looked him up and down, but nodded her head. "Someone wishes to meet with you. Someone I need to keep impressed and on my side."

"Anyone I'd know?"

"No. You have not met them before."

His eyes narrowed. "Is it someone I would approve of?"

Her silence was telling.

"Cinder…"

"You said you would help me," she accused. "You told me that you would be willing to perform as Hentacle if I had need of you, so long as it did not directly harm your friends. Well, this will not. I only need you to show your face and speak to this person." She turned to the side, glancing at him from the corner of one eye. "That is if you intend to keep your promise to me, of course. I kept my side of the bargain and told you what I want in Beacon. Are you going to turn on me now? After I practically raised you?"

She was laying it on fairly thick. Even he could see that. Why not point out the times she bandaged his knee when he skinned it, or how she begrudgingly let him sleep with her when he'd had a nightmare. Of course he wasn't going to turn on her like that. She was his Big Sis. She was the woman he'd wanted to impress and please the most in his life.

"I'll help," he said. "You knew I would, so you don't need to guilt trip me…"

"You are the Prince of the Grimm," Cinder said. "You should not even _feel_ guilt, let alone allow it to control you." She sighed dramatically. "Where did I go wrong?"

"Probably when you kept using it to make me do what you wanted?"

She glared at him. "Rhetorical question, Jaune."

"Oh…"

Cinder pinched the bridge of her nose and silently counted to ten, leaving him to shuffle awkwardly like a Beowolf with its claw caught in the human (or hand in the cookie jar, as he'd heard Ruby say it). "Never mind," she said. "I suppose it's just a part of who you are now. I will just have to make do and be sure I am always there to guide you in the right direction. Like now," she added, eyes snapping back to his. "There are a few things I need you to remember, and you _must_ follow my instructions to the letter. Am I understood?"

"Is that a rhetorical question?"

Her eyes narrowed. "No."

"Then yes, I understand."

She eyed him for a second regardless, just to be sure. "Very well. First of all, you must not agree to _anything_ he proposes. It is I he must go through, not you. I am in control. I can't trust you not to accidentally agree to something ridiculous or dangerous. So, don't."

"Okay… What kind of person is this exactly?"

"That's not important. Secondly, you need to stay confident – and yes, I know that's not your strong point," she quickly added when he opened his mouth to complain. "I don't mean confidence in the way your father implies. Confidence is _not_ making asinine one-liners or embarrassing yourself in front of women."

"I don't do that."

" **You really do."** Remy said.

"You really do," Cinder unwittingly echoed. "It's bad enough you and those… those _people_ you call friends. They take advantage of you at every turn."

"What? No, they don't."

"The fact that you are oblivious to the fact only proves me right," Cinder said, sighing. "Salem grant me patience. All I need you to do is not back down, not seem afraid or nervous, and not to make this person feel like they have any control or influence over you. Can you do that?"

"Do you mean you want me to act like Mom?"

Cinder paused. "Do you think you could?"

"I could give it a go. I don't have to spend a lot of time around him, right?"

"No. Less than an hour here, I would hope." She regarded him carefully, and Jaune adopted a straight-backed pose with his arms crossed and a small, subtle sneer. It was more a mix of Mom and Uncle Watts, really, but it seemed to work. "Hm, not bad. If you can maintain that, I believe it could work. Yes, I like this idea."

Acting like Mom wasn't easy, and he doubted he'd have been able to keep it going for any longer amount of time, which was why he hadn't tried to put on airs or act any different from how he was in Beacon. If it were just for a single meeting though, he should be fine. Or he hoped so, anyway.

"Are you going to tell me what kind of person this is?" he asked.

"And finally," she said, ignoring the question. "I need you to not react negatively to anything he might say."

Jaune's expression was flat. "He's evil, isn't he?"

"Evil is a subjective term, Jaune."

"Cinder…"

"Would you call _me_ evil?"

"Cinder…"

"The world is not so black and white. It is made of a thousand different shades of grey."

"And I'm guessing he's a particularly dark shade, right?"

"Moving on, the only other thing to keep in mind is that you _must not_ tell any of your friends about this. That should go without saying," she said, poking a finger into his chest, "but I will say it anyway. Do not tell them. This is a dangerous situation. I've already promised to try and keep them out of the way of any harm of mine, but I can't manage that if you personally drag them in."

She made it sound like he _wanted_ to drag them into trouble, but he supposed she didn't know any better. Honestly, he'd tried so damn hard to keep them out of the White Fang's way, out of Roman's, heck, even out of Hentacle's way, and it had backfired over and over again.

"I'll try my best," he promised. "I won't tell them, but I can't be held responsible for Roman. He's the most obvious thief I've ever seen. In fact, that's the point! Should he even _be_ seen by anyone?"

"No," Cinder said, "and I agree with you completely. He is an idiot. I have uses for him, however."

Jaune grimaced, feeling a little sick, and also a little protective at the same time. Whatever Cinder's uses for Roman Torchwick, he didn't want to know. If she had needs – like Roman had suggested the last time – then that was natural, but he just wasn't right for her.

"I don't like him," Jaune said, crossing his arms and clearly upset. "He isn't good enough for you."

Cinder's smirk was nothing short of self-satisfied. "I cannot disagree," she purred. "Sadly, I do not have a lot of options right now. Should someone better show up, believe that I would drop him in an instant. Then again, your sister seems to have shown an interest in him, so he might soon be out of my hands entirely." Cinder glared off to the side and muttered something under her breath.

Jaune, however, stood stock still, his mouth open.

Lavender… and Torchwick? No, worse, Lavender _stealing_ him away from Cinder? That was… Torchwick wasn't good enough for _either_ of them, but he had no idea what to think about the fact that Lavender would do something so callous.

You couldn't just steal someone's lover like that.

"I'll talk with her," he promised.

"Hm? You don't have to. It seems a foregone conclusion for now. It would be a waste of time."

She might have been willing to wave it off, but he wasn't, and he stepped forward, catching Cinder's shoulder before she could turn away. He brought her back around and stared into her eyes. "It's not," he said. "It's not a waste of time, and neither are you. He's… he's an idiot, but if he's important to you, then I'm willing to let it happen, even if I don't want to." He sighed, feeling a weight in his stomach. "And I'll talk to Lavender, too. It isn't right for her to do that to you. In fact, it's completely out of line, and I'm not going to stand for it."

"Really, it's not that big of a deal…"

"It is," he insisted, leaning closer. How could she value herself so little? "It is a big deal, Cinder. _You_ are a big deal."

For once in her life, Cinder appeared lost for words. She stared at him for a few seconds, and when she tore her eyes away, there was no hiding the red in her cheeks. "W-Well," she said. "I suppose if you feel that heavily about it, then who am I to argue?" She swallowed. "Thank you. I..." She trailed off, unsure what to say. He could see as much, and didn't push.

This must have been hard enough for her already. He wasn't going to make it worse, but he _would_ be having words with Lavender, and with Roman. How _dare_ he hurt his Big Sis like that? He was nothing. He was utterly expendable.

That Cinder _deigned_ to give him the opportunity to be more was her choice, but for him to spit in her face?

No. He wouldn't allow it. He wouldn't allow it any more than he would have any man to take advantage of one of his special people. He would have raged were it Cinder, Sapphire, or even Ruby, Weiss or Pyrrha. They deserved happiness with whomever they chose to stand alongside them.

"Let's focus more on the matter at hand," Cinder said, desperately trying to draw the conversation back to safer, less confusing, ground. "I will introduce you to him, but I need you to keep what I've told you in mind. I need his help, but he needs me more, so I am negotiating from a position of strength. I do not wish to lose it."

He nodded to show he understood, even if he kind of didn't. Not the purpose, anyway, but he knew all about negotiations. That was Uncle Watts' territory, and had been a subject of lessons between them when he was younger. As Grimm, they didn't normally negotiate with people – or anyone, really – but it was important for their human forms, and for understanding how the agreements between the Kingdoms were made. Even if Mom never intended to enter diplomatic agreements, it helped to know what could be used to fracture or influence those of other people.

Of course, he'd paid more attention for the other aspects; things like Watts telling him it would help in making friends and such. It had been a bribe on the older man's part, Jaune knew. Tell him he could use the lessons to make friends, and he was assured of his fullest attention, but that didn't make it a lie.

"I'll do my best," he assured. "You can trust me, Cinder."

And she could – and she knew that. Perhaps not trust him to be perfect, but she could trust him not to intentionally bring her any harm, and that was the best she could hope for. She nodded and took his wrist in hand, leading him out of the room and into the building proper. It was a run-down and mostly empty place, and he had the feeling it had been picked as a meeting place specifically because it wasn't in use, and because if something _did_ go wrong, or if he told the other members of his team, then it wouldn't make a difference if the place was raided or not.

But when he saw the masked people waiting outside a door, he quickly realised what was going on – and shot Cinder a glare she ignored.

The White Fang? She wanted him to meet with the White Fang?

What the hell!?

There were six faunus in total, and they all looked in their direction with clear mistrust. Two reached for weapons, but neither he nor Cinder paid them any mind. He was more than strong enough to deal with them, as was she.

"We are here to see Adam," she said. "He is expecting us."

The terrorists exchanged glances between them, but none seemed confident enough to challenge the two of them. One banged his arm against the door twice. "They're here, Adam."

"Send them in," a low voice called back.

The door opened, and Jaune took a deep breath.

/-/

Adam had prepared himself for this creature's arrival long before the door opened, and yet there was no denying the immediate sense of revulsion that washed over him. It dressed human, in black jeans and a white shirt open at the top, and yet it was so utterly non-human that it came across stranger for the effort. Its skin was pasty white, and held less colour than even a dead body, while the veins that stood out against its face screamed of disease and wrongness. It was the eyes that were the worst, however, red gems in twin pools of thick, black tar.

He hated humans, but this, what could one even begin to call it?

Certainly not human, and to his begrudging realisation, that was all that really mattered.

Cinder stepped quietly into the room, not just pretending to be unaffected by the visage of the monster next to her, but genuinely so. The way she held herself and the ease by which she showed her back to it spoke of more than confidence. It spoke of trust, implicit and subconscious trust.

Reading people's thoughts through movement was a past-time of his, and a valuable tool that had served him well. Many would have looked at his past, his ideals, and the way he was trying to draw the White Fang, and called him a savage. Those people might not have been wrong, but if they believed him little more than a brainless fool with a sword and a motive, they were very wrong. A person's body gave off far more information than some realised, such as the way Cinder's eyes glanced to the monster's before she sat. That spoke of a message, hidden, of course, but a message nonetheless.

It spoke of communication, of understanding, of two people who could exchange words without the words themselves. It meant Cinder and this creature had known one another for a while, and if nothing else, that they had some level of interaction between them prior to this point. It also told him this thing, this _Hentacle_ had a personality, though what that might be was unknown at the moment. Intelligence had been a given, but personality as well? The Grimm were certainly becoming more and more dangerous.

A cursory look over it also revealed no weapon, but its posture – not to mention those tentacles – told him he was dangerous nonetheless. The way it kept its centre of balance slightly backwards suggested the tentacles would balance it by moving forwards, an aggressive motion if he were attacked, and the fact he considered that a possibility told Adam the creature was cautious and intelligent.

There was so much to be gleaned, and from so little. Adam rose from his seat, making sure they both saw that his sword was not attached at the hip, but leaning against the table. Close enough to draw if necessary, but far away enough to suggest it would not be. He nodded his head in greeting. "It's good to see you again, Cinder."

"Yourself as well, Adam. I take it you have already started to take over from your predecessors here?" As always, her voice was soft like velvet, tantalising and rich in a way that might have stirred his body had she not been the worst example of humanity. As a result, it affected him not a jot.

"I have. To my frustration, it was as you say. The people before me were enthusiastic at best and incompetent at worst." There had been a focus on quantity over quality, a foolish notion when one considered they were a terrorist organisation and that their numbers would never eclipse those of the military. "I have implemented some sweeping changes which should see things improve. There will be fewer men to call on for a while, but those who remain are being rigorously trained by my veterans as we speak. They will not reach the level of a huntsman, but they will be stronger than they were before."

"I'm glad to hear it." Cinder crossed one leg over the other and gestured to the thing beside her, who had yet to sit and continued to watch Adam with fiery eyes. "This is the one you wished to meet. As promised, I've brought him."

"Yes." Adam met the beast's eyes and maintained contact, determined not to show weakness. "I'll admit, I am somewhat impressed. When I pressed you for a meeting, I expected it would take some time."

"I'm a woman who gets things done."

"So I see." He could respect that, even if he mistrusted and disliked her. If he was the kind of person to always take the most well-liked options, he'd have never earned the success he had within the White Fang. Sometimes you had to do things you didn't like. Sometimes, sacrifices had to be made. This would be just another one of them. "My name is Adam Taurus," he said, offering a hand.

The creature looked at it for a moment and then looked back up. "I am Hentacle."

Adam's hand fell, and he bit back a frown, not only at that but at the name as well. It was such a foolish moniker, and with such stupid connotations. "Surely that is not your true name."

"It is what you humans call me. It will suffice."

Cinder seemed amused at his response, placing both hands atop her bare knee and leaning back in her seat. Clearly, she seemed content to let the creature talk.

"I am no human, Grimm. I am a faunus. I am a revolutionary. I fight for equality."

"Is that what you call it?" Hentacle's face was blank, but his eyes flashed. "The distinction matters little to me and my kind. Human, faunus – you are all equal to me."

His men stiffened at the obvious threat, and Adam felt more than heard the tension in the room increase. To a Grimm, everyone was prey. He held up a hand, a simple gesture to stop his men from doing anything they might regret. Even though their rage was strong, they listened to him and stood still.

"I will forgive you this once because I believe you do not understand the implications of what you say. In future, I would have you refer to us as faunus. Not human."

"As you say."

He was hard to read, this Hentacle. His face gave away little, but that might have been a trick of the light, or the inhuman nature of it fooling Adam's instincts. The tentacles were most active part of him, flickering and twisting in the air above and behind his body, but what that meant was something he could not know. He was used to discerning the intentions of human and faunus, who for all their differences at least had the same ticks and movements. This was different. This was an alien creature that did not play by the same rules.

"Cinder tells me you are willing to work with us in some small way," Adam said, sitting down and gesturing for him to do the same. He did not, and Adam inwardly cursed at having given up the high ground. He could not stand back up now, or he would look an indecisive fool. "I would like to know in what ways this would be."

"He won't be working with the White Fang," Cinder said, joining the conversation at last. "I've mentioned before that his interests don't run entirely in that direction. He has, however, volunteered to show his presence in recruitment if necessary. He has become something of a popular figure to many faunus and White Fang applicants."

Adam dreaded to imagine why. Still, a show of force might be enough to make recruits feel safer when enrolling, and that would be a valuable tool – but it wasn't enough. Not for him. "He could be of great use on a raid," he pointed out.

"He would not-"

"You misunderstand-"

The two spoke at the same time, and paused at the same time as well. They looked to one another, and Cinder shook her head minutely. Hentacle, however, merely raised an eyebrow and looked down at her. To his surprise, it was Cinder who gave in, nodding and looking away.

Interesting…

"My power might be useful in the field to you, but the attention I bring would not be," Hentacle said, speaking to him once more. "Beacon has already repeatedly made efforts to hunt me, and an unknown huntress did the same the last time I appeared."

"An unknown huntress?" Adam asked.

"Why was I not informed of this?" Cinder whispered, eyes wide. "Emerald- that fool! Did she not think this important?" Her head shot to the Grimm creature. "Why did _you_ not tell me?"

"It was not important."

"What? How could-"

"Cinder!" The creature's voice rose suddenly, cutting her off – and he stared at her meaningfully. When Cinder backed down and remained silent, Adam was forced to reassess the dynamics he'd first expected.

Could it be that Cinder was not nearly as in charge as she believed herself to be? She may have spoken and made it seem like she could control this creature, but what he had seen so far ran contradictory to that claim. In fact, Cinder had warned him she was unsure how long it would take to ensure their meeting, and then arranged it but two days later.

That might have been nothing more than good timing on her part initially, but it might have also been a hint he missed. Had she control over it, she could have arranged the meeting in advance. The fact she could not hinted she had to seek its opinion.

She had to ask its permission.

 _So, he is the true mastermind here, it seems. Cinder's surrender to him makes sense, and her immediate panic when his life seemed to be in danger. If it is he who protects and grants her power, it would explain her fear for his life._

"She was a powerful huntress," Hentacle said. "Capable of creating portals to attack from any angle, and wielding a crimson blade."

Adam's back stiffened. No. It could not be. Impossible.

"I will find out whatever I can of her," Cinder offered. "It might be prudent to remove her before she becomes a threat."

"She is strong," Hentacle warned.

"As am I," she countered, eyes narrowing.

Hentacle sighed. "I know. Just be careful. It is not worth your life."

Adam's eyes flickered between the two. What was this? One moment he silenced her with but a glare, the next she could glower back without him striking her down. Grimm were monsters, and his mannerisms suggested he considered them all lesser life forms, so for him to not only allow, but entertain Cinder speaking with such disrespect, spoke of something more. And the parting words – was that _concern_ for her safety? Concern for her life?

"There you have it, Adam," Cinder said. "While he might be able to add some much-needed muscle, the attention he gathers would only make your life harder. After his last debacle where he summoned Grimm into the city, I imagine things will only get worse."

"It is kind of you to think of our safety," Adam said, scowling behind his mask. There could be no denying his point, simple as it was. If he did draw huntsmen to him like moths to a flame, then it would be best for his men to be nowhere near that. Still, it was too convenient. It allowed this creature complete freedom to do whatever he wanted, while giving Adam and the White Fang little option on how they might utilise their strange alliance.

That would not do.

"What is your plan, Hentacle?" he asked. "What is it you want?"

"Would you believe me if I said world peace?"

Adam sneered. "I will not be made a fool of."

"Then do not presume to judge my intent, human."

"I am a faunus!"

"Then do not presume to judge my intent, _faunus_."

"Now, now," Cinder said, standing quickly and stepping between them with a coy smile. "I don't see why we need to come to blows here. Adam, Hentacle's goals are… difficult to grasp, even for myself. On the other hand, the distinction is important to Adam and his people, J- Hentacle. It would be for the best if you could remember it."

Hentacle sniffed imperiously. "I will try."

She touched one of his tentacles with her hand. "That's all I ask."

It struck him instantly, and it was without any hesitation that Adam realised what they truly were. The easy words, the manner in which they stood – even the way he allowed her not only into his personal space, but did not as much as flinch when she touched him. The way in which Cinder did the same, even though she was one of the most guarded women he had ever met.

They were lovers. Cinder Fall had sold more than just her allegiance to the Grimm; she had sold her body, too. How repugnant.

But she was still useful. For now…

"Hentacle will aid you in some small ways," Cinder said. "Believe me on that. While your aims might not entirely coincide, he has promised me some level of support."

Hentacle's grudging nod supported that statement, and the idea of the two being so close. What had she done to earn that, Adam wondered. He'd rather not know.

"At the very least, the two of you have enemies in common, and that is something unlikely to change. Adam, right now, Hentacle wishes to remain as incognito as possible. The recent attention on him has made life… difficult for the both of us."

"I see. I will not have the White Fang be glorified meat shields, however."

"I am not asking you to be. I am simply saying his support will be more forthcoming for missions that do not do more to startle Vale and Atlas. The last thing either of us wants is increased security and focus on us."

Adam nodded. "That is true."

"We can hash out more in future," Cinder said, standing up and stepping back so that she was beside her inhuman partner. Whether she realised it or not, she stood closer than any normal person would, and well within range of dangerous tentacles that she did not bat an eyelid at. The complete lack of fear was telling. "Right now, we just wanted to meet – and I am sure you wanted proof that I could in fact bring you Hentacle. Is that not correct?"

"It is," he admitted easily. "Such claims are not easy to believe."

"And are you satisfied?"

Not entirely, and not on how much they would be working together – but on Cinder's honesty? "I am," he said, standing as well. "While this meeting may not have been overly productive, it has assuaged some of my concerns." This time, he made no move to shake either of their hands, and instead nodded once to the creature. "I will look forward to working with you in the future, Hentacle, but you'll forgive me if that is all for now. I'm afraid I cannot fully trust someone unless we have drawn swords together."

"Perhaps in time," Cinder purred. "For now, we should-"

An explosion cut off her words, shaking the ground beneath them and sending the White Fang on either side of him into a frenzy. They tore their weapons free, and focused on the immediate threat – the human and the Grimm in front. Cinder's eyes widened, but Hentacle was faster, wrapping her in his tentacles and drawing her back against him even as Adam threw out his hand.

"Stop!" he growled. "Do not attack." He gestured to one. "Go outside and see what is happening. Find out where the sentries are."

"Yes, sir!" the masked faunus dashed past, giving their two visitors a wide berth. With the immediate threat over, they relaxed as well, the tentacles loosing just enough for Cinder to pry herself out. She looked flustered, shooting a glare at her benefactor even as she adjusted her hair into something more resembling its normal style.

"You assured me the meeting point was safe!"

"It was," Adam said. "I inspected it myself. I assume the two of you were not followed." It was a foolish notion. No one would have followed a Grimm monster and not attacked earlier. If they were compromised, they would have known long before this meeting. That meant it was something on his end, and he had a good idea as to who.

 _Those idiots in the old Vale cell. They truly are useless._

Several gunshots echoed outside, followed by silence, and Adam reached for his sword. "It would seem our little meeting has drawn attention, Hentacle. Perhaps we will have an opportunity to fight together already."

"We can't," Cinder hissed. Her voice was strained, panicked in a way he had not heard it before, and one glance was enough to reveal why. While he had his mask and notoriety, and Hentacle was already a known factor, Cinder Fall wore a school uniform from Haven and had little in the means of disguising that fact. "Adam, is there no escape route? I cannot be seen here!"

"There is none," he admitted, equally annoyed. "We relied on secrecy for this."

Cinder swore and summoned a weapon into her hand, a small black sword of some strange design. A second appeared in her off-hand, and she crossed them before herself, facing the door. She swallowed nervously, not afraid of the fight ahead, but no doubt of what it might mean for her plans. Adam worried, too. She better served them in a position of power.

He looked to Hentacle. "Is there nothing you can do, Grimm?"

"Nothi- no, wait. There is something."

His eyes narrowed.

Cinder never saw it coming.

/-/

The attack caught her by surprise, striking her between her breasts and slamming her into a wall. Her swords fell to the floor and she didn't have the time to summon them again, too busy trying to pry loose the impossibly strong limb that was now wrapped about her throat. Her fingers pried at it even as she gasped for breath. Her feet kicked uselessly, her body raised up off the floor and pinned against solid concrete.

She couldn't breathe. Jaune was…

Why…?

She tried to meet his eyes, tried to make him stop – tried to do anything but gurgle as her eyes dimmed and oxygen was robbed from her. Her fingers worked even harder to try and pull his tentacle away, but she'd been robbed of strength and they were weak and ineffectual, scrabbling uselessly against him.

" _I'm sorry,"_ he mouthed.

Her struggles weakened.

 _Why…?_

The door exploded inwards – followed by a body of flesh and steel. There was a loud gunshot, followed by a sudden rush of air as the tentacle killing her was torn in two by an explosive round. She fell to the floor, and then to her knees, gasping for breath with one hand held to her throat. It had been so tight that she couldn't speak, nor cry out as Atlas soldiers rushed into the room. She tried to reach for her weapons, but a hand on her shoulder prevented her. When she saw who it belonged to, she almost died then and there.

"Don't worry," James Ironwood – General of the Atlas military – whispered. "You are safe now. Leave this to us."

Had she the mental faculties for anything but breathing, she might have politely asked him what the hell he meant – and then stabbed him through the throat before he could imprison her. As it was, she could only gurgle weakly.

Another explosion swallowed the room, this one followed by a flash of red light as Adam tore through two robotic human figures, cutting them in two as sparks dashed in the air. He tore past and out of the door, Jaune in hot pursuit. At the last, he turned back to look towards Cinder. She wondered if he was going to rescue her.

"Don't even think it, monster!" Ironwood growled, standing tall before her. "Whatever your purpose with her, she is under _my_ protection now."

Cinder froze.

What the fu…?

Realisation set in. Jaune – the idiot! The absolute, unmitigated, self-sacrificing _moron_! This wasn't a good trade! Sure, it saved her, but if he got hurt Salem would _kill_ her. Cinder tried to shake her head, but the stubborn fool had already made up his mind. With a theatrical snarl, Jaune turned and dashed away, out into a warehouse filled with Atlas' latest technological weapon, and with only Adam bloody Taurus to help him.

If he got himself hurt, she was going to _kill_ him!

* * *

 **Poor Cindere. Poor Jaune. To be honest, this whole chapter is a series of sibling over-protectiveness, I suppose, and all of it misaligned. As people may have noticed, this is somewhat departing the canon plan of the show, something I did want to do because you can only re-write canon so many times before losing your mind.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 2nd November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	41. Chapter 41

**So, a couple of quick notes. Have CTS, have a brace on wrist – writing impeded (I'm sure most have seen the notes on other fics by now). To answer a repeat question, no, "Cindere" is not me misspelling her name in the AN's. It's a joke on Tsundere and Yandere (of which Cinder flits), and her name.**

 **And we actually have a little piece of art this week which I felt highlighted quite well how difficult it might actually be to distinguish Jaune's normal form from his Grimm one. It's by ClawT13 on Deviant Art, and I've replaced the cover art for this week with it, so people can get a quick look. Any similar clothing inside (and in cases like the docks, Jaune lost his shirt for that reason), it's actually rather difficult to say "Oh, that's Jaune" unless you're in the know and are looking for it. Certainly, in a difficult fight in a high-pressure situation, I feel there's enough room for the teams not to recognise him.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** ClawT13 (For this Week)

 **Chapter 41**

* * *

Emerald trailed the halls of Beacon with a petulant frown on her face. Had Mercury been around, he'd have pointed it out and earned her ire, which would have at least let her be angry instead of miserable. But he wasn't around. He was with his contact, who he kept spending more and more time with lately, and which pissed her off even more. How was it he was the one to have Cinder's faith, especially when he put so little effort into it. Why was it that she, who tried her hardest, had to be the one to suffer?

Okay, sure, Mercury had been forced to handle the fiasco at the docks, even offering himself up as some kind of gay hostage to save Jaune's ass, but he'd come out of that smelling of roses both to Cinder _and_ those idiots Jaune called friends. On the flip side, Emerald had pulled out all the stops to save him from a crazy psycho, and she'd ended up owing a favour to Neo and getting thrown in the middle of a power-play between Cinder and her stupid brother.

And as a result, she'd been cast aside. She'd become unimportant. Even now, Cinder was off doing goodness knows what, and the not knowing hurt. _She always used to tell me her plans before,_ Emerald complained. _She would take me along for backup. I'd be the one to watch her back with my illusions. Look at me now, stuck in Beacon like so much wasted space._

Cinder hadn't even given her a mission, which was tantamount to saying she couldn't be _trusted_ with an important errand. She hadn't even been asked to look over Team CRDL or something.

It just wasn't fair!

The question was what she was supposed to do now. If she _was_ being dangled between Jaune and Cinder like a chess piece, then she needed to choose who to side with. Cinder had always been the obvious choice, being the woman who had taken her off the streets, but Cinder was currently upset with her, while Jaune actually seemed grateful for the help she'd provided - even if he was only in that situation in the first place because she hadn't prevented him going to the rally like she was meant to. That good will could be useful, especially since there was no telling whether she'd be able to build it back up with Cinder.

 _But do I really want to throw my lot in with him?_

She didn't. Not really. But _want_ and _desire_ might not have anything to do with it. She needed some kind of sponsor to keep her safe, especially considering all the terrible things they planned to do to Vale and Beacon. On a purely objective scale, Jaune might actually be the better pick. She and Mercury had never heard of him before this mission, so Cinder and her mysterious mistress had been the two most powerful people in the world to them. If Jaune was the son of said mistress, however, then he technically had more power and influence than Cinder did.

He also had some kind of influence over Cinder, too. No matter how much it grated to admit it. She'd never seen Cinder show any emotion to anyone other than her, and deep inside she'd convinced herself that was the extent of kindness she _could_ show. It had made her feel special, to know that Cinder only smiled for her.

And then _he_ appeared and threw that all out the window. Concern, frustration, pleasure – Cinder exhibited all of them and towards this dumb blonde. At first, Emerald had been angry. It had festered. He was an idiot – an unintellectual – a moron who kept getting himself into trouble.

She'd been a fool to think that.

No one raised by Cinder Fall would be such, and Jaune had shown cunning in not only deceiving her, but also destabilising her position with Cinder. Now, she was lost and adrift, and it seemed obvious he intended to snap her up.

Again, it always came back to the same question. Did she let him win her over? He offered protection. He regarded her well. He… He was annoyingly _nice_ , but that wasn't necessarily bad. A pain in the ass, sure, but it probably meant he wouldn't kill her anytime soon. In fact, he'd only been gentle with her so far. She could still remember that time her hair was dyed, and he'd allowed her to shower in his room, even holding a towel out for her on one of his tentacles.

She could still remember how it felt. Smooth, muscular, but also gentle as it brushed against her skin.

Emerald paused in the hallway and took a deep breath. With an intimidating calm she turned to the wall and placed her forehead against it. There was a loud crack as she brought her head back and slammed it against the plaster, chipping a little of it away.

"Do not think about the tentacles," she hissed, cheeks bright red.

That way lay madness.

"Winter, I'm telling you he isn't- oh…" To Emerald's left, a pair of white-haired girls paused, or rather one girl and one easily recognisable and dangerous woman. The last time they'd met, it had been when Winter was about to (correctly) arrest her for working with Torchwick. Now, it was when she'd just finished banging her head against a wall. She wasn't sure which was worse, really, but she pushed away and crossed her arms, aiming for as distinguished an expression as was possible after such a display.

"Weiss," she nodded, hoping her forehead wasn't bruising.

"Emerald," Weiss returned, nodding back. "I'm sorry if we… interrupted you?"

"It's fine. I was just… I was lamenting about idiots and being forced to deal with them."

"Ah," Weiss made a sound of understanding. "I get that. I really do."

"Teammates?"

"One in particular, yes."

Emerald had a feeling she knew which.

"Sister," the older girl whispered. "I don't mean to hurry this along, but I'd appreciate it if we could finish our conversation, and I'm sure your friend here would like to continue…" Winter struggled for the right words. "To continue her cranial… experiment."

"Not this again, Winter. We're done. You're wrong."

"And I think you are allowing your feelings to impede your judgment."

"Believe me, that is the _last_ thing that is happening right now." Weiss rolled her eyes, before they locked onto Emerald and widened. She adopted what could have only been called a pleading expression – or at least as much as Schnee could manage it – and quickly spoke, "In fact, I'm sure Emerald could put your mind to rest. She _does_ know Jaune rather well, after all."

"Yes, very," Winter replied, narrowing her eyes. "Well enough to ask him for a private study session…"

"Now _she's_ trying to steal him away, too? Is there no end to the list of threats?"

Emerald felt she could be forgiven for not quite getting the conversation, especially since the two were batting it back and forth in front of her. "I'm trying to steal someone?" she asked.

"No," Weiss said indulgently.

"That's undetermined," Winter countered.

"I really don't think it would be if she intended to." Weiss turned to Emerald and winced apologetically. "She thinks you're trying to seduce Jaune."

She what!? Emerald's face drained of blood so fast it was a wonder she didn't asphyxiate, and at the thought of what _Cinder_ would do to her if she ever tried to seduce her little brother (who she may or may not have had feelings for), Emerald felt her legs threaten to give way, too. "Jaune Arc!?" she gasped, just to make sure. When Winter and Weiss nodded, she shook her head wildly. "Nuh-uh. No way. No chance. Not in a million years. I would never be that stupid!"

Her sense of self-preservation wasn't _that_ lacking. Cinder would _kill_ her, and that was if Jaune didn't do it first – or any of his apparently terrifying family. She was a follower, not a leader, and dating _him_ sounded akin to throwing herself in a pit of snakes.

Or tentacles, as it were.

 _No – don't think about them!_

"Thank you," Weiss said, voice tinged with exasperation. "I trust Emerald's response was enough, sister. Or if not that, at least her reaction."

"She does seem rather averse to the notion," Winter admitted.

Yeah, that was one way of putting it. She was averse in the way one was normally averse to having their head cut off. "Why would you even think that?" she had to ask.

Winter crossed her arms. "Evidence."

"Paranoia," Weiss said at the same time, mimicking her sister's pose almost perfectly.

"I specifically saw him leave on what could only be called a date with another woman, Weiss. They went to a high class restaurant. They booked a private room."

"Yang and he are friends."

The blonde and Jaune…? Emerald had heard rumours, of course, but Cinder had dismissed them as a simple misunderstanding from her brother. She'd explained that he didn't understand what was dating and what wasn't, and that he'd almost certainly gotten the wrong end of the stick. This, however, suggested otherwise. There wasn't much it could have been other than a date. _Perhaps I could tell Cinder,_ Emerald thought. _It might be enough to get me back into her good graces._

On the other hand, it would make Jaune angry at her – and that would put her firmly in his crosshairs. If it wasn't enough to make Cinder forgive her, she'd then have no defence against whatever machinations he had in mind. Yet again, it was another huge risk. Cinder or Jaune. Jaune or Cinder. Both were impossible choices.

"Your faith in him does you credit, Weiss, but your denial does not." Winter said. "Why can you not see this for what it is? I'm not trying to hurt you. I'm trying to protect your honour, and to prevent your heart being broken."

"He wouldn't do that. Emerald, tell my sister he wouldn't do that. You know Jaune. You know how he is."

Suddenly finding herself the centre of attention once more, Emerald blinked back and forth between the two women, so similar in some regards and yet impossibly different in others. Winter was impossible to read, Weiss not so much. The younger girl's eyes were begging for help – begging her to stick to the lie Jaune had told her about.

It was at that moment, Emerald's mind realised a third – altogether different - solution to her quandary. She had been so focused on trying to decide whether she should throw her fate with Jaune or Cinder that she'd not considered there were other people – powerful people – that she could also ally with. Someone who was friendly with Jaune, who couldn't be removed by Cinder, and who would therefore be able to protect her in turn.

"Jaune and Yang are just friends," Emerald said, hiding a coy smile behind a friendlier one. "Yang is also a friend with Weiss, so she wouldn't do that, but I did hear Jaune saying something about a practise date to help him do better with Weiss." It was a complete lie, of course. "He's always worried he isn't good enough for her."

Weiss practically slumped in relief.

"Is that so?" Winter asked, doubt eating away at her for the first time.

"See?" Weiss asked, leaping on the excuse. "Jaune would never cheat on me. The two of us are… we're…" She struggled with the words. Emerald didn't blame her. "W-We are deeply in love," she finally managed. "I love him. He loves me."

Emerald felt the urge to pat her back in sympathy.

"Well, I suppose in this case I-" A scroll ringtone interrupted Winter's words and she turned away with a brief apology. "Winter, here," she said, answering it. "What is-? Now? Why wasn't I informed? I see. Yes." Winter paused to shoot the two of them a quick look. She nodded. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

The call ended abruptly.

"You have to go?" Weiss asked.

"Yes, I apologise. There has been an unexpected development and I need to go." The older woman already had one foot back as though to run, but politeness and Schnee decorum seemed to be conflicting, telling her she couldn't without a proper farewell. "I'd like to extend an apology to the both of you. I'm sure we can continue this conversation another time."

Emerald shrugged. "Uh… sure?"

"I will look forward to it," Weiss said, bowing her head. "Good luck, sister. Not that I believe you need it."

Winter smiled, nodded, and then was rushing away, practically flying down the corridor. Weiss and Emerald watched her go, and it was only once she was out of sight that Weiss let out a long, gasp and slumped forwards.

"Thank the Gods," she said. "If that went on any longer, I think I'd have snapped. I can't believe I said that." She groaned. "I can't believe I said I loved him."

"There, there," Emerald said, patting her shoulder.

"I don't love him. I don't!"

"I know, Weiss. I know."

"Sometimes I even want to strangle him!"

"You're not the only one."

It took the poor girl a minute or two to finally calm down, and when she did, she took a deep breath and steadied herself once more. "I'm sorry you had to see that," she said. "This morning has been… difficult thus far."

"It looks like it. Over-protective sister?"

"With military training, near-limitless resources and an entire unit of soldiers under her command." Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed again. "It's bad enough the two of us have to stick to this fake relationship without him dating other women and failing to cover his tracks. I'll have words for him about this. Jaune is an absolute nightmare."

"You don't know the half of it."

"Hm?"

"Nothing." Weiss was fortunate not to know any more, and even more fortunate that Jaune Arc seemed willing to tolerate (or maybe even liked) her ignorance. Emerald wasn't sure which was the case, but he was unusually gentle with his teammates. Unless it was all a part of his ruse, that was. Was it possible he was playing them for fools?

"Either way, I would like to thank you for playing along with me. It seems I owe you again after your help at the warehouse." Weiss laughed. "Maybe one day I can pay you back for it."

"There's no such thing as favours between friends, Weiss. I'm sure you'd do the same for me if I was ever in trouble."

"Of course I would."

Perfect…

/-/

Yang had been lost in thought all day, at least when she wasn't being mercilessly teased by her teammates. Given that she had Blake and Ren on her team, that shouldn't have even been a thing, but Blake was determined to get her back for the collar and bell, and so was happy to throw aside her usual manner and tease away. With Ren, well, it turned out he had his own technique, usually resolving less around words and more knowing smiles and looks, each of which were just as bad as Nora's loudest recital of Jaune and Yang sitting in a tree.

With all that going on, it was a miracle she'd had time to do a little detective work at all, but manage it she had – and she felt she'd figured out who exactly had been responsible for the posh dinner date.

"A little bird told me, huh," Yang mumbled, recalling her date's words. "More like a big, drunk and nosey bird. Isn't that right, Uncle?"

He hadn't seen her coming, which was kind of the point since she'd half-expected him to make a break for it if he did. That was her fault, really. Blake would have called her unsubtle, and probably would have been right. Sending her quarry a message via scroll before she sought them out wasn't exactly the _best_ method of catching them – especially when that message was simply `I'm going to kill you`. Still, no one had ever accused her of being subtle, and hey, she'd found him nonetheless.

"Hello, nice of mine," Qrow said, watching her warily and not quite lowering his guard. Good move. "I got your message. Can't say I really understood why you'd say such things to your loving uncle, though." He reached for his hip flask, but blinked and stared at her when she swatted it away. "That time of the month?"

She was having none of it. She thrust out a finger towards him, and he actually had to dodge it before it skewered his throat. "You son of a bitch!"

"Okay, first of all that's your grandma you're disrespecting. Secondly, that doesn't do enough to say how much of a bitch she was, and thirdly, I don't even know what you're talking about."

Oh, he didn't, did he? Well, she'd just have to refresh his memory.

"You told Jaune to take me to some over-the-top fancy restaurant!"

Qrow winced. "In my defence, I told him to make it formal."

"That's the same thing!" Yang howled, eyes flashing red as she tried to land a blow on him. Her uncle was old and spry, however, and dodged out of the way of each blow, wincing at the air pressure that brushed past his face. He'd better believe she was serious about this. She'd never been so embarrassed in her life, and it was _all_ because of him.

If he'd just minded his own business, she could have been in control of the date and Jaune wouldn't have been able to catch her off-guard. The date would have been quick, easy, and she wouldn't have been left with all these complicated feelings.

"You interfering old… old letch!" she howled, lunging for him once more. "Fix your own love life before you try and get involved in mine. You haven't had a date in years!"

"Hey! That's uncalled for." He parried a blow with the back of his fist, then winced and shook it in pain. He chose to duck the next. "I take it the date didn't go well?"

"No, it didn't!" Yang growled.

Or at least not in the way she wanted. It had been sweet, pleasant and – if she dared to admit it – romantic. That was _not_ what she'd had in mind. It was supposed to be a chance to push him _away_ from her, and towards Ruby.

"Stand still!" She thrust high and then ducked low, feinting and sweeping a leg at the back of his knee. Instinct alone saved Qrow, who had blocked his face with both arms, yet somehow felt her attack and leapt over it. "I'm going to pummel you into dust, you stupid bird!"

Qrow, predictably, wasn't too keen on that, and continued to retreat under her assault.

"Look," he said. "I know it wasn't the right thing to do." He leaned back, dodging her knuckles by a hair's breadth. "Actually, scratch that, it was a total ass thing to do." He slipped under her arm and ducked past her. "But you need to understand – it was what I had to do!"

"Interfere?" Yang asked, panting for breath. Damn it, it was like trying to catch Ruby when she was on a sugar-high. "You just _had_ to interfere in your niece's date and mess it up for her? You just _had_ to make me look like an absolute idiot by telling him to take me on some kind of super-formal dinner date instead of to a movie? Yeah, that sounds plausible!"

"It's not exactly easy to explain, firecracker…"

Yang's eyes flashed red. "I had everything under control! Things were going as I wanted them to!"

"That's the problem," Qrow finally yelled, his patience snapping. "That's the whole damn problem, Yang. You and your plans, damn it. You couldn't have chosen a worse one here. Any other time, I'd be fine with this, you know I would. This is different! You can't do this…"

Something in his tone made Yang pause, and made her feel a little less certain. She looked away, biting her lower lip. Did he know about her plan to try and turn Jaune towards Ruby? Was that what he was talking about?

Had he known all along, and advised Jaune to take her somewhere nice as a way of ensuring that didn't happen?

Why?

Why was he so determined to see the two of them together?

"I know what I'm doing," Yang protested. He was trying to set them up. He was trying to do what Blake, Nora and Ren were doing – but she wasn't stupid, and she wasn't going to fall for it. "I know what your plan is, Qrow."

"You don't," he replied – and she knew he was right. "You think you do, but you don't. You're young, Yang. You're making a mistake. Trust me, I know all about mistakes. You can't do this."

Blake had said the same… suggested that she was giving up her own happiness to facilitate Ruby's, but was that really such a bad thing? Did she even really _want_ to be with Jaune like that? Ruby was the one who saw him first. She was the one he liked first.

"I know what I'm doing," she repeated.

The excuse felt weaker than ever.

"You're making a mistake"

Yang scowled and turned away. She'd been able to ignore Blake saying the same because while she was a friend, she didn't know or understand everything about her. Hearing it from her uncle was different.

But that didn't make a difference. She wasn't going to give in and steal Jaune from Ruby. Not like this – not even if Qrow wanted her to. Not even if he wanted the two of them to get together. With a shake of her head, Yang ran away.

If it was a mistake, then it was hers to make.

But it wasn't a mistake, right?

 _Jaune should be with Ruby, right? It would make her happy._

A-And she didn't have any feelings for him. It wasn't like that. He'd just caught her off-guard. He'd made her feel special, but not in _that_ way.

"Stupid Qrow," she grumbled, shaking her head. He didn't know what he was talking about. Why was he so in favour of them getting together? "I'm not making a mistake. I know what I'm doing."

She took a deep breath and let it go.

"I won't regret this."

She had to talk to Ruby.

/-/

 _In hindsight,_ Jaune thought, _this was a mistake._

Jaune - or Hentacle as was pretending to be - exited the room and ran straight into a warzone. How Atlas had managed to sneak up on them, he had no idea, but there were soldiers and strange bipedal robots fighting against White Fang agents and threatening to overwhelm them. The faunus fought well, proving they were better than the ones he and his team had faced before. They didn't buckle, break or flee, but instead created a small pocket of resistance about the doorway, standing their ground so that Adam could reinforce them.

And reinforce them he did. The terrorist leader struck out from the room, sweeping his blade in a wide arc and severing three robots at once, leaving them to explode and cover the area in smoke.

"We have to move," he snapped, both to Jaune and his men. "Hentacle gave us a distraction, but Ironwood won't be held there for long and our hostage is lost." Adam looked to him and nodded as he said that, acknowledging the deceit and letting him know he was playing along in case any of the nearby soldiers could hear. Cinder would be safe for now. "We need to break out. Stick together and make for the city. Atlas won't dare open fire when Vale citizens could be harmed."

"Would it not be bad for you if your actions caused casualties?" Jaune asked, trying to sound a little imperious still. It was hard work, but he'd promised Cinder he would. "I'd think the news ill for your little organisation."

"Our deaths will be worse."

That was true, he supposed. And, of course, there was his own life to think about too. It wasn't exactly a difficult decision.

" **Most of your enemies are robotic in nature,"** Remy pointed out.

" _I've noticed. Well, that makes things easier, I suppose."_ While there were a few people, they tended to keep their distance and shoot from the back, where they didn't have to worry about being caught in the crossfire, or accidentally hitting their own (living) people. It probably didn't matter if they shot their robots.

That was fine. It meant he could go all-out without fear of hurting anyone – and given all the absolute _crap_ that had been going on recently, he _needed_ this.

Jaune's knees bent, eyes turning just a little darker as he bared his teeth. "Adam," he said, and his voice came out as an inhuman hiss.

The faunus watched him warily. "What?"

"Be ready."

"For wha-" Adam cried out as Jaune shot past him, body held low and two additional tentacles exploding from his back to join the first two, making four in total. Two speared ahead, piercing through the chests of two of the white robots. They frazzled and sparked, but still tried to bring their weapons to bear.

He would have none of it. With a mighty crash he slammed them together, and wrenched them apart so hard they flew from his prehensile limbs, landing among their fellows and exploding in great gouts of dust and fire. It was enough to make the soldiers pause, but not their automatons, which continued unerringly on unto their death. He spun into them; four limbs twirling like a scythe and raking down three at once. Another he caught with one hand, fingers clamping around its neck as he drew it up into the air and then sliced into it with a tentacle. Once, twice, three times until it's body ceased to function and its arms hung limp. For good measure, he slammed it down into the concrete and ran forward with it, grinding it into nothing.

It felt good to let his steam go, especially on creatures that could not only take the punishment his Grimm form could mete out, but who did not feel pain or suffering. His instincts called for it, no matter how much he hated them. It was normally something repressed, but repressed did not mean extinguished.

The frustration always festered. Now, it ran free.

And that felt _wonderful_. It was sweet… sweet and oh, so liberating.

"Grimm…" one of the robots chimed.

A tentacle slammed through its mouthpiece a second later, destroying half of its head in one blow and sending it tumbling to the floor. He wished he had Crocea Mors with him for practise, but that would have given him away. As it was, it was amusing enough to swing his hand like a sword, his heightened Grimm-like strength more than enough to cut through a thin, metal arm holding a gun. He caught it and used it like a bludgeon to cave its face-plate in.

Something hot and heavy struck him from behind. His skin hissed and fizzled as some kind of heat-based round impacted over him.

" **Filthy human,"** Remy sneered, voice tinged with his own rage.

" _I have it,"_ Jaune thought back, snarling as he gripped a still operation droid and _threw_ it in the direction the shot came from. Several soldiers ran for cover, diving to the floor to avoid the weapon sailing towards them.

Another robot came in from the side, prepared to fire, but a red blade cut it down before it had a chance. Adam stepped through the wreckage, his black clothing smudged in places with oil and soot. He looked Jaune up and down, and then to the carnage around him.

"I see my people's stories hold truth. You're strong, Grimm."

"This isn't strength," Jaune said, thinking of Yang, Ruby, and all the other strong people he'd thought. "These foes are worthless."

Adam's lips quirked up, the first hint of a smile he'd shown. "I'm glad to see we agree on something. Atlas has ever been a pathetic foe. Numbers over quality, and endless firepower to drown out the skilled or brave." He swept up and past Jaune, pulling a flurry of lightning-fast slashes that cut down three droids with precise strikes. As he disengaged, he even managed to deflect a stray shot away and into the floor. "Individually, they are weak. That's why they try to bolster their forces with these drones of theirs."

Something bubbled within Jaune. The same thirst for violence he'd felt once before. Back then, Remy had cautioned him against it, and had he given in, he might have done something unspeakable to Blake. Now, faced with consequence-free foes, the parasite was silent.

Would it hurt so much to indulge it here?

No. He didn't think so. It was enough that the human soldiers nearby could see his prowess and power. There was a sickly sweet scent coming from them, something that made his teeth ache and his heart beat faster in his chest. He wasn't sure what it was, but he liked it. It made him feel alive.

" **It's fear,"** Remy explained. **"Fear, hatred, despair – all the negative things that draw our kind."**

" _I've… I've never felt it so much before,"_ he thought, licking his lips. _"It's… it's wonderful…"_

" **You spend much of your time around trained fighters. Even the worst of them know how to handle their fear. They wouldn't be in the profession they are, otherwise. You've never really stuck around to see how normal people react to you."** Remy chuckled darkly. **"Even Roman and the White Fang are brave in their own way, or at least can resist it. These people are amateurs, however. They are afraid. They fear you."**

They feared him…? His entire body shuddered. It was… it was so good. His mouth watered and he had to swallow. Three shots rang out against his shoulder, driving him back a pace from the force of it, even if his aura protected him. The distinctive flash of aura only seemed to make the feeling better. They'd noticed. Noticed and were even more terrified. With a loud laugh, he swept into the ranks of the robots and lashed out left and right, tearing them to pieces.

"Worthless, stupid things," he hissed. "Nothing. No fear, no anger, no emotion."He tore the head from one and used it to beat another into scrap. One came behind, but Remy saw it and forced his tentacle to wrap about it, squeezing until joints popped and its metallic head exploded. "Unsatisfying," Jaune whispered, frowning. They were unsatisfying enemies. They didn't have any reaction – even at the point of death.

The soldiers backing up ahead of him, however? They were different. Jaune swallowed and took a long step towards them, savouring the way they took several back. A part of him knew that they were what he wanted – deep inside – even if a part of him rebelled against it. Where was the harm? They weren't his friends. They weren't important to him.

He made to charge towards them, but Adam cut him off.

"This is the opposite way to freedom!" he called, rushing up alongside him and cutting down another foe. Adam showed no fear either, but far from making Jaune angry, it instead saved the faunus' life. He wasn't an appealing target, only an obstacle in the way of them.

"Didn't you want us to cross blades together?" Jaune asked. "Didn't you say you couldn't trust a man you haven't fought alongside? If it's numbers you're concerned about, I can even the odds." He brought out one hand and poised a claw over it, prepared to cut into and shed blood.

Adam's hand gripped his wrist, stopping him.

"Don't summon any Grimm," Adam ordered. "That isn't a good image for the White Fang. It will hurt recruitment."

 _Kill him,_ a voice in his head whispered. He dared to touch him, to impede him. The fool deserved to die. To be crushed. To be ground into dust. It wouldn't be hard – even if he was strong. That would just make the fight all the better. He eyed the masked man, who felt the shift in the air and allowed his hand to drift down to grip his hilt two-handed.

Adam felt no fear.

He wondered if he could change that.

"Men of Atlas," a stern voice called out. "Fall back with fire!"

It was like a window had been opened, except that instead of letting air out, it sucked the pervasive fear out in one fell swoop. The panic among the soldiers vanished, or was muted so low it might as well have vanished. It was replaced with fire – a barrage that drove Jaune back, even as Adam cursed and took cover behind him.

Where had the good feeling gone? Where was the drug that made him feel so satisfied?

"Form ranks!" the voice called. "Constant barrage. Paladins, forward! Form a shield!" The orders came out again, and the men fell into a tight formation, opening up with shot after shot that felt like a never-ending deluge. To make matters worse, the white robots – or what remained of them – formed up in front of the soldiers, blocking some of the shots, but letting others through and otherwise forming a barrier between him and the soldiers.

"Ironwood," Adam cursed. "Damn it. Trust him to rally his men right when they were about to break."

Rally…? Was that why…?

"Ugh…" His hand came up to grip his head, not from the pain of the shots pinging off his aura, but rather the sudden headache he felt. His body ached, and a part of him knew if he could make the good feeling come back, it would all go away.

But the mist had also cleared altogether. What… what the hell was that?

" **-aun? JAUNE!"**

" _Remy, I hear you. What's wrong?"_

" **What's wrong?"** the parasite asked, practically hyperventilating. **"Do you have any idea how long I've been trying to talk to you for? You didn't respond."**

" _I… I didn't hear you…"_

Remy was silent for a quick moment, a pause that felt longer than it was. **"That's not a good thing. You'll need to speak with Cinder about this, or maybe your sister. They would know more. For now, you need to escape – and like I was trying to tell you, you need to** _ **not**_ **kill those people!"**

" _I know,"_ he sent back. _"I wouldn't hurt them. They're just humans."_

" **Yeah, well, I don't think they were `just humans` to you a second ago. They were food."**

That wasn't…

No. That couldn't be right. That was crazy!

"We need to get out of here," Adam said, gripping his arm and dragging him back. "My men have already escaped, but it's our turn to join them. I only came back for you." He regarded Ironwood with a wary eye. "That might be more difficult now."

Ironwood was dangerous. Yeah, he didn't need to be told that. Even looking at the man, he could feel a little negativity leak forth, but it wasn't the same as his men. He wasn't afraid. General Ironwood was annoyed. Facing off against someone like him, the man was nothing more than a little irritated – and that was probably more at the damage he'd done than the situation itself.

"If you know a way out, I'm game," Jaune whispered.

"You couldn't have been game five minutes ago?"

"I allowed my excitement to get the better of me," he said, keeping up his disguise.

"Yeah, well, it looks like more excitement is coming our way." Adam nodded towards Ironwood, who stalked forward with one arm held up, a silent command for his men to cease fire. They did so, stern discipline suppressing their terror. Little bits remained still, but they were clamped down and no longer weighed on his instincts.

Adam growled and pointed his sword towards Ironwood, but Jaune held a hand out, pushing him back a little. It was more to keep him safe than anything, since he had no idea how strong Adam's aura was, but could hazard a guess it was weaker than his. If all those men opened fire at once, it might be enough to badly hurt the faunus.

"Adam Taurus," Ironwood called, stopping ten or so metres from them. "I've heard much about you, though I can't say I expected to see you here in Vale." His eyes narrowed. "Why are you here?"

"I like to broaden my horizons."

"Hmph, I see. Is that what you're doing with this creature?" he asked, nodding at Jaune. "Or am I reading into things? Maybe this is nothing more than a friendly chat and I've _terribly_ overreacted." The jovial tone vanished as Ironwood drew forth his weapon and pointed it towards them. "Surrender now. There's nowhere to run."

"And be killed by you?" Adam asked. "I think not."

"Kill you? No, I will not kill you. Atlas believes in justice – a term I'm sure you know nothing of. You would be questioned extensively, and then will have a chance to defend yourself before the Atlas Council."

"Of which you hold two seats. It would be corrupt from the start."

Ironwood didn't look bothered by the accusation in the slightest. "You should take that as a good thing, terrorist. I might be convinced to judge you leniently if you provide information that aids us in preventing further tragedies. I could see your sentence slashed considerably."

"A generous offer," Adam sneered.

"It is. I would advise you take it."

Jaune's senses tingled as they two spoke. He felt a cool chill wash over him, and also felt Remy stir inside his body.

" **Elena is close,"** he whispered.

Elena? Lavender's parasite? His eyes widened, though he did his best to conceal it. What was she doing? Why would she be anywhere near this disaster? The answer was obvious; she'd heard about it somehow – perhaps a panicked message from Cinder – and quickly rallied to try and save him. Apart from her skill with the sword, however, she was weaker than he. She wouldn't have a chance if she jumped into this. Or rather, they might have a chance if they fought together, but it would be a protracted, bloody affair.

It would end in the death of everyone here, supposing they could kill Ironwood. Between the three of them, it would surely be possible. Four if Cinder was still close by. It would ruin all their covers, however.

"And what of you?" Ironwood asked, looking to Jaune. "This is the first time we've met, Hentacle." His lips twisted at the name, but he forged on. "Would you exchange words with me, Grimm?"

"I could," he said, not seeing the harm. They knew he could speak, after all.

Ironwood's eyes lit up. "Incredible. So, you _can_ speak. There's only one other I know of with such an ability, but… no… that's not important. What are your goals here, creature? What is it you hope to achieve?"

"Would you believe me if I said world peace?"

Ironwood's smile fell. "No."

"No one ever does," Jaune sighed. "What's the point of even asking if you're not going to believe anything I say?"

"I suppose you're right. We'll have to see what comes out under questioning."

"Assuming you take us alive," Adam jeered, entering the conversation once more. "I, for one, feel confident in the fact we can deal with you and all your men. It would be quite the blow to Atlas to lose its General."

"It would," Ironwood admitted. He smiled and took one step back, holding an empty hand towards them. "Come and try it. I invite you. Not all lead from the back, and I stand before you." He chuckled and narrowed his eyes. "Try. Your. Luck."

Adam took a step forward, but Jaune stopped him with a tentacle to the shoulder. "Don't," he whispered. "We don't need to."

Adam glanced back from the corner of one eye. "What do you mean?"

Jaune didn't answer. There was no time to explain. His senses tingled – Remy crying out a warning – before an ear-splitting _screech_ filled the air. The Nevermore appeared from behind two tall buildings, summoned out of sight and now spanning the sky with its mighty wings. It was far larger than anything he had summoned before, but that was what could be done given time, safety, and when only having to spawn a single Grimm. Lavender had outdone herself. The effort of summoning something so large must have exhausted her.

"Nevermore!" Ironwood yelled, turning in its direction. "Bring it down!" he roared. "Don't let it fire on the civilians!"

"That's our cue," Jaune said, sweeping a tentacle at Adam's legs from behind. The faunus was so slack-jawed at the sudden appearance of the Grimm that he didn't sense it, and he yelped as his feet were knocked out from under him.

Jaune caught him before he could fall, one hand under his knees, the other his shoulders – and a tentacle wrapped about his waist just in case. Adam didn't make the prettiest bride, but he needed a good grip for what was to come. As Ironwood and his men turned their backs on them, the sound of the Bullhead's engines was muted by the loud screeching of the Grimm, and the gunfire from the soldiers.

Ironwood heard it, however, and turned back with a snarl, firing a shot towards Jaune's legs. A tentacle blocked it, and he winced as the slug pierced deep. He turned instinctively, shielding Adam from a stray shot as the aircraft hurtled forwards, the door opening and a familiar orange-haired figure stood there.

"Get in," Roman yelled, one hand on the railing above the door, and the other waving towards them. "Come on. We need to get out of here – before they send that stupid battleship they've got anchored at Beacon!"

Jaune nodded in relief, legs flexing even as his tentacles blocked two more shots from ironwood, who growled and adjusted his aim, trying to hit the pilot in the Bullhead instead. "Hold on," Jaune whispered to Adam.

"Hold on for- whoa!"

His muscles were denser than a human's, especially in his Grimm form. Where others might be able to leap feet into the air, he could go much further, and so it was when he propelled himself up towards the Bullhead. Roman yelped and fell back, surprised himself at the distance Jaune cleared. Such huge jumps weren't accurate, but he managed to snag the Bullhead with a tentacle, and then draw himself up, Adam still held tightly in his arms.

At being left so weightless, the faunus had gripped his neck rather tightly – though he was quick to let go and wriggled in Jaune's arms, only calming down once he was released from both hands and tentacles. He shivered and patted himself down. For some reason, one of the female White Fang members Roman had brought with him licked her lips.

"Hentacle!" Ironwood roared from below. "This isn't the end, monster. Atlas has come, and we will see you brought low! Your kind will never escape!" Behind him, the Nevermore let out one final screech, before it tumbled to the ground, beset on all sides by the emotionless, white robots. "This, I promise!" Ironwood called.

"Cool speech and all, but I say we put it to the test," Roman said, laughing nervously as he put a hand on the pilot's shoulders. "He says we can't escape, pal. Prove him wrong, please. Now."

The faunus nodded, and the Bullhead pulled away with a mighty roar.

/-/

Deep in the Grimmlands, a high-pitched shriek echoed across the ash-blasted landscape. It emanated from a tall, black tower with ominous spikes and spines – where within, the most dangerous woman in existence sat upon a stone throne. Said woman's crimson eyes were focused on something held in one hand before her.

"Aiyeeee!" she cried, eyes wide. "He looks so handsome!"

"Indeed, my lady," Arthur Watts said, stood beside the Queen of the Grimm and hiding a small smile. "Your son certainly cuts a dashing figure in that suit. I do believe I can see some signs of your Lord husband in him as well."

"Oh, can't you just," Salem crooned, touching Jaune's face on the image with one pale finger. "He has the same jawline, oh, and the eyes, of course. I hope he grows up to have a little of Nicky's demeanour, but he certainly seems to have a way with the ladies." She looked to the blonde girl beside him, the picture one taken of the two having a romantic dinner. "Who is this one, again? Is this the Ren girl?"

"That is Yang Xiao-Long, my Queen. Rumours suggest the two are dating."

"Rumours, Watts? I have a picture of the two dating right here. I think we can dismiss the idea of this being a mere rumour." Salem chuckled and pushed the picture to the back, looking at the next. Her eyes glowed with fiery light as she saw her son pour some champagne for his partner. So refined, so mature, so gentlemanly. She wanted nothing more than to invade Vale right now and find this place. She might even spare the venue, so long as they could re-enact this scene. "She has a good figure," Salem said. "I approve of her, even if she is a little young. My dear apprentice will have to step up her game at this rate. She's had years to worm her way into his heart and not a single grandchild for it!"

"Perhaps the competition will do her well," Watts suggested.

Salem's eyes narrowed. "Explain."

"Well, while I cannot speak for Cinder's intentions, as the only woman not related to the young lord by blood, she may have believed she had all the time in the world. With no competition working against her, she would not feel much effort was required to win him over."

"You are suggesting that she may have become complacent?"

"I fear it may be so."

"I see. Well, perhaps a little jealousy will do her well. Watts, send this image to her scroll."

"Perhaps with a message of how you approve of this girl, my Queen?" Watts asked viciously. While they might have all be called Uncles to Jaune, there was no denying the animosity they held between one another when it came to anything _other_ than the family. Cinder and Watts did not get on, and their rivalry encompassed all things. Power, prestige, influence – even whom was considered `cooler` by Jaune and his sisters.

Many of her daughters felt Uncle Watts was _far_ nicer than Cinder, but much to the man's frustration, Cinder had managed to wrap Jaune about her finger and install herself as being only one step below his mother and father.

Salem was aware of it all, of course. She encouraged it, just as she would Watts' little antagonism here. Whether he meant it to frustrate Cinder or not, it would still serve her purposes. "You may do so, yes. See fit to include a little suggestion from yourself that she `step up her game` while you're at it."

"My Queen," Watts said, bowing with a cruel smile. "It would be my greatest pleasure. There is one other thing, however."

"Oh?"

"The reason why I said the young lord dating this Xiao-Long earlier might be considered a rumour. You see, my sources in Atlas – who I trust most implicitly – have also informed me that the young lord has entered into a relationship with the heiress to the Schnee Dust Corporation, one Weiss Schnee." He took the liberty of bringing a dossier out from his suit and handing it to her. "Here is what I have on her for now."

"Ah, I recognise her," Salem said, thinking back to Cinder's images. "The one with the hair like my own. I've heard it said men fall for women close in appearance to their mothers. She certainly is a beautiful girl, alluring in a way." She glanced up. "You say she is someone of importance?"

"A daughter and heiress to the wealthiest family on Remnant, and also the largest employer of faunus labour. Their family name is tarnished with some disgrace to their treatment of their workers. I understand that her father has recently learned of this development, and my sources indicate he is not best pleased."

"That is of no matter. We could kill her father and entire family with ease and still take her for Jaune."

"The young lord might not approve of that, my Queen."

"Hm, you're correct there. Very well, I will add her to the blacklist." The blacklist, as it were, was a list of names and faces ingrained to any and all Grimm she created. It was not a very long list, but it would not do to have her future daughter-in-law eviscerated by a Beowolf now, would it? That might be considered an impediment to childbirth.

Most of her lieutenants were on the blacklist, along with her husband and children, of course. Tyrian wasn't, but only because he was a psychopath who had asked not to be, and who took personal enjoyment from having the Grimm occasionally try to kill him.

Who was she to judge?

"My concern comes in because of the conflicting nature of these rumours," Watts continued. "If Jaune is dating Weiss Schnee, then he cannot also be dating this Xiao-Long woman."

"Why not?"

"It's simply not done in human society, my Queen," Watts tried to explain. "How would you feel if your lord husband went and coupled with another woman?"

"Hm," Salem tapped her chin in thought. "I do believe I would exterminate the entire human race." She blinked and turned back to him. "What's your point?"

He had no idea how to explain that her exact words were his point.

"Such rules are for humans," Salem explained, laughing to herself. "My son is no mere human, and the rules do not apply to him. One such as he will require many brides, and quite possibly several consorts as well. There may even be room for a lover on the side, but I shall let him decide on that one." She sighed dramatically. "Jaune can be awfully romantic, so he may not want to cheat on his harem. These two are but the beginning, I'm sure."

"Perhaps, my Queen, but don't you think the fact that your son is trying to fit in with humans might mean he has to adopt their customs? It is not his… um… divine right I am questioning, but I think he would not seek to cause such a controversy since it might draw attention."

"Watts," Salem began, sighing softly. "Are you under the impression that my son would even think of such things? Jaune is many things, but the sharpest tool in the shed he is not."

To his credit, Watts opened his mouth to defend her son – but a raised eyebrow from her had him close it and cough awkwardly. Yes, that was about what she'd thought. "Cinder _did_ say he was fitting in well," he said.

"And Cinder lies," Salem replied. "I believe we all know it. Subtle is not a word in Jaune's vocabulary. I'd be surprised if he wasn't off gallivanting through the streets in his Grimm form right now. No, Cinder wishes to maintain her current plan, and no doubt thinks me fool enough to believe her." She chuckled. "Silly girl… I really do allow you to get away with too much." She was lucky she had such fantastic eyes, hair and legs. Hopefully those would pass on to her children.

"Is that why you sent Lady Lavender to Vale, my Queen?"

"Naturally. The Grimm I created have all failed to bring my errant son home, and I believe Cinder may not be as blameless in this as she would have me believe. The humans have a saying, I believe. If you want something done, do it yourself. As I cannot do that, I thought it best to have someone act in my stead." Salem chuckled to herself. "I am sure she will not be so easily distracted."

As his mistress and Queen burst into laughter, Watts couldn't help but shuffle and hide his scroll. He wasn't so certain, mostly because of the rather worrying message he'd received that morning, correspondence from the young lady, and not the kind he'd expected, nor wanted. As he departed the throne room, he drew out his scroll and looked at it again. He hadn't mustered the courage to tell Salem yet.

 _Uncle Watts,_

 _I need advice with a sensitive matter. Anything you can offer would be wonderful. You are my favourite Uncle, after all. There is a boy in Vale that has caught my eye._

 _I want him._

 _Help._

 _Hugs and kisses,_

 _Lavender_

Watts groaned into his hand.

"I'm too old for this."

* * *

 **Misunderstandings. Many misunderstandings. Jaune and Adam are misunderstanding. Weiss and Emerald are misunderstanding. Yang and Qrow are misunderstanding. My wrist hurts. It is misunderstanding its position in life.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 9** **th** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	42. Chapter 42

**And the next chapter is here. Just a small warning that due to me taking yesterday off to rest my wrist and visit a doctor, I actually wrote this all today. CF was involved in the planning, but didn't get to see the chapter, so if there are any silly mistakes, they are mine. All mine! Mwahahaha**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 42**

* * *

There were few things in life Cinder feared – truly feared, that was. While thoughts of Watts or Tyrian claiming victory over her in one of their spats was frightening enough, as was the idea of Jaune actually finding out what tentacle hentai was and using it on her, the only thing she had ever really feared in life was death. Death and Salem, of course, since the two weren't mutually exclusive.

Being stood before three of the most powerful men on Remnant, however? Men who had not only the means, but very much the reason to kill her?

Cinder felt she could be forgiven for the sweat that ran down her brow.

"And that is how I found her," General James Ironwood, one of the most influential – and aggressive – enemies Salem held. "Pinned to a wall and about to be killed. It was fortunate I was there on time to save her." His eyes fell to hers, and if he thought she looked away out of shame, then good for her. "You are lucky to be alive, Miss Fall."

"Y-Yes," she returned. "I'm glad you came in time."

After all, it would have been simply _dreadful_ to have the day go to plan. There was nothing like the Atlas military smashing down your door to make you appreciate the easier things in life. Even through the fear she felt for herself, however, there was a far more gnawing one.

"Do you know what happened to Hentacle, General?"

"You needn't concern yourself with that."

"And you should not concern yourself with it, either," Ozpin added, smiling in that grandfatherly way of his. It made her teeth ache. "If your last encounter with him did not make things clear, allow us to do so. You are lucky to be alive, Miss Fall. Do not seek out such foes again in future."

"I understand." She bowed her head, though only so they couldn't see her panicked expression. Was Jaune alive? Had he escaped? She'd sent Roman and Lavender a furtive message, but she had no idea how that had gone. She'd been spirited away by Ironwood's men, and she didn't dare kill them for fear he would become suspicious.

She had no idea if Jaune lived, and that terrified her.

"Why exactly were you there, anyway?" Qrow Branwen asked. The old huntsman's face might have seemed calm, or even inebriated, but she knew better. He was dangerous. So very, very dangerous. "Curious place for a student to be, don't you think?"

Yes, it was, but apart from panic, the long journey back to Beacon had given her time to think up an excuse. Logic had been cast aside, mostly because there was no logical explanation for her presence. Instead, she'd gone for something closer to home – and something she knew two out of three of the men before her approved of.

"I wanted to help people," Cinder Fall said, with not a shred of irony in her voice. "I saw Hentacle and the White Fang meeting and I thought it would be good if I could find out why, or maybe even stop it. I called my team to help, but they found me before anyone could come."

"You thought to do this alone?" Ozpin asked.

Cinder looked down to the floor, channelling her best Ruby Rose impression as she kicked one foot against the back of her heel. "I… I wanted to be a hero, sir. It's why I became a huntress in the first place. I want to protect people."

Gods, if Tyrian could hear her…

"That is an admirable goal, Miss Fall. Very admirable."

"But still reckless," Ironwood rebuked. Despite his tone, there was a small smile on his face, and she let out a breath of relief. "While none here can doubt your intent, I'll need you to take more care in future. We do not want something like this to happen again."

"Believe me, sir, on this we are in _complete_ agreement."

"I am glad to hear it." The General's stern look faded for a second. "No one is questioning your drive or ambition here, Miss Fall. The foe you faced is one who is far above your level. Until you have graduated and become a huntress in your own right, such enemies should be left to those better equipped."

 _But did you or did you not hurt him?_ Cinder wanted to scream. It was all she could do to nod. If she could get away, she could try to make contact with him and ensure his safety. "I understand. May I be dismissed?"

"Not yet." It was Ozpin who spoke, and the man regarded her with a curious expression. "You are a relatively new student to Beacon, are you not? You chose to transfer here from Mistral this very semester."

Cinder swallowed her nerves and nodded. There was little she could do but tell the truth here, even if her heart beat rapidly in her chest. Why was he suddenly so interested in her? Had he discovered something?

"From what I understand, you are also familiar with another student here. You know Mr Arc, correct?"

Her shoulders stiffened. That was _not_ the connection she wanted them to make. "I do, sir."

"How exactly are you familiar with him?"

What should she say? The truth was out of the question for obvious reasons, but she could not tell a blatant lie for fear Jaune might have said something different. If he was even alive, that was. Perhaps they were asking because Hentacle had been killed and _Jaune_ had gone missing. The thought had her stomach falling out.

As it was, it was all she could do to stammer a weak reply.

"We've known one another for years…"

"How many?"

"Since he was born. I… I helped look after him."

" _You_ did?" General Ironwood asked, his eyes narrowed in some hidden concern. "You'll forgive me saying, Miss Fall, but I am not sure you are old enough to look after a child."

"It was just babysitting," she said. "I would keep an eye on him, help him study. We spent a lot of time together."

Ozpin and Ironwood exchanged glances, but Cinder was suddenly under intense scrutiny by the third man in the room. Flask half-way to his lips, he'd frozen in spot, and now watched her with wide eyes. The way they roved up and down her body, before zeroing in on her hair, had her on edge.

"So, you had to keep an eye on him while his Mom was out?" Qrow asked.

Cinder nodded.

"She was a busy woman, I guess?"

"Yes."

"So, despite you barely being any older, she dumped him on you to look after. I bet she made you educate him, too. Let me guess, she focused on making him strong, but pretty much left everything else to you?"

Well, that wasn't entirely wrong, she supposed. "Not just me. Jaune had a lot of Uncles, too."

"Oh, I bet he did," Qrow growled. "Damn her... Wait, are you blood-related?"

"To Jaune?" Cinder asked, blinking nervously. "N-No. I'm more… more adopted, I guess. Or I was just convenient at the time."

"Perfect!"

It was?

"Please ignore Qrow," Ozpin said, smiling. "So, Miss Fall. You are close with the young Mr Arc, then?"

"I suppose."

"And was it because of him you chose to leave Haven and attend Beacon?"

That was uncomfortably close to the truth, but she nodded anyway.

"I see…" Ozpin smiled and linked his hands over his desk. "That is some admirable loyalty you have to the young man. I'm relieved to see such bonds remain in place, even during what must have been difficult times for you."

Difficult times? Bonds? She tried to make heads or tails of what they were saying, but came up blank. In the end, she decided to bite the bullet instead. "Is Jaune okay, Headmaster? Has something happened?"

"What?" The man blinked, before his eyes widened. "Oh no, Miss Fall. I do apologise if I made you believe it so. Mr Arc is fine, or was when I last saw him. I did not mean to bring him up at so stressful a time, nor to make you believe his life was in danger in any way."

 _Then why did you bring him up, exactly?_ They had an interest in him, and her connection with him. That much was clear. _What have you been doing, Jaune?_

"May I be dismissed, sirs?" she asked again, more eager than ever. To her relief, this time Ozpin nodded – and she wasted no time walking to the elevator (and rushing she could run). Once the golden doors closed, and only then, she allowed herself to relax.

But not too much.

Those questions had been too pointed, and they'd all been aimed at the worst possible thing; Jaune's family. Could they know about Salem? Well, Ozpin obviously did from what Salem had told her before, but on the issue of Salem having a family, she had been assured no one knew.

Something might have changed. It certainly looked like they were interested in knowing more about his and her background.

"I'll need to speak with her," Cinder whispered. "She needs to know."

As soon as she made sure her idiot brother was alive, of course.

He had some explaining to do.

/-/

Left behind, the three men in Ozpin's office watched the elevator doors close and the cabin descend. Only once it had did someone speak, and even then it was after a desperate drink. Qrow Branwen polished off the remainder of his precious alcohol with a gasp, then wiped his mouth clean with the back of one hand.

"Bloody Raven," he hissed. "Why am I not surprised?"

"It does paint quite the interesting picture," Ozpin remarked.

"Does it? All I see is about what I expected. Raven has another child, except this time she doesn't have Taiyang to dump the tyke on. Instead, she grabs some young girl from her tribe and tells her to raise it, only chipping in to claim him when he's older." He made to spit to the side, but held back when Ozpin shot him a pointed look. He swallowed it instead. "I guess that explains why the two are strong, though not why he's so shoddy at sword work."

"It might," Ironwood said. "That girl seems more of a martial artist, and if what you say about your sister is true, she likely wouldn't waste any of her time training him."

Qrow grumbled, but had nothing to counter.

"We should be thankful the two of them have come out as they have at all," Ozpin said. "Your sister does not offer the best place to raise a child, but they seem to have come out rather well."

"If a little paranoid," Ironwood said. "Did you see the look on her face? She looked afraid of us. So did Arc if I remember correctly."

"Afraid of authority, perhaps. Given where they were raised, can you blame them?"

"Raven doesn't tolerate failure," Qrow said, arms crossed. "Still, you're not wrong. They came out surprisingly okay, though I guess I should have known they had their heads screwed on straight when they ran away." A smirk overcame his scowl and he laughed out loud. "Good on them for that. Get away while you can and don't go back to that den of thieves. And yeah, I can imagine just what kind of `Uncles` they had to help raise them. Little wonder they're wary around adults."

"So, will you keep training Mr Arc?" Ozpin asked.

Qrow shrugged. "I guess I will. Someone has to, and it looks like my bitch of a sister isn't interested. I'd normally be against training someone from the tribe, but I can't imagine him raiding villages or slaughtering innocents. Don't think the kid has an evil bone in his body."

"And the girl seems awfully loyal to him," Ironwood remarked.

"That's one way of putting it," Ozpin chuckled.

"She's not blood-related," Qrow mused, stroking his chin. "Better than Yang. Maybe I should invite her to training, too."

"That might not be a bad idea," Ironwood said. "Hentacle has shown an interest now both in Jaune Arc and this girl, and given what we've discovered of their pasts, I don't think it's a coincidence. They could have been seeking to capture her in order to lure him out, or this may have been a play against Raven herself."

"You think Salem sought to use them as hostages to obtain the Spring Maiden?" Ozpin asked. His eyes narrowed. "That is not an impossible plan."

"Bah, Raven wouldn't trade Vernal for her own flesh and blood," Qrow spat. "She'd say they got captured because they were weak, and then leave them to die."

"Perhaps, but would Salem know that?"

The answer was clear. Raven was an outlier when it came to normal behaviour, thank goodness. With what limited understanding she had, Salem would simply assume a mother would trade away the spring maiden to reclaim her son and what might have been seen as an adopted daughter. Even if the plan would not work, that would place both of those students in extreme danger.

"You're keeping an eye on Arc already," Ironwood said. "I'll look after the girl." The General crossed his arms, but there was a spark of something in his eyes. Perhaps he felt responsible for her after saving her life, or maybe he saw some other angle. With him, it was as impossible to tell as ever. "It wouldn't do to split Qrow's attention, after all."

Ozpin nodded. "I shall leave her to you, old friend. Perhaps under your gaze, she will be able to sleep a little safer."

Somewhere between the office and her room, Cinder felt the unusual urge to shudder.

/-/

On the other side of Vale, a Bullhead landed in an abandoned and secluded street, and what might have been classed as the most unusual party in existence stepped off from it. One was a recognisable and handsome rogue with white clothing and orange hair, while the next was a pale-faced monster with eldritch tentacles and blood-red eyes. He was followed by a figure where the colours seemed inversed, hair of red and a face of white bone, which would reveal itself as a mask on closer inspection. They were then followed by a pretty sixteen year old girl with blonde hair and green eyes.

Ironically, she was the only one who seemed to feel comfortable in the presence of everyone else.

"Well," she said, dusting her blouse of some dust. "That was fun."

"I think you and I need to have a discussion on what counts as fun, Lavender."

"Oh, Mister Roman, don't be like that! Your handsome face will develop wrinkles…" She danced in front of him and fixed the lapel of his jacket with both hands. "Besides, you were very brave there. I'm ever so thankful for you for helping my brother and Mister Taurus."

Despite the frown, and the danger, Roman preened a little. Praise was praise, and Lavender offered it where Cinder never had. He rubbed his head and looked away. "Ah, it was nothing."

Jaune scowled at the man.

 _I'm watching you, Roman,_ he thought, eyes narrowing. The man had been Cinder's, but had then gone on to join Lavender. While Cinder had made him think his sister had stolen him away, the way he acted here – lavishing in her innocent praise – made his hackles rise.

Was that bastard trying to double-time Cinder and Lavender?

He better not be. He wouldn't survive the experience.

"Well, we've made it," Adam said, stepping forth from the White Fang who had gathered off to one side, all clearly nervous about Hentacle. They may have been, but Adam was all smiles, albeit his smiles felt vicious and self-serving. "I hadn't planned for us to face off against Atlas, but the fact we bloodied their nose and escaped unharmed will invigorate many of the faunus in Vale." He held out a hand. "We did well, Grimm."

The last time he'd offered a hand, Jaune had refused to shake it, but now he felt too tired to care and gripped it loosely. "I suppose we did…"

Behind Adam, several of the faunus smiled at one another, though Jaune noticed the female members staring a little more, and how their necks and cheeks turned red beneath the masks. They also appeared to be breathing heavily.

"Tell Cinder I'll be in contact soon," Adam said. "It was good to cross blades with you."

"Yourself as well," Jaune lied, watching the man leave with his brethren. Once they were alone, he turned back to Lavender and Roman, slowly transforming back into his human form. The tentacles disappeared, and so too did the strange hunger he'd experienced when fighting Ironwood's people. "Thanks for the save," he said, making sure he only met Lavender's eyes.

"You're welcome, dear brother. Cinder managed to pass a message onto us, though it was Mister Roman's quick thinking which us able to save you."

That wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear, but manners dictated he give the man at least a reluctant nod of thanks. _Still not going to get you out of trouble, though. Why did you just so happen to be with my little sister at the time, huh? Try and explain that one!_

"I'd love to stay, sis, but I need to get back to Beacon before I'm missed."

"I know." Lavender smiled. "It might be suspicious otherwise."

He was relieved she understood, and nodded as he took a step away. "I owe you one, though. If you need anything, let me know."

Lavender's hand caught his shoulder before he could run. Her smile, far more eager than he'd ever seen it before, put him on edge instantly.

"Well," she purred. "There was _one_ thing…"

/-/

" **You walked right into that one,"** Remy said as Jaune snuck back into Beacon. Well, it was a bit much to call it sneaking since he walked in the front gates, but the important part was that he didn't draw any attention when doing so.

" _I know, but Lavender did save me. I'd have been in trouble without her."_

" **You're in trouble anyway. Don't tell me you think this little run-in with Atlas isn't going to have consequences."**

Jaune sighed. Remy was right, of course. Not that he'd doubted it for a second. When he'd promised to help Cinder, it was for information and the assurance that his friends would be kept safe, and while that was still a good deal, it was starting to look more difficult than it had before. Though, to be fair, that probably hadn't been her intent. _I hope Cinder's okay. If Ironwood found out the truth about her, I'd have to invade Atlas myself._

And he would if he had to.

He might even be able to pull it off, but only if he travelled around for a bit to convince all the Grimm in Atlas to follow him. They would, but it would kind of defeat the purpose for him having run away from home in the first place. On the bright side, Mom would be thrilled. Uncle Tyrian would, too.

Such thoughts were cut off entirely as four figures almost ran him down. Would have, really, were it not for his nerves being so highly strung that he dodged back so hard he tripped over and splashed into the fountain.

Ren dragged him out with a smile.

"Taking a dip, Jaune?"

"Hilarious," he spluttered, pushing some wet hair from his forehead. "What are you guys running around in such a panic for?" The other three were, anyway. Blake looked agitated, though that might have been putting it lightly since it was clear she wanted to keep moving, and likely would have, if not for Nora keeping a strong grip.

By comparison, Ren and Yang just looked irritated.

"The White Fang have been seen in the city," Yang said, and then jerked a thumb towards Blake. "The rest should be self-explanatory."

And sadly, it kind of was…

"We have to stop them!" Blake hissed.

"I know, Blake. I know." Nora crooned, patting her hair. "We will, Blake. We will."

"Don't – wait, are you patronising me!?"

"No, Blake. Nooo…"

"You are!" The reformed terrorist stomped one foot. "This is serious, Nora. The White Fang just fought against Atlas in the streets of Vale. How is this not a big deal to you?"

"Uh, because it's over? Because they escaped?" Nora shrugged. "Not much we can do about it."

"We have to try!"

Yang and Ren sighed and looked back to him, their expressions showing it all. Jaune chuckled in return and mentally wished them well, even if he definitely would be taking a rain check on this one. He'd had enough of the White Fang for one day.

"It's better we go with her than she does this on her own," Ren said.

"The team that struggles together, something or other," Yang added. "No idea what the full saying is, but I figure it means we have to put up with this. Beats homework, I guess."

"Do you want to come with us?" Ren asked.

Yang shot him a furious, wide-eyed, look.

"Sorry, but I have some things I need to do." Jaune smiled when Ren sighed and Yang did the same – though hers seemed more relieved than anything. "Good luck, though. I hope you find something."

"I don't," Ren said.

"Okay, then I hope you waste your time for nothing?"

Ren's sigh was even louder, and somehow even more despondent.

"Thanks for the effort," Yang laughed, clapping his shoulder. "But I think we've got that one down. One big afternoon of wasted time, here we come." She dragged Ren away, waving back to Jaune as she followed after Blake and Nora on their way towards the Bullhead docks.

He'd have been worried for them, but there was no way Adam was going to make any moves right after they'd just escaped Ironwood. He'd be lying low for the next few days at least, which meant the biggest risks his friends were running was running themselves ragged for nothing.

He forgot about them entirely when he saw her waiting at the front entrance to the main Academy building.

Her amber eyes pierced his soul immediately.

"You're safe," he breathed, jogging up to her.

"As are you," Cinder replied, looking him up and down. It didn't take her long to see an issue. "You're soaked. Again." She sighed and took hold of him by the collar, dragging him into the building. "Come and dry off in my room. We have things to discuss."

They attracted a few stares as they made their way through the corridor, though funnily enough Cinder seemed too distracted to notice. Others did not, however, and he had a feeling there would be rumours about the beautiful woman dragging him through the halls to her room.

Once they were inside and a towel had been thrown into his face, however, such thoughts became less important. She recounted her meeting with Ozpin and Ironwood, and most noticeably the veiled words from Qrow Branwen.

"He knows about Mom?" Jaune asked, horrified.

"Considering he hasn't tried to harm you, I doubt it," Cinder said, letting out a sigh as she fell back on her bed and crossed her legs. "Still, he's becoming suspicious and that is a problem. I could try to have him killed, but I fear-"

"You can't," he said. "He's Ruby and Yang's uncle!"

"That is exactly what I fear." She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Jaune, you cannot simply extend your protection to every little person. If Qrow finds out the truth, your life will be in danger. Mine, too, not to mention Lavender's – and the lives of all your family."

"I know." He sighed and finished towelling his hair, tossing the damp thing onto Emerald's bed. She, Mercury and Neo were nowhere to be seen. "But don't you think it would be even more suspicious if he were to vanish like that? Besides, you always say a spy you know is worth more than a spy who is dead. We can feed him misinformation."

Not that they had anything they needed to feed him, or any need for him at all, as Cinder's arched eyebrow made clear. He had to stick to his guns, though. Ruby would be devastated if anything happened to her uncle. She really loved him.

Cinder sighed. "You are making my life so much harder than it needs to be…"

His eyes lit up. "You'll spare him?"

"I'll stick to my promise as best I can," she said, putting extra emphasis on the last part. "If he gets any closer, however, then I cannot promise anything. My loyalty is to your mother first. Remember that."

"Thank you, Cinder!" He surged forwards and threw his arms around her, knocking her back onto the bed and laughing.

"Get off of me!" she hissed, struggling, though not very hard, to throw him off. "You will get me soaked, you great big idiot. Get off!" She managed to hook an arm under his, and then leverage that to pry him off. With a hand on his chest, she pushed him back so that she could sit up once more. Her hair was far more dishevelled as a result, and to his amusement she didn't notice. "You're a pain to deal with as always," she growled. "I don't know why I put up with you."

"Because you love me?"

"Fool," she scoffed. "I'll let this go for now, but we _will_ come back to your nosey mentor if he starts to dig any deeper. We have a far bigger issue to concern ourselves with."

Jaune blinked in confusion, wondering what could be more important than Ozpin potentially finding out about Salem and his connection to her. "We do?" he asked. "What?"

Cinder's eyes sparked. "YOU!"

"Eh?"

"Your behaviour back there," she snapped, storming to her feet and pushing a finger into his chest so suddenly that it was _he_ who backed away, and then tripped over Mercury's bed, falling onto it with a wide-eyed expression.

She did not let up her assault, planting both hands on her hips and staring down at him.

"What could you have possibly been thinking back there? Are you an idiot? No, don't answer that. I know you are! You willingly put yourself in Ironwood's sights, risking your life against overwhelming forces when you could have better tries to escape." She grit her teeth, and he had a feeling had he been standing, she'd have fixed her hands around his neck. "What in Salem's name were you thinking?"

"Do you mean when I strangled you? I'm sorry, but I had to make it look convincing…"

"Not that," she snapped. "Your plan in the first place. You put yourself in grave danger!"

"What was I supposed to do? You brought me there in the first place."

It was the wrong thing to say. Cinder's eyes narrowed and she took a deep breath and let it go, visibly calming herself. He cringed at the sight.

"Yes," she said, voice clipped and even. "I did bring you there, so some of the fault is mine. However, I am not the one who attempted to sacrifice my life for another. You attacked me from behind, removing any chance I had of assisting you."

"Your cover would have been broken."

"You are more important than my cover!" Cinder almost roared. Would have, if not for the thin walls and the fact it wasn't her style. Instead, while her voice was raised, her words came out as a hiss – like a King Taijitu that had cornered its prey. Her entire body vibrated with fury as she glared at him. "You absolute _moron._ If my cover had been lost, I could have adapted. It would have been difficult, yes, but no more difficult than fighting off the Atlas military! What would you have done if Winter Schnee was there, or other Specialists? Or even that woman who attacked you before?"

"I… well, I…"

"You would have died is what you would have done! You would have died while I struggled to breathe and recover my senses in _General Ironwood's_ grasp. I'd have been utterly unable to help you."

This wasn't the way he'd imagined this conversation going. All the way home, he'd been worried about her and whether she was safe, and the first thing she does is criticise him? Anger bubbled beneath the surface as he pushed himself to his feet. Cinder refused to take a step back as he approached, and soon the two of them were practically nose to nose.

"Where do you get away with blaming me?" he demanded. "It's your fault I was there, and if people interrupted the meeting, then that's probably your fault, too. I did the best I could at the time."

"You did the best you could for _you_ ," Cinder snapped. "You made _my_ decision for me, and robbed me of any chance of sharing my opinion."

"I saved your life!"

"By risking yours! And my life?" She laughed. "Don't be so dramatic. You may have brute strength on your side, but I am still able to beat you. My cover aside, I would have had no problems breaking through their lines and escaping."

"Well excuse me for not knowing that in the first place," he half-shouted back. "I was too busy picking up after your mistakes! Besides, what are you even complaining about? It worked."

"It might not next time. And this is it working, is it? You're probably the most wanted man in Atlas now, and you've gone and made a personal enemy of Ironwood. That's your idea of success?" Cinder threw her hands in the air, her blazing eyes not leaving his for an instance. "Most people would consider that failure! And did you ever consider what it might mean if it _didn't_ work? What would have happened if you _weren't_ strong enough to defeat them, hm?" She cocked her head to one side. "What would have happened if you'd _just_ needed one more person to help you, yet you'd left her all but unconscious on the side?"

"Then I'd have lost, I guess. But at least one of us would have gotten out alive."

Cinder clenched her teeth and grabbed his collar and shook him. "And you think that's okay, do you? You think that's just absolutely fine?"

"I think it's better than the alternative. Besides, if you're worried Mom will be angry at you, you can just say it's my fault. At least then I'd be out of your hair and not causing you any more proble-"

The sound of Cinder's palm striking his face echoed in the small room. Her eyes were burning with angry rage, her teeth bared, even as she drew back and cradled her hand, which had struck his ridiculously-sized aura and obviously come out the worse for it. He barely felt the pain.

Outside, anyway.

He felt something inside. Shock, surprise, fear…

"How dare you say that," she seethed.

"Cinder…?"

"Get out."

"Big Sis…?"

"Out!" she repeated, louder. "Get out. I don't want to see you. I don't want to so much as _perceive_ you." She grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to the door, pushing him against it and pushing again until he opened it and was thrown out. The final shove was the hardest, but when he turned, it was the look in her eyes that truly frightened him.

He'd never seen her look like that before – and before he could think more on it, the door was slammed shut in his face.

"Cinder!" he called, knocking his fist against it. "Cinder, come on. Open up. What's wrong?"

There was no response.

He tried again, pressing against the door as he banged the flat of his fist against it, all too aware of the looks he was getting from those nearby. Some had even stopped to watch, no doubt enjoying their slice of Beacon corridor drama.

"Open the door! Cinder, please…"

When there was no answer, his annoyance returned. How was he at fault for this? He'd saved her life, not to mention he'd saved her plan. She should have been thanking him for his quick thinking, not locking him out of her room like some kind of idiot.

"Fine," he shouted, and kicked the door for good measure. "Be like that. If you want to talk, you know where to find me." He turned away and pushed through the gaggle of people, ignoring their whispers.

 _Stupid Big Sisters. Stupid White Fang. Stupid Adam._

 _Stupid bloody me…_

/-/

Ruby glanced up from the homework Weiss was tutoring her on when the door opened and Jaune returned. The fact she did didn't have to mean anything, no matter what Yang might have said. Pyrrha and Weiss looked, too. It was normal when someone entered a room.

What wasn't normal was their teammate's expression, however. He stormed into the room, throwing his scroll down on his bed with more force than was strictly necessary, and then collapsing down himself, not even pausing to take off his shoes. As if that wasn't enough, he let out a long, frustrated, sigh.

Weiss, Pyrrha and Ruby exchanged glances, each wondering who would be the one who had to ask the obvious question. When Weiss crossed her arms and Pyrrha pretended she'd seen something interesting on the ceiling, Ruby echoed his sigh.

Seriously, her team…

"What's wrong, Jaune?"

He sighed again. "Nothing."

Ruby rolled her eyes. Okay, people called her socially awkward, but even _she_ could see that was the biggest piece of dog-poop she'd ever heard. That was like the time Dad asked them who had fed the dog aura-infused kibble, and Yang had still been holding it.

They'd still tried to blame Uncle Qrow, of course. Considering the man had been _stood_ next to their father, it didn't go very well. It went about as well for Jaune now, but Ruby wasn't quite sure how to broach the issue without coming across as insensitive. It was a delicate thing…

"That's a blatant lie," Weiss scoffed.

 _Or, you know, you could do that,_ Ruby thought, mentally throwing her arms in the air. And people called _her_ socially impaired.

"It's nothing important," Jaune amended.

"While I would normally agree, I feel it may be if this is how you're going to act." Weiss marked their page in the book they'd been working from and stood up with a sigh. She stretched, popping her back and making Pyrrha shudder at the sound. "Look, I'm not one for touchy-feely sentiment."

"I think we all know that," Ruby whispered.

"But that doesn't mean I'm without sympathy, or the ability to help. What's the matter?"

Personally, Ruby thought Weiss' approach could use some work, since it was about as blunt as a battering ram, and it didn't _sound_ very sympathetic. She held back, however. Not because she trusted Weiss to know best, but rather because it was Jaune.

Blunt was best, she'd come to realise.

"I've made someone angry, apparently," he said.

"Yang!?" Ruby asked, unsure whether she felt upset or pleased at the possibility, and feeling all the more conflicted for it.

"What? No. Someone else."

"Oh…"

"Who?" Pyrrha asked.

"Cinder."

Aaand suddenly, everything was looking okay again. Ruby let out a big breath of relief, even if she did feel kind of bad about it. "Oh well," she said. "You win some, you lose some. At least you still have us, right?"

"Ruby!" Weiss admonished.

"What?"

"Ignore her," Weiss said, turning to her partner. "You've upset your old friend. How?"

"I think it was something I said."

"That goes without saying, idiot. You're you. Of course it was something you said. I was hoping for something a little more specific, however. I can't very well help you if I don't know what it is you need help with."

Jaune seemed surprise she would at all. "You want to help me?"

"W-Why would I not? We are teammates. We're even partners!"

"And boyfriend and girlfriend," Pyrrha pointed put.

"And _not_ that," Weiss countered. "Not in a million years. Anyway, I wouldn't be much of a leader if I didn't try to address a teammate's wellbeing. While you do not necessarily need to tell me, I… I will be here if you need my support."

"Weiss…"

"You're becoming a fine leader, Weiss," Pyrrha said, smiling.

"Yeah," Ruby agreed, cheek in one hand. "Funny how it's always aimed at Jaune, though."

"Says the girl I just spent the last hour helping with homework!" Weiss howled, hands suddenly on hips. "For the last _four weeks_!"

Ruby giggled nervously. "O-Oh, yeah. Sorry…"

"Geez, you three will be the end of me."

"Hey…"

"Sorry, Pyrrha." Weiss nodded in her direction. "You've been effortless. Allow me to rephrase, you _two_ will be the end of me."

"Still hey…" Ruby complained. "Apart from the studying thing, I haven't caused any problems."

"Apart from waking me up at five for weapon maintenance."

"Weapon maintenance is important."

"And then dragging me out for cookies!"

"Cookies are also important."

"And then there's your sister…"

"Hey, you can't hold Yang over me!" Ruby waved a fist. "I can't control what she does, how she puns and how she keeps trying. It's not my fault!"

Their argument was cut off by laughter, and Ruby looked over to see Jaune smiling once more, struggling to hide his mirth in his fist, and failing badly. When he saw her looking, he shook even more, but managed to control himself enough to speak. "T-Thanks, guys. I guess I just needed cheering up a little. Thanks for that."

Thanks for what? She'd been deadly serious.

"No problem," she said, unsure what she was accepting praise for but willing to anyway. "So, do you want us to help, though? I will if you want me to." Even if she didn't like that Cinder woman. She was too perfect. She had perfect hair, legs, and a perfect body. Anyone that perfect was probably evil. "We can all help. It'll be a team thing."

"I appreciate it, but I'll be fine." Jaune smiled at her. "I think this is something I need to do on my own, or at least something I need to figure out on my own."

"Then… is there something else we can do?"

Something that wasn't studying, that was. She loved Weiss for all the help she was giving, she really did, but there was a limit to how much she could do in one day, and she was very firmly at that limit. She tried to convey that in a watery look, but as ever, Jaune Arc proved oblivious.

Luckily, oblivious but also on the same page.

"There is one thing…"

"Oh dear," Weiss growled. "This sounds bad already."

"One of my sisters is in Vale. She came to see me and make sure I was okay and she's bought a small house in the city. She's wanted to meet you guys for ages, and I kinda, maybe, sort of promised that I'd bring you all to see her tonight."

"Tonight?"

"Well, this afternoon. Now… ish."

Weiss sighed.

"She caught me off-guard and I owed her a favour," Jaune said desperately. "She really wants to meet you all and I kept putting it off. I thought she might give up but she didn't, and now I'm kind of stuck."

"I'll go," Ruby offered. Meeting family sounded fun – and no homework also sounded fun. Even without that, she'd have gone along, though. She was curious as to what Jaune's sisters would be like. Would they be nice like Yang, or cool and mysterious like Weiss' sister?

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt," Pyrrha said, smiling from her own bed. "In fact, it might be interesting to meet one of your sisters. Have you told her much about us?"

"A little bit," Jaune admitted, and Ruby was instantly curious as to what. "It's more that she's been hounding me. I never really had any friends before now, so she wants to see what my friends would be like."

"Is she okay with you running away from home?"

"I… never really asked." Jaune scratched his head. "She seems okay with it…"

"Idiot," Weiss sighed, pinching her nose and shaking her head. "You never thought to ask? What kind of idiot are you? No, never mind. Fine, I shall come as well, if only to silence the complaints I'd get if I didn't."

Jaune's relief was palpable, and soon after the four of them were on a Bullhead headed to Vale and walking down the street to the address Jaune had been given. Ruby had suggested they ask the others to come as well, ostensibly to include them, but mostly because she wanted to make sure Yang made a good impression on her future in-law. Sadly, it looked like they were already in Vale hanging out with Blake. Or so Jaune had told them.

In the end, it was just the four of them, and they made their way down the busy high street and towards an up-market area with clean streets and fancy cars.

"Your sister lives here?" Weiss asked. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised since your mother is a businesswoman."

"Jaune never really shows off his wealth," Pyrrha said. "Is that because you ran away and don't have much?"

"Nah, I still have access to my accounts. Mom wouldn't cut those off." He patted his pocket. "Besides, I only really spend money on important things."

Important things like that old comic he'd bought her? The super-expensive one she wouldn't have been able to afford with even a year's pocket money? Ruby's cheeks darkened at the memory, and she felt her smile grow just a little wider as she skipped down the streets with her team.

She was important.

She liked that.

Not as important as Yang, of course. He liked her, even if he'd sort of liked her too at first, and she'd ruined it. Not that she was jealous or anything. Yang was awesome, and Jaune should totally go out with her if he wanted to. _And he is,_ she reminded herself. _Yang and him are together._

And that was a good thing. It definitely was.

"Is there anything we should know about your sister?" Pyrrha asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well… it's just…"

"I think what she means is that we've already found out your family is bizarre. Is there some terrifying social quirk you would like to warn us about in advance?"

"Weiss!" Pyrrha gasped.

Weiss stared straight back, one eyebrow arched, and Pyrrha eventually caved.

"W-Well, I didn't mean it quite as bluntly as that…"

"Basically," Weiss said. "Is she going to try and drag any of us into her dungeon and seduce us until we marry and birth her eight children?"

"WEISS!"

Anyone else might have been offended, but Jaune was Jaune and just laughed it off. "Nah, Lavender isn't like Mom. At least not in that way. Honestly, she's probably the nicest of all my sisters. I'm kinda relieved it's her and not one of the others, since they're all a little more… uh… dedicated to business, you might say."

"Is that a bad thing?" Weiss asked.

"That depends who you ask. I think a lot of people would consider it bad, yes." He winced, but quickly smiled again. "Lavender's not like that, though, so no worries. She's just awesome. You'll love her." Ruby was fairly sure she heard him mutter "I hope" under his breath.

She could tell he was worried, and for once, she could understand why. She'd had to introduce people in Signal to Yang before, and that had been a scary thing, too. That was mostly because Yang had been in a different year-group at the time, and that meant a lot when you were an eleven-year-old introducing your friend to a teenager. She'd been nervous as well, though Yang always did her best to be cool.

Ruby had lost more than a few friends to Yang that way, them just coming to like Yang more than they did her, and soon forgetting she existed at all.

That had sucked.

Still, Yang had dropped them in time too, and she never meant to, so things hadn't gotten awkward between them. _I'll make a good impression for Jaune here,_ she promised. _I'll be the coolest teammate ever, and make sure his sister knows she can trust me to watch his back!_

Ruby Rose – best teammate ever. That was what Lavender Arc would call her.

She took a deep breath as Jaune rapped on the white door. The breath proved a mistake, since all her social anxieties came flooding back right then and there, but she took another, if only to try and force them down. She could do this!

The door opened.

"Hello," a pretty girl said, smiling happily. She was short of stature, though that left her taller than either Weiss or Ruby. She had blonde hair that fell in curls down to her shoulders, and bright green eyes that closed when she smiled. There was a dimple on her left cheek, and Ruby found herself liking the honest expression immediately. "My name is Lavender," the girl went on. "Lavender Arc. I'm Jaune's little sister, and it's so nice to meet you all at last!"

"The pleasure is ours," Weiss said, smiling pleasantly. "Weiss Schnee at your service. I am Jaune's partner at Beacon."

"My name is Pyrrha Nikos." She paused for a second, and then seemed inordinately pleased when Lavender didn't recognise her name. "I'm Jaune's teammate, and it's wonderful to meet you. He's told us a lot about his family."

"He has?" Lavender laughed, sounding a little nervous for the first time. "I'll have to find out what exactly later, ha ha."

Okay, this was it. This was her chance. Ruby nodded to herself and clenched her muscles. When the girl's eyes turned towards her, she put on her best smile – the one that _really_ got her out of trouble when Yang was angry – and stepped forward. She had to do this. It would be easy. All she had to do was smile, introduce herself, _not_ randomly talk about her weapon, and then everything would be perfect.

"Hi," Ruby said, linking her hands behind her back. "I'm Ruby Rose. Nice to meet you."

The girl before her smiled and looked into her eyes – before she gasped and froze. Wide green eyes stared back at her, and some barely audible word crossed her lips. Ruby thought it sounded like… `eyes`.

And then, with a sudden sigh, Lavender Arc collapsed.

Ruby stared at the body.

"I didn't do anything!" she howled.

* * *

 **Poor Rubaby. Good first impressions made, and I'm sure this won't come back to bite anyone. I'd just like to head off some small complaints about the Cinder slap, since the last time I included a slap in a fic, I got yelled at by people shouting about how "it wouldn't be funny if it was reversed" or some such.**

 **In this case, I'm not trying to be funny. I'm trying to show how angry Cinder is. That is all. Feel free to direct any complaints to her, not to me.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 16** **th** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	43. Chapter 43

**Okay, what a day. Well, this may be a little more rushed than usual on account of the fact I've now injured my right ankle (to go with my left wrist). I was asked out to help my mother walk her dog in the forest, and then lost my footing in a concealed hole, twisting my ankle badly. Fell hard, loud crack, but my mother just says "Oh, it'll be fine" and hurries me on. She then gets us lost for a full hour and a half because she "forgot" the route, and didn't want to backtrack, despite that I'm limping and struggling to move.**

 **By the time I get back home, my foot is black and blue and has swollen up badly, and I can barely walk thanks to it. It's not much better today, so I'll be going to the doctors later to let them have a look at it. Since I'll be there for several hours of today, I won't have much time to write.**

 **Also, it's the reason this is late – since I had to fit my appointment into it all, and posted later in the day as a result.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 43**

* * *

Ruby sat wide-eyed on the comfortable couch, clutching a glass of water in her hands so tightly it almost cracked. There was a hand on her left shoulder, and another wrapped about her right, as her partner whispered comforting words into her ear.

"It's okay," Pyrrha said. "You didn't do anything. You don't need to look so worried."

"S-She collapsed the second she saw me!"

"That was probably a coincidence. What else could it be?"

"I-I don't know…" Logic wasn't exactly working at the moment, which felt about right since it came to something related to Jaune, but still, all she'd done was introduce herself and smile. How could that have led to Jaune's sister lying limp on the floor?

Was there something in her teeth? Had she displayed something so horrifying, the girl had passed out in horror? Ruby opened her mouth and poked about inside, but Pyrrha pulled the hand out before she could do anything else.

"Jaune and Weiss are looking after her, Ruby. There's no need for you to panic so much."

"Maybe I should leave. I could come back later?"

"No." Pyrrha's grip tightened. "We both know if I let you go now, you'll never come back. Stay." The taller girl smiled, and Ruby felt a sliver of hope come as a result of it. "You'll see, Ruby. This isn't about you. There's no reason it can be."

Ruby smiled tentatively. "I… I guess you're right…"

After all, there was no way it actually _was_ because of her.

/-/

"Why did you bring one of those monsters here?" Lavender hissed. "How did you even _find_ one!?"

Jaune thanked his lucky stars he'd had the foresight to send Weiss for a glass of water when he saw Lavender waking up, or there'd have been questions for sure. "You mean Ruby?"

"Rub- It has a name!?" She shook her head. "Never mind. What is it doing here? You… Don't tell me you consider that _thing_ a friend?"

"Weeeell…."

"Big Brother!"

"Look, it's not that simple," he said, pushing his sister down. She was laid on a bed he'd found in one of the rooms, though judging from the lack of clothing it was a guest room. It wasn't like he'd had a chance to be shown around before she up and collapsed on them. "Ruby is a friend," he said, and then continued on when she opened her mouth to complain. "She's my first friend. In fact, she's easily my _best_ friend. She means a lot to me."

"S-She's a silver-eyed devil!"

"She's a silver-eyed lovely and friendly girl," he refuted.

"That's so not the point!" Lavender fell back, one arm coming across her face. "The second I looked into her eyes, it was like staring into death itself. Elena screamed out in pain, and it felt like my insides were churning. I tried to say or do something, but I just lost control and blacked out."

"That's probably due to your health," he said, sitting next to her and stroking her hair. "You've always been the weakest of us."

"Not weak," she muttered.

"Not weak," he agreed, "but not entirely healthy, either. I know you work hard to be strong, but something like this probably hit you a lot more than it would anyone else. You can get used to it, though," he added. "I did, and Ruby isn't anything like what Mom said."

"Isn't she?"

"No. She wouldn't hurt us."

Lavender sighed. "You're such an idiot. She wants to be a huntress, which means she already wants to kill Grimm – and she'd probably jump at the chance to kill us if she knew the truth. The only reason she isn't right now is because you're lying to her."

He winced at that, especially since there was no denying it. If there was anything he knew about Ruby, it was how dedicated she was to her dream. Did that necessarily mean they had to be enemies, though?

Honestly… it probably did.

"I can't believe you'd do this," Lavender went on. "I thought you were smarter than this, or at least smart enough to avoid someone like that. I bet Mom doesn't even know any more silver-eyed monsters exist. I thought she'd dealt with them all ages ago!"

"Ruby's a child," he whispered.

"No older than Amber – and she'd kill Amber if she had the chance!"

"You don't know that…"

"Yes I do!" She sat up quickly, knocking him back and then stabbing a finger into his chest. "She tried to fight me when I was masquerading as you, and she shot me in the chest when she did! If my aura had been low, I'd be _dead_ , and she did that thinking it was you!" She poked him again, harder this time. "This isn't a joke, Big Brother. You may think it all okay because she doesn't know what you are, but how long is that going to last? It'll only take one mistake and she'll kill you."

That wasn't… he'd known that, but… well, wouldn't they all kill him if they found out the truth? Ozpin certainly would. He was aware that wasn't much of a defence, but it at least meant Ruby was no worse than Weiss or Pyrrha.

" **I did warn you,"** Remy whispered. **"Back when you saw her flat on her back. You had every chance in the world to walk away, but you just had to go over and help her."**

" _She looked so lonely, though…"_

" **And since when has that been an indicator that someone is harmless?"**

It wasn't. He'd known that. Befriending Ruby had been a mistake, and he'd known it the second he pushed out from behind that tree and approached her. Still, despite that… even with everything it might mean…

"Ruby is my friend. I know it's wrong, but she is. I'm not giving her up."

"Jaune!"

"No, that's final." He swept a hand before him, eyes firm. "She is off-limits to you, and off-limits to everyone else, too. I won't so much as hear of a hand being raised against her other than in self-defence, and even then, only enough as to get away."

Lavender's mouth fell open. "W-What!?"

"So, they're all waiting downstairs," he added, hoping to hurry her along before she could think of another really good reason why he needed to avoid Ruby. "Want to go meet them? It'll be great."

"What?" she said, again. Her eyes widened when he tugged her arm. "J-Jaune, no. I can't. I'm not prepared!"

"What do you mean? You look great."

"I mean mentally prepared! I'll collapse again if that thing-"

"Ruby," he corrected.

"If Ruby looks at me…"

"Well you can't just stay up here after inviting them to meet you," he said. "You're the one who kept pressing me to bring them, even to the point of asking for it as a reward for saving me from Ironwood."

"Yeah, but I didn't think it would be one of their kind," Lavender wailed. "You were supposed to being the pink-eyed Adonis!"

"The what?"

"N-Never you mind that!" She slapped his arm, cheeks red. "The point is that I can't go out there like this. I'll never manage. I-I need a few minutes to collect myself. Not to mention an excuse for why I collapsed the first time…"

"Leave that to me," Jaune said. "I'm the master when it comes to lying."

Lavender regarded him for a few seconds before nodding. "Well, you _have_ been hiding among them for longer than I have. Okay, I'll trust you."

/-/

"So," Weiss said, one eyebrow arched, "let me see if I have this right. Your sister has some kind of ill-health condition that leaves her weak of breath if someone comes near to her and looks into her eyes?"

Jaune nodded. "Yep."

"I've never heard of such a thing."

"That's why it's incurable," he said. "It's so rare doctors haven't even heard of it."

Lavender nodded along, even if a bead of sweat ran down her forehead. Trusting her Big Brother had seemed like a great idea, but now she wished she'd listened to Elena and come up with something herself. She knew the parasite would never be so cruel as to say `I told you so`, but she could feel it nonetheless.

What kind of excuse was that, anyway? There was no way they'd accept that nonsense as the truth, and she could already see the white-haired one looking her up and down with clear suspicion in her eyes. She knew full-well there was no such condition. She knew full-well Jaune was lying. Lavender could only hope the girl didn't realise _why_.

"That's why you fell when Ruby came so close?" the redhead, Pyrrha, asked.

She nodded. "That's right. I'm sorry for scaring you all."

"Lavender is really delicate," Jaune said.

She wanted to pinch him so bad for that one. Delicate, huh? Sure, she might have been a little weak compared to everyone else, but she was still far superior to any mere human. Plus, she'd worked her butt off to be strong and independent. She was _not_ delicate.

Who in their right mind would believe any of this tripe?

"I'm really sorry," the thi - Ruby – said. The girl _sounded_ sweet and kind, but she knew better. She knew the truth. Of course, she couldn't _do_ anything about the truth, since Jaune had essentially vetoed it, and whether or not she liked it, he _was_ her Big Brother. Instead, she just stared at the girl – doing her best to focus on her pale forehead and not her murderous eyes.

"I-It's fine, m-R-Ruby." She swallowed audibly, and felt more sweat appear on her forehead. "I-I guess I was just a little less well than I thought," she stammered. "It was… nothing personal."

"I'm really glad." The girl took her hands, and Lavender froze. "Does that mean we can be friends?"

" **Arghhhhhh!"** Elena cried, writing inside of her and making her feel just as sick. The second the skin had touched hers, she'd looked down automatically – and now felt herself transfixed once more. Forget sweat, she was practically dripping with moisture now, and her face was so red it might have looked purple.

She tried to speak, but only managed an incoherent babble.

Thankfully, the white-haired girl (who was now coincidentally her most-favourite of Jaune's friends), dragged the monstrous fiend off her. "Down, Ruby," she said. "Huh, maybe Jaune wasn't joking after all. That's a rather poignant reaction."

"Why don't you sit down?" Jaune suggested, guiding her by the shoulders and pushing her into an armoire. He took a spot on a couch nearby, coincidentally now between her and the terrifying girl. Which of them that was designed to protect was another matter, since even now her instincts were telling her to draw forth her tentacles and crush slam the girl against a wall as hard as she could.

"Oh my God, I did it again!"

"It's fine, Ruby." Jaune smiled at the thing and patted its knee. Lavender bristled at the familiar motion. It wasn't fine. It wasn't fine, at all. Why was he so close to it? "Isn't it fine, Lavender?" he asked, smiling meaningfully at her. The message was not lost.

"It's fine," she gritted out. "So fine. I have never been finer than I am right now."

Weiss looked between the two and sighed.

Pyrrha laughed nervously.

"So, we should all get to know one another," Jaune said, valiantly trying to bring things back to normality. She was fine with that, since the further the conversation got away from silver eyes, the better. "Anyway, this is my team like we were saying before. Weiss is my partner, and Ruby and Pyrrha are partners as well. Everyone, this is my sister, Lavender. She's younger than me, and the second-youngest of the family."

"A pleasure to meet you all," she said, nodding. The benefit of her current position was that she could only technically meet the eyes of Weiss and Pyrrha, with Ruby trapped on the other side of her brother. "I'm sorry for the display earlier. I… hadn't eaten much today, so perhaps I was a little weaker than I normally would be."

"You shouldn't skip meals, Lav," Jaune said, frowning at her.

She wanted to slap a hand to her forehead. _It was an excuse, you idiot!_ "W-Well, enough about that," she said. "Tell me a little about yourselves. How are you doing with Jaune on your team? I hope he's not being too strange around you all?"

Like, Grimm-strange, or inhuman-strange, or any kind of strange that might get him noticed as something other than normal, and thus brought into trouble.

"Jaune is…" Weiss Schnee trailed off as she stared at him. She worked her tongue around the inside of her mouth, and it looked like she was desperately trying to refrain from saying something. "He's… great," she eventually said. "A true teammate…"

"Aw, Weiss," he crooned.

Lavender rolled her eyes. "You can tell the truth to me. I know what he's like."

"Oh, thank goodness. He's a walking disaster!"

"Weiss!?"

"He has no sense of propriety," Weiss continued, eyes wide. "Some of the things he does never seem to have any basis in common sense, and those that do are so far removed from what is normal I don't know what they are. I realise you and he have been raised away from a social environment, but he's so… so blunt!"

"That sounds like my Big Brother." She giggled honestly at that, and let out a quick breath of relief afterwards. It sounded like he was being his usual self, but clearly he hadn't been too weird or they'd have noticed something off. "Still, I thought you were in a romance with him?"

"Me!?" Weiss recoiled, and then shot a furious glare to the boy. "No, no, no. We are in a _fake_ relationship, but that is just something we need to do at the moment. I don't feel that way, and besides, someone else likes him."

Oh, really? She liked the sound of that, right up until the girl's eyes flickered to the other side of her brother – directly to where the silver-eyed monster sat. No way, anyone but her. There was no way something like that could have happened.

"There is something I'd like to know," Pyrrha said, and Lavender was only too happy to turn and listen to her. "I noticed that you have a weapon by the mantelpiece." She nodded over to where her sword stood. "Are you trained to be a huntress, as well?"

"I'm trained, but I don't want to be a huntress," she said. "It's just that there are a lot of dangerous things around, so Mom and Dad thought it would be a good idea for me to learn to fight."

"To protect you from Grimm, right?" one of those dangerous things asked.

"Sure. Why not?"

"Do you know how to use it?" Weiss asked.

"I'm fairly proficient, though nowhere near as much as Sapphire, our oldest sister."

"Are you better than Jaune?"

"Uh…" How did she answer that without insulting her brother? It wasn't that she was trying to be mean or anything, but… well…

"She is," he said, answering for her. "I'm the worst when it comes to the sword."

"We know," Ruby, Pyrrha and Weiss said as one.

"I was just curious as to why," Weiss added. "I mean, if the rest of your family can use it well, then I don't understand why you have so much difficulty."

The topic was an easier one, and she fell into it without too much difficulty, painting a picture of Jaune as a child being too interested in books, stories and listening to his father's tales than actually training. "You have to understand that Dad is a huntsman," she said. "He travels a lot, and whenever he comes back, he's careful to make sure he spends the same amount of time with each of us. For Sapphire and for me, we wanted to spend time learning his sword style, but Jaune just wanted to sit in front of him and listen to stories."

She paused to smile as the three "oohed" and "awed" at her brother's crimson face and downcast eyes. She half-wished she could have brought one of Mom's photo albums (she had hundreds), but seeing baby Jaune wrestle with a juvenile Beowolf pup might have raised questions, even before they got to the ones of him being put on a Nevermore, falling off, and then having hundreds of Nevermore swoop down to catch him again.

They were cute, but undeniably inhuman.

"It sounds like he was a daddy's boy," Pyrrha said, chuckling at her teammate's embarrassment. "That's adorable."

"Oh, he was a Mommy's boy, too," she said.

"Lavender…" Jaune whined.

No way. He'd already put her through hell, so she was going to get her own back if it _killed_ her. "Jaune's always been the sibling who tries to follow the rules and impress Mom and Dad, but he never really cared all that much for training. He spent most of his time in the library reading." She stuck her tongue out. "Coral calls him the little nerd of the family."

Jaune's shoulders fell in abject mortification.

"It's okay," Ruby silver-eyed Rose said, patting his arm. "Yang calls me a weapons geek, too. We can be nerds and geeks together!"

And just like that, Lavender's good mood turned to ash.

"Thanks, Ruby. You're always there for me."

"Say, Ruby," she began, drawing the girl's attention and shivering when she did. "You're a little young to be a huntress, aren't you? You must be what, fifteen?"

"And three-quarters," the girl said, as if the addition were of grave importance.

"What made you want to become a huntress, anyway?"

"I want to save people."

Jaune shook his head. Lavender ignored it. "From what?"

"The Grimm, I guess. I want to make sure the Grimm can't kill any more people."

"By killing them first, I take it."

"Yep."

She shot her brother a victorious look, but he rolled his eyes and ignored the girl right next to him blatantly admitting her intent to murder him. She'd known he was forgiving, but this was ridiculous. Ruby Rose had the means and the motive to kill them, with the only thing she lacked being the information of who they were. How he didn't see that as a problem, she had no idea.

" _Why hasn't Cinder dealt with this yet? She should be paying attention to things like these!"_

" **Because she is incompetent, my sweet,"** Elena whispered. **"You have always said it was so."**

" _True, but this borders on something beyond even incompetence. Is she wilfully trying to get him killed?"_

" **Do you think she would, my lady?"**

No. No, she didn't. Cinder was many things, an ambitious bitch among them, but she wouldn't harm Jaune, no matter how much she might threaten it. Their Mom hadn't been blind to the girl's thirst for vengeance and power, and her decision to entrust Jaune to her hadn't been as blind a move as it might have looked to some. Cinder had resisted at first, but eventually given in, and whether she liked it or not, Jaune had imprinted himself in her life.

Cinder would not dare lose that, which meant there was something more at work. Annoyingly, she had a feeling Jaune had done the same to Cinder as he had to her.

Jaune took the conversation in a different direction before she could think more on it, and before long she was being inundated with life histories of each of his teammates, along with stories of their adventures at Beacon – which was also the bloody epicentre of Grimm-slaughter around. She kept a pleasant smile on her face through it, all the while inspecting his teammates and processing what she was told.

The Pyrrha girl, for instance, was quite a powerful and skilled fighter, but also famous. Delightfully, that fame didn't seem to have gone to her head which was a relief. The humility mixed with raw capability had crafted an unusual specimen, but one she could approve of. _She also seems enamoured of Jaune if her looks towards him are anything to go by. Maybe I should encourage that?_

It would be a way to get rid of the chance of Ruby snatching him. On the other hand, Weiss Schnee would have made a perfect girlfriend for her brother. She was beautiful, intelligent, wealthy, successful and focused – all things Jaune needed or deserved in one way or another. Being her brother, he couldn't settle for an unattractive woman, after all. He needed the absolute best, and someone worthy of his splendour.

It was just a shame Weiss seemed to be the only one of the team _not_ interested in him, and judging from her denial earlier, she was trying her hardest to remain that way. The reason was obvious, since the team must have been awkward enough with both Ruby and Pyrrha chasing her brother. Weiss probably didn't want to dive head first into that mess. _More sign of her intelligence. She really would be good for Jaune, offering him some much-needed caution._

And hey, Dad hadn't been interested in Mom when he'd first met her, but that relationship had turned out well. Maybe Weiss and Jaune could be the same.

"How about I go get some more drinks for everyone," Lavender said, taking her moment to escape for a quick break.

"I'll come with you," Jaune offered instantly. When she shot him a curious look, he coughed into one hand. "I have something I need to ask you," he admitted.

"Oh, I see. We'll be back in a moment."

Their guests waved them off, and Lavender led Jaune into the kitchen, closing the door behind her. For added security, she gently turned on a nearby radio as well, allowing the sound to mute their voices.

"What is it?" she asked. "If this is about that girl, then I think I've been perfectly-"

"It's not about Ruby," he interrupted. "It's Cinder." When she remained quiet, he continued. "I need some advice about her."

"About what, exactly?"

He sighed. "I may have upset her."

"May?"

"Okay, I've definitely upset her."

Oh, and wasn't that not nearly as terrible a thing as she was supposed to suggest. Lavender made sure to gasp and smile sympathetically, while inside she was cheering happily. "Well, that's a shame," she said. "Maybe you should just forget about her. I'll always be there for you, Big Brother."

"Lavender…" He frowned at her.

"I'm just saying that nothing lasts forever. Maybe she wants to move on."

He crossed his arms.

"Maybe you should move on?" she tried.

"Help. Me." His words were short and succinct. She tried to resist them, but he looked her in the eyes and drove the final nail into her coffin. "Please, Lavender. You're my sister. I trust you…"

Argh, the killing blow! Her spirits rose even as they dove, creating a bizarre state of thrilled and annoyed within her. She couldn't even lie now, since he'd as good as begged for her help. Her! He wanted his little sister's help. What kind of cruel witch would she be if she led him wrong, now? She'd be as bad as one of those silver-eyed monsters.

"Fine," she sighed, leaning back on the counter. "Tell me what you did, and don't miss anything out."

He did, and Lavender listened with a tiny scowl. It got worse when she heard about him dismissing his own safety, and then morphed into an understanding nod when he mentioned how Cinder slapped him. Damn it. It would have been so easy to push him in the wrong direction and away from that bitch, but nooo, he had to look at her with those trusting eyes, and suddenly all her clever plans fizzled into a useless pool of goo around her feet.

"You're an idiot," she said once she was done.

Jaune blinked. "Is that the answer, or just a random observation?"

"Both," she said. "Jaune, I love you. You know that. But if you ever said what you did to her to me, I'd slap you five times, once with my hand, and once with each tentacle." She tapped her chin. "I'd then ring Mom and tell her what you said, and she'd probably come here in person to bend you over her knee."

He winced. "That bad?"

"Worse. You as good as told Cinder you cared more about her survival than you did her own."

"Which I do," he pointed out.

"Which you do," she agreed, "but that doesn't mean you need to _say_ it. That's like… I don't know what it's like. Dad would kill himself if he knew it would save us from death, but that doesn't mean we want to hear him say it, nor to know that kind of fate awaits us if we make a mistake. It puts pressure on us, and on her, and also makes it sound like you don't value your own life."

"What? Of course I value it. I wouldn't have run away to work for my dreams if I didn't."

"I know, and she does too, but it's the way you said it."

Jaune nodded, not agreeing, but perhaps coming to understand. "So, that's why she slapped me?"

"Oh no. You did something _far_ worse to deserve that." She prodded his chest, and if it was hard enough to push him back, that was only because he deserved it. "What were those last words you said? _If you're worried Mom will be angry, you can just say it's my fault._ " She mimicked his voice, or at least how she imagined it, casually dismissive and joking. Once she was done, she rolled her eyes. "You basically accused her of caring more about what Mom would say than about you. That would be like saying Dad only loves us because he's afraid Mom would be angry if he didn't, and that he secretly hates our guts."

To her amusement, Jaune's mouth fell open. The notion was ridiculous, of course, since Dad was only about half as humiliating as Mom was when it came to cooing over them. Still, it was an apt comparison and certainly looked to have driven the point home. He groaned and covered his face with one hand.

"I'm such an idiot."

"Yep. I did tell you that."

"No, like, a real idiot…"

"The worst," she agreed. "You might have made me cry. If it were me," she quickly added when his head shot up, eyes wide in horror. As it was, since he'd gone and pissed Cinder off, he'd instead made her day. Yay for progress!

"I need to apologise to her…"

"Do you, though?"

"Lavender, she's your sister."

"No, she's not." She crossed her arms and pouted. "I have six sisters and one brother, none of which are called Cinder Fall."

"Well, _I_ consider her a sister-" Jaune began. He got no further for she threw her arms in the air and interrupted.

"Why? You already have seven sisters. Do you really need one more?"

"I don't see the problem," he said. "Why are you so upset?"

Ugh, he really was an idiot. "Nothing," she said, turning away and busying herself with the kettle. "Forget it. Just go and take some juice out to your friends." Stupid big brother and stupid feeling he needed more sisters. Weren't she and the others enough? If he wanted to spend more time with her, she'd have been thrilled. Instead, he'd stuck with his comics, books and dream of somehow creating peace between the Grimm and the humans who relentlessly hunted and slew them.

And now with a silver-eyed devil, too.

One whose voice echoed from directly behind. "Um, Lavender?"

"Y-Yes, Ruby?" she replied, jumping a little but keeping her eyes ahead. If she didn't turn around, she wouldn't meet those terrifying silver orbs, and if she didn't do that, then she could pretend this was just another normal human she didn't need to be afraid of. "What is it?" she asked. "Do you want something to eat?"

"No, it's fine. I just… I wanted to ask you something… since you're my best friend's sister, I mean. You know him best and everything, right?"

Despite their animosity (not that the girl knew it), Lavender did preen a little at that. "Well, I certainly know him better than a lot of people do. He's my Big Brother, after all. I spent a lot of time trying to earn his attention."

Unlike Cinder…

"So, you could maybe give me some advice if I asked for it?"

Advice… from her?

" **Whatever she asks, tell her the solution is to walk head-first into a wood chipper."**

" _Be nice, Elena,"_ she rebuked, even if a part of her chuckled at the idea. Jaune would be angry, and then he'd distance himself even more from the family – and there was no way she wanted that. No matter what she wanted, Ruby Rose had to be left alone.

But that didn't mean she had to be helped in any way.

"I'll do what I can," she said. "Shoot. D-Do you mind if I keep looking this way, though? It's just a little easier…"

"That's fine." Ruby giggled. Her laughter trailed off a second later, and from the sound of it the girl was shuffling her feet together. "So… well, I… I have this _friend_ , okay?"

"Yes…?"

"And this friend, which isn't me by the way, but this friend maybe likes a guy… Jaune," she added. "She likes Jaune."

"A friend, or you?"

"The friend!" Ruby gasped. "T-The friend is definitely not me. It's a really close friend who trusts me and asked for advice, and I promised I'd ask you for it since they're shy and don't want it to be noticed. It's not me, though. It's my friend."

Lavender sweat dropped a little but waited for the girl to continue. A friend of the girl, hmm…? Interesting. And this friend liked Jaune? Wait… Could she have been talking about that Pyrrha girl? Lavender's eyes widened at her genius. Of course, it made so much sense! The friend trusted her, and was close, and who closer than your own partner in Beacon? Plus, with how humble the championship fighter was, that would make her feel shy and nervous around Jaune.

" **She could be talking about herself,"** Elena said.

" _Oh please, she said it was a friend. Why would she lie?"_

" **True enough, my sweet. You're probably right. I don't really understand much of human mannerisms anyway."**

Exactly, and Ruby Rose was way too simple to lie to someone like her. "Okay," Lavender said, smiling to herself. "So, your _friend_ likes my brother. I promise I won't tell anyone. Go on…"

"T-Thanks. Well, the problem is that I li- I mean my friend likes Jaune, and I think he liked m-her too, or used to. But… uh… someone else kind of got him to like her as well, and now my _friend_ isn't sure what to do about it."

"I see…" Lavender cupped her chin in thought. Well, from what she'd seen that couldn't be Weiss, since she knew well enough that relationship was fake. _Could Ruby be referring to herself here?_ The idea made sense, and she nodded along. Pyrrha was the friend, and Ruby was the other girl. It was so obvious.

"And my friend wasn't sure if she liked Jaune at first, but I've changed my mind now – or my friend has, I mean. She…. Maybe… sort of…" Ruby paused, and then swallowed audibly. "Maybe likes him… more than she should…."

"Because the other girl is already with him?" Lavender asked.

"Y-Yeah…"

"And you're asking me for advice on what this `friend` should do, right?"

"Yeah… should she just give up and move on? I mean, if he has the other person first, then that's right, right? You can't just steal someone away."

No, you couldn't, or shouldn't, but at the same time if it was Pyrrha stealing Jaune away from Ruby, then she could make an exception. "It's not as easy as that," she said, adopting a lecturing pose, even if it was diminished somewhat by the fact she was too afraid to face the girl. "Your friend shouldn't think of it as stealing, but rather of making sure Jaune and her – and maybe even the other girl – end up with the person you all _really_ love."

"Real love…?"

"Oh, of course. Teenagers get together all the time, but no one expects it to last forever." Or so she'd read in some of Coral's books. "Even so, if Jaune is with you - I mean, this first girl right now – then that doesn't mean it's _perfect_ , you know? Would P-your friend really want to sit back and do nothing when it might make _everyone_ miserable? What if Jaune and this first girl aren't meant to be? What if it doesn't work out? What if it does, but he might have been _happier_ with your friend – and maybe the first girl has someone else she would come to love even _more_ than Jaune? If people sit back and do nothing, then you might never know."

"Really?" Ruby asked with a hint of something _odd_ in her voice. "But wouldn't that be unfair to the first girl?"

Well, obviously _she_ would think that, since she was the one being left out in this example. Even so, Lavender nodded. "You shouldn't think about it in terms of right or wrong, but in what it might mean in the long-term. If your friend sits back and does nothing, then she might lose the love of her life. Is that really worth a little bit of honour or pride, especially if Jaune might not even be the right person for the first girl? Your friend is basically giving up her chances for happiness for nothing."

"You're saying it's better to take a risk and be happy, than sit back and always regret it?"

"Precisely… and be sure to tell your friend that! She needs to strike quickly before the other girl can sink her evil claws into him any further!"

"She's not evil," Ruby whined.

It really was, even if Jaune didn't believe it. The silver-eyed devil was pure evil, while Pyrrha looked like an absolute saint by comparison. It would be for the best this way round, even if Jaune might be angry at her later. _At least he can be honest and have a real relationship with Pyrrha. He'd either have to lie his whole life with Ruby, or take her prisoner._

That was no basis for a good wife, and what the hell would even happen if they had silver-eyed half-Grimm babies!? It would be ridiculous. They'd be knocking themselves out every time they looked in the mirror.

"Thanks, Lavender," Ruby said, even if she sounded a little distracted. "You've… given me a lot to think about."

"No problem, Ruby." She smiled viciously. "I'm always here to help."

/-/

Ruby stood beside Pyrrha and watched as Jaune said farewell to his sister, who now seemed to be a lot more stead on her feet since the three of them were further away. It must have been hard to have an illness like that.

"Don't be a stranger, Big Brother," she said, hugging him tightly. "And maybe bring your _other_ friends to visit as well, especially any male friends with dark hair and beautiful pink eyes. I'd love to meet them."

Pyrrha laughed, as did Ruby. She felt bad for Lavender though, since she was fairly sure the obvious instructions would go flying over Jaune's head. She also had no idea what Nora might do if she ever found out about this, which was probably a good reason to make sure she never found out in the first place.

It was probably for the best.

Before thee two parted, Lavender looked over to Ruby, and even though she shivered a little, she still managed to wink and lean a little closer. "Remember to tell your `friend` what I said."

Ruby's cheeks went red, but she nodded quickly. The emphasis she'd put on the word made it pretty clear she hadn't been nearly as subtle as she'd thought, but who on Remnant would have fallen for the "my hypothetical friend" thing? You'd have to have been raised under a rock to take that at face value.

As Jaune re-joined them and they made their way back to Beacon, Ruby remained silent in the face of the good-natured banter between the team, of Weiss asking why he wasn't as proficient as his sisters, and Pyrrha asking for more stories of baby Jaune listening to stories on his father's knee. Jaune bore it all with a laugh and a red face, rubbing the back of his head as he gave in to some demands, but held firm on others. Ruby smiled, but was too distracted to really take part.

Was Lavender right?

Should she really take the chance of hurting Yang like that?

It felt wrong, but there was no denying that some of what Jaune's sister said had sounded true. If she did nothing and Jaune and Yang broke up down the line, then she'd have wasted her own chance for nothing, and if Jaune _was_ loyal to Yang, he'd just say no to her. Plus, hadn't Yang practically told her to try and get closer to him?

Was it really stealing if she had Yang's encouragement?

It felt like it…

It really did.

"Hey, Jaune," Ruby whispered, sidling up to him at a moment where Pyrrha and Weiss were lost in conversation.

He glanced down at her and smiled. He always smiled at her, and not in that indulgent way Yang did. He smiled like he was happy to see her. "Yeah?" he asked.

"You like Yang, right?"

"Of course."

Okay, cool. He did. That was fine. Her stomach twisted a little, but it was okay. This would be super easy if he just liked Yang all the way and had no time for her. She could back off and be happy for her sister without any confusing feelings getting in the way.

The time for subtlety was gone. She needed to be blunt. Jaune levels of blunt!

"Do you like me?" she asked, and instantly wanted to hide under a rock a second later. Was that too blunt? It felt too blunt. It felt like Cardin's mace to the face. There was no way Jaune would answer tha-

"Of course I do."

"Not like," she said, accurately guessing what he meant. "I mean…. _Like_ -like."

"Like-like?"

Ugh, why did he have to make thing so complicated? Her cheeks were already red, and she had to spare a glance for their teammates to make sure they weren't listening in. They weren't, so she bit her lip and forged ahead.

"I mean… not like a friend. It's…" The words failed her – as they often did. "Do you think I'm pretty?" she asked instead.

Jaune blinked once, but answered immediately. "Yes."

"You could at least look. No one's going to believe you if you just say it straight away!"

"But I don't need to look," he said. "I get to see you in our room all the time."

Her mind died. "W-W-What!?"

"Well, I mean we share a room," he said, waving a hand like it was nothing. "And you walk around in your pyjamas in front of me." He carried on, heedless of her wide eyes and rapidly darkening face. He… He… He… "I'd have to be blind not to pay attention, especially when you wake up in the morning and you're all cute and sleepy."

"Gah…"

Okay, okay, deep breaths. This could still be Jaune being Jaune. He might just be making statements – even if she'd just found out he maybe paid as much attention to her getting changed as she did to him. Not that she looked, of course. Except only when he changed his top – and come on, Pyrrha and Weiss looked too! It wasn't just her!

She had to be sure, though. She had to be absolutely certain.

"And do you… do you like what you see when you look?"

Jaune glanced to her and raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't look if I didn't. Why?"

"N-No reason," she stammered, looking away.

Oh…

Oh…

OH…

Things had… become a little more complicated.

* * *

 **Well, Lavender gets to officially join the Qrow school of misunderstood shipping advice. On another note, I'm back from my doctor now and it is a minor fracture in my right ankle, made worse by the fact I had to limp for another hour or more on it through the forest. My foot is in a weird corrective boot thing, and I have a crutch if I need it.**

 **Wow… so, yeah. Left wrist in a brace and right foot in a cast. I am now half the man I used to be (Yang, plz...)! We'll see what else drops off next, I guess. At first I thought it was the ghost of all the Jaune's I've put through such horror in my fics, but some people have pointed out it is more likely the Pyrrha's I've deprived of their noodle.**

 **Makes sense, I guess. Take pity on me, Pyrrha! I am already beaten!**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 23** **rd** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	44. Chapter 44

**Okay, I'm pleased to announce that in the last seven days I have managed** _ **not**_ **to injure myself any further. Thank you, thank you, your applause is, of course, appreciated. With my "not injured" status updated, let's get on with things!**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 44**

* * *

Ruby sat in her room atop her bed and with the covers pulled up to cover her mouth and nose, leaving only her eyes visible over the top. It was a position she was used to, though only whenever Yang convinced her to watch a horror movie and not normally one she took to protect herself from wandering eyes.

Not that the subject of her nervousness was looking at that moment. In fact, the roles were quite hypocritically reversed.

"I was sure I washed my onesie yesterday. Did I leave it in the laundry room?"

Ruby didn't know; didn't care either, really. Her attention was too focused on the fact her teammate was naked but for his trousers and bending over into the wardrobe, his hair hanging loose and rough down his back. Jaune never really looked it with what he wore, his hoodie and armour being quite concealing, but he actually had a fairly muscled body… which should have been obvious considering how strong he was. Strong as in pure endurance and strength, as opposed to raw skill.

It wasn't an overly muscled thing like those pictures Yang had shown her from a body builder's convention. Neither of them had been too impressed with those, and Yang had groaned about people with more bulk than brains. Ruby hadn't really seen the appeal either way, and hadn't in any of the other men Yang drooled over, but if she did – and she wasn't saying she did – then she felt she'd like someone that looked like what she was staring at right now.

Not that she was saying she had anything for Jaune, obviously…

"Not at all," she whispered into her quilt, drawing it a little higher but – importantly – not enough to cover her eyes.

She liked the way his muscles showed when he flexed, kind of like they were there but hiding, revealing corded strength when he stood back up and placed both hands on his hips. His back formed a perfect V, with a crease on his spine that let down to his firm, round-

"Ruby."

What? No, not his Ruby. His-

"Ruby," Weiss repeated, this time accompanying the call with a pillow to the side of the head. "Stop staring."

"I'm not staring!" she hissed back, cheeks bright red.

"Oh, really? Ruby… when even _I_ start to feel like I should be protecting my partner's honour, you know it's bad. Nora stares at Ren less than you do him."

"Who?" Jaune asked, and Ruby's face drained of all blood.

"No one," Weiss answered. "Why don't you just put a shirt on and sleep like that for tonight? You can look for your onsie in the morning." She lowered her voice and murmured, "If someone hasn't done the world a favour and set fire to it."

"I suppose I could just wear a shirt to bed…"

"Let's not be too hasty," Pyrrha called.

Weiss and Ruby stared at her.

She coughed and looked away.

With Jaune distracted once more, Ruby kept her voice low and slid over to the edge of her bed so she could whisper to Weiss. She still kept her blanket pulled up to cover her pyjama-clad form, even if she wasn't sure why. "I really wasn't staring, Weiss…"

Weiss raised an eyebrow.

"Well… not much… You were looking, too!"

"I may have indulged," she admitted, not quite as embarrassed as Ruby was. "Just because I don't care for it doesn't mean I am completely without interest. If something is good to look at, I'll look. Still, I'm not quite as blatant as you are… and you're not normally this weird, either. What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Ruby managed to hold for ten seconds while Weiss gave her a pointed look that said she'd have to be an idiot to believe that. "Okay, it's not nothing," she finally admitted. She glanced to Jaune, who had finally picked out a shirt and put it on. He went into the bathroom to brush his teeth, and Ruby took the opportunity to scoot a little closer. "Hey Weiss, have you ever… _liked_ someone before?"

No one could accuse Weiss of being an idiot, and it didn't take her long to put one and one together, nor to figure where the conversation was going. Her eyes widened and she glanced between the bathroom door and Ruby.

"No," she said. "No, I haven't. So… why don't you ask Pyrrha for advice, instead? I bet she has."

Over on the other side of the room, Pyrrha waved her hands before her and mouthed "no" over and over, but there was no way Weiss was going to be the one to handle this, and she instead turned back to Ruby.

"She's also your partner too, so she'll have a much better answer. I'm just a cold-hearted ice-queen, right? What would I know about complicated issues of love and romance?"

"I thought you hated that name," Ruby said.

Weiss' brow prickled with sweat.

"Are you trying to push me away because you don't want to answer it?"

"O-Oh my, look at this." Weiss held up her scroll. "I have to check my stocks and shares and there's a message from my sister. Busy – busy. So very busy."

No one could accuse Weiss of being stupid, but few did of Ruby either, and she internally rolled her eyes. Weiss was great when it came to helping with school work, but she could get really weird whenever it was outside of that. Maybe she was uncertain what to do, or maybe she just thought getting involved with anything related to her and Jaune was a bad idea.

Which, Ruby freely admitted, it probably was.

"Hey, Pyrrha," Ruby sighed, sitting down on her partner's bed.

"H-Hello, Ruby," the redhead winced, no doubt knowing the coming conversation was going to be a difficult one. "How can I help?"

"Have you ever liked someone?"

Her partner sighed. "Yes…"

"Did you ever wonder if you liked them or maybe question whether you _actually_ liked them?"

"Yes, Ruby…" Pyrrha chuckled. "I question it all the time."

There was a little more emotion there than Ruby knew what to deal with, and she knew Pyrrha wouldn't expand any further on it. "How do you figure out if you like someone in that kind of way? How do you make sure you're not just getting it wrong or making a mistake?"

Maybe she didn't like Jaune that way. Maybe she was getting embarrassed – and for good reasons – but mistaking that as attraction. To believe those tacky movies, love was meeting someone and having a heavenly chorus appear out of nowhere – a moment of complete and instant realisation that this was love and nothing could ever beat it. Real life was going to be harder obviously, she knew that, but just _how hard_ it could be was driving her insane.

"I don't think there's any guaranteed way to make sure," Pyrrha said, making herself more comfortable with Ruby beside her on the bed. "Everyone reacts in a different way, so maybe it's more obvious for some people than it is for others. For me, it's a matter of liking the way a person acts, who they are and what they believe in. Some people are more physical though, liking the way people look or their appearance."

Ruby's smile faded. "Is that bad?"

"No, no, no." She shook her head, and Ruby let out a sigh of relief. "I don't think it's shallow to like someone for how they look, even if other people might say it is. Everyone needs to do what they must to make themselves happy, after all. I think being shallow is saying looks are more important than personality, but what you probably feel is that you _also_ like the way he – they – look." Pyrrha tried to deflect the idea of who it might be, but Ruby was fairly sure she knew.

"It's Jaune," she admitted.

Pyrrha smiled bitterly. "I already knew."

"Yeah… I guess I'm pretty obvious."

"Just a little." Pyrrha hugged her with one arm and Ruby smiled. "You're my partner, Ruby. I think after we've become such good friends, I'd be able to read you a little. Not that it's very hard when you've been staring at him since we left his sister's house."

"That's the magic word," Ruby groaned. "Sister. How am I supposed to know if I like Jaune when he's already dating Yang? Isn't it evil of me to like him?"

"Considering how much Yang is trying to push him onto you?" Pyrrha asked. "I doubt it. Besides, they've been on one date. I wouldn't exactly call that the two of them being together. It's not official and Jaune is even pretending to be Weiss' boyfriend, so I wouldn't say he and Yang are that close." Yet, she didn't add.

"What should I do?" Ruby asked.

"I can't answer that."

She rounded on her partner, eyes wide. "What!?"

"It's your choice to make, Ruby. I can't tell you what you should or shouldn't do… not if it might come between you and Yang."

That was fair, she supposed. Pyrrha didn't want to take the blame if it went badly, and Ruby didn't want to feel any enmity towards her friend in that case either. "What would you do if it was you?" she asked. "Not about Yang, but… just about not knowing if you like someone or not. Would you try to figure it out on your own?"

"At first, maybe, but eventually I'd have to make a decision. You could always ask him to the dance."

"B-But I don't know if I really like him yet…"

"And the dance is just a dance. It's not marriage, or even anything else like that. I think that's why people go on dates, Ruby. It's so they can find out whether their feelings are true or not. If you go to the dance with him, you can see if you like him as just a friend or maybe something more. The worst that can happen is that you realise he's just a friend and you have a fun time as friends." She shrugged. "Hardly a terrible outcome."

It didn't sound too bad, and Ruby nodded optimistically. It would be way easier than going on an _actual_ romantic date, since if she didn't feel it at the dance she could just retire early or hide with Pyrrha and Weiss for the rest of the evening.

But that raised the terrifying prospect of having to ask someone to the school dance.

"I'd do _something_ though, Ruby," Pyrrha said, catching her attention once more. "If I were in your shoes, I mean. I wouldn't do nothing and I wouldn't sit back and watch the person I liked move on to someone else because my cowardice prevented me from acting. I'd never do that. If you want to win, whether it's in battle or romance, you need to go on the offensive at some point."

The words made her nervous and she swallowed loudly. "Y-You're right. I know you're right, but it's just scary."

Pyrrha laughed and rubbed Ruby's head. "You'll be fine, Ruby. I believe in you."

"I'm glad someone does." She turned and threw her arms around Pyrrha, surprising her with a quick hug. "You're the best partner ever, Pyrrha. I was nervous being on this team at first but you've been awesome."

"Ahem?" Weiss coughed meaningfully. The two ignored her, and Pyrrha gently wrapped her arms about Ruby, as well.

"You too, Ruby. It's not the partnership I expected, but I wouldn't give it up for anything."

Neither would she, and they both laughed as they parted, their bond a little stronger for the words being spoken. In the bathroom, she could already hear the sink running, indicating the subject of their conversation would soon emerge, but there was still a little time – and one final thing she felt had to be asked.

"Who is it you like, anyway? You said you _like_ someone, not liked. Maybe I could help you with the person. I want you to be happy, as well."

Pyrrha smiled and rubbed Ruby's head.

"It's a nice thought, but I think I've made my choice."

And Jaune emerged from the bathroom before Ruby could ask what she meant. With him climbing into bed, and Weiss snapping her scroll of, all she could do was return to her own and snuggle under the blankets as the lights went out.

Why did things have to be so confusing?

/-/

"And that's the purpose of the Vytal Festival," Doctor Oobleck said, finishing his lecture on the layout, organisation and aims of the upcoming festival and tournament. "Are there any questions? Mr Arc, you look fit to burst. Is there something you wished to ask?"

"Oh boy," Weiss groaned, cheek in hand.

Beside her, Jaune could barely contain his excitement. No, his glee – or something far stronger, euphoria, perhaps. His cheeks were red, his eyes sparkling. "Are you saying the entire festival is designed to promote peace and co-operation!?"

"Indeed it is, Mr Arc. After the last war, the Festival espouses diplomatic solutions. Why, even the manufacture of it involved the four major Kingdoms, and the rotational nature of its location every four years assures that citizens have a chance to visit and better understand the culture of each kingdom, making everyone far more understanding of the various quirks and differences between our fellow man."

That was it. His hands slammed down on the desk, coincidentally waking up several slumbering students with startled snorts. "That's _incredible_!" he gasped. "That's got to be the most amazing idea ever conceived!"

Doctor Oobleck removed his glasses and dabbed at one eye with a handkerchief. His smile was enough to have Weiss rolling her eyes. "It truly is, Mr Arc. I am pleased – no, enthused – to see a student realise just how monumental the event is. Truly, it is one of the many marvels of Remnant."

"But what about the tournament?" Yang whined from several seats down. She looked as bored as 99% of the classroom, and the bags around her eyes suggested she'd only just woken up. "Tell us about the good stuff, prof. How do the fights work?"

"That's Doctor, thank you, and I _am_ telling you about the best part."

"You're talking about politics…"

"The politics of peace," Jaune interrupted, still smiling fit to burst. He wasn't sure why Yang looked vaguely disgusted with him, but not even that could dampen his cheer. This was _proof_ that humans could band together in search of peace if they had to, and proof that even after long wars, co-operation could occur.

Sure, the war between Grimm and humans was probably a little more longstanding - and blood-thirsty, and emotional, and complicated - but hey, it was still a war. All he needed to do was come up with some kind of Vytal Festival-esque event for them, too.

" **Will it involve an arena where we throw people to fight against Grimm?"**

" _Remy!"_

" **What!? That's what they do here. I'm only embracing my human side."** When Jaune didn't respond, the parasite grumbled to himself. **"I bet Penny would have liked my idea…"**

"Well, I suppose we could talk about the fights," Oobleck said, sighing dramatically even as almost everyone in the classroom went from torpor to alert in an instant. Ruby was gripping the desk so hard it looked ready to break, and even Nora had stopped talking to Ren to listen.

For an academy designed to train and foster the development of Huntsman, the tournament itself was perhaps understandably of interest to the population, even if it was unlikely many first-year teams would get the chance to compete.

Oobleck walked to his blackboard, for the first time having the full attention of every single student in the class. In flowing, cursive script he wrote the word `tournament` on the black board, and then turned to the class and took a deep breath.

"Basically, it's a tournament. You win, you move on. You lose, you don't. That's it, really. It's not all that exciting."

Yang, Nora and Ruby's faces hit the desk.

"Now, back to the _political_ aspects! The original founder of the Vytal Festival was-" The lecture, much to Jaune's dismay, was cut off by the bell sounding for lunch. "Hm well, it appears we have gone a little over schedule. We'll cover more of the founding in our next lesson, but for now remember that the Vytal Festival is designed for peace and prosperity, and with that in mind we should welcome our new guests from other kingdoms with open arms. Class dismissed."

As they all filed out, Jaune resisted the urge to stay behind and talk with the knowledgeable professor, instead meeting with his team and Team RYBN in the halls.

"Sheesh, how does he make the tournament sound boring?" Nora groaned. "Who cares about politics? I just want a chance to break some legs."

"I liked-"

"You don't count," she said, pointing to Jaune. "You're weird. Argh, I can't wait for it to arrive. Ren, we need to spar more to train for it if we're going to win."

" _If_ you are going to attempt to win," Weiss corrected. "It will depend where in the tournament you're sorted and who you end up fighting. If it's us, we'll apologise in advance for knocking you out of it. You can always try again in four years."

"Not much muscle on those legs," Nora said, nodding down below Weiss' skirt. "Like matchsticks, really."

"And your over-large construction tool won't touch them."

"Oh, really?"

Seeing the oncoming disaster, Jaune stepped into the middle of it, coincidentally met by Ren as he did the same on his end, the two of them breaking up the argument before it could even begin. "Nice weather we're having, hey?" Jaune asked.

"Very warm for this time of year," Ren agreed. "It's pleasant."

"REN! Don't fraternise with the enemy!"

He sighed as he was dragged away. "Since when has Jaune been the enemy?"

"Since now," Nora argued. "Or maybe forever. What if he's been our true enemy all along, but only pretended to be our friends so that he could later betray us in a dramatic reveal?"

"And how likely is that supposed to be?" Blake asked sarcastically. "Or are you just quoting a novel."

"And then he'll bend Ren over and take him from behind," Nora finished. "Oh wait, maybe I was quoting one of _your_ novels."

Blake's eyes flashed angrily. "My books aren't porn!"

"Then why get so defensive?"

"Because you're accusing me of reading smut!"

"Which, if you didn't, wouldn't offend you since I'd just be wrong." Nora nodded to the book in Blake's hand. "I read that one, by the way."

The faunus' face went white. "W-When? How?"

"The other day. You left it on the side. I don't think people can bend like that in a shower, Blake. Not while lifting one another up an-" The tale was cut off as Blake's hand slapped over her partner's mouth and she dragged her away, probably for a telling off. Ren followed with a sigh and a wave to Jaune and his team in farewell. Judging from the look on his face, he knew he'd be dragged into some kind of intense training regime whether he liked it or not.

"Hey Rubes, can I talk to you for a moment?" Yang asked, staying behind to grab her sister's arm. "In private?"

Ruby looked nervous. "Uh… sure…"

And that left just him, Weiss and Pyrrha – with everyone having abandoned them. "Well, what do you two want to… do…"

There was a curious lack of Weiss or Pyrrha in the spot he'd left them. In fact, there was no one at all. They must have slipped off when Nora and Blake started arguing, and had either not bothered to take him along or – more likely – he'd missed their subtle hints and they'd been forced to give up and leave him behind.

" **Penny wouldn't have left you behind…"**

" _I told you, Remy. I'm not taking Penny to the dance no matter how many times you ask."_

" **I was just saying…"**

Yeah, and he'd been `just saying` since he came up with the idea that morning, and he hadn't heard anything since. _"Sometimes I think you'd rather be HER parasite than mine."_

" **Hmm…"**

" _That wasn't an offer!"_

Sheesh, what would Mom say if she found out he'd somehow managed to turn Remy mutinous? Not that he thought the parasite really meant it. He was only teasing. Still, he could bet none of his sisters had to put up with anything like this. If Cinder found out…

Cinder…

"Ugh, just another thing I need to fix sooner or later." He'd tried to catch her eye during the lesson, but she was predictably – and understandably – not interested. She and her team had sped away afterwards and he'd never had the chance to reach her. _Maybe I should go and see her now in her room. The worst she can do is refuse to answer the door…_ And leave him stood outside like an idiot, again.

It was worth a shot and he turned in that direction before he came to an abrupt halt, nearly running over the person stood in front of him.

"Sorry," he said, quickly catching himself before he tripped over and squashed the girl. "I wasn't watching where I was going. I- wait, I remember you. Velvet, right?"

The girl, Velvet, nodded nervously, her long brown ears twitching slightly as she found his full attention descending on her. She had one hand behind her back, the other held in a fist in front of her chest, and her eyes didn't quite meet his, but instead focused on his forehead, almost like she was trying to make eye contact without actually having to.

"Y-You remembered my name!?"

"Should I not have…?"

"N-No!"

"No, I shouldn't?" He winced. "I'm sorry, then."

"N-No!" she repeated, this time with a shake of the head. "Not that. I… I um, well, it's great, actually. I'm r-really happy you remember who I am." She smiled, but it came off a little plastic – even to him. "I remember you, as well," she added. "I… um… couldn't forget you, if you know what I mean. Maybe…"

It didn't sound like she was pleased with it, not from how much she was stuttering. He wasn't sure if he was really that scary, but the fact he was so close was maybe making it worse on her. He took a step back to give her space, but even that wasn't enough to make her able to look him in the eye.

"Am I in your way?" he asked, trying to sound as nice and kind as possible. "I'm really sorry if I am, and I'm sorry again for bumping into you – and for remembering your name."

"What? N-No, no, I said that was fine." She waved both hands before her. "And actually, I… uh… you're not in my way. I wanted to ask you something. If that's okay, I mean. If it's not, that's fine. You're probably really busy."

"Not that busy," he said, thinking of his impending apology and wincing at the thought of it. Cowardly or not, he'd take a distraction if it were available. "You said you wanted to ask me something? Shoot. I'll listen."

In fact, it was maybe a sign of her getting over her fear of him – and that was a thought nearly as pleasing as Oobleck's lecture about the peaceful protests and movements that led to the Vytal Festival. Making friends with Velvet would be his first step on the journey to uniting Grimm and humankind.

Velvet looked terrified. "Y-You will?"

"Sure. Ask whatever you want. I'll answer."

"R-Right now?"

"Is there a better time?"

"No." Velvet shook her head and took a deep breath. "Okay, here I go. Will you… will you…"

"Will I…?" Jaune tried.

"Will you… Will you… t-t…" Her eyes clenched shut. "WILL YOU TELL ME THE TIME!?"

/-/

Mercury stood against the wall, arms crossed and one foot balanced on it as he watched Velvet approach and Jaune walk away, shaking his head in confusion. He didn't pay much attention to that, however, and instead focused on the red-faced, brown-haired bunny-girl in front of him. She came to a stop not three feet away from him and he sighed.

"Well…?"

Velvet looked down and shuffled her feet.

"It's ten minutes past twelve," she whispered.

Mercury stared at her.

Velvet stared back.

"ARGH!" she suddenly howled, running into him and pressing her face into his chest. She didn't cry, and instead slammed the flat of one fist into his shoulder even as she brought her face back and smacked it into his chest over and over. "Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why am I so stupid!?"

"I'm taking it things didn't go to plan…"

"I want to kill myself," Velvet groaned, her voice muffled in his shirt. "I want to travel back in time, catch me before I can talk to him – and punch me in the face. Why can't I talk when I see him? Why am I so pathetic!?" She started to bang her face on him again, and he let her do it with a low sigh.

If Emerald could see him now she'd have laughed her ass off, but she wasn't here and he didn't care about the prospect as much as he'd thought he would. Mercury placed his hands on Velvet's shoulders instead, pushing her back before she could give herself brain damage.

"It was your first try," he said, not unkindly.

"If I can even call that a try," Velvet mumbled. "I looked like an idiot."

True, and he didn't even bother to refute that since she'd call him a liar. Velvet was surprisingly quick when it was just the two of them and certainly wasn't afraid to speak her mind. It was just when she was around other people that she fell back into stammering and awkward silences, much like she had with him when they'd first met.

"You'll just have to try again next time," he said. "We've still got time until the dance."

"I know…" Velvet growled and pushed away from him. She looked up, her chocolate-coloured eyes meeting his with an intensity he hadn't seen in them before. "Mercury, I really like you. I think I have feelings for you. Please, _please_ , take me to the dance!"

W-What…? His mouth ran dry and his brain died, and if it wasn't for the wall supporting him, he might have collapsed. "M-Me?" he asked, pointing at himself to be sure. "I… we-well, I guess…"

"Great!" Velvet cheered, and then turned away to rub her hands. "Now I just need to say that to Jaune and I'll be fine."

Oh… oh, right. She'd meant that as practice.

He knew that!

"Yeah, you'll do fine," he laughed. "You're pretty hot, so he'd have to be an idiot to turn you down."

"Mercury!" she shrieked, giggling despite her tone. "I'm not hot. Don't talk like that!"

"Nah, you are. Not as hot as me, of course." He paused to grin roguishly and wriggle his eyebrows, winning more laughter from her. "But still pretty hot in your own right. I'd rank you second behind yours truly."

"I'm so honoured," Velvet said, smiling as she poked him in the ribs. "Gods, you're so vain."

"I'd like to say I'm just honest."

"Uh-huh, well come on, hot stuff," she said, grabbing his arm. "I need to forget I just made a fool of myself and you said you're hiding from your team leader since she's in a bad mood. Let's go grab some food and chat."

Mercury grinned, pleased to see he'd distracted her from her faux-pas in front of Jaune and her resultant misery from it. It was getting to the point where he wasn't sure if he should speak to the guy himself, if only to save her the pain. Jaune better not break her heart. Well, not that he particularly cared or anything.

"Lead on, Velvet. I'm starved."

/-/

Yang dragged her little sister to a secluded classroom she'd spotted earlier. It was a room they were allowed to use and one set aside for people who wanted to do their homework in peace and quiet, which predictably meant it was abandoned and probably only saw use for the fevered weeks before major exams. She checked anyway, and once she was sure they were alone sat down on a desk and motioned for Ruby to do the same.

Ruby looked nervous, which was fair since Yang felt pretty nervous, too. Still, her sister managed a smile. "You wanted to talk, Yang?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing wrong, per se. Just more of a sister-to-sister chat, you know?"

"One you felt the need to pull me into a private room for…?"

Yang winced. "In a manner of speaking…"

"Oh God, this is one of _those_ chats," Ruby groaned, face in hands. "Did something happen? Are you quitting Beacon? Oh my… you're pregnant, aren't you?"

"W-What!? No!" Yang panicked and started to wave her hands before she noticed the tiny smile half-hidden under Ruby's. She sighed explosively and poked her sister in the head. "Very funny. You're a real riot."

"It's revenge for all the times you've embarrassed me."

"I haven't embarrassed you," Yang denied. When Ruby stared at her, she quickly added, "At least not recently, I think…"

Her sister didn't look impressed.

"Anyway, we're not here to talk about me embarrassing you. We're here to talk about something bigger. Something…" she paused to swallow. "Something important…"

She'd been thinking long and hard about this, practically staying awake most of the night running the meeting over in her head, even going so far as to imagine what Ruby would say in return and having numerous different responses in store for each one. Anyone who knew her would say planning ahead wasn't normally her speciality, but this was different. When it came to her sister, she didn't take risks… not since the last one had almost _cost_ her said sister. The two of them had always been close, even after that, and she'd personally promised nothing would ever come between them.

Which was why _this_ was so complicated.

"I want to talk about the dance," she finally said.

Ruby's face blanched instantly.

 _Yeah, that's about the right response,_ Yang thought with a sigh. No matter how she went about it someone was going to have their feelings hurt today. Normally, she'd rather that be the other person, but when it was her sister that got involved, the rules changed.

"I think you should ask Jaune to the dance," she said.

Ruby's face fell and her mouth opened, and Yang knew all sorts of things would be spilling out – things like how she couldn't do that, or how Yang and he deserved to be together. Before any of those things could come forth, and before she could even _begin_ to be tempted by them, she continued.

"It was you he first showered interest in, Ruby. Out of everyone in Beacon he only had eyes for you, and time and time again he tried to talk to you only for me to butt in." At the time it had made sense; a desire to protect her sister from what she saw as unknown and unwarranted attention, but now, with the benefit of hindsight, she regretted it. "You didn't have a chance to figure out if you felt the same and I practically robbed you of that. What's worse, I somehow ended up making him think _I_ was interested in return. I didn't literally mean it as a date when I said `it's a date`. I just meant that we were having a get-together."

"I know…" Ruby nodded and bit her lip. "Jaune misunderstood. He's better now, sort of, but he was pretty bad back then. Still, he _likes_ you."

"Guys like girls who show them attention, Ruby. That's the big secret and it works in reverse, too. You can come to like anyone if they spend time around you, chat and hang out enough. It's how friendship works and it's how romance works." With a few other caveats, of course, but it was close enough. "Jaune had no interest in me until he thought _I_ had interest in him, and then it just sort of developed from there."

"Are you saying you don't like him?" Ruby asked.

That was a complicated question, and not one she really wanted to answer – least of all because she still wasn't sure what the answer was in the first place. Of course she liked Jaune; he was a great guy. But she wasn't sure if she liked _Jaune_ , and the distinction was importance. One was a friend and the other was potentially something more.

"It doesn't really matter," Yang said, "I'm not ready for that kind of thing anyway, and didn't even expect to be in this situation in the first place."

"And I did!?"

"No, but I'm not telling you to bear his children." She poked her sister's cheek to make that clear. "I'm saying that as your big sister I can ready you well enough to know you feel _something_ for him. No lies now. Look me in the eye and say you don't."

Ruby didn't look her in the eye, but then she didn't deny it either. Her rosy cheeks turned rosier and she focused her eyes down between her legs to where her feet kicked off the edge of the desk. To anyone else it might have seemed reluctant, but to her it was as good as a signed confession.

"That's why I'm not going to ask Jaune to the dance," she said.

"Yang, no!" Ruby cried, head shooting up in abject horror. "You can't do that! You can't give this up for me. That's crazy!"

"I'm not giving anything up, sis. You can't give up what isn't real. I'm just saying I'll end the charade and step aside to give you a real chance." She grinned at the alarmed girl. "That's not a bad thing, sis. Do you think it's fair to him to be confused like this? It's not just you that gets the short end of the stick."

"I… I guess… that's if that you say is true." Ruby looked up at her suspiciously. "And you're not just doing this because you think you have to, or because it's what I want."

"Even if you do," Yang pointed out.

"I didn't say that!"

No, but that didn't make it any less true. Yang grinned at her sister, even as she felt a pit open up in her stomach. She'd told no word of a lie. What she and Jaune had _was_ faker than him and Weiss. It was born on the crazy misconception she'd asked him out early into term, and he'd just sort of barrelled along with it so fast she'd never had the chance to correct him.

It wasn't real.

But it could be…

 _I'll give Ruby one last chance to take him,_ she thought, the plan the same as it had been when she'd come up with it last night. There'd been a lot of soul-searching, and even a little heart-searching too, and while her words weren't wrong – Jaune being her boyfriend _was_ fake, and she _did_ want Ruby to be happy – that didn't mean the concept didn't hold some promise.

She'd enjoyed the date… and the attention. If it wasn't real, why not make it real? She was fairly sure Jaune wouldn't mind, and hey, they'd had fun.

But Ruby had first claim, so it was only fair to throw her one last chance. She'd said no to it every time before, so she probably would again here. At that point she could wash her hands clean and consider her conscience assuaged. She'd done all she could. If Ruby still hadn't felt confident enough to ask him, he was fair game. Now all she needed to do was wait for Ruby to deny the chance like she always did, and then everything would be nice and easy.

Ruby gulped and looked up into her eyes.

"O-Okay…" she said nervously. "I'll give it a try. I'll ask him to the dance."

It was... not what she'd expected to hear.

/-/

"I'm just saying I'm not okay with this," Coco said, stood in the centre of her room like a Queen casting judgment on her subjects. Said subjects – or subject as it were – was Yatsuhashi, Fox being off trying to ask that girl he liked out to the dance, and looking _fine_ , might she add, in the custom outfit she'd acquired for him. If the girl didn't say yes, she was blind!

"Not okay with what?" Yats asked, not at all intimidated by her tall stature and hands on her hips. That might have had something to do with the fact that even sat cross-legged on the floor, he was almost the same height as her.

"Velvet!" Coco said.

"What has our beloved teammate done?"

"Not what, Yats. Who!"

The book in his hand was suddenly torn in two.

"Or not _who_ ," Coco amended, earning a relieved sigh from the man. "I said that wrong. I meant who she's _trying_ to do, or at least ask to the dance."

"You have a way with words, my friend, and that is not necessarily a compliment." The large man sighed and laid his now-ruined book to one side. "You refer to Velvet's wish to invite the first year, Jaune Arc, to the dance?"

"I do refer, yes. I don't like him…"

"You don't know him."

"Neither do you, but you still narrow your eyes whenever his name comes up. See, you're doing it now!"

Yatsuhashi sighed and tried to moderate his expression but the secret was out. "I did not say I was perfect," he admitted, "but yes, I also feel some… apprehension as to Velvet's paramour. While I am not normally one to believe rumours, there seem to be too many involving his relationship status to ignore."

Coco clapped her hands and nodded, a little freaked out – but also secretly pleased – that Yatsuhashi of all people had been listening to gossip. "I know, right? I thought he was dating the Schnee chick, but I heard he took the blonde bombshell out to dinner, and there are people who say he's also with the younger girl, and we've _all_ seen the way Pyrrha Nikos stares at him."

"That we have," Yats agreed sagely. "And you of course have mine and Fox's report on how we followed him to that transfer student's room."

"I have," Coco growled. "I also heard he was locked out of there the other day, so it looks like someone caught onto his ways. Hell, I've no idea how more people haven't considering that orange-haired girl from Atlas basically blurted out that she, him and the caped girl have been having secret threesomes."

"Yes, and that was quite the eye-opener."

"Tell me about it…" Coco shook her head, determined not to be distracted even if she _was_ kind of morbidly interested in how one unremarkable guy could have so much attention on him. "My point is, I don't think he's a suitable catch for Velvet. She's so loving and he's a player at least. I don't want her heart broken because he took her for granted."

"And we don't want to be expelled because you murdered a first year," Yatsuhashi agreed. The two scenarios were one and the same, after all. No one messed with the bunny. Not in her eyesight, anyway.

"She needs someone nicer," she said. "Someone who'll take care of her and not abuse her feelings…"

"Someone who will respect her as a woman," Yatsuhashi agreed. "And preferably someone she already feels comfortable with."

"And he should be sexy, too."

"Coco…"

"What? I'm just saying… Velvet deserves a hunk, okay?" She looked him up and down. "Say…"

"I do not feel that way and neither does Velvet," Yats quickly said. It wasn't the first time the words had been spoken and he doubted it would be the last. Coco's early attempts to match-make someone (anyone) on their team had been legendary and very much for the wrong reasons.

"I wasn't going to say you. I actually already have someone in mind…"

"Oh dear. Why does that not fill me with confidence?"

"Because you're a pessimist," Coco said, waving one hand. "While I am ever the optimist, and also team leader because of my boundless intellect and strategic thinking."

"Yes… those things…"

"Anyway," she went on, ignoring him. "What about Mercury?"

"Mercury Black? Hmm…" Yats held one hand to his chin, rolling the idea about in his mind. Coco waited, knowing his silence was just a sign he was taking it seriously. "He does get on well with her and is, as far as I can tell, quite the nice fellow."

"I know, right? He's not trying to be some kind of `bad boy` or `player` like the Arc kid is. Plus, Merc already gets on well with us, so bonus!"

"He gets on well with you," Yats pointed out. "The two of you can be quite flirtatious with your attempts to one-up one another."

"But he never takes it seriously or ignores Velvet," Coco said, smiling victoriously.

"That's true… even in the fact of what a younger man might assume is sexual interest from yourself, he remains focused on Velvet and being her friend. From what I've heard he's also helping her gather the courage to ask her paramour to the dance." He nodded. "He seems a forthright and honest man. I cannot say I disapprove."

"Very honest," Coco agreed. "I'm a good judge of character, so I know these things. The two of them would be perfect together."

"If you could get them together, that is. Our teammate has her heart set on another man. I'm not sure she will be swayed. Can you even be sure she has an interest in Mercury beyond a platonic one?"

Coco grinned and brought her hands from behind her back, revealing a stitched-together book that was not her own. It was a photo diary of sorts, filled with images taken by Velvet and stuck onto the pages with little signs and one-line descriptions. The front section of it was filled with pictures of them, back from when they'd first been made a team and even later on into their years. She flicked towards the end, to what was being worked on now, and found candid shots of a blonde boy running around a field while a man lazily watched, guzzling from a hip flask.

Mingled among them, however, were scattered images of a different boy… one of silver hair and pale skin, who was often not looking at the camera, and rarely seemed to realise he was being photographed. They were sneaky, surreptitious shots.

"I don't think we have to worry there," Coco cheered.

She looked to the final picture, the only one where Mercury seemed aware of what was going on. He was sat next to Velvet, who had one arm outstretched towards the camera she was holding backwards. She was smiling brightly, her ears poking up as she sat shoulder-to-shoulder with her companion, whose cheek was pressed against hers and who was echoing her smile with one that seemed more vaguely bemused than anything.

It wasn't an unhappy expression, however, and the amused spark in his eyes was clear.

"I don't think we'll have any problems at all, Yats."

"Except for the problem of match-making them…"

"Don't worry, I'm on it."

Her teammate sighed. "That, I'm afraid, is the problem…"

"I don't know what you mean," she lied. "I'm a great match-maker."

Yatsuhashi sighed again but knew better than to argue.

"Enough whining. Operation ` _Black Velvet`_ is a go!"

* * *

 **Well, we certainly know who Coco ships, and she probably isn't alone on that. Good to see she has such a good sense of character though. You wouldn't want Velvet to be paired with a "bad boy", would you? Good job Mercury definitely isn't that.**

 **And everyone else getting confused, as well.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 30** **th** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	45. Chapter 45

**Here we are with the next chapter. I know that by now everyone has noticed the sheep-related chapter titles ended a long time ago. They started to defeat me and were getting more and more difficult to look up. When your Google history prominently features the search "sheep puns" and "sheep terminology", you soon realise you're headed in a dangerous direction.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 45**

* * *

The day, Jaune decided, was an odd one.

He wasn't sure what made it so or when he'd first realised, but it seemed to be a day in which every single person in Beacon had collectively lost their minds. It started innocently enough during breakfast, somewhere between his fried eggs and bacon, when a quick announcement over the intercom system had reminded students that the dance was coming up in a little over a week. _That's a lot sooner than I realised,_ he thought nervously. The date had crept up on them.

He didn't have a date – and neither did anyone from their two teams.

Still, it wasn't a big deal as far as he was concerned and he'd quickly shrugged his shoulders and gone back to portioning his egg on his toast for consumption. The trick was to get it roughly even without allowing the yoke to spill through.

On hindsight, he should have paid less attention to eggly matters and more to his teammates, but he'd been distracted and they were all unusually silent. That should have been the first sign.

"It's so soon," Pyrrha said, looking down at her plate with an unreadable expression.

"Has anyone asked you yet?" Ruby asked.

"A few people, but I politely turned them down. I didn't know any of them so it would have felt a little too awkward."

"Isn't there someone _you_ need to ask?" Yang said, staring directly at Ruby.

"Y-Yang!" said girl complained, shooting glances at Jaune. He barely noticed, of course, too busy playing with his food. "Not here," she said. "Not now. Soon."

Yang hummed in a way that suggested her belief of Ruby's mysterious statement was somewhere between suspicious and not-in-the-slightest. She turned to her teammate, Blake. "What about you? Anyone asked you to the dance?"

"Sun did," she said.

Jaune glanced up, curious. "Who?"

"The stalker."

"Ah, that guy." Jaune nodded his head towards Blake. "Congratulations."

"I turned him down."

"Oh…" Well, that was awkward. "Not congratulations?"

There was a hint of a smile on Blake's face as she rolled her eyes and turned back to Yang. "I told him I already had a date for the dance. Now I have to find one…"

"Why would you tell him that?"

"He asked me to the dance and I said no," she explained with a heavy sigh. "He then asked me `why`, and I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to insult him, so I told him it was because I had already agreed to go with someone else."

"Ah, the curse of popularity."

"My Blakey is already breaking hearts," Nora crowed. "I'm so proud!" She quickly tackled Blake from the side, the two falling into one of their typical arguments as Yang watched on and Ren ate his breakfast with the focus of someone determined not to acknowledge what was happening beside him.

Jaune wasn't quite sure what to think about Blake's decision. On the one side, she'd blatantly lied to Sun and that was a little unfair, but it had been done in an attempt not to hurt his feelings. Did that make it good or bad?

 **"Are you sure you're one to complain about deceit, Mr `totally-not-Hentacle`?"**

 _"Okay,"_ he admitted. _"Good point."_

"I could go with you if you want," Jaune offered, looking to Blake.

The fight broke apart in an instant, the two partners posed with Blake's hands on Nora's shoulders, and Nora's trying to pry Blake's mouth into a wide parody of a smile. The dark-haired girl pulled back and looked about the table, which had suddenly had a large portion of its female population become _very_ stiff and _very_ interested in Blake's response.

Blake wore the expression of someone who knew a poor response might lead to death. "I've a feeling it's in my best interests to say no to that one," she said, "though I appreciate the offer nonetheless."

Suddenly, an ominous pressure from half the table behind him relaxed, as did Blake.

Ouch. His first rejection. Well, he'd only offered it as a friend and to help her out, so he shrugged and let the matter go. He wasn't the only one being rejected it seemed, since all around them he could see visibly nervous men – often sweating profusely – approaching girls, teammates or (in unlucky circumstances) entire teams of girls. Some walked away with heads held low, while others walked back with shell-shocked expressions on their faces, presumably having had their offers accepted.

It was weird, but he shrugged it all off. Again, it should have been another sign of how bizarre the day was. Even those who were accepted seemed to twitch and move with pent-up energy, and he heard more than one suddenly start whispering about suits and shoes.

Breakfast went by without too many other problems, and the conversation became less stilted as it moved away from the dance, dates and questions of who would go with whom. Even then, as they went to the first lesson of the day, it felt like there was a strange sense of caution in the school. Like everyone was on edge. It was as if event student was waiting for an ambush that was sure to come at any given moment. Sometimes a boy and a girl would find themselves facing one another across a hallway, or just round a corner and come face-to-face, and suddenly it would be a dance the likes of which he'd not seen even Grimm do.

One would move to the left, the other would echo, and both would desperately try not to make eye contact – let alone open their mouths to speak. Communication was reduced to gestures where possible and awkward grunts where not.

It was like every man had lost the ability to talk to a woman, and every woman expected any man they saw to be a Grimm in disguise.

Oh, and someone asked Weiss out on the way to Miss Goodwitch's combat class.

That was weird.

"I'm sorry but I'm currently taken," she said, latching onto Jaune's arm like a Nevermore onto its prey. Her claws – no, fingers – curled around his elbow, nails digging in as a silent warning of what would happen if he dared disagree.

"Oh, I had heard," Neptune – one of Sun's teammates – said. "I just thought he was going with Yang."

"When he and I are currently dating? Do you believe me that easy?"

"I didn't mean to suggest anything!"

Mean or not, he totally had, and even Jaune wasn't sure what he felt about that. Weiss was his partner and was an awesome person in her own right. While he knew their relationship wasn't real, that didn't mean he liked the idea of someone – anyone – cheating on her.

Some of that must have shown on his face, because Neptune backed away from him, backing down visibly as he held his hands before himself. "Whoa, whoa. I'm sorry. I didn't mean… maybe I should go before this gets any worse."

"Maybe you should," Yang agreed, grinning wildly.

Neptune made to leave but hesitated at the last, looking at Yang. "Say, if he's not going with you-"

"No," Yang said, shaking her head, "and definitely not after you just asked one of my friends out." She rolled her eyes when he scurried away and muttered something about too much balls and not enough sense.

"Definitely no sense," Weiss growled. "I knew that the second he called me `Forest Sprite`. He's lucky I didn't take his head off."

Ah yes, the hair incident. Jaune nodded and looked down to his partner, who was still attached to his side. "Does this mean we have to go to the dance together?" he asked.

Yet again, there was that weird stiffness in the air – and Weiss slowly detached herself from him, stepping back and shaking her head. "No, it doesn't. Our agreement is only to fool Winter and I've actually been asked to help with some of the organisation for the dance, along with Yang."

"Apparently the team who were running it would have had a mission on the day," Yang explained, "but they managed to convince Port to do it a little earlier so they could still attend. That means they won't be around to arrange it though, so they asked us two if we'd be willing to chip in and man the entrance." Yang looked pointedly to Ruby, who shuffled about awkwardly. She sighed and continued. "That means I'll be busy on the day, as well, so yeah, I can't go with anyone either."

She couldn't…? His stomach fell a little further. He'd kind of been hoping Weiss would just say yes and demand he attend on her. It would have made everything a lot easier, but had that failed, he was sure he could rely on Yang to be his date.

It didn't look like it.

"I'm fairly sure Winter won't even be there." Weiss said. "Even if it's important my sister doesn't figure out the truth, that's no excuse for you to miss out on the chance to take someone you really like to the dance." She smirked and released his arm. "Just be sure to save me a dance for appearance's sake."

Ruby made a loud `aww` sound, and even Pyrrha joined in on teasing Weiss about how sweet she was being – much to Weiss' indignation.

When they reached the entrance to Miss Goodwitch's class, someone caught his sleeve from behind, preventing him from entering. He glanced back to see Ruby with her face down and one hand on his sleeve.

"Well, let's go inside," Yang said loudly, strangely loud, in fact, as she herded the others into the room with her arms held out wide – preventing any from staying behind. Soon it was just he and Ruby in the corridor.

Well, apart from the thirty or so other students meticulously trying not to look each other in the eye. Honestly, the whole school had gone insane.

"What's wrong, Ruby?" he asked.

She didn't look up. "N-Nothing."

"Then… why are we stopping?"

"No reason."

"Should we go inside?"

"Not yet…"

He had no idea what to say. _"Remy?"_

 **"No idea…"**

The two of them stayed like that for a minute, a length of time that didn't normally feel very long, but certainly did when you were stood in a corridor with someone holding onto your sleeve and refusing to speak a word. Ruby took a deep breath, then let it go and took another. She seemed to be building herself up to something, but he hoped she managed it soon since if there were anyone's classes he didn't want to be late to; it was Glynda Goodwitch's.

Eventually, Ruby's head rose. Not enough to meet his eyes – she in fact stared over his shoulder the entire time, but enough for him to see her panicked expression. "There's something I have to ask you," she said, whispered, or was it more of a tiny breath of air he'd mistaken as words? Whatever the case, she was impossibly quiet.

It worried him. "What's wrong? Are you sick?"

"W-We're friends, right?" she asked.

"Yes, of course." He stepped forward to place both hands on her shoulders. He lowered his head, making her freeze in panic. He inspected her eyes, then her neck. He was no doctor, but he felt he'd be able to spot if something was out of place. Had she eaten enough for breakfast? Had she gotten enough sleep?

He pressed a hand to her forehead. She felt very hot.

"I'm not sick!" Ruby said, growling adorably and finally sounding a little more like her regular self. "I'm being serious here!"

"So was I. You're my friend. If you have something to ask me, I'll listen."

"Okay. Good." Ruby chewed on her lip. "Have you ever… thought of being _more_ than friends?"

"Like best friends?"

She let out a pained whine and clenched her eyes shut. "Why is it always so hard with you?"

"Not like best friends?"

"Not quite. Jaune, it's… well, you know…" He didn't, but he stayed silent. "I wanted to ask you if you'd come with me," she said.

"Come with you where?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"To… to…" She trailed off and placed both hands on her cheeks, letting out a suffering sigh. "Isn't it obvious?"

"No," someone that was neither he nor Ruby replied. There was a third face pushed between theirs and it smiled happily. "Hello friend Ruby. Hello friend Jaune!"

"Argh, Penny!" Ruby recoiled.

 **"Penny!"** Remy gushed. **"Quick, she's probably single!"**

Jaune pointedly ignored him.

The orange-haired girl smiled and waved.

"W-When did you get here?" Ruby asked hysterically. "No, wait. How much did you hear!?"

"Something about you asking friend Jaune to the-" Her words were cut off as Ruby's hand latched onto her mouth. Her arm wrapped about the girl's neck, her face appearing over her shoulder. It was frozen into a rictus of a smile, her eyes wide.

"S-Silly Penny," she laughed. "W-Why don't we go talk inside? We don't want to be late for Miss Goodwitch's class."

"Mrfl- brbpp." Penny said.

"That's right. I'll tell you all about it inside." She dragged Penny inside, abandoning him entirely. He stared after them, unsure if he should follow, wait for her, or try to figure out what she meant himself. While he waited, a pointed cough came from behind.

It was Qrow, and he looked drunk.

Well, drunker than usual.

"I hear the dance is coming up," he slurred. "You given any thought to who you're taking?"

Oh, hell. Jaune turned, bowed and took a step back. He wasn't dealing with this. Not now, not this early, and hopefully never again. "I'm sorry," he said. "While I appreciate your training, I can't accept your request. Please excuse me."

"What!? You brat, I didn't mean-"

Whatever he meant, Jaune didn't hear, rushing into the classroom and slamming the door shut behind him. If Yang's uncle wanted to follow, he could brave Miss Goodwitch's ire. Luckily, he didn't, and Jaune crept over to his team without the teacher spotting him.

"What was that all about?" Weiss asked quietly, nodding back to the door.

"I have no idea," he lied, not quite willing to talk about Qrow. "I think Ruby is coming down with whatever disease most of the people in Beacon have, though."

Weiss looked worried. "Disease?"

"The thing that's making them all act so weird," he said, indicating some. Weiss took a long look and let out a sharp laugh before she could stop herself. She glared at him like it was his fault, one hand over her lips.

"You're an idiot," she said.

"Everyone else is acting like the world is ending and _I'm_ the idiot?"

"Yes. Yes, you are." Weiss rolled her eyes and Pyrrha laughed at his misfortune. "Now stay quiet. Class is about to start and the last thing we need is you getting in trouble for causing problems."

/-/

"Well?" Yang asked expectantly.

"Well, what?" Ruby returned, still holding onto the orange-haired girl who didn't seem nearly as bothered as she should at being dragged around in such a manner. She even gave Yang a friendly wave.

"Did you ask him?"

"I… tried…"

Despite her best efforts to remain indifferent, her heart skipped a beat. "What did he say?"

"He didn't say anything. I didn't get the chance to properly ask him because Penny interrupted." Ruby released said girl, who didn't even look breathless at her rough treatment.

"I only enquired as to why you were waiting outside of class," she said.

"I-It ruined the mood."

"I would have left if you'd asked."

Ruby fidgeted and Yang let out a long sigh, easily figuring out what had happened. Penny probably had spooked Ruby, but her little sister had taken the intrusion as a chance to panic and back out. That meant Jaune probably had no idea what he'd been asked, and Ruby still didn't have her answer.

 _And neither do I,_ she thought, placing both hands on her hips.

"Ruby, you need to ask him. What if someone else does first?"

"Who else is going to ask him?" Ruby asked petulantly.

"Some random girl, Cardin – that Cinder woman…" She shuddered at the last, as did Ruby. Neither of them wanted to imagine her getting with him. "My point is that you can't hide away from this. You need to ask him and get a proper answer."

"I could ask him for you," Penny suggested.

It only took Ruby a second to imagine how that would go, and judging from the horrified look on her face it wasn't a pleasant thought. Yang saved her from it.

"No, it has to be Ruby who asks. She can't have someone else do this for her."

"I see." Penny cupped her chin in thought. "Courtship rituals are complicated."

 _More complicated in this case than you can imagine,_ Yang thought, hiding her tired sigh. There was a dull hole in her stomach at the thought of Ruby asking Jaune, and she wasn't 100% sure whether it was fear for her little sister being rejected or fear of her request being accepted and what that would mean for her feelings. The best she could do was hide them away and try to help Ruby as best she could.

"You could ask him yourself," Ruby whispered, apparently catching her thoughts and deciphering them with ease.

"No, no, no." Yang shook her head and faked a confident smile. "I already said you should ask him, and besides, I'm working the front entrance with Weiss. I'll be too busy to go with anyone." Or at least that was going to be her excuse if any guys picked up the courage to ask. As much as she'd slammed Blake earlier for her little lie, she couldn't blame her teammate. It wasn't easy crushing someone's self-esteem when they'd just worked up the courage to ask you out.

It was even worse if it was done in front of your friends since then you got to look like a bitch to them, as well. Come to think of it, that was probably why the `it's not you, it's me` line had first been invented.

In all honesty, she'd have been able to multi-task it, and the temptation to ask him was there, but she had to put it aside for her sister's sake.

"I wouldn't be upset if you asked him," Ruby said. "Not if it was you."

Yeah, and that was the problem. Ruby would sit back and give up her happiness if she felt it would make her sister feel happy. Never mind that she was doing the same in reverse; that was different. "Ask him tonight," she said. "Tell him you want to play games with him in our room and I'll set you up with another chance."

Ruby bit her lip, but didn't say no. That was sign enough she was interested, since she'd have otherwise come up with some excuse why she couldn't.

"Okay," she finally said.

"Friend Ruby doesn't seem as happy as I'd have expected," Penny whispered as Ruby meandered back to her team. "I thought she would be pleased at the thought of going on a date with someone she likes."

"She is," Yang said. "It's just… it's just a little complicated. There are a lot of things at stake."

It would all be for the best, though.

/-/

"Mercury?" Velvet asked, a little surprised.

"Yeah, you know – tall, silver and handsome," Coco said. She was sat on a chair opposite Velvet in the library with Yatsuhashi strategically placed to Velvet's left, pinning her into the corner so that she couldn't escape. She hadn't realised yet, the poor girl. That was for the best.

In fact, she simply blinked owlishly. "What about him? He's in class at the moment, if that's what you're asking. He told me earlier."

"Oh? So you've already hung out with him today?"

"We chatted a bit before breakfast."

"And a little last night, as well," Coco said, nodding down to Velvet's scroll. "I saw you sending some messages off. You were smiling, too."

And Velvet did smile, though it was a bemused one. "We were just talking. I'm not sure what you mean."

Ugh, Velvet had to be the densest person in Beacon. Coco wanted to slam her head on the table but settled for rolling her eyes instead. Luckily, Velvet couldn't tell for her shades. _Seriously, the girl stayed up for hours talking with him and she doesn't see something meaningful in that. It means HE stayed up to talk to her, as well._

"I'm just saying the two of you are very close."

"We are," Velvet said with a smile. "He's a real friend."

Coco stared, waved one hand, and then looked pointedly towards Yatsu. Her expression made it obvious she was out of ideas – the hardly-subtle approach having failed before it even got started. The giant of a man caught her gaze and sighed, his chair creaking in protest as he shifted to face Velvet.

"I had not heard if Mercury had a date to the dance yet," he said. "I wonder if anyone has asked him."

Seriously, Coco wanted to ask. That was his angle? That was so blatant they'd be lucky if Vel didn't suffer a mental breakdown and go into full denial-mode.

"Hm, I hadn't thought to ask," Velvet said.

"He spends a lot of time with you," Yatsu added.

"I know." Velvet bit her lip, and Coco leaned forward. Was it working? Had Yatsu worked his magic!? Velvet looked down at the table for a long second before she finally glanced up, eyes wide. "Do you think because he's spending so much time with me, he isn't going to be asked to the dance?"

Yatsuhashi paused.

Coco slapped a hand to her face.

She'd missed the point entirely.

"Oh no," Velvet gasped, hands over her mouth. "I didn't think what it must have looked like. I'll bet that girls who want to ask him to the dance think he's already taken. He's been so busy trying to help me, and I've been so happy to accept it, that I didn't even think about him in turn."

"You're an idiot," Coco groaned.

"I know! What am I going to do?" She gripped her ears and tugged them to the side. "I'm the worst friend ever!"

"You could always make him go with Coco," Fox offered.

He earned a vicious heel-stomp under the table for that. She liked the kid, she really did, but she was trying to match him up with Velvet, not herself. She sighed and turned back to Velvet. "Don't listen to him. I-"

"You can't!" Velvet cried.

A good portion of the library turned to regard them, including the librarian who scowled in their direction. Velvet's cheeks went bright red and she ducked her head (and her ears) so that no one could see her. Coco would have teased her for that, but something far more _interesting_ had caught her attention.

"I can't…? Why's that?"

"I-I just don't think you'd be good for one another," Velvet said.

"Is that so? I'm a classy girl, aren't I? And he's a cool guy. We get on. What's the problem?"

Velvet struggled for the right words, biting her lip and looking this way and that. "Well, it's just that you're not always serious," she finally whispered. "Mercury deserves someone who is. It wouldn't be fair to get his hopes up for nothing."

"And what if I am serious, bun-bun? What then?"

"You're not." Velvet's face twisted in rare annoyance. "Don't start, Coco. I'm not going to let anyone take advantage of him, even if it's you."

Yikes, it looked like she'd hit a nerve there, though not necessarily a bad one. "There are more girls in Beacon than me. What if one of them gets interested? What if he's interested in return – whether they're serious about it or not?"

Velvet looked agonised, nauseous, even like she was about to be sick. Coco watched it all with a barely-concealed smile. Well, well, well, it looked like Fox had brought some results after all. Was this jealousy she detected? Was little Velvet defensive of her new friend? She'd believe that if Velvet wasn't always happy to have Mercury talk with them. It was only when someone _dating_ him came up that her rabbit-eared teammate had dug her feet in the ground. _How very interesting. Maybe there's more here after all._

"Well, someone might snap him up eventually," Coco said, poking at her book and pretending she wasn't interested. "He's good looking, funny and loyal. What's not to like?"

"Y-Yeah," Velvet whispered. "But that's a good thing."

"Sure is. Of course, he might have less time for you if some other girl is running him ragged."

The book in Velvet's hands creaked ominously.

"That's fine. Mercury deserves someone he can be happy with. That doesn't bother me."

Coco glanced over at Yatsuhashi and raised an eyebrow. He nodded back. Yep, she was jealous, alright. Now, how exactly were they to turn that into Velvet realising how much better she'd be with tall, silver and teasing than the blonde noodle? That was the question.

But by all that was sacred in fashion, she would find an answer.

/-/

Funnily enough, trashing Jaune in Goodwitch's class hadn't been nearly as satisfying as Cinder had thought it would. Maybe it was because it was a foregone conclusion, or maybe it was just that he'd looked so half-hearted when she'd asked for him to be her opponent. Maybe it was the way he'd kept trying to apologise to her – which only made her want to hit him harder.

The most annoying part was that he'd gotten a little better, too. Not enough to beat her – not even close – but enough to make his well-deserved beat-down require a little effort. Rather than the catharsis she'd expected, she'd been left with hair lank from sweat and cheeks red from the workout.

And even when she'd been declared the winner he'd not even had the good grace to look like he was in any significant pain. Damn him and his ridiculous fortitude. They couldn't all be half-Grimm super-humans.

Mercury and Emerald seemed to have sensed her poor mood, not that it was difficult, and had both chosen to wisely flee at the first opportunity. Neo had done the same, vanishing off to wherever it was she went. That left her alone and without anything to snap at. Not a good combination. Fortunately for her, a hand settled on her shoulder from behind, providing a very convenient target for her frustrations. If it was another dullard asking her to the dance, she'd make this one run back to his room in tears!

"What is it now?" she snapped, spinning on her heel and glaring directly into a chest.

Someone's chest, that was. The person was a little taller than she'd expected and she had to look up to meet his eyes. When she did, her stomach fell out.

"Am I disturbing you, Miss Fall?" General James Ironwood asked.

"No, not at all…" She recovered quickly, even if there was a brief flash of panic at realising the last person (except, perhaps, for Ozpin) that she wanted paying attention to her was in fact paying attention to her. "How can I help you, General?"

"Please, I am not your teacher. You can refer to me as James, or Mr Ironwood, if you prefer."

James was out of the question. Even if she'd been a normal student she doubted she could have called the man in front of her that. She was no amateur and no frightened lamb, but there was no denying the danger the man before her posed – both to her and to her plans. It would be best not to draw his attention and otherwise end the conversation as innocently as possible.

"How can I help you, Mr Ironwood?" she asked again. "Did you have something you wanted to ask me?"

A hysterical thought of him asking her to the dance flashed through her head, but she dismissed it a second later. What nonsense. He thought her a student. He wouldn't do that.

"I wished to check up on your wellbeing," he said, trying for what he no doubt thought was a gentle smile. He wasn't built for it, however, and the crevasses and creases stretched out like canyons across his grizzled face. "I take it you haven't endangered yourself further by investigating the White Fang any more than you have to?"

"No, Mr Ironwood. I've been focused on my studies."

"That is very good. I saw you in the ring earlier," he added. "You were very skilled."

He'd been watching? Had she known that she wouldn't have dared invite Jaune up onto the stage against her. He must have been spectating from some concealed part of the arena, or maybe through cameras. She would have noticed him otherwise.

"My opponent was skilled as well," she demurred. "I simply tried my best."

 _To push his face in,_ she thought. _That stupid asshole deserves it._ Okay, perhaps she was a little bitter at him, but only a little.

"Miss Fall?"

"I'm sorry?" she asked, suddenly realising she'd tuned out and missed his question.

"I asked where you learned to fight like that," he said. "It is a style I am not familiar with."

"I was taught by a master," she said.

"Mr Arc's mother?"

Cinder tensed. "Yes."

"I see…"

What did he see? What was he thinking about? Her body felt like a coiled spring about to pounce and a thousand different contingencies flashed through her mind. She could kill him to buy time. He was strong, but a surprise attack when he least expected it might give her the edge. They'd have to flee Beacon, of course. Jaune would need to be taken with them. Her plans could continue through Roman. It would be awkward and annoying, but it was an option.

She made no move to attack, however. It was better to wait and see for now. He clearly didn't intend to attack her if he'd challenged her alone in a corridor. Just in case, she scanned the area for armed guards and saw none.

But did that mean there were none – or only that some lay in hiding?

"I'm surprised Mr Arc didn't show some of that same skill against you. Was he not trained in the same style?"

"He didn't have the aptitude for it."

"And his mother did not see fit to train him in something else…?"

"She did not." It wasn't her place to question her mistress, and besides, it had mostly been Jaune's reluctance to train and love for books that kept him weak; not any inaction on his mother's part. She'd simply indulged his preferences.

"I see," Ironwood repeated, and yet again Cinder wished she could see into that head of his and see exactly what he thought he saw. "You are quite a powerful young woman, Miss Fall. I'm sure the one who trained you must be proud."

Was that a question or a statement? Her eyes narrowed but she couldn't decipher the hidden message. "I hope so," she said, going for a neutral response. "I try my hardest."

"I'm sure you do. I and the Atlas military do much the same. It is all we can do at times."

Was this going somewhere? The small-talk seemed odd for a man well-known to be reticent and authoritarian. Even as a Headmaster, she'd heard rumours he ran Atlas Academy with military precision.

"Have you encountered any Grimm recently?" he suddenly asked, shocking her.

"No. Why?"

"You have not fought any?"

"I have been within Beacon since the incident," she admitted honestly. "I've not had a chance to enter the Emerald Forest of late, so I haven't faced any Grimm."

"I see…"

Again with that – her teeth _ached_ for an answer. What was his angle?

"That is well, then," he finally said, nodding. "Should you face any Grimm, please seek me out afterwards. I would like to enquire as to how they acted around you."

"How they… act…?"

"Their level of aggression and whether they attack to kill. It would just be a few questions, I promise. I will leave you to it for now, Miss Fall. Thank you for talking with me."

"And yourself, Mr Ironwood," she returned.

Cinder watched the General as he walked away, his long, powerful strides taking him out of sight in a matter of seconds. She… wasn't quite sure what to make of the encounter. No threats had been made, and apart from his repeated `I see` moments, no knowledge of her true origins had been intimated. His question about how Grimm acted, however… that was curiously specific. Grimm attacked to kill all humans, so for him to ask if it were somehow different with her made little sense.

Should she feel nervous about his interest in her? Was it even interest at all, or was she reading into simple courtesy? It could have been that he wished to check on her mental health after her alleged near-death experience. It would be easy to write it off as that.

But she did not like to take such chances.

 _I'll keep an eye on him,_ she decided as she headed back to her rooms. _There's no evidence he suspects anything of yet, but his attention is on me thanks to the White Fang debacle. That might make things difficult moving forwards._

All she needed to do was keep her eyes open, her wits about her, and watch out for any potential spies the General tried to send her way. They would not catch her unawares, and she would need to make sure Mercury and Emerald received the news, as well.

Nothing could get in the way of the plan.

/-/

Emerald stared at the person in front of her with a raised eyebrow and a vaguely bemused expression. "Excuse me…?"

"I said `Hello friend`," the orange-haired girl with the green eyes said, now sitting next to Emerald on the too-small bench. "Isn't it a wonderful day to sit outside and bask in our friendship?"

…

"Yes…?"

"Sensational!" The girl pumped both hands in the air. "We should go and spend time together and talk about boys, make-up, and strange eldritch creatures with tentacles for limbs."

"What was the last part?"

"Boys and make-up," the girl answered. "That is what I said."

"No, I'm fairly sure you-"

"That is what I said," the girl repeated.

Emerald's words trailed off. "Do I… know you…?"

"I am your friend, Penny Polendina."

It didn't take long for Emerald to wrack her memory. "I'm fairly sure I've never met you before…"

"You haven't, but I just introduced myself. One of my friends said that a stranger is just a friend you have not met yet. I have now introduced myself. We are no longer strangers and must therefore be friends."

Emerald stared at the girl.

The girl stared back.

"Have you fought any Grimm recently?" she asked. "Isn't it strange how they always try to kill people? I take it they try to kill you, as well, including your team leader?"

Emerald continued to stare.

"I am told intercourse is more enjoyable between two people. It is not easy when you will not speak, friend Emerald."

 _What the hell is going on?_

And why did this crap keep happening to her?

/-/

"WATTS!"

The scream echoed about the tower and Arthur Watts rushed to answer it. He hadn't heard his name shouted with such desperation before and it reminded him of the first time he'd nearly died in his mistresses' servitude. Coincidentally, that had been when Sapphire was born and Salem had gone into labour.

He'd thought normal women were bad, but normal women at least understood what was happening and didn't think it an attack on their person, and normal women couldn't summon and control Grimm at will.

It had been an… interesting experience.

Luckily for him, Salem was neither in labour nor expecting, and that was a relief since eight children really was too many as it was, and Lord Nicholas wasn't around to have his hand broken when she held onto him. And also his wrist, arm, shoulder and three ribs, but that was by-the-by.

"ARTHUR WATTS!"

And speaking of, he'd best get his move on. No one liked it when the first name was combined with the last. She'd mastered that trick from learning to discipline her children, and he did _not_ want it used on him.

He reached the throne room at a sprint, placed both hands on the stone doors, and pushing in with all his might. "I am here," he gasped, stumbling in – and coincidentally stumbling over Jaune's Beowolf at the same time. It barely moved a muscle but to growl at him, and he righted himself with an indignant glare in return. It was forgotten a second later as he turned back to Salem. "What is it, my mistress? How can I be of service?"

Salem – his mistress and Queen of the Grimm – turned to him with a frantic expression on her face. It was frantic by her standards, of course, which meant the veins about her eyes were more pronounced and her nails had dug into the stone armrests of her throne.

"I have received news from Beacon," she hissed, holding forth a sheaf of papers – a report from Cinder.

He took them cautiously and skimmed through. For the most part it was information on her mission, General Ironwood's arrival and the oncoming Vytal Festival – nothing they hadn't known about in advance. There was, of course, a brief mention that Jaune was safe and well, if not entirely doing a good job at keeping himself out of trouble.

"Forgive me, but I fail to see the issue," he admitted.

"This," she said, snatching the papers back and pointing to a particular segment. "She has included a detail of upcoming events." Her eyes flashed crimson. "There is a school dance!" She threw the pages into the air and they fluttered down about the two of them. "My son requires a date!"

Watts stood in the rain of paper, idly pushing a piece off his face.

"Is that a problem, my mistress?" he asked. "Your son has captured the hearts of a woman already, has he not? I'm sure the issue of a partner will be no problem for him."

"Yes, but a dance is important," Salem said, leaning back in her throne and tapping one hand on the armrest. "It is a large moment in a human's life, or so I am led to believe. While I am sure my son will have no problem securing a date, how he will act is another matter." Her head shot up. "My boy needs a suit."

"He already has one, doesn't he?" Watts asked. "I'm sure he wore it to that date."

"You fool! He cannot wear the same suit, nor can that girl wear the same dress." She waved a hand. "Procure for her a dress."

"B-But we don't even know if she will be the one he takes."

"I care not. Procure her one anyway. It is to be the most stunning dress in existence. You may raid my wardrobe if required."

Watts nodded glumly, even if there was no way he was doing that. Salem's outfits were… a little on the unusual side, to say the least. "And what of the Schnee girl?" he asked. "My reports suggested he was dating her."

"Send her a dress, as well."

 _I really shouldn't have asked…_

"There are other things that must be considered as well," she said. "Watts, take a seat. We have much planning to do and I want you to _personally_ see to this."

"But what about Lionheart?" he asked. "I needed to meet with him."

"I'm sure my son is more important than some arrogant fool. Send Coral. She will handle him."

He winced. "He is still useful alive, my Queen. Alive and… unbroken…"

"Fine. Send Sable, then."

He nodded and took the indicated seat beside her, bringing out his scroll to take notes. He had a feeling it was going to be a long day, and an even longer evening. Hopefully come the end, there wouldn't be too much to handle. He already needed to find a way to secure a seventeen-year-old girl's measurements – and didn't that sound wrong?

"In fact, we must go a step further, Watts. Nothing can be allowed to interfere with my son's first school dance."

"I… um… I think Cinder intends to sneak away and sabotage the CCT during the dance," he said.

Salem's eyes lit up. "Oh, _does_ she? And miss her chance to ensnare my son? I think not. If it were my choice, I would go there myself and sort her out."

His mouth went dry. Please, no…

"But that is not possible," she continued, paying no attention to his relieved sigh. "As such, I shall have to send someone in my place. Make arrangements."

"Who shall you be sending?" he asked nervously. "Not Tyrian, surely."

Salem's answering smile did nothing for his confidence.

* * *

 **Well, there we go. We're moving towards the dance at high speed and things are as confusing as ever for everyone involved. Well, except for Penny of course. She knows what she's doing – she's intercourse ready!**

 **I just wanted to make a quick note here, by the way, that I'll be taking a week off from writing over the Christmas period. This is just for Christmas, obviously, and I'll probably be using it to plan ahead on some of my stories, but is mostly for the sake of a rest on my part. I'll have more details soon, but it'll likely be from the 25th to the 1st, with just 7 days off.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 7th December**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	46. Chapter 46

**Here we go. More chapter…**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 46**

* * *

Velvet hovered nervously in the middle of the library. She took a look back to Mercury, who met her gaze from several bookshelves down and nodded his head. It was as clear a show of support as she'd ever seen, but that did precious little for her nerves. She wished he could be beside her to help – but that would be a little ridiculous. How was she supposed to ask her crush out if she had another man stood next to her?

That left her on her own, of course. That was fine. She just had to walk up to him, catch his attention and say the words. He would say yes, or he would say no, and whichever he chose, the world wouldn't come to an end.

 _Deep breaths, Velvet,_ she told herself. _You can do this. You've practiced with Mercury. You've got this._ After a few deep breaths, her eyes narrowed. She had this. It was now or never.

She tugged on the back of his sleeve.

"Huh?" He turned, his expression morphing from surprise to recognition, and then into a wide smile that made her feel so incredibly included. "Oh, Velvet. Hey! How's it going?"

"W-Well, thank you." Her stutter was back and she tried again. "I'm doing well. You?"

"I'm okay. I was just dropping by to see if they had the next issue of a comic I'm-" He paused and flushed. "Er, I mean I'm here on important schoolwork."

"I won't tell anyone," she promised.

"Thanks. So, what brings you here?" He did his best to stand still and much to her eternal horror she knew why. He thought she was skittish around him. It wasn't even something she could blame him for since the amount of times she'd walked up to him and run away was probably enough to convince anyone she had a phobia of handsome blond boys. "You here for homework?" he asked.

"Not exactly. I'm kind of doing the same thing as you…"

"Comics?"

"No, I mean… I'm here for something not school-related. Or not quite…"

"Oh?" He smiled easily. "Is it something I can help with?"

Yes, yes it was. Velvet's heart beat a little faster in her chest and she couldn't quite contain her small smile. She was doing it. She was actually doing it. Maybe she'd gotten a little braver, or maybe the constant exposure of her approach, run-away, approach, run-away back and forth over the last few days had helped her build up an immunity to being in his presence. Either way, it was finally about to happen.

"Jaune Arc," she said, surprising him at the usage of both names. "Will you do me the honour of accompanying-"

Something blurred between the two of them.

"Jaune!"

Nothing was going as intended. That was Velvet's thoughts as yet another attempt to ask her crush to the dance was thwarted, this time not by her anxiety, but instead by the arrival of one of his teammates, the girl in red. She came upon the two of them - Velvet with her cheeks flaming red and her mouth still poised to ask the question - and proceeded to stare.

"Oh," Ruby said, looking between the two nervously. "Am I interrupting something?"

Yes, she wanted to say – but the words didn't quite come out and even had the boy she liked not been there, she'd have never dared be so sharp to someone younger than her. "N-No, it's nothing…"

But it wasn't nothing. It wasn't nothing at all!

"Okay… it's just that I needed to ask Jaune something. I can wait, though. You were here first."

It was a generous offer, or at least it looked like one. Ruby smiled and stood stock still, watching the two of them with the clear intent of patiently waiting for Velvet to ask her question. Jaune was the same, looking at her like there was nothing unusual about it.

Ask him to the dance in front of his teammate? Where other people could see her shame if he rejected her? She tried – she really did.

"I-It's… I was just…"

Jaune smiled and nodded. Ruby fidgeted in place, clearly impatient.

Velvet's confidence crumbled like a house made of matchsticks. "Never mind," she whispered, visibly wilting. "I just thought… no, it's nothing. I'm sorry I got in the way…"

"Huh, okay…" Ruby shrugged and turned to her teammate. "Hey Jaune, I was wondering if I could ask you something this afternoon…"

"About what?"

"Um, about something coming up in a week or so. About us maybe doing something together… maybe…"

Velvet didn't catch any more but didn't need to. It was obvious enough she was asking him to the dance, and that stung doubly hard because it was supposed to be _her_ chance. _Would have been my chance if I had the backbone for it._ That and the time before, and even the one or two times she'd tried to approach him since then, only to have her nerves play up and leave her scurrying away like an idiot each and every time.

She hated herself for that, she really did. It wasn't just because she was going to be left without a chance to confess to her crush, but also the fact that it made her feel like a coward. She was a proud huntress, and though one wouldn't know it to look she actually took a lot of pride in her hard-earned skills. The problem was that even then, she was never quite confident enough to show off. She won her fair share of fights in Miss Goodwitch's class, but that was because she could tune out the people around her when she was fighting. This was different.

And if Ruby's feelings for her teammate were what she thought they were – and she was fairly sure they were – then this had been her last chance. Jaune would totally say yes to Ruby, and that was the end of it.

She'd lost.

"Damn it…"

She wouldn't cry. She wouldn't.

Her eyes scanned for Mercury without thinking, little more than an instinct to find and report (and seek comfort) from him. She'd always been worried he would be annoyed at her repeated failures since he'd invested his time into helping her, but he never did. That didn't stop the fear she felt, but it had started to dim. Even now she was sure he would just shake his head, smile and tell her she'd have better luck next time. He was always willing to lie to make her feel better like that.

Velvet paused when she finally saw him – only to realise he was talking to a girl she didn't recognise. It wasn't one of his teammates, but rather one of the transfer students from Haven. Her heart skipped a beat and she quickly rushed over.

Mercury saw her before she arrived, pausing mid-sentence with the brunette and looking her way. It also drew the girl's attention, who turned to see who it was. The girl's eyes narrowed but Velvet slipped by and stood next to Mercury, subtly putting herself half-between the two of them.

"Hey," Velvet said, smiling to Mercury and stepping a little closer. "It didn't work."

"Again?" he asked. "Ah, I'm sure you'll have better luck next time."

Velvet giggled. It was as regular as clockwork.

"Excuse me," the other girl interrupted. She was quite pretty with a piercing on the left side of her nose and when she smiled she revealed a tiny dimple on her cheek. Velvet instantly disliked her. "I was just talking to Mercury," she said. "I was-"

"Sorry, but I kind of need him," Velvet said, not feeling very sorry at all. She flashed him an apologetic smile as she grabbed his arm and dragged him away, leaving the girl behind. Mercury stumbled to keep up with her, not quite having caught his footing before she hauled him away. He didn't get a chance to speak until they'd both left the library entirely and disappeared into a connecting corridor.

"What was that all about?" he asked once she'd let him go.

"Nothing," she said. "Who was that? Someone you know?"

"I don't think so. She just came up to talk to me. Why?"

"No reason." She smiled and laughed, before she recalled the real reason she'd sought him out. "I… uh… I messed up again."

"There's always nex-"

"There isn't," she said, eyes on the floor. "There… there won't be a next time. I think he's going with someone else. I saw him leave with her and… yeah…"

"Ah…" Mercury cringed and didn't know what to say. That was fine, really. She didn't know what to say either. He stood with a vaguely uncomfortable expression on his face, while she held one arm against her side and shuffled her feet.

"Sorry," she whispered. "You put so much effort into helping me and I messed it up."

"It's fine, I…" He paused, sighed, and then scratched his cheek. He often did that when he was out of his depth – which seemed to be whenever she was upset. She knew he wanted to help but didn't know how.

In a weird way, that was enough to help.

"Yeah, I don't know what to do," she admitted with a little shrug.

"Want to go read some X-Ray and Vav?"

She blinked owlishly for a few seconds and giggled. "That's a little random, isn't it?"

"Well yeah…" He grinned at her laughter and shot her his patented cocky smirk. She normally hated arrogant people but for some reason he always got away with it. It never really felt arrogant with him. "I figured you could use some being distracted."

"And you thought comics would be the best way?"

She'd never really been a fan of them.

"Sure. Read some comics with the coolest guy in Beacon. What kind of girl wouldn't love that?"

"I'll be sure to tell you if I ever find this `coolest guy in Beacon` you speak of," she said, earning a startled protest from him. She laughed and rolled her eyes, gripping his arm. "Come on, then. Let's go read your comics. You're such a man-child."

"Ah, but you still love me."

Velvet's cheeks flushed with colour and she punched his side. He probably didn't even realise what he'd just implied, or he'd meant it in some stupid way. She hit his arm again and glowered even more fiercely as he laughed.

He caught her third punch and twisted her arm around, spinning her so that he could throw an arm around her shoulders and pin her hand to her side.

"Peace," he said, still laughing. "Come on. Let's take your mind off that guy. Jaune probably doesn't deserve you anyway. Trust me, he can be an idiot sometimes. He has no idea what he's missing."

"Really?"

"Yeah, totally. Hell, a guy would count himself lucky to have you even smile in his direction."

Velvet laughed. "You're such a shameless flatterer."

"True, but is it working? Feel better?"

She grinned down at her feet and let him tug her along. Maybe just a little bit…

/-/

Ruby mentally slapped herself around the head as she watched Jaune go off to collect a can of soda for her. It was the latest excuse she'd come up with to chicken out of asking him, and although he'd seemed somewhat bemused at her request for him to accompany her to a soda machine, he'd accepted. Now he'd gone off to find her a grape soda since it had been sold out.

"What the hell was that?" Yang hissed, poking her head around the corner.

"I don't knowww!" Ruby wailed. "I tried but… but I panicked!"

"It was the perfect moment. You, him, alone in a corridor…"

Not totally alone, Ruby thought, looking to her sister. She'd known Yang was nearby since her sister had been pushing her to ask him, but that hadn't made it any easier. She wanted to blame her for that, but Ruby knew she'd have welched whether or not Yang was there.

"I can't do it," she said. "You like him as well. Why don't you ask him to the dance?"

"You know full-well I'm busy. Besides, you promised me you'd try and ask him."

"And I did. I failed."

Yang planted her hands on her hips. "Ruby…"

"The promise was to _try_. I tried!"

"Then _try_ harder. Geez, you're such a spaz." She flicked Ruby's cheek and leaned against the wall. "What am I supposed to do with you, Ruby? You like the guy. He likes you-"

"That hasn't been proven yet."

"Ruby, no guy puts up with all this nonsense unless they like you. He's currently walking across Beacon because you said you wanted a grape soda. You've basically nailed down pregnancy during marriage without the baby. He's gone out to satisfy your first cravings."

That was such a ridiculous comment that Ruby thought her sister deserved the punch to the gut she got for it. Her cheeks were bright red and she glared at her. She wasn't pregnant and no way was she craving.

"I'm just saying you've got him wrapped around your finger," Yang said.

"So have you. He'd go all the way to Vale if you asked. He did before to buy you flowers."

Yang winced at the memory, though Ruby didn't miss the way her cheeks heated up either. Try as she might to deny it, Yang felt _something_ for Jaune, and that made things weird. At least Weiss and Pyrrha were easy, or it would have been even more awkward.

"He'd buy you flowers as well if you asked him to the dance," Yang pointed out. "He's a romantic, Ruby. It's what he does. Look, I'm not asking you to marry him. All you need to do is go to the dance and see what you think. If you don't feel it then, I'll stop bothering you about this for the rest of your life. I promise."

Tempting. Very tempting.

"It's not like I'm dragging my feet on purpose, Yang. I swear I'm trying…"

Yang sighed and moved over to pull her into a hug, the two girls squeezing one another tightly. "I know, Rubes. I can see that. You're just wussing out at the last second."

"It's called being shy," Ruby grumbled.

"Wussing out, shy… same thing." Yang laughed to herself. "Point is, you need to take a leap of faith here. Tonight, when he comes back to your dorm, you've got to do it. No buts."

"But-"

"No buts!"

Ruby whined under her breath as she felt her face turn bright red. Tonight? In front of her entire team?

"Don't worry about what Weiss and Pyrrha think," Yang said, reading her mind. "They're not idiots. They know exactly what you intend to do, and how you feel."

Ruby whined even louder. Nooo….

"So, when he comes in – all you have to say is this." Yang pulled back and coughed, adopting a saccharine pose with both hands before her chest. "Jaune, I need to ask you something. The school dance is coming up and I don't have a date. There's someone I want to ask but I'm afraid of what they'll say. Repeat it."

Ruby did, with a few hiccups along the way. Yang made her do it again and this time it flowed a little easier. As far as things Yang could have told her to say, it wasn't so bad. At least it wasn't as humiliating as what she'd imagined. Plus, she could pretend she meant someone else while she was saying it, and that would make it easier.

"Okay, good. Now, he'll ask who it is."

"How do you know?"

"Ruby, just trust me. I know. Even if he didn't fancy the pants off of you, a good friend would want to know who so they could help you. He'll say something like this." Again, she coughed, and again she changed her voice – this time to the _worst_ impression of Jaune that had ever been heard. "Who is it you wanted to ask, Ruby? Tell me and I'll make sure they take you to the dance!"

It might not have sounded much like him, but it definitely sounded like something he'd say.

"And I say `you`, I guess?"

Yang nodded and held both hands in a thumbs-up.

Ugh…

 _It's not so bad,_ she thought. _I just have to say `you`, and that's only after I do all the set-up first. I can pretend I'm talking about someone else and just blurt it out, then say you afterwards. If he says no, he says no._

That didn't sound very promising. She looked to her sister.

"What do I do if he says no?"

"Don't worry. Your sis has this." She winked. "If he says no, you accept it but tell him you asked because you wanted to go as a friend. Jaune's so used to misinterpreting things that he'll _totally_ assume he got this wrong, as well. He'll slap his head and apologise and there won't be a shred of awkwardness between you."

Wow. Yang really _had_ thought it through. She was on point, too. If she told Jaune he'd got it wrong then he'd probably believe it since he was so bad at understanding social things. It was underhanded, sure, but maybe that was what she needed. The last thing either of them wanted was for hurt feelings to break the team apart.

As a three-part plan, Yang's idea wasn't too bad. Wait for him to return to the dorm room. Pop the question, wait until he asked who – say him. If yes, be happy. If no, claim it was as friends. Job done and all the awkwardness done and finished…

It was a perfect plan. Too perfect.

"Who are you and what have you done with my sister?"

"Brat!" Yang mock-growled, trying to grab her by the head for a noogie. Ruby was prepared however and ducked below, giggling loudly. "You're such a dweeb," Yang laughed. "You okay with the plan, though? You need to go over it again?"

"No, I've got it. T-Thanks, Yang. I really appreciate this…"

"Heh, no problems, sis. Promise me you'll do it tonight, though."

Tonight? That felt so close. Even so, she knew Yang had a point and putting it off any further would just make it all the worse. She owed it to not only herself but also her sister to do this once and for all. "I promise," she said. "I'll either have a date to the dance by the end of tonight, or I'll at least have his answer. I promise on Mom's grave."

"That's the spirit." Yang patted her shoulder and pushed away. "I've got to go catch up with Blake and the others. Tell me how it went tomorrow, okay?"

Ruby nodded and watched as her sister rounded the corner and was away. Only then did she let her breath out in an explosive sigh. Well… this was it. She'd promised on Mom's grave and that was the highest thing she could promise it on. Tonight, she made history.

No pressure, right?

/-/

"I'm surprised you're still here to be honest."

"General Ironwood still has use of my presence," Winter said to her sister. It was a rare moment after classes for Weiss, and Winter had asked to see her once more. The two sat at an ornate table in a section of Beacon reserved for visitors and dignitaries. Normally Weiss would not have been welcome in such a place, not for want of position but because she was a student. Exceptions were made however, especially if the visiting figure wished to meet a student in particular.

"I assume you cannot tell me what that is," Weiss said.

"You assume correctly, sister. You are a student of Beacon, so such things are beyond you." She made no apology of it, but then again Weiss took no offence and simply nodded. "I didn't bring you here to talk about me, however. How are your studies progressing?"

"Very well. Our team is performing well."

"And your teammate Ruby Rose?"

"She is also doing well," Weiss said with a hint of protectiveness in her tone. "She's a fast learner and has managed to catch up on much of the work she missed. I'm pleased with her progress."

Winter hummed something that might have been an assent. Her sister seemed quite defensive around the girl, but she would leave it be. Hopefully she wasn't allowing sentimentality to come in the way of her own progress, but that would be a lesson learned if it happened. She knew better than to press on it now.

And besides, there were other, far greater, concerns.

"I hope the upcoming dance has not impeded your performance any. I realise it's an important calendar date, but such events pass by. You must not let them distract you."

"I don't think that will be a problem, Winter." Weiss laughed and sipped her tea. "I've been asked to handle some of the organisation, so I've been busy behind the scenes. There's no one else Beacon felt they could trust with it. You understand, of course."

"Of course," she agreed. This was her sister after all. Who better to entrust with such a thing?

"As such, I'll be working on the night as well."

That caught her attention. "Working…?"

"Yang and I need to man the entrance – Yang is a friend from another team." She phrased the word `friend` in an odd way, but Winter paid little attention. A Schnee always had associates and acquaintances who could not easily be categorised as one or the other. Instead, she focused on what truly caught her attention.

"But if you are working the entire day, what time will you have for yourself?"

Weiss shrugged. "We'll be switching roles halfway through, so the two of us will still have time to enjoy the fruits of our labour if that's what you're worried about. It just means that we'll be busy. I've offered to take the first shift, while Yang will take the second."

All very reasonable, but if Weiss was to take the first shift, did that mean…?

Perhaps it did…

Winter hid her thoughts in the action of taking a long sip of her tea – middling quality at best – and daintily placing it back down on its saucer. She then poured herself some more, and held the ornamental teapot out towards Weiss.

"Please," Weiss agreed, nodding.

"I suppose with you being too busy to enjoy the dance, you'll be going without a date." She tried to keep her tone light and convey nothing of what she felt, but feared she might not have been as subtle as she would have liked.

"I suppose I will," Weiss said. "That should please you, at least."

The teapot clinked against the cup. It was a small thing but it was such an uncharacteristic mistake that they both flinched. "I'm sorry," Winter said, unsure if she meant the cup or her unsavoury sentiment towards her sister's love life.

"It's fine," Weiss replied.

And to her frustration, she had no idea which Weiss meant either. _I've always wanted the best for my sister,_ she told herself. _Sometimes what is best for someone isn't what they necessarily want._ The argument was sound but felt like something their father might say, and that had her stomach twisting.

She did not approve of her sister and this Jaune boy, but she _had_ chosen him…

"Could you not ask someone else to handle the job?"

"And deprive them of the opportunity? Come now, Winter. That would be unfair."

"It would be," she conceded.

"I shall be fine. As you say, it's only a dance. Given my name and position, I'll doubtless have to sit through a thousand more back in Atlas."

Yes, that was true. Their father certainly enjoyed his chances to show off, and the amount of balls, galas and fund-raising events he hosted supported that. In the end that was all they were, however. PR moves or him boasting of his wealth. It was repugnant, and she knew Weiss would despise them as much as she had.

But like her sister said, what could be done? She'd been asked to help with the dance and she had accepted. That must have been done knowing the consequences, and she was sure her sister's boyfriend (the term felt dirty in her mind) had agreed. It would be a shame, but both would have other times to enjoy such things.

And she was getting exactly what she wanted. She would not have to see the two being all lovey-dovey. That rendered the purpose for this light dinner all but moot, and Winter felt relieved to have avoided what she'd known full-well would be a difficult conversation.

"I'm afraid I have to meet with General Ironwood this afternoon," she said. "How about yourself?"

Weiss knew the polite question for what it was and nodded. "I have to train with my team," she said, moving to stand. "We want to perform well in the tournament, after all. Thank you for inviting me for dinner, Winter. We must do it again."

"I agree. Good luck, Weiss. I'll be hoping for your success in the festival."

The two went their separate ways after a few polite words and a chaste hug that contained far more meaning than either of them would dare admit. To outsiders they must have looked uncaring but that could not be further from the truth. She demanded much of Weiss, but only because it was expected.

Someone had to believe and push her on since their father clearly didn't care. He did not want a daughter who could excel and grow into a fine young woman. He wanted a poster child and a mascot to tout at his vaunted parties. It was the reason she'd sought her own independence in the military, and why she had not shed a tear at the loss of her place as heiress to the company. Sometimes she wished she were free enough to shout `good riddance` to it all, but even now appearances had to be maintained.

Still, as she made her way to Ironwood's quarters, she couldn't help but mull a little more on the fact Weiss would not be going with her paramour (a more elegant term, she felt). It _was_ exactly what she had wanted, but much like she had feared, the taste of victory was bitter indeed.

It only made it all the worse that her sister could put on such an understanding visage. She acted as though the issue bothered her not a whit.

"Specialist," Ironwood greeted as she approached his room. She snapped a quick salute. "At ease, specialist. Please, come inside."

"Thank you, sir."

Once inside, the man's stern air faded somewhat, as it often did around the few people he felt he could trust. She felt honoured to be counted among them and had sworn long ago that she would not betray that trust.

"Did you have a good dinner with your sister, Winter?"

"I did, sir." Not the correct way to address him, but in private he had asked numerous times that she stop calling him "General". Sir was the closest compromise they could come to. "Weiss has given me much to think about. Nothing related to the investigation, I fear." The latter was added as an apology, but he shook his head.

"Don't worry. I didn't grant you time to dine with her for any such purpose. Besides, apart from your sister's connection to the Arc boy, she is all but irrelevant in the matter. A fact I am sure comes as a relief."

"It does, sir."

She had been worried at first to hear how many times Weiss had run into this "Hentacle" creature, and worried all the more after Ironwood's first-hand account of his strength. Fortunately, the dance had all but grounded her sister to Beacon, and that meant their encounters had been reduced to zero. Knowing her sister was safe from that creature? Ironwood was right. It was a great relief.

"Did your own investigation yield any results, sir?" she asked. "If it's not too much to ask, of course."

"I've told you before it's not, Winter. The whole point of us working together on this is that we pool what information we find." He gestured for her to take a seat, but his room being not an office but a spare room in Beacon, she was unsure where. The bed felt far too familiar - and far too questionable! She drew out a small stool and perched awkwardly on it instead.

When she was sat, he continued. "I found another chance to speak with the young woman he attacked at our recent encounter. She seemed startled still, or at least anxious around me. It almost felt like she was nervous I might discover something…"

"Do you think she could be a suspect?"

Ironwood shook his head. "No, I'm sure she's simply anxious over what happened. Given the threat to her life I think we can forgive the young lady being a little jumpy. What I did find interesting was his connection to Jaune Arc."

Winter felt an immediate frown burst out over her features. "Is she _involved_ with him?" she demanded.

"I think she wishes she could be, but no." He paused to shoot her a concerned expression, and Winter coughed awkwardly. While it was all well and good to be a little defensive over little Weiss, lashing out at her superior officer – or accusing every woman that crossed her path of sleeping with her sister's boyfriend – was certainly not the done thing. "From what I learned she grew up with him, which might explain why she was threatened by Hentacle."

"You believe he might have been trying to take her as a hostage in order to trade for Jaune Arc?"

"Possibly, or it might yet be the other way around." He hummed and stroked his chin. "I did find it suspicious she was there alone with Hentacle and Adam Taurus of all people. She told me she saw a meeting and sought to interfere."

Winter's expression twisted. "An obvious lie, sir. The White Fang can be brazen, but no one would just `happen across` a meeting like that."

"My thoughts exactly…"

Winter waited patiently for her superior to think on the matter, the General pacing about the room as he put his great mind to work. When it came to strategy he was second to none, be it the battlefield or the darkest alleyways of Atlas. There was a reason he held such authority not only within the military, but the Academy as well.

"It seems to me that Miss Fall specifically sought out Hentacle herself," he eventually said. "And why not, I wonder. It's clear she is more capable than Mr Arc, and given what we know of Raven Branwen she would appreciate such strength."

"You believe she's been sent as something of a bodyguard for him?"

"That is my thought. By all reports she is a difficult woman but if she saw fit to have multiple children with Nicholas Arc then she must feel _some_ affection to them. Cinder Fall may have been tasked with taking care of him; a reason which would explain her sudden shift from Haven to Beacon, and also why she was in an altercation with Hentacle."

"She was seeking to kill him," Winter whispered. "That is very brave, but also quite questionable."

"Indeed. I fear that loyalty and love have trumped common sense with such a decision. I also fear, given her clear aversion to answering my questions, that she may seek to do so again. There are many who fear for their own lives, but none are more dangerous than those who fear for the life of a loved one."

"If she faces Hentacle, she will surely die."

Ironwood smirked in her direction. "Unless I am there again to protect her."

Winter caught on quickly. "You seek to use her as bait? Forgive my impertinence, but she is a student. I didn't think you would ever consider such an idea…"

And she did not mean that as a compliment, as improper as it was for her to say it out loud.

"I do not mean it that way," he assured. "I simply mean that should she already have it in mind to put herself in danger, it is our duty to protect her where we can. If that should lead us to our quarry, then that would be two Nevermore with one missile."

The plan was sound, and also ethical enough given that they would not try to put the girl in danger. He only meant to identify the times she would do it herself and intervene, which was what the professors of Beacon should have been doing already. To their credit, they were distracted by the festival. She and the General were not and could aid in this matter.

"Do you want me to open surveillance on her, then?" Winter asked.

"That won't be necessary. I have already sent an infiltration agent to work her way into Miss Fall's circle of friends. She will report on anything that is discussed and alert us should she put herself in danger once more."

"A member of the ASF?" Winter asked, excited at the prospect. The Atlas Special Forces were good at what they did.

"Better," Ironwood said. "Someone who can fit in with ease."

Winter's spirits fell.

"You mean Penny, don't you?"

The General smiles like a proud parent. "I do."

She was less reassured, and with good reason, too. "Sir, while I cannot disagree that Penny is… well suited for the task of blending in, I'm not sure she has the capability to interact with someone you have already described as being untrusting."

Before she could put more of her worries into words, the door opened with a brief knock and a not-quite-human figure with orange hair entered. She nodded once to Winter and then saluted clumsily to Ironwood.

"I have returned from my mission to infiltrate the target's circle of influence," Penny reported.

"Good work. How did it go?"

"I have consummated my relationship with Emerald Sustrai, the target's teammate."

Winter's mouth fell open. She'd… what? Well, that was… that was certainly one way to go about it, she supposed. An interesting route… and a girl? Well, laying with a man would surely have revealed she was not entirely equipped for reproductive purposes, so that was smart of Penny, she supposed. Still… wasn't this a little much?

Or was she just misunderstanding?

"When you say _consummated,_ " Winter said.

"I mean that we just finished having intercourse," Penny replied frankly. "I believe it was a fulfilling experience all around. I looked forward to involving Cinder Fall into it, as well. The three of us at once would surely be sensational."

Good Gods above… Teenagers were certainly more open than she'd been at their age. Winter felt her cheeks heating as she coughed, looked aside, and tried not to show any of her discomfort. Maybe she should keep a closer eye on Weiss after all. There was no telling _what_ would happen to her in a school filled with such debauchery!

/-/

Emerald wasn't sure if things were looking up or not, but she was in her room with Cinder and she was being entrusted with knowledge of their plans, so that was a good sign. She nodded along, sure in the knowledge that she wouldn't mess this one up. Mercury had gotten too far ahead of her and this might be her chance to get back into Cinder's good books.

"I shall slip off to disable the CCT while the dance is in progress. Your role will be to make sure no one feels the need to investigate and to deal with them if they do. Remember, we do not want to cause a fuss at this point."

"I'll use my Semblance on anyone who tries," she promised. "No one will interfere, ma'am."

Cinder nodded, though there was no real telling whether that meant she trusted Emerald or not. A few weeks back she would have been so sure, but life hadn't been kind to her recently. "We need to make this work during the dance," Cinder continued. "It's the only time when that foolish brother of mine will be distracted, and I just _know_ his bleeding heart will interfere otherwise."

"You won't be telling him?"

"Our deal was to tell him what our plans involve and to keep his friends out of harm's way. I think I have done very well at that so far. What he doesn't know won't hurt him – or his friends."

She was sure Jaune would disagree, but that was only if he found out about it. She could tell him, but that would surely bind her future to his. As the only person other than Mercury to know of the plan, any intrusion by Jaune would point the finger firmly at her. Any route towards reconciliation with Cinder would be closed forever.

Better perhaps to remain silent and do her job.

"What about the dance itself?" she asked. "Will you be attending with anyone?"

"I'll simply claim Mercury as my date after I return," Cinder said offhandedly. "It will hardly matter once the CCT is down. The important part is that I be seen at the event to ward of suspicion."

"What about Jaune?"

Cinder paused, shoulders stiffening. "What about him?"

"I just thought… well, I…" Emerald wished she could have taken it back, but Cinder's gaze said such was no longer an option. She pushed ahead instead. "I thought you might want to attend with him, ma'am. I thought you didn't want him to go with one of those stupid girls?"

That was the impression she'd gained, anyway. Cinder was always so quick to call the Xiao-Long and Rose girls childish idiots playing at being women, and she was no less scathing in her impressions of Weiss Schnee, Pyrrha Nikos and just about anyone else who looked at Jaune with anything other than disinterest.

Emerald wasn't sure if her boss thought herself subtle or not, but neither she nor Mercury were idiots. It wasn't hard to notice how Cinder never insulted Nora Valkyrie or Blake Belladonna in such a way, and how those two just so happened to have no interest in her `non-blood-related` brother.

"Nonsense," Cinder snapped, turning away. "In fact, I'd be happy if he _did_ go with that blonde bimbo. It will keep him distracted while I enact my plan. In fact, if she weren't taking care of the matter for me I might have instructed _you_ to date him."

"M-Me!?" Emerald stammered.

"Is that a problem? It would have only been to distract him." The question wasn't so much a question as an accusation, delivered with a threatening glare from the corner of an eye turned towards her.

"N-Not a problem at all," she said. "I was just surprised." Surprised and horrified, that was. Her and Jaune…? Even if that was just a distraction, the concept was so bizarre she wasn't sure what to think. She could still remember being naked in the bathroom as his tentacles brushed against her skin – and that sounded a whole lot more suggestive than she'd meant it to! Her cheeks flushed and she shook her head.

No thinking about the tentacles or how they hadn't been quite as repulsive as she'd imagined and had actually felt almost nic- no, no, no. No thinking of them.

"It hardly matters now," Cinder said, either ignoring or – more likely – not seeing Emerald's internal struggle. "He'll be all but lost in that insipid girl. The chances of him noticing my absence are null and everything is falling into place."

Cinder chuckled to herself, smiling into her hand.

"Soon, the power of the maiden will be mine."

/-/

"Soon," Lavender chuckled, one hand before her mouth. "Soon, his heart will be mine." Her hand fell. "Or it will be if I can find a way into that dance. Argh!"

Roman watched the young girl (who was technically now his lord and mistress in a way) pace around the house he'd bought for her, shaking her head and muttering angry words under her breath. It was a bizarre scene, but a reminder that even if she was a half-Grimm, super-powered creature who could rip him in two with her tentacles, she was still at heart a young girl.

It didn't do much to improve his situation any, but it was worth a laugh or three.

"No luck yet?" he asked, fanning the flames.

"Nothing at all," she said, flouncing down onto her cough and clutching her hair. "Uncle Watts said the best way to catch his attention was to make a bold statement and that the first impression would matter most. He's already seen me once before when he caught me, but I need to make a proper first impression and it has to stick with him. That's what my uncle says, anyway."

Roman hummed as he puffed on a cigar. It sounded like her uncle – some Watts guy – was right on the money. He knew a thing or two about impressing women and the first trick was to make sure you didn't slip out of their mind. If you were forgettable, you weren't interesting, and if you weren't interesting, then they weren't interested.

The same probably went in reverse for girls and guys, too.

"So, you need to make a big splash with the kid. What did you have in mind?"

"It has to be romantic," Lavender said. "I want my intentions to be clear. I also need to look mature since I'm a year younger than him but I don't want that to dominate our future relationship. Obviously, I also need to look incredible."

"Obviously…"

"There's a dance coming up at Beacon and I thought that would be perfect. The mood is there, I could go in a beautiful dress and we'd pause in the middle of the dance floor, our eyes meeting across a sea of faces. He'd look surprised, amazed, and I'd gracefully glide towards him to lay my hand against his chest. He'd then take me in his arms and draw me into a slow waltz, my eyes drowning in his beautiful, pink depths…" She trailed off with a longing sigh, only to flush when she heard his muffled snort. "A-Anyway, that was the plan," she said. "I thought it was a good one. Don't laugh at me!"

"I'm not. I'm not. At least not at the plan." Just at her being such a girl, even if she was and was sixteen to boot. "Still, it's all there. What's the problem?"

"The problem is that the Beacon dance is for students of Beacon! I very much doubt I can sneak into it, and even your resources wouldn't let you fake the arrival and subsequent disappearance of a new huntress."

"True," he admitted. "I could maybe get you in if you wanted to stay there, but I'm guessing you don't."

"No. I'm needed outside of Beacon. That's the problem." Lavender sighed and lowered her face into her hands. "But if I'm not there, he might go with someone else as his date! What if _they_ have their magical moment on the dance floor instead of me? He might fall in love with the wrong woman!"

"The travesty…"

"I know! What am I going to do?"

"Well, you could always just show up," he said, throwing out the suggestion as more of a joke than anything else. He should have known better. "I mean, there are a lot of students at Beacon, right? The teachers can't keep track of all of them, especially with transfers. Who would even notice if one more slipped in unannounced?"

Lavender froze. "That's it…"

"What?" He glanced over and cursed when he saw her expression. "No, no, no. I was joking. It was a joke. I wasn't being serious."

"But it's perfect."

"No, it's not."

"I could slip in without anyone realising," she said.

"No, you couldn't!"

"The plan is set," she said, slamming a fist into one hand and ignoring his tired groan. Fortunately for him, the doorbell rang before she could drag him further into it. She shot him a look and a nod to the side, a hint for him to hide in case it was anyone that shouldn't see him in person.

He nodded and stepped into the kitchenette, prepared to slip out the back door and away if needs be. Even so, he pressed his ear against the wall by the opening, listening in on what was happening. You never knew when such information might be useful.

"I'm coming," Lavender called when the door was knocked on again, more frantically this time. "Hold on a second, please. I won't be a moment."

He heard the door unlatch as she worked through the deadbolt and chain, and then a creak as it opened just a fraction. He wasn't particularly worried about her being in danger since he knew what she was capable of. It would be a very surprised home invader which tried to take her on. When Lavender gasped, however, he leaned a little closer. Was it her crush, perhaps?

"Hello dear niece," a tired voice replied. "Can I come in? It's been a rather tiring journey…"

"U-Uncle Watts!?"

* * *

 **There we go. Just so people know, I'm hoping to pick up the pace with this a little. College Fool and I are currently talking because I'm just not happy with the pace, and the focus, that this fic is currently on. It's a back and forth process, but hopefully it will see results soon enough. I'll be sure to pass on anything that we decide, but hopefully it will make the story better for it. I can't say I'm happy with where this fic is right now.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 14** **th** **December**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	47. Chapter 47

**Here's the chapter. Something of a mega-note at the bottom to address my AN last chapter and why I have been so displeased with this fic recently. No worries, it won't be scrapped or put on a hiatus. It's merely me highlighting some issues, explaining how they occurred and how the fic will hopefully be improved moving forwards.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 47**

* * *

Jaune had thought he'd gotten social interaction down pat, at least in terms of understanding what people meant, and while some aspects still confused him and there were occasional mistakes, he felt he at least understood what people were doing.

Not now.

" _Note to self. Humans turn into idiots when the word `dance` is invoked."_

" **Noted."** the little parasite replied.

The reason for his not-so-kind opinion was the sheer number of people running around like it was the end of the world. With the dance being tomorrow evening, and thus imminent, those that had been unlucky enough to not have dates, or not confident enough to ask, were fast becoming desperate. Single women had become rarer, and the amount of people he'd passed carrying flowers, chocolates, or in some rare cases crying to themselves, was downright insane.

Wasn't this meant to be a _good_ night or something? It was supposed to celebrate the year, yet he'd seen people look terrified, heart-broken and stressed in equal measure. _They're acting like this is the last day before they go off for war. I thought Grimm were humanity's true enemy, but it seems it's actual formal occasions._

Honestly, it was one of the rare times he was grateful for not being entirely human.

" **You don't have a date either,"** Remy pointed out.

That was true, but he didn't feel the same pressure everyone else seemed to. If he didn't have anyone to go to the dance with then he'd go alone. Was that really such a big issue? Everyone else in Beacon seemed to think so.

Humans were weird.

" **There's always Penny."**

" _I'll just go on my own,"_ he said. _"Unless someone asks me, that is."_

" **You could go with your sister."**

That was an option, but Lavender hadn't been answering her scroll for the last day or two, and the one message he'd sent had come back with a very pointed " _Busy – talk later_ " response. No, it looked like he would be going stag, not that it was a big deal. If Yang weren't busy with her organisation of it all, he'd have asked her.

Oh well. He'd make sure to ask her for a dance, and probably Weiss, Pyrrha and Ruby too. _And Cinder if I can convince her to even look at me without snarling. A dance might be a good way to apologise._ Or get his head bitten off, but either way something had to give. He sighed and brushed his scroll against the dorm door, letting himself in.

"Jaune!" Ruby exclaimed, stood nervously inside.

"Ruby," he returned, glancing around. "Where are the others?"

"P-Pyrrha went for some light training and should be back soon. Weiss said something about being unable to study if I was pacing a hole in the floor. She said she'd come back when everyone is acting sane again."

Jaune blinked. "What did she-"

"Nothing! She meant nothing."

It didn't sound like nothing, but he nodded warily. Ruby was still stood in the middle of the room, which was odd enough since if she'd been in there before this, then why stand right there watching the door? She also looked nervous.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No. Yes. Maybe…" She slapped a hand to her face. "Can I try again? Nothing is wrong but… well… there's something I need to ask you. Or want," she admitted. "No, well, want and need. There's something I have to ask you."

"Do you need me to take you to see the nurse?"

"What, no. Why would you think that?"

He coughed and looked away. "No reason. So, what's the big question?"

Ruby shuffled awkwardly and took a deep breath. Whatever it was it looked serious, so Jaune waited patiently for her to speak. When she eventually did, it was in a voice that was… strangely robotic, almost scripted.

"Jaune, I need to ask you something. The…" She swallowed and stared past his shoulder. "The school dance is coming up and… and I don't have a date." She clenched her eyes shut. "There's something I want to ask but I'm afraid of what they'll say."

His eyes widened. This was serious.

"Who was it you wanted to ask? Tell me and I'll make sure they take you to the dance."

He'd meant it to sound supportive, but Ruby took one look at him and burst into laughter. She clapped both hands over her mouth, and through her giggles he heard something about how someone had `predicted him perfectly`.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"N-No, it's not that," she laughed. "I'm just… ahem." She coughed to calm compose herself and took a deep breath. "I-I was serious about what I said. There is someone I want to go to the dance with and I… I did want to ask you for help."

"And I'm serious about what I said. Who is it?"

She took a deep breath.

"It's- the person I want to go with is-"

The door opened.

Ruby blurted out her answer.

/-/

Yang felt her insides tighten as she stared down at the message on her scroll, just three simple words from her sister. Her mouth was dry.

" _I asked him."_

Her mouth was dry. She swallowed once, and then swallowed again when that didn't help. Her heart beat in her chest but she wasn't sure what the pace of it meant. It was just like Ruby to provide exactly zero detail in a message, but was that good or bad? She typed back a message.

"You got your date?"

It took less than ten seconds for the reply to come but each felt agonising.

" _Yes."_

And just like that, it was over. Relief, happiness, and then an immediate rush of sorrow as the weight of what she'd just done settled over her. Jaune was going with Ruby. That was… no, there was no point lying to herself anymore. It hurt. It hurt a lot.

 _Things will be better this way,_ she thought to herself. _He's a great guy. He'll make Ruby happy._

He could have made her happy as well, of course. She knew that. She also knew that despite her best efforts, she'd started to react a little to his innocent flirtations. It was hard not to since he was the first guy to ever treat her like a woman, and an actual woman that was, not just some teenage girl with a pair of watermelons strapped to her chest. He'd talked to her, _listened_ to her, not her tits.

But what made him such a great guy was also what made her think he'd be better for Ruby. But also, that she thought Ruby might be better for him. _I have too many of my own issues. Ruby would be way better for him, and she'd genuinely love him from the bottom of her heart._

Didn't mean the text hadn't hurt, however. A small and selfish part of her had been hoping Ruby might fail, as much as she'd never allow it to control her or make her actively sabotage her sister. She sighed and switched her scroll off, unwilling to hear anything more and afraid Ruby might send her messages asking what she should do with Jaune at the dance.

Giving advice to her sister on how to woo the guy she herself liked? She drew the line there. Tonight would be a night for bittersweet complaints, moody silence and eating all the chocolate she could get her hands on.

Tomorrow would be the dance, and she'd need to be ready to smile and wish her sister well come the moment. Well, that or kidnap her if she tried to weasel out of wearing the dress Yang had bought for her. _If I go through all of this trouble to push Jaune on her and she goes in combat boots…. Gods Ruby, I will make you regret it._

She laughed at the image of it, though. It made her feel better, and as she rounded the corner towards Team RYBN's dorm room, she had a smile on her face once more. That was convenient since she ran straight into Blake, who looked positively _aggrieved_.

"What's up, kitty-cat?"

"I've told you not to call me that outside the dorm," Blake hissed, the little bell on her collar tinkling as she scowled in Yang's direction. The best part was that she didn't even seem to realise she was wearing it anymore. The time for Ren's punishment had technically ended, but Blake had forgotten to take it off.

"Eh, details. What's got you in such a rush?"

"I'm just trying to avoid a rather persistent individual."

"Sun?" Yang guessed.

"Who?"

"Your stalker."

"Yes, him." Blake stared back in the direction she'd come from, which was thankfully empty. She didn't seem to realise she'd forgotten the poor guy's name again. "I can't believe he asked me again when I specifically told him I already had a date!"

"Well, you can't fault him for trying. Besides, he's probably cottoned onto the fact you're lying."

"If he has, then it should make him realise just how little his chances of me agreeing are."

She had a point there and Yang laughed, quickly forgetting about Jaune and Ruby altogether. "What's so bad about him anyway? He's not bad looking."

"He's stalked me!"

"Apart from that, I mean."

Blake growled and pushed the door to their room open, ignoring Yang's teasing altogether. Could she really be blamed for pushing Blake's buttons, though? Ren was always so damned calm that he never reacted and Nora was more than capable of teasing back ten times worse than she received.

"You're still going to have to get a date, Blake," she said as she followed her teammate in. "Otherwise you'll be a spinster as well as a liar."

"I know. I'll figure something out."

"You could just ask some random guy. You _are_ hot."

"Who is asking some random guy?" Ren asked, looking up from the book he'd been reading. Nora was behind him, also reading while perched with one hand on his shoulder. Blake made a sound halfway between a strangled gasp and a gargle, and Yang realised why when she saw the cover of the book the two were going through.

"Give me that!" Blake hissed, snatching it away. "And I'm not asking anyone anything. Yang's just being nosey, as usual."

"Ah." If Ren was upset to have the porn stolen away he didn't show it. In fact, he looked over in her direction and nodded to her bed. "A package came for you, by the way. I signed for it at the door. I hope you don't mind."

A package? Yang's curiosity was piqued.

"Nah, I don't mind. What is it?"

"I don't know. We didn't open it."

"Ren wouldn't let me," Nora complained.

Heh. That probably explained why Ren was reading Blake's smut. He'd probably looked for anything that could distract her. Nora was many things but patient wasn't on the list and an unopened parcel was probably a mystery she just _had_ to figure out. Yang approached her bed, looking this way and that at the rather large and ornately wrapped box. She poked and prodded the side, half-wondering if a corgi would come jumping out of it. Zwei didn't, of course. Her Dad did some pretty weird things, but mailing their dog? That was a bit much.

"Yaaaang," Nora whined, practically salivating off to the side.

"You might as well open it," Blake sighed. "She'll be insufferable otherwise."

Yang shrugged and did so, unwilling to admit she wasn't much different. She hadn't been expecting any mail and hadn't ordered anything, but the name on the front was clearly hers and that meant the contents were too. As the packaging paper flew, her eyes lit up and she started to tear at it even faster. Her curiosity peaked as a pristine white box was revealed.

She picked the sides out carefully, working the seams until she could pull it open properly. Despite Blake's words, and tone, she also leaned in with Nora to take a look at the contents. Yang might have made a comment about cats and curiosity, but her throat caught when she saw what was inside.

"Oooh," Nora crooned.

"It's a dress," Blake said.

"It's a _pretty_ dress," Nora corrected.

It… It certainly was. Yang's hands shook as she reached down to pick it up, and she marvelled at just how soft and smooth it felt. It was folded expertly, obviously brand new from the tailor and a rich black in colour. As she held the shoulders and stepped back it unfolded before her, falling down to just above her knees.

"It suits you," Blake said, looking at it as Yang held the fabric against her, mimicking the act of wearing it.

"It does," Ren agreed, still sat down. "I thought you already had a dress, though. I didn't realise you'd ordered another."

It took a second for Yang's brain to kick in. "I didn't…"

"You didn't order it?" Ren asked, getting a shake of the head in return. "Then who did?"

"There's a note in here," Nora chimed, fumbling around in the box it had come in. Rather than give it to Yang, she took it aside and read it herself. "Wear this. That's all it says. No name or anything else."

"Could it be a mistake?" Yang asked. She didn't want to let go of the dress; it felt nice and even when she wasn't wearing it she could imagine how good she'd look. It had to be designer, but if so then it was one she didn't recognise – and she had a feeling that wasn't because it was cheap or tacky, more like it was out of her price range entirely.

"It was addressed to you," Ren pointed out, "and to this exact dorm."

That was true…

"Oh, oh!" Nora jumped up and down excitedly. "What if it's someone's way of asking you to the dance!?"

"W-What?"

"Think about it. Maybe he's too shy to approach you or didn't get the chance, or maybe this is his idea of how to romantically do it. He sends you a mysterious parcel, inside of it a dress and a note with the words `wear this`. And then, when you show up tomorrow, a man steps out – dressed in a matching number and steps across the dance floor to take your hand in his…" She trailed off and stared at Ren for a second, before she giggled happily.

Yang's cheeks were bright red. That…? No way. That was nuts. There was no way that was the case, right?

"It could be," Blake said, hand on her chin. "It sounds like something I've read about before…"

"Life isn't like your smut books!" Yang practically yelped. "They're fiction!"

"Yes, but what's to say the person isn't taking inspiration from fiction?" Blake's argument silenced her immediately. "It could be that he read a romance story for the idea or that he's a fan and took something from his favourite movie or book. It wouldn't be the craziest thing I've heard and it might even be the first thing someone too shy to ask you directly might try."

How could she argue with that? It made sense…

"It's so romantic!" Nora crowed. "Oh my God, I wish someone would do that with me. I really, really do." She stared at Ren meaningfully, but it seemed the excitement was too much for she ignored him a second later and rushed over to spin Yang around. "Oh Yang, that's _so_ cool. Tell me you'll wear it. You're going to, right? You're going to see who it is, right!?"

Yang's head continued to spin as Nora let go, and it didn't quite stop when her motion did. She had no idea what to say. She wanted to wear the dress, but that was only because it was so beautiful. The one she'd bought before and worn on her date with Jaune was nice, but affordably nice, and didn't really do much to make her look mature. It was a dress someone might buy if they intended to go to a dance on their own or with friends. This was a dress for lovers.

And she wasn't sure what she thought about that.

"I-I don't know," she whispered. "It's romantic, I'll agree." Her cheeks heated up and she pulled it a little closer to herself. "But I'm just… I've no idea who it could be. What if it's someone I hate?"

"Do you actually hate anyone in Beacon?" Ren asked.

"No…"

"It's just a dress," Blake followed up. "Wearing it means you're agreeing to see who this is. It doesn't mean you have to be their girlfriend if you don't get on with or don't like them."

Trust those two to hit her with logic, her biggest weakness. She was already wavering, heart beating rapidly in her chest. Sure, it wasn't Jaune, but this could be something else, and maybe that was what she needed, not as a rebound but as something to distract her, to make her feel wanted. In the end that was all Jaune had done to her, wasn't it? Maybe she could fall for this guy, too. Maybe she would fall _harder_ than she had with Jaune.

And if she didn't? Well, she could let them down gently. She'd take them aside, talk to them, tell the truth and maybe even offer them a dance or two before trying to part as friends. No one had to be hurt, and it could even be a fun time for both of them.

When she thought of it like that, what was the harm in accepting?

"Okay. I'll do it. I'll wear it." The moment she said it, she felt energy rush through her. It was crazy, but also kind of exciting. Sure, it was maybe a little cliché, but was that necessarily a bad thing? If the guy wanted to make a big moment of this, then maybe that was a sign of how much he thought of her. She hoped so.

"Should we be worried he got your measurements right?" Blake asked.

Yang froze. Okay, that was a fair point, but if someone liked her then it made sense he'd have been looking. Maybe he'd guessed, or perhaps he'd taken a picture and the people at the dress shop had helped him work it out. There was a perfectly good explanation for it.

"More than just your dress size," Nora said, rummaging around the box some more. "There's something else in here."

Blood rushed to Yang's face as Nora brought out the raciest set of lingerie she had ever seen. Her mouth fell open but no words came forth.

"Well," Blake coughed. "That's forward…"

Nora checked the tag and whistled. "The _exact_ right size. Wow."

Yang blushed even harder.

Okay, so maybe it was both romantic and creepy at once. She'd wear the dress _and_ she'd meet her mysterious paramour, but if he thought she was wearing _those_ see-through things, then he had another thing coming.

"He gets props for the romance but a knock to the head for that!" she said.

"It's still exciting!" Nora laughed and tossed the lingerie away, and Ren was forced to dodge lest it land on his head. "Oh Yang, this'll be so cool! I can't wait to see who it is. Do you think they'll be good-looking? At least we know they're romantic. Ah, I wish someone-someone would consider doing that for me. Wouldn't that be cool, _Ren_? I think it would be super sweet. Don't you think so, _Ren_!?"

As Nora continued to try and make her hints heard, Yang looked down at the dress once more. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad after all. At least she wouldn't be going to the dance alone, and if things played out well she might even have new reason to smile.

And as a bonus, she'd all but forgotten about Ruby and Jaune.

/-/

"Yo."

While he was no stranger to banter, Mercury wasn't quite so used to being cornered against a wall by a girl shorter than he, yet somehow far more intimidating. Coco had that effect however, even if it was nothing on Cinder's scale. She'd walked right up to him, waved, planted one hand on the wall next to him so that he couldn't escape, and then asked if he had time to talk.

He wasn't sure if it was a question he was allowed to give an answer to, since she'd effectively cornered him the second he stepped outside his dorm. She'd obviously been waiting – and for how long, he had no idea.

"Sure…?" he asked.

"Great! It won't take long." Coco flashed him a smile that wasn't quite as sincere or chummy as her usual ones. "Just thought we could talk about Vel, you know? She's been down in the dumps for the past few days. I'm taking it you know why."

"I do. I'm still not sure Jaune has a date though, so there might still be tim-"

"Nah, I think this is for the best. Between you and me, I'm not sure she actually _likes_ him as much as she thinks she does." Coco winked and waved a finger before her lips to tell him to keep that secret. He nodded, if only because it wouldn't do him any good to share it. "It's a shame though," she went on. "She's been miserable ever since."

Miserable and absent, he felt like saying. He hadn't seen her for at least a day and while he'd originally looked forward to the whole thing being over so he could get a break from her, it now felt stilted and quiet without her. Unbearably so. Cinder and Emerald were busy with their own things, and he hadn't realised how boring the days could get. All they did was wait, lately.

He wished Velvet would drag him off to take photos of Jaune again, if just to brighten up his day.

"I'm sure Velvet will get over it," he said, realising Coco was waiting for him to speak. "She's no weakling."

Coco smirked at some joke only she understood. "She isn't. Still, she was really looking forward to going to the dance. It'll really upset her if she has to go on her own."

"Then why make her? You're her teammate. Why don't you stay back with her?"

"Ugh, it's like talking to a brick wall." Coco ignored him and palmed her face. "Men, I swear. Even Yatsu isn't this difficult and he talks like a self-help book of philosophical quotes."

Mercury blinked. "Um…?"

"No." She slapped his hand down before he could raise it. "I'll make this clear, okay? Velvet is upset. You're her friend. You need to do something to help cheer her up."

Shouldn't her team be doing that first? Well, it wasn't like he was going to say that when Coco was wearing so large a frown. The problem was that he didn't know how to go about it. The height of his social interaction was Emerald. He'd been raised – and he used the term loosely – by a drunken assassin. Who he'd then killed, by the way. That didn't exactly equip him for friendship.

"What should I do?"

"Fix the problem," she said simply. "Figure out what's upsetting her, then fix it. it shouldn't be too hard."

"And you can't just _tell_ me what that is?" he snapped, losing what little patience he already had. He was already in a bad mood about the dance, though he had no idea why. Probably just the thought of loads of idiots prancing around like it mattered. "Throw me a bone here."

"I already have, and no, I can't give you the answer or it would defeat the point. I'll be doing my best to cheer her up on my end, but this is something only _you_ can do." She brushed past him, but paused to rap her knuckles on his chest. "Figure it out, smart guy. See you at the dance."

Mercury growled to himself as she left. It wasn't his fault. Velvet was just supposed to be a contact to help him keep an eye on Jaune. She'd done that well enough and he'd tried to give her every chance he could to ask the idiot out.

It wasn't his fault if she'd fluffed it.

"Who was that?" Cinder asked, appearing behind him. She didn't sound angry, only curious. "Your special contact?"

"One of her teammates," he said.

"What did she want?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. It's probably not important."

Cinder nodded, content to believe him or perhaps just not sensing any lie. To be fair, it wasn't important, at least not to Cinder and their plans. Either way, he wasn't quite sure why he'd put so much effort into keeping Velvet away from his team leader. She didn't even know Velvet's name yet, and hopefully wouldn't.

Velvet had been useful for keeping an eye on Jaune. He was just paying her back by not getting her involved in the mess to come.

"I'll take your word on it," Cinder said. "There is something I need you to do, Mercury. It is of the utmost importance."

He took a quick look around to make sure no one was nearby. "Yeah?"

"Are you free at the dance?"

"Sure. I was waiting to see if you needed me."

It was the right thing to say, for Cinder's smile took on a pleased edge. "Perfect. I'll be visiting the CCT but I need you to act as a diversion for me." Cinder smiled at him and touched her hand to his chest. "I'll need you to be available the moment I return, and for you to pretend the two of us were together all night. Understood?"

"Sure thing. You can count on me."

"I'm sure I can, Mercury. You've been incredibly useful lately." She smiled at him and stepped past, trailing her hand across his chest. "I'll find you when I'm finished with the CCT. Don't draw attention to yourself before then."

"Got it."

Well, it looked like things were finally about to start heating up. He imagined the carnage ahead and smiled, but it lacked a little of the energy it had garnered before. People fighting and dying in a great big battle for survival had felt exciting at one point. Now it just annoyed him.

One thing was for sure, if Velvet was upset now, she was going to be _devastated_ when she found out the truth. And why should he care? Mercury stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked away, grumbling to himself. He'd done his best to help her – even when he didn't have to. She had no one to blame but herself.

He was still bored, though.

 _I wonder what Ve-_

He paused, shook his head, and then continued on.

 _I wonder what Emerald is up to._

/-/

"Will you go to the dance with me?"

"NO."

"How about now?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"No!"

"That's not an applicable answer…"

Emerald took a deep, deep breath and tried her hardest not to scream. The orange-haired, green-eyed girl in front of her didn't seem to notice, or was able to ignore the obvious frustration if she did. "Why are you following me?" Emerald growled.

"Because I have not yet received an answer…"

"You've had _three_!"

"It is not the answer I was looking for," Penny said, and somehow didn't see _anything_ wrong with that sentence. If it were a guy, she'd have already buried her knee in his groin. As it was, she was hard-pressed not to bury her weapon a little higher.

"When someone says no, it's usually a sign to accept that and respect their decision."

"Oh, but I do respect your decision, best friend Emerald. I respect and accept it, but wanted to ask you again. My research suggests persistence is important." She blinked. "Did I ask too soon? Should I have given you more time to think?"

"YES!" Emerald cried.

"Then I apologise profusely." Penny bowed low, but looked up at the last second. "Is now long enough?"

"ARRGH!" Emerald threw her hands in the air and stalked away, and couldn't even bring herself to be surprised when she heard Penny following. She'd have used her Semblances on the annoying idiot long ago if Cinder didn't want it kept a secret.

It was bad enough Penny had decided they were going to be friends – and she still cursed the moment where she'd lazily accepted _that_ proposition. She'd expected the girl's idea of friendship would be the occasional nod of the head in a corridor, or an annoying hour wasted pretending to listen to her between lessons. That was at worst, and she'd hoped at best it might be a way back into Cinder's good books.

Mercury wormed his way in by making a contact in Beacon. She could do that too! Gods, it had seemed like such a good idea at the time.

 _So much regret,_ Emerald thought, groaning into one hand. Penny wasn't a normal girl; that much was clear. Her idea of friendship seemed to be that they'd become conjoined twins. Apart from when she slept, she didn't seem able to get rid of the girl and even Cinder had started to notice and shoot questioning looks her way. She wasn't stupid enough to get involved, however. Cinder seemed more than capable of smelling the potential annoyance a mile away.

"Emerald?"

"NO!" Emerald yelled, spinning around.

Weiss Schnee leaned back, one fine eyebrow raised. "Excuse me…?"

"Weiss?" She blinked once, spotted Penny over the heiress' shoulder (she waved happily), and winced. "Sorry, I thought it was someone else. I didn't mean to shout at you."

"That someone being… Penny?"

Emerald's twitching eye was the answer.

"Do I want to know?"

"Probably not," she said, at least a little relieved for the distraction. Plus, she'd been meaning to figure out if she had any leverage over Weiss and whether that would mean anything if this competition between Jaune and Cinder continued. "What are you doing out here anyway?" she asked. "With the dance being tomorrow, I figured you'd be getting ready."

"I'm avoiding the most complicated tangle of drama and emotions ever, preferably before I snap and kill someone."

"Eh?"

"Everyone is trying to ask one another out," she explained, and Emerald made a sound of understanding. Yeah, that sounded like hard work. She supposed she was lucky there weren't any such feelings between their group, though goodness knows might have happened if Mercury did like her that way, or gods forbid, liked _Cinder_ romantically.

"I take it you're not involved," Emerald said.

"Thankfully not. I will be working the entrance tomorrow so I won't be going with a date."

"Lucky you…"

"Speaking of dates," Penny said, non-so-subtly pushing into the conversation.

"NO!"

"I understand and accept your decision," Penny said. She turned to Weiss. "Friend Weiss, how long is too long before you are allowed to ask someone out after being rejected?"

"Uh…" Weiss looked between the two of them. Emerald shook her head in despair. "I'm afraid I don't know, Penny. Some time, at least."

"I see." Penny stroked her chin. "Unrequited love is indeed a painful phenomenon."

"An explanation, please?"

Weiss sounded confused. Emerald didn't blame her.

"She keeps asking me out to the dance. I keep saying no. She keeps asking. It's been continuing like that for a while… I'm not sure how long."

"Three hours, forty-nine minutes and thirteen seconds," Penny helpfully provided.

Emerald shot Weiss an agonised look.

"I see," the heiress said. She didn't. No one did, not even Emerald. "Why are you asking Emerald out to the dance anyway, Penny? I wasn't aware you… um… felt that way about women."

"You didn't? But I had intercourse with Ruby Rose."

Emerald's mouth fell open.

She did _what_!?

"You had _conversation_ with Ruby," Weiss explained, hissing for Penny to be quiet lest anyone overheard. "I thought she told you it's called conversation… or if you need to, discourse."

"I thought the correct word was intercourse."

"Technically it is but it has several other connotations people will jump to first."

"Really? But why would anyone jump straight to sexual intercourse when the first word is absent? Isn't that the most important part? I did not realise people's minds were so far in the metaphorical gutter. This is a startling realisation."

Emerald looked between the two in abject confusion. Had Penny had sex with Ruby or not? Who was having sex with whom? Since when was _anyone_ having sex? Why was everyone talking about it? Was someone trying to bang her? She felt she had a right to know this, but her head just continued to spin.

Seriously, Beacon was hell.

"I think there's been a misunderstanding," Weiss said, smiling sympathetically at her. "Penny, can I ask what exactly you imagined Emerald and you doing at the dance? What did you have in mind if she said yes?"

"We could spend time together and talk about school, boys and tenta- other things. I thought it would be a good opportunity to deepen our bonds of friendship."

Wait, she'd meant _that_!? Emerald's mouth fell open, but Weiss only nodded.

"That's what I thought. Penny, I think that's more a platonic and friendly scenario. Asking someone out implies something of a more romantic nature."

"It does?"

"Yes!" Emerald howled, finally losing patience. "Yes, it does. Where were you raised, a barn?"

"A laboratory," Penny replied innocently.

Both Emerald and Weiss froze.

Oh… well, that was a little awkward. Some kind of test-tube baby? Medical anomaly? It kind of explained why she was so weird, but Cinder had told her not to draw attention so she couldn't afford to cause offence to transfer students. They didn't have the excuse of being foreign themselves anymore, since Cinder had forced them to re-apply at Beacon.

"That aside," Weiss said, "I guess this clears up the situation, no? Penny is only asking to spend some time with you at the dance as a friend. Is that right, Penny?"

The girl nodded happily. "Yes."

Weiss nodded, and suddenly the two of them were looking in _her_ direction. Emerald blinked and stared back, before she slowly realised they were waiting for her response. Oh right, Penny wanted them to go together. Her first instinct was to say no. Platonic or not, it sounded like a pain in the ass.

But Cinder wanted her to watch over Jaune…

 _If I go on my own I'll probably look like I want company and some idiot guy will try and chat me up. I can't watch Jaune and deal with someone like that at the same time._ Of course, if she had someone with her then it wouldn't be an issue, and she didn't care if the rumour mill made some nonsense up. As a bonus, Penny was in with both Weiss _and_ Jaune, and it was possible she could be convinced to have them hang out as a group, or at least go and talk with them as well. _It would make my job easier and it wouldn't look suspicious for me to be hanging around him so much. It's win-win._

Well, apart from the fact it would mean she had to deal with Penny all night. Still, it would make Cinder happy…

"Oh, fine," she said, sighing as Penny cheered happily. "But only as a friend! Definitely nothing more and we're _not_ dancing with one another."

"Sensational! I must go report on this!" Penny dashed away, leaving Weiss and Emerald behind.

Emerald shot Weiss a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe writing in her diary?" Weiss guessed. "I don't know. I'm not her translator."

"I guess not." Emerald sighed. "Still, thanks for helping me out, I guess. I was about to explode at her if she kept asking. Seriously, who thinks asking someone out means friendship? What the hell is wrong with her?"

"I've no idea, but I just came from watching Ruby, Pyrrha and Jaune dance about their feelings. I wasn't going to stand here and watch it happen again. It would have driven me insane. I'm already close to the edge as it is."

"You ever want to just grab the offending parties and lock them in a room together?" Emerald asked. She wasn't sure if she was talking about Cinder and Jaune or if that would get her killed. Either way, it felt like since coming to Beacon everything had taken a turn for the insane. "I mean, do they think no one notices?"

"Why do you think I came out here?" Weiss asked. "I'm hoping the situation fixes itself before I take your advice quite literally. I might just hire someone to marry them all together and call it done."

The two shared a quick look, followed by a round of laughter. How weird to imagine the only other sane person was the heiress to the SDC. A pickpocket orphan and the daughter to the richest man on Remnant; if she'd suggested the two might one day be commiserating over shared misery, Mercury would have laughed at her.

They were interrupted by a middle-aged man in a blue uniform.

"Excuse me, is that Weiss Schnee? I have a parcel here for you."

"Really? How odd. I wasn't expecting anything…"

* * *

 **Okay, there we go. Last chapter I said how I was dissatisfied with White Sheep and I wanted to go over that a little here, both to highlight the problem and let people know how it occurred. You can skip this if you're not interested.**

* * *

 **BIG POST AHEAD**

* * *

 **Essentially, it came down to a breakdown in communication between College Fool and I. This is not to say we fought or argued, because we really didn't - and maybe this could have been avoided if we did. In fact, it's more that we didn't argue enough, or maybe that I was too content to try and accommodate ideas without asking for clarification. In short, it's my fault. I am the writer, after all, and it's my story - so it's my responsibility to make sure CF is on the right page with suggestions, and to reject any that aren't.**

 **When I originally plotted out this story and shared ideas with CF, it was as a pure comedy – and that's what it was for the longest time, and those chapters were fun to write and read. You'll notice that the tags for this are "Humour" and "Action Adventure" NOT "Romance". It may have romance, but that will be a small part of the overall comedy and plot. It isn't the main focus.**

 **Sadly, somewhere in our planning, this got muddled between us and CF began to think the romance WAS a major focus. We both thought we were working from the same hymn sheet and for the longest time we were, but come the dance arc – this arc – we deviated. College Fool expected a huge and dramatic dance moment where this would be the seminal climax of the entire story, a point where relationships were set out and the romance was pushed forward.**

 **I didn't. To me, the dance was just meant to be an event to gloss over, with some comedy but no more focus than any other chapter or part of the show. It was meant to be 4-5 chapters at most, and fairly fast-paced.**

 **College Fool pushed for more. One of our recurring themes was me putting a line like "the dance was in a week" and CF saying it needed "more time" and that I "shouldn't give exact dates as we needed more chapters", all the while suggesting little tweaks and changes that would ratchet up the tension on what was supposed to be a climax of this story. These were all good suggestions for a romance and drama story and College Fool's input is always valuable.**

 **I tried to implement all of those, and often ended up doing so poorly because I thought I knew how CF was suggesting them (as joke comedy), and CF would get frustrated because it was meant to be serious drama and thought I'd made a mistake. We were both working with the same material on different ideas.**

 **I should have said it wasn't what I wanted, but I didn't realise that was what CF was aiming for. I thought the jokes were meant as jokes, but to CF they were serious relationship moments, and that confusion continued on for a long time with CF trying to get me to focus more on the romance, and me trying to bring back the plot by introducing Lavender, by bringing in Adam and Ironwood, and by trying to drag the story kicking and screaming back to Jaune being Hentacle and having trouble between him, the White Fang and the good guys - with jokes about tentacle hentai, and Cardin de-pantsing Jaune and such.**

 **And each time I did this, CF would say something like "This isn't needed" or "this just pads things out unnecessarily", because CF** _ **thought**_ **we were working on a huge and important dance arc when we really, really weren't. It would have been great if that came up in conversation between us but it never did (mostly due to my work load and how even when it was different, the points CF raised weren't in themselves bad points), and we were always working on this one chapter at a time as we slowly moved towards this point, me trying to speed it up and get the dance over with, CF trying to slow it down and make sure the tension and drama were there, all the while the both of us still thinking we were on the same page as to where this was going.**

 **It clashed recently, however – last week, in fact – when CF suggested a plot ahead and I was horrified by it. It was, to put it bluntly, pure drama. It was the kind of thing you might have expected to see in Entertainer, or Stress Relief or any other romantic drama. This would be GREAT if White Sheep were a romance story OR a drama, but it's not. It's comedy and CF's end-goal wasn't funny.**

 **I think it was at that point I realised the problem and did my best to explain the situation – and words were exchanged but we're still working together and are still friends.**

 **What does this mean for the fic? Well, it means that this dance arc is fucking stupid, if I can be blunt. It's dragged on forever because CF thought this was a major climax piece, and now that I DON'T want that climax (and never did), the result of it is going to fail to meet up to the drama of the 10 or more preceding chapters.**

 **That's not to say it'll be bad.**

 **It'll not justify the ridiculous amount of length that has been wasted here. I'm sorry about that. Even if I went with CF's idea, it would flop because it would be a dramatic ending, but then the fic would continue for ages, as this is meant to go on beyond S4 and 5. It just wouldn't work. It would be like having Voldemort killed in Book 2 of Harry Potter, and then having no villain for the next set. Were this one of my more drama-heavy stories I would have lapped CF's idea up without complaint.**

 **So, I'll be trying to bring this back to what it was always meant to be, a comedy fic with jokes and easy laughs and less relationship drama bogging it all down. College Fool is now on the same page a little more, and we'll hopefully not have this breakdown again, especially if it leads to even ME losing interest in the fic. Because seriously, I've hated this slog of chapters recently, and have hated it for a long time. Tracking back, I realised recently that I started to hate it the moment the dance arc came, and that was likely my subconscious or just my author side telling me that this entire arc was at such a dissonance to the tone of the rest of the fic that it was pointless and not what I wanted.**

 **I wish I'd listened to it earlier.**

* * *

 **TL:DR – This fic is comedy, but the last ten chapters haven't been funny. They've been dull, monotonous and dramatic. That's going to be changing going forward and I'm going to bring this back to the comedy story it was meant to be.**

 **To note, this is not an attack on College Fool in any way. I should have noticed this error sooner and corrected it, but there were a lot of times where I should have stood my ground and turn down ideas, but I felt bad because I'd done the same in other fics CF is beta for, and didn't want to always be the person saying "no". In hindsight that was silly. CF is hardly going to be offended if I stick to my principles, and all it's done is lead to me accepting ideas and suggestions I KNEW were bad even as I was struggling to fit them in.**

 **Hopefully it will not happen again. The dance is next chapter and I'll be trying to get that finished and draw a line under it so that I can move on to plot pieces afterwards. No more dragging this out. #MakeWhiteSheepGreatAgain!**

* * *

 **CF's Note**

"I am College Fool, and I agree with this message."

Aka, when Beta's fuck up, since I can take my share of heat in turn. Great take away from this experience was, as always, the merits of clear planning. Clear plans, clear intents, and clear communication in vital. When those aren't present... it's not just an author who needs to press more, but also the beta. And sometimes what the beta needs to press for is clearer guidance, not ideas that look good in one's head but are incompatible with the writer's vision.

Coeur has his regrets, but I consider this a mea culpa on myself, since I was pushing for something that made the story actively worse, for a payoff that ultimately was never going to come. 'My bad' doesn't quite cover it, so please simply accept an 'I'm sorry' instead.

V/R

C.F.

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 **Next Chapter: 21** **st** **December**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	48. Chapter 48

**Here we go.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 48**

* * *

Yang adjusted the black dress on her body and stared at herself in the mirror. As she'd expected the moment she saw it, she looked beautiful. Her curves were there, honed by exercise and hard work, but the dress left them soft and mature, the fabric hugging her sides even as it teased and hinted but showed nothing too scandalous. Her make-up, just a light touch here and there, complimented her perfectly.

Everything was ready… except for her, obviously. If she had been, she'd have already been there and not hiding in her room like the coward she usually wasn't.

"What's gotten into you, girl?" she asked her reflection. "If you saw Ruby doing this you'd drag her to the dance yourself."

Her reflection had no excuses.

She should have been there to see Ruby arrive really, if only so she could capture the happy moment in her memory and also on her scroll, sending it back to Dad later. This would be Ruby's first date and that was an important thing, especially since it was with someone she liked as a friend. Or, well, more than a friend as it were.

That was the real reason she continued to hesitate even after Blake, Ren and Nora had left – all in no particular order. It wasn't that she was nervous about meeting the person who had gifted her so beautiful a dress – she was, but it was a nervousness that had her heart fluttering, not the stomach-churning pain that paralysed her now. It wasn't even that she was worried what people might think of her for going alone, since she didn't really care about that either way. People could think what they wanted about her; she only cared what her friends thought.

No, the real reason was obvious.

She didn't want to see Ruby with the man she liked…

"Loved," Yang whispered, her eyes drifting shut. It felt stupid to lie about it now, especially at the eleventh hour. "Damn it, Yang. When did you go and decide to fall in love with someone?"

The answer was that she hadn't. Hell, she'd been so determined not to that she'd barely realised when she did. _Tch, I thought the kinds of guys I liked were people like the Achieve Men, hot singers or athletes. Not bumbling guys who say things without thinking._ No matter how sweet those things were, or how honest their every action seemed.

She stared into the mirror.

Her reflection stared back.

"Damn it, Yang…"

It didn't matter. Things didn't always work out and people lived through it every day, her dad a prime example. Jaune and Ruby would be great together and she'd find someone else she could fall in love with – maybe even the guy who'd bought her so beautiful a dress. _If I fell in love once then I can do it again._

Besides, she only had to dance for half of the event. Weiss had offered to take the first shift and she'd handle the second, leaving her to mingle for the first hour or so, then work the rest – before she could retire near the end and leave everyone to enjoy themselves. No fuss, no drama and no more broken hearts.

With an exhausted sigh, Yang brushed her hair back from her face and shot her reflection one last look. With a confident nod, she turned and headed for the door. It was time to face the music.

/-/

Weiss' smile as she welcomed people to the dance was, for once, an honest one. Sure, she was working instead of enjoying it, but she couldn't bring herself to feel upset about that in any way. She'd literally managed to avoid _all_ the drama and nonsense surrounding her team. The biggest potential mess of emotions, feelings and complicated heart-to-hearts and she'd come out of it unscathed.

That was nothing short of a miracle.

"Welcome," she said, smiling happily as she ushered another happy couple into the dance. She recognised them vaguely, though only in the sense of two faces she thought she'd seen once or twice. There were no strict rules on who she could or couldn't let in, and since the transfer students had started to arrive, it was complicated anyway.

She did see Emerald and Penny though, the two ironically matching in their green dresses, even if Emerald's was several shades darker than Penny's. "Hello, friend Weiss!" Penny said, smiling happily.

Emerald rolled her eyes and raised a hand in a silent wave.

"Hey there," she returned. "It's good to see you, Penny. You too, Emerald." Weiss pointed with one hand. "There's a buffet inside or you can enjoy the music or-" She was about to say dance but caught Emerald's narrowed eyes and thought better of it. "Or there are other people to talk to," she finished.

"Have you seen my teammate?" Emerald asked. "Tall, silver hair, dopey expression."

"I think he arrived earlier," she said. She hadn't actually noticed anyone who looked particularly dopey, but the silver hair was distinctive enough to remember. "He came alone, I think."

"His date is coming separately."

"Making an entrance?"

Emerald smiled. "Something like that." The green-haired girl sighed a moment later and the smile slipped away entirely. "Speaking of entrances, is there anything you can do about _them_?" She jerked a thumb behind her, not that Weiss needed it to be pointed out.

It was weird enough having two Atlas soldier sin full uniform and armour following you, after all.

Weiss stared at them.

"Are you… here for the dance?"

"Yes," one said, shoulders stiff.

"And is this…"

"My date," he said. His partner, another man, sighed dramatically but didn't argue.

"They've been following us for the last twenty minutes," Emerald growled.

"Following me," Penny corrected, and she didn't seem troubled by their presence in the slightest. Tellingly, the guards – for what else could they be? – didn't protest her words. Was Penny some kind of VIP or person who required constant protection? Emerald's expression said she'd not known, but also that she didn't appreciate finding out now, either.

"Well… enjoy yourselves," Weiss said, shrugging in apology as the four entered.

What was she supposed to do – tell Atlas Soldiers they couldn't enter? Winter would have her head! _Sorry, Emerald,_ she thought, watching the irritated girl go, entourage in tow. Weiss didn't envy her any, but at least it was just for the one night.

A few more people came and went, some that Weiss recognised and others that she didn't. She greeted each with a smile and some kind words, playing the perfect host as she was expected to. There were a few surprises, of course, one of which was the couple who had just approached.

"Blake?" Weiss asked, surprised. She looked to the girl's partner. "You're with… Ren?"

"Blake needed someone to go with lest Sun find out she lied," Ren, looking handsome in a black suit, said. He was the perfect gentleman, his arm linked with his Blake's. "Since I didn't have a date and she wasn't able to find another, I volunteered."

The explanation was far too clean-cut for her to believe.

"I thought you'd be going with Nora, to be honest."

"I thought she might ask me but she never did," Ren admitted. "I suppose she means what she means when she says we're together but not together-together."

It wasn't. It wasn't in the slightest. Weiss glanced to Blake, who looked equal parts guilty and terrified – and she had every right to, Weiss felt. Nora was going to find out about this. Oh, she was _definitely_ going to find out.

 _Just another reason for me to be pleased I managed to avoid all this nonsense,_ Weiss thought. She smiled and waved one arm, consciously ignoring Blake's silent pleas for help. "Welcome to the Beacon dance. I hope you have a wonderful time."

"I'm sure we will," Ren chuckled, leading Blake in. She was very quiet and very stiff. "If Nora arrives can you tell her where we are?"

Blake's eyes were wide as she nervously shook her head. Ren couldn't see but Weiss could, and she could also see the "please no" being mouthed. She felt bad for Blake, she really did, but then she recalled the docks incident, Ruby being taken hostage, and how that was all nominally Blake's fault, and she smiled happily.

"I'll point her straight to you."

"Thanks," Ren said.

Blake's face was ashen as she was led away.

 _Nearly get one of my team tentacle molested, huh? Think you'll get away with that? Nope._ Weiss chuckled to herself as she watched them go.

When she turned back to the next guest, her smile was innocent once more.

"Welcome to the Beacon dan-" Her smile fell. "W-Winter!?"

/-/

Mercury fingered his collar and fought back his irritation. Suits weren't his style, especially when everything was made to measure and there was no room to breathe. He knew he looked good in it, but it was hot and stifling, made even more so because he nervously checked the doors every now and then to see if Cinder had arrived. It was too early for that, though. She was probably waiting for the party to get going before she hit the CCT. Less chance of anyone interfering that way.

 _So, I've just got to chill here for an hour or so doing nothing at all. Wonderful…_

This whole trip to beacon was a load of waiting and no action. The only one who seemed to be doing anything was Cinder. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen any action, but it might have been back when he'd been fighting alongside Jaune's team at the docks. It felt like months, even if it was only weeks. He half-wished he could have joined Cinder in hitting the CCT, but she wasn't about to take risks over something like that.

He sighed and leaned back against a pillar and sipped from his champagne glass. The dance wasn't a bad thing. He didn't have much to compare it to but the music was good and the people dancing looked like they were having fun. He'd frequented the buffet table to have a few snacks but ducked away when it started to get busy. He'd chosen his hiding spot well on the balcony overlooking everything. Most people didn't bother to look up, and even if they did they'd just assume he was either a loner avoiding the festivities or someone waiting for his date to arrive.

"Should have brought a book to read," he groused. Not that he could have, Cinder would have had his head for doing something so stupid. Instead, he distracted himself by looking over the various women on the dance floor, rating them out of ten. Emerald would have had his head but what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her. Besides, she was stuck with those Atlas soldiers and he was going _nowhere_ near that.

 _Not bad,_ Mercury thought, eyes glossing over a blonde girl laughing with some others. _At least an eight there. Shame the dress is so innocent._ He smirked and let his eyes rove a little further until he saw a familiar face.

His grin was replaced with a scowl.

Velvet was talking to Coco, her head ducked and hear ears drooped. She'd come in a pink and cream dress with a fluttering leg and gloves that reached down to her elbows, her fingers and arms bare. He wouldn't have expected a plunging neckline from her and he didn't get one, the dress screaming conservative even from the balcony above. Hell, she barely flashed an inch of leg, and seemed desperate to hide inside her dress, if not among the shadows that dotted the edges of the ball. Coco had her hands on her hips, and he could imagine her trying to drag her teammate out to the dance floor. Fat lot of good that was doing.

"I guess she came alone after all," he mused. His lips pulled into a frown and he sighed, annoyed, though whether it was at her or someone else he couldn't tell. "Why even show up if you're going to be miserable?"

Coco had probably pressured her into it. Well, it looked like that was going to backfire.

"A rose among roses is often overlooked," a voice spoke behind him. "Are you here alone, Mercury?"

"For now," he replied, hiding his surprise at being snuck up on. He had to bite back an embarrassed flush once he saw who it was, too. How Team CFVY's giant teammate was able to sneak up on him, he didn't know. Cinder would have flambéed him on the spot for such inattentiveness. "What are you doing here?"

"Taking a moment to step away from the dance floor," Yatsuhashi said. "At the time, I could not help but notice you looking down from above. Has someone caught your eye?"

"Nothing like that." He couldn't mention Cinder without inviting the question of where she was. "What did you mean with that line, anyway? Something about roses?"

"That a rose among roses is overlooked," he said. "It is an old saying. Beauty is a constant, but many fail to notice it if it is surrounded by other beautiful things. It is easy to look at a bed of roses and say they are beautiful, but few note the individual roses within, or their beauty."

"Makes sense."

It didn't, but it felt like questioning it would just invite more flowery words.

"I wonder if Velvet felt that way when she looked at Jaune Arc," Yatsuhashi continued. "So enamoured was she of what she felt she loved in him, not his physical attributes but his honour and kindness, that she found herself unable to notice what else she had around her. Until it was too late and she lost that opportunity, too."

"I'm not sure I follow."

"It is all too often that we close ourselves off to such opportunities, never noticing what is truly before our eyes. Sometimes we never notice, and I wonder if that is a kindness compared to those who notice too late, and see their chances at happiness lost forever."

Mercury stared at the man. The words affected him, but probably not in the way the giant wanted. He felt confused, bemused, probably a few other words that sounded similar but meant equally little. He could also feel a headache coming on.

"Has anyone ever told you it's hard to understand what you're saying?"

"Coco tells me this often. I have never understood why."

"I think I do," Mercury grumbled. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the distraction, but if he missed Cinder arriving then he'd be in trouble. "Does this have anything to do with me? If you want to say something, say it simpler."

Yatsuhashi smiled enigmatically. "I believe I have made my point clear, my friend."

 _No, you really haven't!_

"Look." He nodded, and Mercury's eyes were brought back to Coco and Velvet in time to see them part. Coco shouted something and tried to reach out but Velvet pulled away and ducked into the crowd. Coco lost sight, but from their position far above they could see her make her way towards the exit. It looked like she was upset, perhaps even on the verge of tears.

"For fuck's sake," Mercury growled.

Something tugged at his stomach and he took a step in her direction before catching himself. What was he going to do? He couldn't fix this and he had his job. He had to wait for Cinder. Velvet would live. The worst that would happen was she cried a little and felt a little miserable.

"To be surrounded by those who have what you do not is hard," Yatsuhashi sighed. "It is especially hard when you realise too late what it is you truly want."

"Enough riddles," he snapped. "She's your teammate. Shouldn't you be helping her?"

"My assistance would only hurt her more."

Velvet had reached the exit now and pushed through the late entrants, many of which watched her go with surprised expressions. Some were less upset, however, and he noticed a few laugh at her expense. He bit back his anger at them.

Damn it. If she'd just asked Jaune out, this wouldn't have happened.

Hell, if he'd just refused to help her in the first place then at least _he_ wouldn't have to feel shitty about it all.

 _And why do I feel bad about this, anyway? It's none of my business. It's not my fault!_

"There she goes," Yatsuhashi sighed.

 _I. Don't. Care!_

"If only I could be the one to help her," Yatsuhashi continued. "We all have our roles in life, however. Sometimes a branch must bend in the wind, and occasionally the branch must break."

Mercury gripped his hands into fists and scowled at the man beside him.

"Some teammate you are. Aren't you supposed to be there for her?" The irony of him not caring about his own team wasn't lost on him, but that didn't stop his glare, either. "You're her friend. Do something to help her. At least give her a shoulder to cry on, damn it!."

Yatsuhashi didn't seem upset at his anger. The man smiled, tilted his head to the side and spoke.

"A flower blooms but once in its life. When it wilts, new seeds are strewn."

Mercury's patience snapped.

"You're fucking useless!" he yelled, throwing his champagne at the idiot as he turned and sprinted away, off the balcony and down the stairs, pushing people aside. Stupid Velvet, stupid Jaune and _fucking_ stupid him, as well.

Cinder was going to have his ass. He didn't have time for this and he knew it.

"Out of the way," he snarled, pushing one girl aside and causing her to spill food and drink on her date. "Move it," he said to another, squeezing past, his eyes locked on the door that stupid idiot had rushed out of. Someone yelled out and tried to push him back, but Mercury twisted the hand and threw it back into the owner's face. "Get out of the way, idiot. Move. Get lost!"

He broke out of the crowd and dashed for the door.

/-/

She hadn't seen Ruby yet. She wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not since every time she looked and didn't see her little sister she ran through the full gamut of emotions. Suspicion, annoyance, relief… the latter of which was all the worse for knowing it wouldn't last. Even if Ruby chickened out and wasn't dancing, she'd still be here with her date enjoying the night in other ways. A big part of her just wanted to see them together so she could get it over with. It'd hurt, but not as much as the build-up was hurting right now.

From the corner of one eye she caught a young man staring at her, and he glanced away in embarrassment when their eyes met. Yang smiled back as best she could, even if it wasn't quite all there. Well, there was no denying she looked good. People had been staring ever since she'd slipped in through a side entrance, wanting to avoid Weiss lest it lead to questions about her lack of a date and the inevitable sympathy that would come from it. There was no sign of the guy – or girl – who had bought her the dress, but she kept her eyes open. The most distinctive sign was a flower on her left breast, not an actual rose but rather one mimicked by waves of cloth that stuck out and gave the appearance of one, the same black as her dress. If she saw someone with anything like that, she figured it would be the person – or if someone just approached her and said it was them, really.

 _I wish whoever it was would hurry up, though. I just want something to focus on that isn't Jaune or Ruby._

Some familiar laughter reached her ears and Yang turned back to the dance floor. She recognised the voice as Ruby, and quickly saw a flash of a red and black dress as her little sister was swept about the floor. All of the nervousness she normally exhibited was gone, leaving a wide smile on her face as she linked hands with her tuxedo-clad partner. Ruby looked free, relaxed, and most all happy.

Yang looked away before she saw any more. Her eyes burned.

"I knew this was a bad idea. I shouldn't be here."

Ruby was here and was enjoying herself, so she'd seen all she had to. Staying any longer would just make her miserable, and increase the chances Ruby or Jaune might see her. The last thing she wanted after putting so much effort into it was for them to forget all about one another in an attempt to try and cheer her up. This was supposed to be their night.

And that meant she'd best retire early…

She'd apologise to Blake and the others later – and maybe to the poor person who'd bought her the dress. It looked like neither of them would be getting what they wanted tonight. With a bitter smile, Yang ducked to the side and away, avoiding the dance floor so that neither Ruby or Jaune would see her. As she heard Ruby laugh again, the tears started to sting at her eyes.

 _Hold it in,_ she whispered to herself. _At least hold it until you get back to your room._ Yang kept her head low as she passed by people, but began to increase her pace towards the exit. Her control was slipping.

She had to get away.

Apparently, someone else felt the same.

"Move!" the voice yelled, as a hand landed on her shoulder and shoved her aside with incredible force. It wouldn't normally have done anything, but she'd been paying no attention to the world around her, and she was hardly at her best on heels. "Get out of the way," the guy pushed on, rushing in the direction of the entrance as Yang's arms wheeled behind her, struggling to catch herself before she fell and _really_ ended the evening on a bum note.

One of her hands, flailing as it was, caught a person – and her apology was muffled into the guy's chest as she crashed into them. Her eyes clamped shut as she struggled to stay upright, planting both hands on his shoulders and getting her feet back under her. She felt the person stumble a little as well, their hands coming up to rest on the small of her back.

"Sorry," she said, aware she might just have face-planted into someone's date.

It was definitely a guy judging from the white shirt and black jacket before her. She didn't mention the hands around her waist since he'd probably just tried to grab onto something when she crashed into him.

"I didn't mean to bump into you," she whispered. Her eyes burned again. Oh Gods, not now. She gently pushed herself off him and turned away. "I was just leaving."

"Already…?"

Yang froze.

"It's just that… well, I thought we could dance," the man continued. "If you want to, I mean. I know you're busy."

It couldn't be.

Yang's heart hammered in her chest, but she didn't dare turn around, if only because it might confirm her wild and stupid imagination for what it was. That was all it could be after all. He was with Ruby. She'd seen him earlier. Her eyes flicked back to the dance floor to make sure and she saw Ruby's red dress easily enough. True to fact, she was dancing with a man in a fancy suit, and still laughing happily.

But the man had red hair…

Red hair, green eyes, and pale skin – Pyrrha Nikos wore a suit that fit her snugly as she smiled and danced with her sister. Yang stared at them, unsure what to think.

How?

Why?

But…

"Yang…?" the voice behind her asked.

Her lip quivered. She bit down on it. He was there when she turned, his ocean-coloured eyes soft and smiling as he watched her, though they became flecked with naked concern when he saw her red eyes and shaky face. In turn, she took his in… took _him_ in. He looked good in his suit, much like he had when he took her to the restaurant in Vale.

"What's wrong?" Jaune asked, taking a step forward. He'd seen her fear and upset and reacted exactly like she'd assumed he would. "Why are you crying?"

"Something in my eye," Yang lied, looking away. Even if he was here, it didn't mean anything other than that he'd seen her, and she was distracting him. She bit her lip and said, "Shouldn't you be with your date?"

Jaune Arc laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. It wasn't an attractive motion by any sense, but she found it endearing nonetheless.

"You should go dance with her," she said, trying to ignore him entirely, and the feelings he brought to the forefront. "I bet she's waiting for you even now. You shouldn't waste your time on someone else and leave her waiting." She forced out a smile and stepped away from him. "Go dance with her."

"I would," he said, "if I had one…"

Yang's feet cemented themselves to the floor.

"No one asked me out," he went on, and while there was a note of emotion there, it seemed more embarrassed than anything. "Not even Cardin did. That's kind of depressing…"

No, that couldn't be right.

"What about Ruby?" she asked.

"Ruby? She didn't ask me." Jaune looked over to the dance floor. "She asked Pyrrha. I think they've come as friends."

Yang's head was spinning.

Nothing made sense, no matter how much she tried to process it. She glanced back to the dance to see Pyrrha and Ruby in each other's arms again, smiling happily but not with any romance to it. They were dancing over-dramatically, having fun and just enjoying one another's presence.

But Ruby had said she'd asked Jaune to the dance!

Or… no… she'd just said she'd asked him… and then confirmed she had _a_ date. Not who it was or that it was him. But… that just didn't make any sense.

Had Ruby chickened out again…?

Or was this something else?

She was so confused she didn't realise he'd come closer until his hands were on her shoulders. She flinched and looked up into his eyes – an instant mistake.

"You look amazing, by the way. Absolutely beautiful."

D-Damn him…

Yang's cheeks flushed and she looked away, feeling like she was fourteen all over again. She both hated and loved that, kind of in the same way she… no, she couldn't say that. She was supposed to be leaving him to Ruby, but… but…

"So, yeah," he said, heedless of her internal struggle. "No one asked me to the dance, so I came on my own. It's nice and all but everyone else has someone to dance with. I was kinda hoping you and I could, as well. If you're free, I mean."

She was, but…

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I want to dance with you… because I thought it… well, I was just hoping you would…"

"Not that," she said, shaking her head and clenching her eyes shut. "Why didn't _you_ ask someone to the dance?"

"Because you said you were busy with organising it."

Her heart lurched. "Not me. I mean someone else."

"Yang…" Jaune's sigh forced her to open her eyes and meet his. He smiled at her. "Who else would I ask?"

Ruby, she felt like saying.

But she didn't.

She stepped into him instead, pushing her face against the fabric of hit shirt and inhaling his scent. It wasn't anything special… at least not by the standards of what she'd seen in romance movies where girls would swoon and sway. He smelled like cologne and whatever he'd eaten off the buffet table.

His hands settled on her back. "Yang…?"

"Just… just give me a moment," she whispered. A moment for what, she didn't know. Her instincts were telling her Ruby had messed it up somehow, and that she should push him back in her direction.

She couldn't. Not again.

"It's too late," Yang said.

"Hm?"

"We're official."

"Officially together?" Jaune sounded confused. "Weren't we that before?"

No. She'd accidentally asked him on a date and he'd done the same in return, and no matter what he'd thought – or how much she'd enjoyed it – it hadn't been official. "We're more official now," she said, poking him in the ribs. "You're mine now."

"I… kinda thought I always was, to be honest."

She felt like calling him an idiot, but maybe… just maybe… he wasn't. Maybe she was the one who had been the idiot and he'd just noticed the truth before she had. Probably so. She certainly felt like it might be the case.

"Then you were right," she decided. She'd decided more than just her words, as well.

If Ruby hadn't been able to do it, then… maybe it was time for Yang to stop throwing her so many chances. She'd stepped back and done her best, and she'd felt miserable for it. If Ruby still hadn't taken advantage…?

Then tough. She wasn't going to sit around idly anymore. Yang's arms wound their way around his neck, hands linking behind his head. He didn't seem to mind, his own touching on the small of her back.

"Dance?" she asked.

"I'd love to, but one question…"

She grinned at him, feeling a little more of her old confidence coming back. Her eyes were still red from the tears she'd already shed, but she couldn't bring herself to wash it away in the bathroom. Someone else might come and steal him away if she did, or maybe she'd wake up and it would all be a dream.

"Does this make me your boyfriend?"

The word made her shiver.

"Yes," she said, dragging him to the dance floor. "Yes, it does."

And for the first time in what felt like weeks, everything made sense.

/-/

Pyrrha felt her `date` relax against her as Yang and Jaune linked bodies and moved onto the dance floor, the blondes smiling happily at one another. The redhead looked down to her own, into silver eyes that didn't shine with hurt like she'd half-expected, but instead with a simple joy of her own.

"That could have been you, you know," she said. "Yang was giving you every chance in the world."

Ruby shrugged one shoulder, and then giggled as Pyrrha held a hand high so that she could spin underneath it, catching the shorter girl back against her. Where Ruby wasn't confident in her heels, Pyrrha adapted, using her athletic grace to balance and push her into position. It wasn't hard, and Ruby was happy to let her lead in their dance.

Pyrrha pressed the question again, however. Unwilling to let her partner get away with silence.

"It could have been me," Ruby finally admitted, "but if it was, then it would be because I let Yang throw away her own chance. That's not right."

"Even if she was willing to?"

"Especially if she was willing to." Ruby smiled again. "I don't want to be the reason why she's unhappy. She's my sister. I love her."

"But don't you love him, too?"

"Maybe." Ruby's cheeks heated a little, "But I love Yang more than Jaune. Besides, this isn't me giving up. This is me just not letting Yang give up. I still like him, but she likes him too. If he decides he wants to like one of us back, then fine. But if I took advantage of this, then I'd forever be wondering if he would have been happier with her." Her smile wavered. "I don't want that… and I don't want Yang to always be asking it, too."

"Ruby…"

"You probably think it's stupid, right?" Ruby laughed. "I'm just being an idiot, I know."

She wasn't, and Pyrrha didn't think she could have ever been prouder of someone. She kicked up the dance, whisking them away from the other two and deeper into the crowd where it would be easier to forget about them. Ruby kept up from enthusiasm and speed alone, giggling and telling her to slow down the whole time.

When she'd walked through the door last night she'd known she had interrupted something; Ruby's chance to ask her crush to the dance. She'd tried to excuse herself, but Ruby latched onto her, and then Jaune had pushed her to go to the dance with Ruby. As friends, of course. She'd been confused but accepted when Ruby begged her to in a pleading voice. She didn't have a date of her own, after all, so what was the harm? She'd even decided to go in a suit just to make a joke of their going together, and if it wasn't too arrogant to say, she thought she cut quite the dashing figure in it. A few girls had certainly thought so, until they'd reached her face and realised just who it really was!

And in a weird way… she was having fun of her own. More fun than she'd really expected herself to, since she'd expected she would be going alone and watching everyone else dance from the side-lines. Ruby was her best friend, and even if there wasn't any romance between them, it was fun to pretend and poke a little fun at how serious everyone else was being.

To that note, Pyrrha swept back and bowed low.

"My lady, would you grant this gentleman another dance?"

"I think that I shall," Ruby said imperiously, flicking her head just like Weiss often would. "Consider yourself lucky, knave. I do not normally grace people with such an honour."

Pyrrha grinned and drew Ruby against her.

"Then I shall treasure this moment, your majesty." The two laughed and continued to dance, while Pyrrha leaned down to whisper in Ruby's ear. "I don't think it's stupid, though. I think Yang's lucky to have a sister like you, just like you're lucky to have her. Just like I am to have you as my partner."

/-/

"Y-You what?" Weiss had to ask.

"I said that I have had time to think back on my actions," Winter replied, "and I will admit that I have not been the most… supportive of sisters. You know I hold only the greatest affection for you, and that if I have seemed controlling, it is only because I expected greatness." Winter, still in her usual uniform, crossed her arms defensively. "But I have been disappointed with myself of late and my behaviour towards you… most noticeably in regard to your…" Her lips twisted unhappily. "Your boyfriend."

Okay, Weiss nodded. She was getting it so far and it was nice to see Winter giving her a little more independence, but it was the bit that had come afterwards that had her filled with horror.

"A-And the other part?"

"So, I wanted to make it up to you," Winter said. "And I've decided that the best way to do it is to alleviate you of your current position." Winter held an arm out to the man dressed in a suit beside her. "This is Jeremy, a professional doorman."

"Good evening, madam," the man said, bowing.

"He will take your position here so that you may enjoy the dance with your partner. Whether I approve or not, you should not have to stand here and be miserable while others enjoy themselves."

Weiss' mouth fell open.

"That's too kind," she said, eyes flicking wildly to the dance in the room. "B-But the headmaster himself has trusted me with this responsibility. I would hate to disappoint him so."

"Worry not. I've already spoken to him and he has agreed wholeheartedly. In his own words, students should see this as a chance to relax and have fun, not work their youth away."

Okay, great, and she could add another name to her list of people she wished she could bankrupt. _This can't be happening. My drama-free night. My sanity… I was so close!_

"But what about Jeremy?" she asked desperately.

Winter stared at her. "Weiss, he's _employed_ to do this. He is being paid by me."

"I have no complaint, ma'am," he said.

"I could help him, though." Weiss laughed nervously. "It's a hard job. I'm not sure he'll be able to handle it alone."

Winter and her new employee shared a confused look. When Winter turned back, her eyes were narrowed, her lips drawn into a thin line.

"Weiss… is there some _reason_ you would not want to spend time with your boyfriend?"

"What? No!" She laughed. "I love spending time with Jaune. All the time I can. All of it."

 _Someone help me!_

"Then why would you be against this?" Winter smiled. "It's the perfect chance for the two of you to share the night together." She placed a hand on Weiss' shoulder and turned her around, leading her into the ballroom while Jeremy took over her role at the door. "And I can't wait to see the two of you together, either. I'm sure you'll look wonderful."

"Y-Yeah. I can't wait either…"

This couldn't be happening. All her plans. All her escape strategies! Okay, it was fine. All she needed to do was find Jaune – he'd be alone since no one had asked him to the dance – and then she could explain the situation to him. No fuss, no problems and no drama.

Winter's hand gripped her shoulder tightly.

"Ow, Winter. What's the-" Weiss followed her sister's gaze to the dance floor, and more specifically to two people on it. "Oh…"

Oh dear…

There went her hopes of an easy evening. Now she'd best make sure her sister didn't kill her partner and friend, or her if she found out the truth. Weiss looked up to Winter, and winced when she saw the furious expression on her sister's face.

"That girl-" Winter hissed.

"Is my friend," Weiss was quick to say. "Whatever you're thinking, I'm sure it's a misunderstanding."

"It's the same girl who took him out to dinner!"

"And that was a misunderstanding as well."

"The same girl others have said has feelings for him!"

"Misunderstood feelings… and maybe the people who said that are misunderstanding it."

"She's hanging onto his neck!"

"It would be easy to misunderstand that as romance when in context it could easily be for other reasons."

Winter stared at her. "She's wearing the _exact_ same dress as you! A dress which _just so happens_ to match your boyfriend's _perfectly_."

Weiss winced. Okay, that one wasn't easy to explain. Even she didn't know how that had happened. Still, if it worked for Jaune all the time, then the excuse could work for her. She met her sister's eyes, smiled weakly, and shrugged.

"It's a misunderstanding?"

Funnily enough it didn't seem to work as well for her as it did her partner. Weiss clung to her sister's arm, trying to slow her down as the military woman marched across the dance floor. Such was her strength that she dragged Weiss bodily along behind her, heels scraping across the floor. In panic, Weiss looked for aid - and met the yellow eyes of Blake across the Beacon.

" _Help me!"_ she mouthed.

Blake met her eyes, cocked her head to the side, and then smiled evilly. She raised one hand in a thumb's up and mouthed her response.

Weiss was fairly sure it involved the words `karma` and `bitch` in one way or another.

* * *

 **So, we're at the dance (finally), and obviously I need to stick to** _ **some**_ **of the initial angles CF and I were (mistakenly) leading to since it would make no sense to stop them now. Let's just say this is far less "broken-hearted" than it would have been with CF's idea, though.**

 **Also, as people probably know by now, I'll be off next week taking a break from writing for a lovely seven full days. Ah, it sounds like so little but is actually so much at this kind of pace. I cannot wait.**

 **Even if I'll likely spend it just planning stories instead of writing them…**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 4** **th** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	49. Chapter 49

**That moment when you meet your friends from university for a new year get together (or an after-new year get together), and we're all talking about where we are in life and what we're doing.**

" **Oh, me?" I ask, laughing. "I'm writing Fanfiction."**

 **Most awkward silence ever.**

" **Can I… try answering that question again?"**

 **Now they won't stop going on about how I spend my time writing about Harry and Ron getting it on while Snape watches. I'd correct them on the fandom but I don't think that's the right decision, or liable to stop the teasing, lol. Damn it all.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 49**

* * *

It was a stand-off.

The two women stared at one another, neither daring to move as each waited for the other to say or do something first. Amber eyes narrowed as a hand fell to her side, prepared to defend herself if needs be. The others eyes followed instantly, glinting dangerously. She'd been caught, and at the worst possible moment by the worst possible person. All her plans - all her schemes - might soon be in ruin.

And it was all because of one man.

"Hm, this is delicious," Ren said, biting into a pastry. "Would you like some, Blake?"

"Yes, _Blake_ ," Nora echoed, voice brittle, face hard as diamond. "Would you like some? Maybe Ren can feed it to you romantically. Maybe _I_ can feed it to you." The ginger girl's hand reached for a hammer that wasn't there. Even so, Blake feared what damage Nora could cause with a scone.

It was a stand-off, alright, and Ren had no idea he was in the middle of it. _This wasn't the way my plan was supposed to go,_ Blake thought piteously. It was official. There was no justice in the world. Or, well, if there was it had taken one look at her record as a terrorist and `noped` its way out of there.

"I'm not hungry," she said, either to Ren or Nora. Maybe to both. "I think you're misunderstanding, Nora."

"Oh, am I?" Nora tittered happily. "Am I?"

"Yes. Yes, you are."

"Maybe you should explain it to me."

"Maybe I should."

"Cool. We should talk in the restroom and leave Ren here, then."

"Maybe I shouldn't," Blake quickly changed her mind. "How about we just remember the fact that we're a _team_ and that this is a _friendly_ occasion, and have a nice time tonight?"

"Dance?" Ren suggested.

Nora's eyes narrowed.

"No dancing," Blake said quickly. Not until she'd found a way to disarm the bomb that was he partner, anyway. "Maybe later," she said. "I… uh…"

"Blake and I need to have some girl-talk," Nora explained.

Blake started to sweat. "Uh…"

"In private."

"Can Yang come?" Blake asked.

"That wouldn't be very private, would it?" It wouldn't, but she'd have a bodyguard at least. Unfortunately Nora shook her head and pointed to the side. "Besides, she's busy. Unless you want to step between _that_."

The three of them turned in time to see Yang smiling happily as she danced with Jaune of all people, her head resting against his chest. It was a beautiful scene, made all the more so by how their outfits matched so perfectly. Blake would have smiled, almost did, but quickly remembered that she was in the firing line and that a moment's distraction might cost her life.

Damn it. Yang wasn't an option.

"Fine. No Yang."

"You sure?" Nora asked. "You could just walk over there and ruin everything. It wouldn't be hard. Hey, I bet you've even got practice."

"Am I missing something here?" Ren asked.

"Yes." Blake said.

"No." Nora echoed.

The two stared at one another.

"No?" Blake asked.

"Yes," Nora agreed. There was a moment of confused silence before she turned to Blake. "Don't you worry, Ren. We'll sort this out between us. You just sit there and look handsome, okay?" Nora's hand caught Blake's before she could flee.

It was an impressive feat.

 _No one's ever managed to stop me running away before. I underestimated her!_

Sweat started to run down her forehead. She'd long since had nightmares of Adam catching and punishing her for her betrayal. How foolish. She should have realised the true danger was a different redhead and awaited far closer.

Nora giggled and pretended she didn't notice how pale Blake's face was, nor how much sweat ran down her brow or how she dug in her heels as she was dragged in the direction of the women's bathroom. "Come on, Blakey. It's time for girl talk. We can talk about make-up, cute boys, cute boys, and respecting the boundaries around cute boys."

Ren watched the two go. With a shrug, he turned back to watch the dance, enjoying the sight of Yang and Jaune having fun together. Well, it was nice to see things were working out on their end at least.

/-/

On the other side of the hall Cinder clicked her fingers together and felt a wave of dust overcome her as she transformed into her gown for the evening. She smiled as she brought her hand down, sliding through a side-entrance and into the dance with no one the wiser. It felt good to have her plans go properly for once, and that meant without a single bit of fuss, no drama, and certainly no irritating little brother running around with his tentacles mucking everything up. She'd been in and out within a few minutes, and hadn't so much as broken a sweat doing it.

"Perhaps this is a sign of things to come," she mused aloud. "I could certainly get used to it."

No one noted her entrance though a few lusty boys noted her passing. That was fine since it only proved her presence, but she still needed to find Mercury and dance with him, if only to be seen by the teachers and allay any possible suspicion. More than that she needed to be seen by _Jaune_. If he thought she'd spent the night with Mercury, he wouldn't worry what else she'd gotten up to.

Now, if only she could find her errant minion. Curse him. He was supposed to find _her_ , not the other way around.

 _He's probably off bating Emerald,_ she thought, not quite as dismissive of him as she'd often been before. Mercury had proven himself an asset of late and, to her surprise and disappointment, Emerald had proven quite the opposite. Cinder's eyes scanned the crowd for the girl, knowing her hair to be more distinctive, and found her off in one corner. There was no sign of Mercury, but what there _was_ a sign of were two Atlas soldiers. Cinder's eyes narrowed. Had Emerald somehow already rung alarm bells with Atlas? That was ridiculous!

"She's supposed to be watching Jaune," Cinder hissed, striding up the steps up onto the second-floor balcony. The view would be better, and she'd be more noticeable to Mercury. Still, what was that girl doing?

Emerald was focused on something on the dance floor, and Cinder tracked her gaze, wondering if it was Mercury and if the idiot hadn't ignored her instructions altogether. It wasn't. Emerald's attention was on Jaune, as it should be. He was dancing with a blonde-haired girl in a black dress, one that Cinder recognised.

 _He's being kept busy, then,_ she thought. _That's good._ He wouldn't notice her absence if he was distracted. That was very good. Absolutely perfect.

Her nails dug into her palm.

Yang Xiao-Long should enjoy such moments while she could. It wouldn't last. Jaune was Jaune Salem Arc, heir to Salem herself, and that precluded him from mingling with such riffraff. Even if Salem might encourage it, the girl herself would not once she knew the truth. _She will turn on you, Jaune. Don't be such a fool._ He was wasting his time. He was getting involved where he shouldn't. He-

Cinder took a deep breath and tore her eyes away from the sickening scene. No. She wasn't going to let it bother her. It _didn't_ bother her. He could dance with who he wanted. So long as he kept his nose out of her business he could _do_ what he wanted.

Why should she care?

Where on Remnant was Mercury!?

And _why_ did she feel so much rage at the sight of that stupid, blonde bimbo wrapping her arms around _her_ Jaune!

The railing beneath her hands started to sizzle and hiss. A young man who'd been hoping to try his luck with the pretty woman stood on her own did an amazing about-turn and reconsidered his life choices.

/-/

Weiss was no stranger to feeling embarrassed, but it _was_ the first time she'd ever felt embarrassment over her sister, who she normally held as a perfect example of what she wanted to be. As it was, she wrung her hands and tried to find a hole in the ground to hide in when Winter stormed towards Yang and Jaune, the sheer force of her presence enough to make enamoured couples dance worriedly out of her path. Her partner and his date felt it too, and Yang's eyes widened as she saw the Schnee sisters approaching.

 _I'm sorry,_ Weiss tried to mouth. She wasn't sure to whom she was apologising, but it was too late to do anything as Winter descended on them.

"Are you enjoying the dance, Mr Arc?" she snapped.

Even Jaune, as oblivious as he was, could sense the malice. Weiss wasn't sure if it was a sign of how far he'd come that he chose not to answer immediately, or just his sense of self-preservation. He looked to her and she shook her head, trying to tell him she had no idea how to handle this. Her plans had been fool-proof.

Just not sister-proof.

"It's a nice night," Jaune cautiously said once it was clear he wasn't going to get away without an answer. "How are you, Miss Schnee?"

"I am fine, thank you for asking. I had just come by to visit my sister and see how she was doing on this special night. It is, after all, a time for all couples to be together, no?"

Weiss cringed.

Jaune winced. "I… guess…?"

"Perhaps we should switch partners for a moment," Winter suggested. Her arctic gaze cut a line between Yang and Jaune and they hopped apart awkwardly. Weiss tried not to meet anyone's eyes as she moved towards Jaune, but she was surprised when Winter pushed her back. "I think it far as your sister I be allowed the first dance with your beau, no?" she asked. "I will return him to you in one piece, of course. Is this satisfactory?"

Winter wanted to dance with Jaune…? Okay no, that obviously wasn't the case given the visible tick mark on her sister's forehead, or how white her knuckles were as she just about crushed Jaune's wrist. Weiss looked to her partner, who was shaking his head wildly. _No, no, no,_ he mouthed.

"S-Sure," Weiss surrendered, doing her best to ignore his horrified expression.

"Perfect. Come, Arc. Let us dance."

Winter didn't so much sweep him away as haul him bodily, and Weiss whispered a prayer for his soul as he was hidden in the crowd. She offered one for her own a second later as she turned to Yang, fully expecting a furious, if not enraged, expression. What she got was a raised eyebrow.

"Chill, Weiss-cream," Yang said. "I'm not angry."

"You're not…?"

Yang laughed and took Weiss in her arms, subtly hinting she'd take the lead as they joined the dancers. Despite her fear, the blonde wore a cheeky, almost amused, smile. "Nah. Not at you, anyway. A little worried for Jaune but he can look after himself. Besides, it's pretty obvious you're not doing this by choice."

"Thanks." She sagged and placed her own hands on Yang's waist. "I was afraid you'd…"

"Think you were competing?"

Weiss nodded.

Afraid of being dragged into everything, really.

"Ha. Weiss-cream, I think you're possibly the only person _not_ competing with me, which is weird since you're also the one currently blocking me. I take it your sister showed up to throw a wrench in your plans?"

"She still thinks Jaune and I are together."

"I bet the dress hardly helps," Yang said, nodding down to the black outfit she wore. It was, against all odds, completely identical to Yang's, and matched Jaune's perfectly. "There a story behind that?"

"It arrived as a gift," Weiss explained. "I assumed it was from Winter or my father. I didn't even read into it until I saw yours."

"Funny. I got this as a gift too, but I figured it was from some guy trying to catch my attentiion."

Weiss blinked, trusting Yang's words easily enough and also realising that Winter _did_ tend to sign her name on most things she sent. "In that case, who would have sent them…? And why the same dress to both of us?"

"I dunno, but I wouldn't mind finding out. You?"

"I'll help." After all, whoever it was hadn't exactly made life easy for her. Goodness knows what Winter thought of seeing her sister's boyfriend cheating on her with another girl who just so happening to be wearing the exact same dress. Weiss shook her head. "I'm sorry for this again, Yang."

"Don't worry about it. Honestly, I was about ready to cry my eyes out twenty minutes ago and then went to top of the moon in less than fifteen seconds. Even this isn't enough to make me feel bad right now. Spin."

"Huh?" Weiss yelped as Yang suddenly held a hand above her head, but her dance training kicked in and she spun gracefully, stepping back into Yang's body a second later.

"Hey, you're not bad at this."

"Please. I'm a Schnee. I know how to dance."

"Your sister doesn't seem to." Yang nodded in the direction of Winter, who had dragged Jaune to the centre of the dance floor and was holding him close against her. She was whispering something to Jaune, evidenced by his pale face, but she also danced clumsily, stepping on his toes and making him wince every few seconds.

"No," Weiss sighed. "She knows. She's just choosing to conveniently forget."

"Ouch. Vicious."

"Not really. How would you feel if you thought someone was cheating on Ruby?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Yang winced when she saw Winter twirl Jaune about and drag him back against her, his face bouncing off her shoulder. "Eh, he's a tough guy. He'll be fine. Question is; what are _we_ going to do about this?"

"What can I do?"

"We could tell her the truth," Yang suggested.

"If Winter knew the truth then she'd know we got involved against the White Fang. She might even find out about Blake." While Weiss herself wasn't overly upset about Blake being a faunus and ex-White Fang, the same couldn't be said about Winter, who had been through far worse things with the terrorist group. "It's not an option."

"Tell her we're sharing him?"

Weiss' horrified expression made it clear what she thought of that.

"Well come on, Weiss. Throw me a bone here. What options do we have?"

"We're either competing for him or we're not," she said. "The only choices are that he and I are together and you're a close friend, or he and I are together and you're a competitor. She's not going to believe anything else."

"Can't you break up with him? You could use this as an excuse."

"I could, but what do you think she would think of you and Jaune? She isn't going to sit back and ignore it if she thinks the two of you worked together to break my heart at a public event and humiliate me. And no," she added, "my saying I'm not broken hearted won't help. She'll just assume I'm hiding it."

"True… I'd assume the same if it were Ruby." Yang looked at her and sighed. "Fine. You can dance with him a bit to throw her off, but I'm taking a few dances myself. If she wants to think I'm some kind of home wrecker, she can go for it."

Weiss winced. "That's… not exactly wise."

"Pft. What's she going to do, attack me?"

"Actually, she very well might-" Weiss' warning was interrupted as a shadow fell over her, the dance having ended and Jaune and Winter returning, the latter looking satisfied and the former like his life had flashed before his eyes. He was pushed into her arms and he didn't so much lean on her as slump. He looked dazed, confused, and frightened.

But he was in one piece, if a little pale, and that was more than she'd expected.

"Your partner and I have reached an understanding," Winter said. Jaune shivered. "I'll return him to you now. I hope you enjoy your evening."

"Yeah, have fun, Weiss," Yang said, taking a step back. "Go dance with your boyfriend. I'll hang with my team. Save me a dance for later, though."

Weiss mouthed a _thank you_ to Yang as she took Jaune's hands, gently leading him out to dance. The poor boy looked shell-shocked. Yang watched them go and earned a nod – suspicious as it was – from Weiss's sister. Thankfully the older Schnee didn't see the need to talk to her privately, so Yang shrugged and headed back to Ren, who she'd seen hovering off to the side.

/-/

Despite the situation, she still couldn't feel all that bad. Having her dance interrupted sucked but she meant what she'd said to Weiss. Her mood had already done a one-eighty once tonight and she was too thrilled to feel upset about this, especially when Weiss and Jaune were just covering for one another. If it had been any other girl she might have been jealous, but Weiss was just so against it, it was funny. The whole night was funny - especially her sorrow and agony earlier. It all seemed so much more amusing when she could look back on it and realise how wrong she'd been. Her smile stretched from ear to ear, even as the next song started and her date - no, her boyfriend now - danced with another woman.

Boyfriend...

That had a nice ring to it.

"Trouble in paradise?" Ren asked when she came near.

Yang grinned. "Shut up, you."

"You seem to be in a markedly better mood than you were earlier." He chuckled. "Things went well, I take it."

"Shut up," she repeated, this time with a pleased blush. He'd seen right through her, of course. Not that it was hard when she wore a grin wide enough to split her face in two. "I don't see your date anywhere, buster, so you can't be teasing me about mine. Where is she, anyway?"

"She's in the bathroom talking to Nora."

It took Yang a second to notice the wrongness in that sentence.

"Talking _to_ Nora? As in, you didn't come _with_ Nora?"

"I came with Blake."

 _Uh-oh…_ Yang looked towards the public restrooms, which – to Nora's credit – hadn't yet exploded in a ball of fire and brimstone. Somehow that made it worse. Ren was oblivious, of course, though she had to wonder if he actually was or was just _acting_ oblivious because it was easier than dealing with the situation.

"How long have they been in there for?"

"Ten minutes or so. Why?"

Yang winced. "You came with Blake to help her out with her problem, didn't you?"

"She didn't have a date and was worried Sun might realise she lied to him." Ren shrugged. "I offered to help since I didn't have anything else to do and I _am_ the team leader. She accepted, even if we're only together as teammates and friends."

"And, just so I know, did you explain this to Nora?"

"No." He blinked. "Should I have?"

"I'll go rescue Blake."

Not even the threat of immediate and toilet-based violence could dampen her mood as she left her leader behind, and she grinned widely as she pushed past a few queuing girls, apologising and explaining that she was just looking for someone the entire time. The toilets set aside for the dance were relatively nice, but they were crowded with girls checking make-up in the mirror or waiting for the cubicles. It wasn't hard to figure out where Blake and Nora were, since there was one cubicle sealed shut with two girls outside it, balancing awkwardly as they tried to control their bladders. One, a girl with bright green hair swept over one side, and two strange markings on her cheeks, banged a fist on it.

"Come on!" she half-cried, half-whimpered. "You've been in there for ages. I'm dying out here!"

"No interruptions!" Nora's voice came back.

Yang sighed and pushed past the girl, winking to show her she wasn't trying to push in front. She rapped a fist against the door. "Nora, that you? Is Blake in there?"

"Yang?" Blake's voice sounded. "Yang, help me!"

Yep. Guess that answered it. "Give me a second," she whispered to the desperate girls outside. She pressed her arm against the door and tested it. It was locked. Not that it could stop her. "Nora, if you don't open this door and come out I'll knock it down."

There was a pause from within.

"Not by the hairs on my chinny, chin, chin!"

"I'll tell Ren," Yang threatened.

"You wouldn't!" Yang's silence was threat enough and after a few short seconds the door unlatched and crept open just a tiny bit. One of Nora's eyes appeared through the crack. "You wouldn't," she repeated.

"Try me. What are you doing in there, anyway?"

"We're having a conference," Nora declared. "A girl-to-girl agreement. A team meeting."

"You're threatening Blake, aren't you?"

"Why would you even think that!?"

"Help me!" Blake wailed piteously from within.

Yang raised an eyebrow.

Nora laughed nervously.

"Come on out, Nora. The three of us can talk in the corridor and no one has to be the wiser. People are dying for the toilet out here." Yang glanced to the lime-haired girl who was dancing from one foot to the other. "Let's talk about this like adults. Okay?"

The door closed again, but Yang breathed a sigh of relief – as did those waiting outside – when it unlocked fully and opened. Nora sulked out, Blake in tow, and Yang was vaguely surprised to find that her teammate was in one piece. Nora wasn't a particularly violent or vengeful person, constant threats of broken legs notwithstanding, but it didn't even look like either of them had been crying, shouting or accusing one another at all. None of the things she'd expected to see.

"You okay?" Yang asked her, concerned.

"No," Blake said. "It's terrible."

"She shout at you?"

"Worse."

Yang raised an eyebrow but ushered the two out of the toilet, winning applause for her efforts, even while Blake and Nora got their fair share of evil – and in some cases curious – glances. Not that either of them noticed, of course. Nora was too busy giving Blake the evil eye and Blake was too busy keeping Yang positioned strategically between them.

"Okay," she said once she'd brought them to a quieter spot. "I think I've got the basics down. First things first, Nora, you can't kill Blake."

"I know _that_ ," Nora said, arms crossed. "I was mad at first obviously, but I decided to think about it and calm down. Blake is my partner, after all. I wouldn't hurt her."

"No, you can't break her- wait, really!?"

"She didn't shout or scream," Blake confirmed with a sigh. "She did something far, far, worse."

"I decided to be a _true_ teammate and best partner ever," Nora declared. "Even if Blake _stole_ Ren's attention and took advantage of our friendship and stabbed me in the back." She nodded when Blake winced at each accusation. "Even then, I'm not going to turn on her because I'm the best teammate ever and I know it's not her fault."

"Huh, that's surprisingly mature of you," Yang said, impressed.

Blake groaned. "Wait for it…"

"Because it's _not_ Blake's fault," Nora said. "After all, Ren is the handsomest man alive so it makes sense she'd fall in love with him."

Yang stared at Nora, who nodded her head as if she'd realised the meaning of life. She stared at Blake afterwards, in time to see the faunus cradling her red face in her hands. She also checked their surroundings, just to make sure people with scrolls weren't going to jump out and declare her pranked. Nothing. Nora was deadly serious.

Oh Gods…

"I can't blame Blakey for that," she continued. "I mean, who _wouldn't_ fall for him? The only reason you didn't is because you like Jaune instead. Maybe if I'd been a better teammate I would have noticed and helped Blake, but I didn't." Her head fell. "I'm the one at fault."

"You're so far off the mark it's ridiculous!" Blake cried. "I'm not after him."

"But I'll get better," Nora said, ignoring her. "This isn't the end though, Blake. Even if we're partners and even if I'll accept you loving Ren, that doesn't mean I'm going to move aside and give up on him. From now on, we're rivals."

"We really aren't!"

"Rivals in love."

"Please… stop talking…"

"Rivals for Ren's heart," Nora said, earning a shudder from Blake. "So yeah," she turned to Yang, who had been watching in silent bemusement. "I'm not going to go crazy and hurt her. Don't worry. I'm not even mad, just fired up!"

Fired up, huh? A quick look to Blake showed she wasn't quite as energetic about the idea, her hair frazzled and sticking out at odd angles and her shoulders slumped, head tilted to one side. Yang could almost imagine her soul drifting out of her mouth and away.

"Anyway, I'm gonna go steal Ren for a dance," Nora said, giggling as she slipped past. "Catch you later!" She jogged off before Blake could give chase, not that Blake ever would. She was too busy looking vacant and horrified.

"So," Yang coughed, hiding her smile. "You and Ren, huh?"

"Don't start."

"You'll have to move fast if you don't want Nora to get a foot up."

"I _will_ stab you."

"Good luck, Blake," Yang mock-cheered, holding both hands out, thumbs up. "Fight for your heart!"

Blake sighed.

"I should have stayed with the White Fang..."

/-/

Jaune smiled as he swung Ruby about the dance floor, his third partner in the last few minutes, but that was fine. His stamina was enough to keep going even after Weiss and Yang had pleaded for a break. The night had started to calm down somewhat after Winter left, drawn away by some Atlas soldiers and looking a little worried as they rushed off somewhere. He'd seen General Ironwood and Ozpin leave too, but since he'd spotted his Big Sis up on the balcony he figured it wasn't anything to be worried about.

Either way it had given him a chance to get back to Yang, and for Weiss to ditch him like she had an allergy. He'd danced a little longer with her, and with a few others. Pyrrha had taken a dance or two, looking curiously good in her tuxedo, and he'd even been surprised by Blake, who clung to him with wide eyes and steered him as far away from Nora as humanly possible. Eventually, Yang had teased and wheedled Ruby into a dance with him, and though she'd looked nervous at first Yang had assured her it was okay.

Ruby calmed down quickly once they were going, and quickly got into the swing of things. She wasn't a good dancer per se, not compared to him, but she was light and quick on her feet and the times when she did step on his toes, he barely even noticed. Not everyone had a grandchild-hungry mother forcing dancing lessons on you.

"I'm glad everything worked out." Ruby whispered as their dance came to an end. She didn't look keen to stop and Yang waved a hand for them to keep going, mid-conversation with Weiss, so he smiled and kept hold of her.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Ruby giggled. "Just things," she said. "You shouldn't worry about it. I was just afraid things would be bad or that someone would be hurt."

"Are you in trouble?"

"Not now." She slapped his chest with one hand and grinned. "Don't worry."

Jaune nodded and gave Ruby time for a little spin before they came back together, her back to his chest and one arm wrapped about her waist. "Do you mean with hurt feelings?" he asked.

She glanced up at him, shocked. "You knew?"

"I'd be an idiot not to have noticed, Ruby."

Her cheeks darkened. "Y-Yeah, I guess so. Was it that obvious?"

"A little, yes."

Ruby ducked her head and didn't say anything for a few moments. They danced on with her refusing to meet his eyes, until she had a chance where they were pressed together and her head was tilted to the side. It let her pretend she wasn't embarrassed, even if he could see how red she was.

"I'm just glad no one got hurt," she whispered, "even if it wasn't as subtle as I'd hoped."

"I'm glad, too," Jaune said, smiling. "It would be a shame to see people torn apart over something like this. Over a guy."

"Doesn't it feel weird for you?" she asked.

"A little," he admitted. "But I try to stay out of it as best I can. I don't want to influence anyone and make their decisions for them. That feels unfair."

"I guess so. You're probably right." She giggled lightly. "I guess you're not as blind as you look."

Hey now, that was a little uncalled for. He gave her a little pout and she giggled again. Even if he wasn't aware of all the social norms of regular people, he was still an intelligent person. It was just that he'd basically come into a new world with no knowledge about how it worked or what it meant when people did or said something.

It was hard, but he was getting used to it all.

"Thanks for being such a good friend," Ruby said, hugging him tightly.

"It's fine," he said, holding her in return. "He's a great guy. He won't hurt anyone if he can help it."

Ruby paused. "Eh?"

"Ren," he clarified. "He's a good guy. Even if Blake and Nora both like him I'm sure he won't hurt either of them if he can - h-hey, why are you looking at me like that?"

Ruby was giving him the flattest look he'd ever seen from her. It was a bizarre mixture of annoyance, disappointment and someone who had just been surprised and then realised they really shouldn't have been.

"You're talking about Ren," she said, voice equally flat. "Ren, Nora and Blake."

"Yeah. Weren't you?"

She sighed.

"You weren't? Who were you talking about?"

"No one, Jaune…"

"It doesn't sound like no one."

"It doesn't matter." She shook her head and laughed. "And I take back what I said. You're exactly how you look."

"That feels unfair…"

"Don't worry. It's not a bad thing." Ruby smiled as the dance came to an end and stepped back. She glanced back to the others. "Make sure you have another dance with Yang, okay? She should be your last dance of the night."

"I will, I will."

Ruby made to move away but stopped at the last second. The dance had ended with her arms around his neck and her looking up at him, still a little annoyed, but also amused for some reason. That faded as she stared at him, and she cocked her head to the side.

"I'm not going to give up. This is me saying she should be happy as well, but I'm not giving up entirely, you know." Giving up on what? She must have seen his confusion for she rolled her eyes, and it _did_ feel a little emasculating to have someone two years younger do that. "You'll figure it out in time," she said.

Her eyes flicked to the side, to where Yang and co stood, as if to make sure no one was watching. When she saw it was clear, she stood on tiptoes and pressed her lips against his cheek. It was a sudden and chaste thing, and over before he'd realised it had started. Left behind was a wet sensation on his left cheek, and him with an open mouth and wide eyes. Ruby's face was red, but she smiled as she stepped back.

"Thanks for the dance. It was fun."

She was gone a moment later, hiding her face from his view as she hurried back to the others and practically threw herself at Pyrrha. The taller redhead looked down and asked a question, then smiled at whatever the response was. Yang asked something as well, but Ruby shook her head and didn't answer. By the time he reached them Ren was already being dragged out onto the dance floor once more, and he casually side-stepped the exhausted man's grasping hand. Sure, he could have saved him, but Ren kind of deserved it for being so oblivious to the feelings of others.

Whatever the case, Jaune bowed low before Yang and held out a hand.

"Another dance?"

She smiled and placed her hand in his.

"I thought you'd never ask."

/-/

"Ozpin, this is serious," General Ironwood hissed. "The CCT has been breached and several guards were injured, not to mention the interloper did goodness knows what to the terminals. This is no laughing matter."

"Am I laughing, James?" Ozpin asked. True to his words, his face was uncharacteristically firm. "I am giving this matter the dignity it deserves but there is little we can do. There were no witnesses and it will take time to determine what this intruder did. Until then you will only alarm people if you continue to frown like that."

Far from smoothing out his expression, Ironwood's scowl deepened. He did nod, however.

"Winter will investigate the scene of the crime," he said. "She is a specialist for a reason so if there is anything to find, she will find it." He nodded to the woman, who saluted and rushed back to the CCT. Ozpin wondered if he should point out James ought to have asked permission for that, but he let it go.

They were all allies, after all.

"If she finds anything, see it forwarded to myself as well."

Ironwood nodded. "Of course."

The two continued on in silence. Glynda had been with them earlier but had returned to the ball once it was clear there was nothing that could be done, while Oobleck had offered to check the Bullhead docks to see if anyone suspicious had arrived or left. Peter had also mentioned something, though it eluded his memory at the moment, much like many of the things Peter said.

"So close to the Vytal Festival," James mused. "This is no accident."

No, Ozpin thought. Someone breaking into a tower, disabling a number of guards and uploading some mysterious program onto one of the most powerful terminals in the Kingdom probably _wasn't_ an accident, or if it was they were dealing with someone who had a prodigious clumsiness. Still, he understood what his old friend was really trying to say, even if he liked to mire his words in needless pomp and ceremony.

"We will increase security for the festival, James. I would have done as much already with the White Fang running rampant. You know that."

"I still believe you should allow me to station some of our new soldiers here."

"Your machines-"

"Soldiers," he corrected. "They are more than mere machines, Ozpin."

"Your _soldiers_ ," Ozpin amended, rolling his eyes. "I will consider it, old friend. Until then, I am in charge of the security for the event and I shall place my faith in the hands of huntsmen and huntresses, as I have for centuries." He coughed. "We, I mean. As we have. On that note, I'd appreciate it if you stopped trying to convince the council to put you in charge of security."

Most people would have been embarrassed to have been caught out. James Ironwood simply shrugged one shoulder and ignored the request entirely.

"I hope you're not making a mistake, Ozpin."

"I will do my best, old friend."

A loud rustle from the nearby trees interrupted their conversation, and while Ozpin showed no outward reaction he prepared himself for combat. James, as ever, was somewhat less subtle and pointed his gun in the direction of the noise.

"Show yourself!"

There was another rustle, followed by a moment of awkward silence, before a young man in a suit stood with his arms raised in the air. Though Ozpin didn't recognise him, he felt he'd seen the boy before. What he was doing in the bushes did not need to be explained due to the fact the top two buttons of his shirt were undone, broken, and his bowtie had been yanked to one side. His jacket was muddy and his silver hair ruffled. There were also several red marks about his mouth where lipstick had smudged.

"I dropped my scroll," the boy said, with what Ozpin felt was remarkable poise.

Ironwood's gun dropped. He sighed heavily into his other hand.

"For the love of everything…"

"I dropped my scroll," the student maintained, voice flat. The bush rustled again and Ozpin pretended he couldn't see the two brown ears poking several inches over the top. "I'm still looking for my scroll right now."

Ironwood stared at the student, then at Ozpin. With a sigh he put the gun away.

"Good luck with the search."

"Thank you, sir."

As the two walked away, Ozpin wondered if anyone noticed their hurried pace, or what the students would think of it if they saw.

"I take it we're going to pretend we didn't have to see that," James said.

"Already ahead of you, old friend. Already very far ahead of you…"

/-/

Lavender's breath came out in short pants as she rushed through the halls of Beacon, her skirts clutched in her hands. It had taken a while to get ready and get in, what with the walk from Vale to Beacon, impossible for anyone who wasn't essentially immune to any Grimm, but she was here now and ready to make her big entrance. She'd find her prince charming and sweep him off his feet once and for all.

With an excited gasp she reached the doors to the ballroom and cast them open, bathing herself, and her beautiful red dress, in light. Everyone would turn towards the doors. Everyone would notice her. And then, before them all, she would step forward and touch his cheek with one gloved hand.

It would be perfect.

And true to form, the plan worked perfectly. Every single person in the ballroom looked her way. All two of them. The one on the left stood a little taller and leaned on his mop. He was somewhere between fifty and sixty and only had half his teeth.

"Hello, little lady," he said.

Lavender's wide eyes stared about the hall, her spirits falling. Her arms fell with them. "W-Where is everyone?" she asked. "What about the dance?"

"That thing ended over an hour ago, little lady."

What!?

S-Sure, she'd taken more time getting ready than she'd anticipated – she had to look perfect, after all – and yes, the trip to Beacon had been a long one, but surely she hadn't taken _that_ long. Lavender swallowed and looked around, as if to make sure it wasn't a joke and that everyone was simply hiding behind one of the nearby pillars. They weren't, of course. The entire area was empty.

"O-Oh, I see. I'm sorry. I'll just…" She nodded to the door and dropped her head. No more words came out as she sulked her way back outside, doing her best to ignore the old man's pitying gaze as she did.

Outside in the corridor, she finally allowed her shoulders to slump. No special moment. No prince charming. No knight in shining armour and no romantic dance under the moonlight. Lavender raised her hands into the air and growled in frustration.

"Are you alright?" someone asked from behind.

She recognised the voice. More than that, she recognised the words – the very words he'd said to her when he'd rescued her from the crumbling building that she had – maybe technically – caused. With a gasp, she spun around to stare into his beautiful pink eyes.

He looked tired and was carrying two plates of pancakes.

"Are you alright?" he repeated. "You looked upset."

He was – but – and right when she…? Lavender's brain turned to mush. Talk about not being the moment she'd wanted, or the first impression. She'd been a hair's breadth from going full Grimm mode in her anger. As it was she tried to find something to say but only managed an awkward squeak. Her words, so carefully prepared and practiced, failed her.

"Eh…"

Ren blinked, clearly uncertain what she was trying to say. He glanced down to the pancakes in his hands. "These? They're for my teammates. They're arguing about something, so I thought it might calm them down. Or one of them, at least. Are you lost? I know Beacon can be confusing for transfer students. I can guide you back to your dorm if needed."

No. Not quite. Or maybe she was lost – in his eyes. No, that sounded way too sappy. What was she supposed to say? What was she supposed to do?

All of Uncle Watts' tips had flown away.

"Or I can leave you alone if I'm bothering you," he said, misreading her silence. He chuckled and ducked his head as he stepped past. "My apologies for bothering you. Good night."

He was leaving. Her eyes widened. Desperation kicked in. She wanted her special moment, not to have him remember her as some silent weirdo in a corridor who couldn't say a word and stared at him until he left. She'd spent so long getting ready, fixing her hair, making her way to Beacon, sneaking in, and only for it all to culminate in this single moment in a corridor. She couldn't let it slip by. She had to do something.

Anything!

Without thinking, Lavender Arc moved.

/-/

Weiss cracked an eye open as the banging on the door sounded. She growled, checked her scroll, then rolled over and decided to ignore it. It was six in the morning. They'd been up past midnight. She was _not_ getting up so early. Not even if it was her father at the door.

The visitor didn't agree and continued to band their fist on the door.

"Nooo," Ruby whined from her bed, cocooned in her blankets. "I don't wanna go to school…"

The banging continued, and Weiss made a gross miscalculation when she got angry and hurled a pillow at the door. It flopped weakly against it with a slapping sound and the banging _did_ stop. For a moment. Sadly, she'd also revealed that she was awake, so when it started again it was _much_ more insistent.

Weiss clenched her eyes shut and tried to ignore it. If she managed it for long enough then someone else would get up to handle it. That was the plan anyway, but Ruby groaned and wound herself deeper into her blankets, while Pyrrha pulled a pillow down over her face and curled into a ball. Jaune, as oblivious as ever, slept through it.

"Damn it," Weiss finally hissed, realising she wasn't going to be saved by anyone else and that their visitor – who was soon to be a dead man – wasn't going to stop. She reached for her clothes, thought better of it, and stomped bare foot to the door.

Bags under her eyes, hair poking out at odd angles and lips peeled back into a snarl, she tore the door open.

"WHAT!?"

Yang, Nora and Blake stood on the other side, as exhausted as they, but dressed and armed. Yang stood at the front, one fist raised to knock again, and let out a long sigh.

"Ren's gone missing."

Ruby whimpered and huddled deeper into her sheets.

Pyrrha screamed weakly into her pillow.

Jaune snored away.

Weiss sighed. "Give us ten minutes."

"Nooo…" Ruby whined brokenly. "I don't wanna rescue someone…"

"Best make it fifteen."

* * *

 **Ah, the Salem Arc school of romance for strong independent and shy women. It is tried and tested after all and hey, it worked on her father. And so the dance comes to an end. I know it's not the climax that the ten or more chapters built it up to be, but you all likely know why by now so I don't want to belabour the point. There was a lot of POV jumping here, however. I didn't want to let it drag on for two or more chapters. Not when it didn't have to and no huge climax was on its way.**

 **From next chapter on it may feel like a little like I'm writing a line under it, at least in terms of it being quickly forgotten by everyone. Not the outcomes, of course. Jaune and Yang are, if nothing else, official now, except to Winter, of course (As are Mercury and Velvet, I guess). I just mean that things will move on quickly and bring back the core plot of the story, which is Salem, Hentacle, and the basic premise of the good guys versus the bad guys with a protagonist who has loyalties in both camps.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 11th January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	50. Chapter 50

**What a joyful week this has been for me, lol. I've been told on Monday that an event a team were organising since October, planned for February, has only managed to obtain four guests and ZERO nominees for its various award categories – and there's now a** _ **month**_ **(or less, now) until it begins. I've been working myself to the bone on it since Monday and got attendance up to 25 and got maybe 6 nominees (in four days, mind you), but it's going to be a nightmare for me, especially since they want me to host and speak at it.**

 **Why they couldn't have brought this up earlier I've no idea, but waiting until one month before to tell me is ridiculous. Sometimes I wonder why I don't just walk out and quit, but that would practically kill the company. Argh.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 50**

* * *

"Are you sure it wasn't Nora that kidnapped him?" Jaune asked as he fought back a yawn.

"I didn't," the girl-in-question replied, not at all offended to have been accused in the first place. "He went to get some pancakes for us. He didn't come back but we thought he was just running late or that he'd gotten distracted. Sometimes Ren likes to be alone a little," she said. "But when we woke up and he hadn't returned we knew something was wrong. Ren would _never_ just leave without telling someone."

"Hm, that _is_ suspicious," Weiss allowed.

"Are you sure it wasn't Blake?" Jaune asked - just to be safe.

"I'm right here!" the very-offended girl yelled.

Nora's eyes narrowed. "That wasn't a `no`."

"It was, and no I didn't! Why would I kidnap him?"

"Why, indeed, Blake," Nora said. "Why, indeed?"

The disguised faunus rolled her eyes in disgust and refused to talk more on the matter, even as they collected their weapons and made their ways to the Bullhead Docks. Ren's were still in his locker (which no one was surprised Nora knew the combination for), so that meant that if he left Beacon, it wasn't to wander into the Emerald Forest or go training. Since their scrolls hinted he wasn't in Beacon, that left Vale as the only available option.

"We'll spread out over Vale and check the trackers," Yang said as the Bullhead that would take them into Vale landed. "Once we've managed to pin down a rough idea of where he is we can meet back up and figure out how to deal with this."

"Do you think it might be dangerous?" Pyrrha asked.

"Maybe. Ren was taken without being able to raise the alarm – and in the middle of Beacon, no less."

"Who would do such a thing?"

"I can think of one creature strong enough to do it, and who's already shown an appreciation for men Ren's age."

"You can?" Jaune asked.

It was Ruby who answered, her cheeks a little red. "Hentacle…"

"My thoughts exactly," Yang said. "Come on. Let's go find my partner. I need to make sure his chastity is protected so I can watch Nora and Blake fight to the death over it."

"That's not funny, Yang," Blake growled.

"Yeah," Nora agreed. "It wouldn't be much of a fight anyway. I'd win easily."

Blake sighed.

/-/

The scene was somewhat surreal to Roman Torchwick. His host, who was probably also his master and most likely source of a way out of Vale alive once Cinder enacted her plan, was sat on the edge of a couch, her face aimed down towards her legs and her hands between her knees. Several tentacles were also between her knees too, languishing on the floor like wilted vines. Her hair had become white, or rather it hadn't turned back blonde since she'd come back into Vale.

Opposite her, the tall figure that Roman had come to know as Arthur Watts stood, arms crossed and a stern expression on his face. "I'm very disappointed in you, young lady," he said. "Your mother would be, as well."

Lavender slumped a little further, the tentacles seeming to twitch on the floor.

"I have no idea what you were thinking. I did my best to help you, and dare I say, I did it because I believe you – out of all your siblings – were the most reasonable. I certainly didn't expect _you_ to do something so… so out of place."

"I'm sorry, Uncle…" the girl mumbled.

"Sorry does not even begin to fix this, young lady."

"I… I didn't know what to do," she said. "I panicked…"

That was Roman's turn to step in, or stagger as it was, almost falling over from the sheer ridiculousness of that sentence. "Panicked!?" he cried. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? There's a very big list of appropriate actions for someone who panics but _kidnapping a huntsman_ isn't one of them!" Roman waved his hands as Lavender slumped even further. "Who does that!? How does someone even do that!?"

"Do calm down, Roman," Watts said.

"Calm down? Calm down!? Are you even aware of how bad the situation is? We have a huntsman locked in our basement. A huntsman who, need I remind you, saw my face as well as her Grimm form! This is bad. This is very bad." He sighed and wiped some sweat away from his face. "Speaking of, _why_ is he in our basement anyway?"

"That would be the influence of Lavender's mother and how she met her husband."

"What, by locking him in her basement and molesting him into submission?" Roman mocked, but when there was no laughter in return he stared at them. "Wait, seriously?"

Watts coughed in what might have been embarrassment.

"I've entered a madhouse," Roman said, slumping down onto a sofa. "I've signed my life away to some kind of circus, haven't I? This has become my normal day. I… I think I need to have a lay down."

And the worst part was that it was _still_ safer for him than shacking up with Cinder.

"See, Lavender," Watts said. "Now you've even driven your underling to despair. This isn't a good thing. I've told you time and time again that what worked for your mother might not work for you, and that you shouldn't even try it."

"I know… I didn't intend to," she said. "I meant to just talk to him and introduce myself, but my emotions were running wild. I didn't know what to say or do and he thought I hated him. He started to walk away and I just… I snapped." Lavender bowed her head. "I know I've made a mistake. I'm sorry."

"We need to do something about the kid," Roman said, turning away from Lavender to Watts, who he assumed would be the brains of the operation. "And I mean the kid in the basement, of course. We can't keep him here. Beacon is going to be up in arms over this. We should…" Roman hesitated to say it, aware of who was in the room. He coughed to catch the other man's attention and made a vague gesture towards his throat. He angled his body so that Lavender couldn't see it.

Watts shook his head. "That would be unwise, friend. One should not poke a sleeping beast."

It took him a second to figure out what Watts meant, but a subtle nod towards Lavender made it clear. So, even if she was apologetic she might still freak out if they tried to hurt the boy she liked. Wonderful. Why was it that even a half-Grimm person he worked with had to have a bleeding heart? Things had been so much easier when it was just him, Neo, and the police of Vale. Before Cinder had come and screwed everything up.

"Well we can't keep him here. This is just a regular house. It's a miracle no one saw him being brought here last night. Or that they didn't see her running around all white-skin and tentacles."

"Some might have," Watts pointed out. "It's unlikely anyone would have dared confront Lavender but it's possible the alarm may already have been raised. This location is compromised. Her cover might be compromised. "

"Great."

Lavender pouted again. "Sorry…"

"So, we need to move him. I have a few places we can take him that are out of the way but we're not going to be able to move a prisoner in broad daylight. You sure we can't… uh… you know?"

"What does he mean, Uncle?"

"Nothing, my dear," Watts lied. "And no, we can't. Absolutely not."

Damn it. Killing and dumping the brat would have been so much easier. Distasteful, sure, but moving a body wouldn't have raised quite the same level of alarm in people. Short of knocking the kid out and stuffing him in a car, he couldn't see a way to get him out in one piece.

"He's already seen Lavender and you," Watts said. "As such I don't think it will be an issue if he meets you again for movement. I, however, should leave before my cover is broken. Lavender, I assume you know what this means for you…?"

"Yes…" She nodded sadly. "I'll have to leave Vale."

"I'm afraid so. While he might not recognise your human form, there are just too many risks presented, not to mention your brother's cover." Watts' stern expression faltered. "I am sure it won't be forever, my dear. Just enough to allow memories and panic to fade. In the meanwhile, we need to decide how to deal with him."

The girl-Grimm was obviously upset but didn't argue. Even if she'd wanted to stay, he doubted she would willingly put her brother in danger, and since the reveal of her identity as a Grimm would instantly backlash onto Jaune in Beacon, the danger was too great. If people even got a whiff of his identity, he wouldn't have a chance to flee before an entire school of Grimm-killers descended on him. Lavender might have been willing to take risks with her own safety, but not her brother's.

"I understand," she said. "I promised Big Brother that I wouldn't cause him any problems. It's too late to take that back but I can at least not put him in more danger. I hope he'll forgive me…"

"I'm sure he will," Watts said. "You know what he is like. Now all we need to do is find a way to deal with our prisoner. It would be best if we could release him, but it might be suspicious if we did. We've already taken him prisoner, after all."

Roman tapped his fingers on his arm in thought before an idea – a desperate and foolish one – came to his mind. "I think I might have a solution to that," he said. Cinder would be furious, but it would get the job done.

And besides, he was already throwing his life in Lavender's hands, right?

/-/

Yang might have joked earlier but the situation was anything but one. She was exhausted, cranky, and already emotionally spent from the night before. To wake up and find that her partner had vanished hadn't exactly done much for her mood. _Of course, the only thing I can do is try to keep Nora's spirits up,_ she thought, watching the ginger-haired girl as she furiously checked her scroll and tried to call Ren again.

"How are we supposed to find him in all of Vale?" Blake asked, voice quiet so that Nora wouldn't overhear. "Yang, this will never work."

"Do you think I don't know that? We just have to hope whoever did this gets in contact. They must have taken him for a reason."

Blake nodded. "I guess so. If they'd wanted to kill him there'd be no need to take him away to do that." She looked around warily before she asked, "Do you really think Hentacle is involved?"

"I don't know. Maybe." Hentacle had been fairly quiet of late, the White Fang, too, but that didn't mean they weren't still doing goodness knew what in the background. She'd heard the news about him attacking Atlas, and also about how a Nevermore was summoned into the city. Other than that, he and the White Fang had been all but silent.

No news was not necessarily good news when it came to terrorists and eldritch monsters.

"We just don't know what they're after," she said. "We thought Hentacle was after Jaune, and he still might be. This could be an attempt to lure him out."

"Is that why you wanted us to split up?"

Yang nodded. If this guy _was_ after Jaune, then she didn't want them anywhere near one another. It wasn't just a case of her looking after the guy she was going out with, but also not complicating matters around Ren. It would be easier if they could find and rescue him without having to worry about someone else being a target as well.

"I know what you're thinking, and I don't think the White Fang would be involved in this," Blake said.

"Oh?"

"It wouldn't make sense for them."

"Haven't they taken hostages before?" Yang asked.

"Yes, but those are usually known ones like the Schnee family or SDC workers." Blake shook her head, clearly disturbed by the memories. "Ren just isn't important enough to them."

"But Beacon has been going against them recently. Or we have, anyway. They might have mistaken us as having worked with Beacon when we shut down their recruitment operation and got rid of the Paladin. This could be a revenge move."

"Or a warning," Blake realised. "I… I don't want to say it, but you might be right. They could try and make an example of him, or maybe strike a deal with the school."

Beacon wouldn't do such a thing, of course. Yang was sure of that. She could just imagine Miss Goodwitch's response to such, which would probably be to make it look like they were considering it, and then attack the White Fang herself. If it was so simple they could have left it to Beacon, but it wasn't simple. If the White Fang made contact with Beacon, then they'd not have Ren with them. He'd be kept somewhere separate.

That was what they needed to find – and fast.

"I don't know of any other White Fang safe houses," Blake said. "I was already out of them when we were trying to find the Paladin and I doubt the guy who got us into that will try anything like that again."

"So, you don't have anyone you know who used to work with them?"

"I left as a traitor, Yang."

"Great, so we're back to square one and we have nothing to go on. Wonderful."

Nora had been pretty quiet up until that point – suspiciously so – and Yang looked over to her in time to see her speaking to someone on her scroll. She was nodding her head.

"Yeah, yeah. Can you send me the address? Yeah? Thanks! Uh-huh. Oh, of course. Yep. Thanks, Cathy. Yeah, glory to our brothers and sisters!" She hung up and grinned at them. "The White Fang have a big gathering on the south side of the city. I'll have the address in a moment." Her scroll pinged. "Oh, there it is."

Yang stared at her.

Blake's mouth fell open. "H-How!?"

Nora shrugged. "Eh, I called them."

"You… _called_ the White Fang…?" Blake tried to wrap her mind about it but obviously failed. "The White Fang doesn't exactly have a hotline! How do you just call them? That makes no sense!"

"Weeelll… You remember when we infiltrated that warehouse?"

"Yes."

"And you remember when I said I was a cow faunus?"

Blake sighed. "Yes…"

"And do you remember that we met some people there, and that I later caught that girder and stopped a few of them being crushed by it?"

"Is this going somewhere?" Yang interrupted. "Not for nothing but we're kind of in a rush. Summarise it."

"I made friends," Nora said.

Yang blinked.

"Okay, maybe don't summarise it that much."

"Those people I saved wanted to thank me," Nora explained. "Before we left they asked to exchange numbers. So, I actually _do_ have a few contacts in the White Fang. Cathy doesn't know anything about Ren, but she's not actually _in_ the White Fang yet. She knows where their latest base is, though. It's right by the Southern wall of the city."

"Huh, that's pretty convenient…"

Blake wasn't quite so easily convinced. "Forget convenient! Why did you give them your number? Are you insane!?"

"You said not to do anything suspicious while we were there," Nora pointed out. "Don't you think it would be a little weird for me to act like I was horrified to be around them? I had to pretend I was one of them." She rolled her eyes, as if it were obvious. "Sheesh, Blake. Make your mind up."

That… made no sense whatsoever. Blake seemed to agree but Yang cut her off with a hand on her shoulder and a shake of the head. It wasn't worth trying to understand Nora sometimes. All you could do was take the good with the bad – and if this wanted to make their life easier? Well, she was fine with that.

"Lead on, Nora," she said. "Let's go pay these guys a visit."

/-/

It was a struggle for her to maintain an intimidating visage given the situation. Lavender kept behind Roman as he spoke to the assembled terrorists after she'd put her crush – who she still desperately needed to apologise to – in a locked room.

"It's an order from the higher-ups," Roman lied. "You're to keep him here _and not harm him_ until the boss decides what to do with him."

"The boss?" the female deer faunus who for some reason had small horns asked. "Do you mean Adam?"

Roman looked around nervously at the name. "Not him. Is he here?"

"No, he's on a mission with our brothers and sisters outside the wall somewhere in the South East."

"Good. Good. This isn't something you'd want to bother him with anyway. Your job is just to stand guard over the kid and make sure he stays in one piece. The orders come from Cinder herself."

"They do? She normally has Adam tell us…"

"Well he's not around to do so, is he? What do you think I'm doing here?"

"A-Ah, of course."

Lavender listened in as Roman continued to spin the tall tale of Cinder's plan, all of which she didn't know about, of course. She wished Uncle Watts was still around but since he was an unknown to the White Fang it was safer for him to not be present. Still, Roman's plan was a good one. They'd drop Ren off with the White Fang, but leave him his scroll so he could set off an alarm or summon help. She'd have felt bad about leaving their allies to be crushed by Beacon, but she didn't really care about them anyway and neither did Roman. Cinder would be upset but wouldn't be able to do anything about it, and the authorities would be none the wiser about her. Ren would know, of course. Or at least he'd know that her Grimm-form kidnapped him, but she'd have to hope he didn't recognise her human face from their brief meeting that evening.

She'd still have to leave Vale, though. There were just too many risks, and since Jaune's team knew about her, there was the very real risk she and Ren might bump into one another again and it might jog his memory. Even if she escaped in one piece, her brother might die.

This was for the best. At least he would be okay.

With Roman and the White Fang distracted, Lavender coughed to gain their attention, even if she didn't quite dare meet his eyes. Mom would have had something to say about showing weakness in front of an underling, but she was still embarrassed about what she'd done. "I'm going to go have some final words with the prisoner," she said, aware that she couldn't sound _too_ soft in front of the terrorist.

Roman's eyes narrowed but he couldn't argue without breaking their cover. "Make it quick. We need to be out of here soon."

Lavender nodded.

/-/

There had been one time before when Ren had truly been grateful for his Semblance and that was when it allowed him and Nora to escape their ruined home safely. After that there had been the odd occasion where it came in use, but it was often more trouble than it was worth, dampening emotions at the worst of times and leaving him dull and inattentive. Now was not one of those times, and he was very relieved for the shawl of calm that fell over him, preventing him from panicking at what was a very panic-worthy situation.

 _And to think if I'd just refused to pick up those pancakes for Nora I wouldn't even be in this situation._ How exactly pancakes translated to `captured by White Fang and Hentacle` he wasn't sure, but since that was what it had turned into he had to accept there was a link somewhere, even if he couldn't quite find it.

He could vaguely remember the girl in the corridor, even if it had been dark and he hadn't paid all that much attention. She'd been visibly distressed and he – bleeding heart that he could be – had decided to help.

 _Lesson learned,_ he thought to himself. Helping random people was the exact sort of thing Jaune did, and he'd seen time and time again how much trouble that could land his friend in. He wasn't sure why he hadn't taken one look at a nearly-crying girl and run for his life. It would have obviously been the safer option.

But thinking of such things would not help him escape. It had been hours since he'd been taken but he knew his team wouldn't be idle. He liked to imagine they'd have Beacon out searching for him but if there was one thing he knew about Nora, Blake and Yang it was that the last thing they'd consider would be `asking authority figures for help`. He wasn't sure _why_ they always felt they had to deal with things themselves, but he'd wager everything he owned that Beacon didn't even know what was going on.

He really needed to talk to them about that…

He could only hope they somehow found him, or that he could work his way through the thick rope wrapped about his wrists and linking his hands behind his back. He'd been twisting and stretching them for over an hour now, trying to work some sweat into the threads so they might loosen. While he didn't much fancy his chances of escaping against the White Fang and Hentacle on his own, he fancied his chances of escaping by sitting still and doing nothing even less.

At least his Semblance kept him from becoming bored or frustrated and making a mistake – another benefit he'd never considered. But how many people _did_ consider being abducted by some Grimm-tentacle-monster?

People other than Blake, he meant.

There was a loud crack from outside the door ahead, a steel contraption that looked ramshackle and rusted, but which was clearly dead bolted on the other side. Someone was entering. Ren stilled his body, specifically his hands, and tried to look as defeated as he could. When the white-faced, red-eyed monster entered, he was thankful again for his Semblance.

Her eyes, for he'd realised to his shock that it _was_ a she, roamed over him. He had no idea what to think of them, or her. Had Hentacle always been female and they hadn't noticed, or did he have the ability to change? Did Grimm even have genders?

Hentacle stared at him.

He stared back.

"Why did you bring me here?" he finally asked. "What do you want from me?"

She stiffened. "Would you believe me if I said nothing?"

"No."

She smiled. "I didn't think so. This isn't how things were supposed to go. I made a mistake."

A mistake? Did she mean in regards to taking him, or maybe it was the _him_ part that was the error. Hentacle had come after Jaune on multiple occasions so it was possible it had made a mistake in the dark of Beacon. Unlikely, of course. Jaune and he weren't exactly similar-looking.

He didn't expect her to surrender her plan, but he figured he might as well ask some questions while he had her – _her, his, its?_ – attention.

"You're working with Torchwick and the White Fang. Why would a Grimm want to do that?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're Grimm," he said, and when she didn't argue the notion he continued. "Grimm are the natural enemies of humankind, yet you're working alongside them. Whatever their goals may be, I'm sure it's not to kill themselves. Why would you work with them? It simply doesn't make sense."

"By that example the White Fang and Roman shouldn't be working together either, yet they are," she said.

"For a common cause. Is that why you're working with them?"

Her tentacles twitched. "I suppose."

Ren's brow furrowed. "You don't sound very enthusiastic about that."

"Oh, I'm not really all that involved." The response was almost flippant, and judging from her attitude it wasn't a lie at all. Still, that didn't make sense.

"You saved Torchwick's life multiple times. How is that not being involved?"

"That wasn't-" She paused. "I… I think I've said too much."

Had she? He hadn't noticed anything unusual but he filed away the conversation anyway so he could consider it later. Her tentacles were twitching in something that almost looked like agitation. He wondered if he was just assigning human emotions to an inhuman creature, but if he dared to say it she almost looked… distressed…

He had to be reading into things, surely. What reason would a monster have to feel such things?

Ren's eyes traced Hentacle as she stood in silence. He hadn't had all that much time to focus on looks in previous fights, being too focused on survival, but now that he was close and neither of them were in a battle to the death he could clearly see how narrow her face was, how smooth her cheekbones, and how small her nose. It was a very feminine face, even with the unnaturally pale skin and crimson eyes. The hair was longer than he remembered, too. How had they mistaken her for a man at all, he had to wonder.

It was a long shot and she'd refused to answer before, but he tried his first question again. "Why did you abduct me?"

Hentacle laughed. "Would you believe me if I said hormones?"

Another silly answer.

"No."

"That's a shame," Hentacle said. She stepped towards him and his eyes widened as two tentacles rushed to grip his body. He clenched his eyes shut and waited for agony.

It didn't come.

The tentacles coiled around and under his shoulders, loose and gentle as they cradled and kept him in a sitting position. One wound up behind his head, brushing his hair, but there was no aggression to it and he felt like he could have slipped out of her grip if he needed to.

"I… I was telling the truth," Hentacle said, voice soft and, to his surprise, very close. He opened his eyes but only saw the palm of her hand, which she'd placed over them. "I kind of did this all wrong, but, well… yeah… I'm sorry about this, by the way."

"What do you-?"

He was cut off by lips pressing against his.

Shock ran through him – shattering the control he had over his Semblance and sending his emotions haywire. His eyes widened even if he could only see her palm and he gasped, opening his mouth and apparently inviting a very soft, very warm, and very pleasant-feeling tongue to push against his. Almost against his will he began to push back, eyes closing as a pleasant feeling washed over him.

Their lips parted with a gasp. The hand over his eyes was removed, revealing the girl, woman, no, monster, before him with glistening lips. Her cheeks were red and he again had to remind himself that she was a monster, a Grimm, an enemy.

An enemy who had just kissed him like how he imagined a lover might. An enemy who looked increasingly flustered and – dare he say it – cute, as she held a hand over her heart and kept trying not to let her eyes flicker up to his.

Ren was not normally prone to swearing, or shock, but he felt he could be forgiven for wondering what the _fuck_ had just happened.

Sadly, his mouth wasn't quite working.

"Bwah-?"

He could still taste her, too. She didn't taste like blood, ash, or hell-fire. She tasted like cherries on a hot day, like a kiss of scented air and burning candles.

"Bwah-?" he repeated.

It wasn't his finest moment.

"I'm sorry for that," she whispered. "I just wanted to feel it… at least once."

"Wha-?"

"I should have asked, I know. I'm making all sorts of stupid mistakes." Hentacle flushed prettily and looked away. Ren's brain had another aneurysm as he realised what adjective he'd just used to describe her. "I know you probably hate me but… well… I guess you know how I feel."

Did he? He was feeling pretty confused at the moment.

"Here, you should have this."

Ren's eyes widened even further as he felt something familiar being pushed into his bound hands. His scroll? Why was she-?

"You can use it to call your friends," she explained. "They'll come and rescue you."

His head was spinning, and not just from the kiss.

"Why are you helping me? I don't understand."

She giggled. "Isn't it obvious?"

It was. He just wasn't sure he could bring himself to accept it as possible. It went against everything he'd ever been told about the Grimm, about the world. It went against everything they knew as fact! But there was no denying what she'd done, nor what he'd felt as she did.

"Let me show you again," she said, reaching down to cup his face. This time she didn't cover his eyes, and he watched as her pale face heated up, her eyes glinting with a hint of colour – _green?_ – as she leaned in. She paused. "I don't want to force you this time. If you don't want me to, say so."

Ren didn't know what he wanted. The whole world had gone and turned itself on its head and he was still trying to figure out what was up and what was down. Even so, as her breath brushed across his lips he found himself tilting his head to match hers.

Their lips touched – and he melted into her grasp.

Right as the wall behind them exploded.

"I've come to kick ass and take Ren," a familiar voice yelled. "And I'm all out of Ren. Now, you better show me- erk!"

One of Ren's eyes cracked open, in time to see Nora, Blake and Yang watching him making out with an eldritch Grimm-abomination. He would have said it wasn't what it looked like but he wasn't in much of a position to speak.

And it looked like Nora wasn't in much of one to listen, anyway.

/-/

Jaune waited awkwardly for the scroll to patch through, his hand tapping on the wall behind him. It had been Weiss' idea to split up and spread out in order to find Ren, but there was only one person he could think of who would have the skill, and the motive, to kidnap someone straight out of Beacon.

" _What is it?"_ Cinder asked the second she picked up.

She didn't sound like she was in a good mood and he winced. It might have been that she was still angry with him, or that he'd interrupted her at a bad time. Either way, he steeled himself to ask the important question.

"Hey Big Sis. Do you remember how you said you'd tell me if any of your plans were going to involve my friends…?"

" _Yes. What of it?"_

"Did you do something to Ren?"

Cinder sighed. _"Who, or what, is a Ren? And why should I care about one?"_

"One of my friends," he said. "He's on a different team. Black hair, pink eyes, fairly quiet…"

" _I've not done anything to anyone. I already told you I would make you aware if my plans involved any of them. I've not gone back on that promise. Now, if you don't mind, I have my own problems to deal with."_

"Okay." He couldn't detect any lies in her voice. In fact, she sounded pissed – and that wasn't something she'd bother with if she'd abducted someone. He was about to put the scroll down when she suddenly shouted.

" _Wait!_ _Have you seen Mercury anywhere? The fool disappeared last night and didn't return. He left his scroll in his room, as well, so I've have no luck reaching him."_

"I haven't seen him. Sorry."

" _That idiot,"_ she hissed. _"When I get hold of him…"_

The call ended a second later as she hung up on him, and he put the device away with a sigh. So, Cinder wasn't involved. That was both a good and a bad thing since it meant he didn't have to worry about split loyalties, but that he was also none the wiser when it came to finding his friend.

"So, Mercury is missing as well," he whispered. "I wonder if these events are connected somehow."

 **"Is it our problem if he is?"** Remy asked.

"Yes. He's a friend."

He'd have to check after finding Ren. Even if Mercury was one of Cinder's allies he was still a friend of sorts, or at least Jaune considered him one. Whatever cruel fate had befallen him, he would help recover him from.

 **"After you find your other friend, correct?"**

"Hm." Jaune nodded and pushed off the wall. There hadn't been any luck so far, but then again he wasn't sure what he was meant to be looking for. There were tens of thousands of people in Vale, maybe even hundreds of thousands. It would be like trying to find a specific Grimm in the Grimmlands.

He hadn't made it six steps before his scroll rang again.

"I'm popular today," he mused, checking the ID. "Cinder? I thought she said she was busy."

He clicked accept.

" _Lavender is under attack!"_ Cinder screeched.

Jaune's heart froze. "W-What!?"

" _She took your friend – the boy. Roman called me. They're under attack and she's not strong enough to hold them off. I'm forwarding you the location. Get there!"_

"B-But why would she have taken-?"

" _There's no time,"_ Cinder snapped, and for the first time he detected the fear in her voice. _"They're going to kill her!"_

/-/

Yang hadn't been sure what to think when they found him.

On the one part she was glad to see him alive, obviously, but she was also wary – and vindicated – to see that it _was_ Hentacle who took him, just like she'd thought. Being right was nice, but bring right when it was some kind of super-human monster you had to fight wasn't quite as good.

On how said creature was basically making out with her partner? Yeah, that was confusing but she wasn't going to waste time trying to understand when Nora leapt into action and the whole thing turned into a wild melee.

Blake had rushed to help her partner – knowing that anger or not Nora would need assistance against the Grimm. That left her to deal with any newcomers, and since their arrival hadn't exactly been subtle, there were plenty of them. Yang ducked under a White Fang's mace and drove her fist under and up into his stomach, blasting air and spittle across her face. She hauled the guy up with her other hand and roundhouse kicked him back into his friends, knocking two down and sending more sprawling.

It would have been good to free Ren and get him involved, but she'd seen a chance to hold the narrow doorway into the room, preventing the terrorists from outnumbering her, and took it while she could.

In the distance she could hear Torchwick yelling frantically, but it looked like the crowded faunus had blocked him off – a lucky break for the four of them since he was no pushover himself. _He won't be able to get through those narrow corridors,_ she thought, catching a terrorist's weapon, snapping their wrist and backhanding him away. _The press of White Fang is holding him back._

That wouldn't have normally been enough to give them any edge over Hentacle. He'd been able to hold off their entire team at the docks and they hadn't improved _that_ much.

But Nora and Blake were winning – and against all odds winning quite convincingly. Hentacle's movements were sluggish, his attacks distracted, and a part of her thought the creature looked a little shorter than usual, though that could have been her imagination talking.

Even distracted by her own fight as each new faunus stepped up, she was able to see Blake catch Hentacle from behind, slip under a tentacle and cut it off with her blade before she scored a strong blow to the creature's back. It screamed out in high-pitched agony and swept an arm behind it, slamming into Blake and throwing her aside.

The damage was done, however. One of the tentacles slammed onto the floor and began to dissolve, just like any other Grimm would. Had Hentacle already been wounded by Ren? Was this something else? Whatever it was, Yang thanked their lucky stars. They hadn't given him the time to summon any Grimm, and that had been the deciding factor in their last fight – that they'd been split up and unable to fight as a team when trying to save Jaune from the warehouse.

Not this time. Nora and Blake were finally going to end this.

No more Hentacle, no more worrying about Ruby being hurt or Jaune being taken from her.

"Get out of the way!" Torchwick yelled, now sounding worried and swinging his cane to shift the terrorists blocking him. "Move, you stupid animals. Before it's too late!"

Even he was afraid. A good sign. Yang redoubled her efforts and drove the terrorists back, blocking them up in the entranceway so that the much bigger threat wouldn't be able to get through – short of blasting his way through his own people or looping around the building, both of which would take him too long. She'd only planned for them to get in, get Ren and get out, but if they were actually able to kill Hentacle?

Well, they were huntresses, right? It was what they did.

Nora swept her hammer in a wide arc, missing by mere inches as the lithe figure darted to one side, twirled, and tried to bring her own sword – thin and light – around to wound her. Nora smiled and made no move to dodge, and didn't need to as Blake appeared by her partner's side, twisting Gambol Shroud up before Nora's face and blocking the attack before it could get close.

"Thanks, partner," Nora grinned.

"No problem," Blake replied. She tossed her ribbon over the blade, slapped the other half of Gambol Shroud down, and tugged both down to wrench the sword from the Grimm's grip. It left him open, and even though he brought his tentacles up to block, Nora's hammer caught him centre-mass, launching him back and into a wall.

Hentacle made to stand, staggering, but a grenade caught him directly in the chest.

"Direct hit!" Nora cheered.

The smoke cleared to reveal the Grimm on its knees, head bowed and tentacles singed and smoking on the floor. Its white skin was smudged and blackened with patches where burns had clearly taken hold. It struggled to stand but sagged and fell back down onto its knees.

Nora stepped forward, hefting Magnhild before her.

"Nothing personal," she said. "Well, apart from you being a Grimm. It was bad enough when you took Jauney – he's a friend – but to take Ren, as well? Nope." The hammer drew back. "No one's taking my best friend away from me."

Hentacle twitched.

Yang cried out, "Nora! Look out!"

The bomber's eyes widened as the tentacles all surged forward at once, joining together like a club and striking her in the midriff, launching her back and into the air. It was a desperate last gambit and one that caught Nora completely off-guard, but the Grimm had made one fatal mistake.

Blake appeared behind it, Gambol Shroud drawn back. Hentacle realised, but had all of his tentacles forward, none left to defend as the blade came down for its neck.

"It ends here!" Blake yelled.

Hentacle's eyes – _had they always been green?_ – widened in horror.

"NO!" Torchwick screamed.

The wall behind Blake vanished.

Light blasted through as the wall gave way, metal twisting and screeching as it was _peeled_ back from its foundations and tossed aside like a rag. Yang's eyes widened as she saw two black limbs that had pierced through the metal to do it, long and thin, familiar in their own way and yet impossible because the only one who could do that was on their knees in front of them about to be killed by Blake.

Except that a tentacle had wrapped about her wrist – preventing Gambol Shroud from coming down for the finishing blow. It was not a tentacle from the figure on the floor. It had punctured directly though the steel wall from outside.

Blake only had the time to cry out as she was dragged to the side and _flung_ against a metal pillar, folding around it and gasping as she fell to the floor, her weapon skittering from her hand and away. The tentacle drifted away from her, to Hentacle, and then coiled about the downed figure protectively.

Even the White Fang trying to get past Yang hesitated, unsure what to do or think but unwilling to enter and face whatever it might be. Yang took the chance to back away and stand near Blake as she struggled to push herself up onto her hands and knees.

The wall gave another agonised screech as it was divested of its covering entirely. Cloud and dirt ha kicked up but they didn't have to wait for it to clear. It billowed out as something leapt through, and a dark figure landed before their downed foe with a mighty crash. It was taller than Hentacle, bulkier, clearly more masculine and also very, very angry.

Yang realised their error a second later – as did Blake.

"Am I seeing double…?" she gasped.

"No," Yang said, watching warily as the taller one – the one she recognised as the real deal – looked down to its injured and bleeding kin. "I've got a feeling we've not been fighting the real deal all along." Her expression hardened. "We miscalculated. There's more than one of these things. I knew this was too easy."

More than one Grimm capable of hiding and operating among the people of Vale – and of summoning Grimm whenever they wanted. That was bad. Beacon needed to know before something happened. How many of them had already infiltrated the city? What was their goal?

Hentacle's eyes looked back up from the smaller version of himself.

They glowed like crimson fire.

"And I think we just pissed him off."

* * *

 **Yes. Yes, you did.**

 **For those who wondered Lavender has always been a weaker individual than Jaune, able to hold her own against Raven by not actually holding her own at all but summoning loads of Grimm and fleeing the moment she had a chance. While Jaune has admitted she's better with a sword than him, that doesn't mean much, and his raw strength, stamina and durability is far above hers.**

 **Well, here's things being dragged back towards the plot anyway. Except for Mercury being missing, of course. I wonder what cruel and depraved witch could have him and what terrible things she is putting him through.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 18** **th** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	51. Chapter 51

**Hey guys, I just want to let everyone know that I have a big works event on Feb 8** **th** **– an awards ceremony I've had to plan last second, and will now be stuck attending, organising and doing opening and closing speeches for. It's all very last minute and very annoying. It's also in three weeks and hits on a White Sheep day.**

 **I'm just making people aware in advance that I** _ **will**_ **be trying to update as usual, but that there may be a super short chapter that week – 4,000 words or so – because of the fact I'll not even be at a PC for the entire Thursday, and will be stuck in a hotel the Wednesday night so I can get to the event 6am to prepare. I'll make people more aware closer to the time, too. I hope 4k will be better than nothing, lol.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 51**

* * *

It was hard to imagine how things had gone wrong so quickly.

Yang ducked as Nora's body flew overhead to crash into a wall. She dodged one tentacle and knocked another way with the back of her fist. In the brief moment between she shot a blast from Ember Celica towards the monster. The dust rattled off his chest and only seemed to drive his rage to new heights.

Hentacle was angry – and also different to the last time she'd seen him, and she could appreciate now that it _had_ been some time. The smaller version, the female, must have been the one from the warehouse. Wherever he'd been, whatever he'd been doing, Hentacle looked to have grown stronger. He wore no shirt but tatters of cloth hung from his chest, which now had several bone plates over it, a new addition as far as she could remember. They formed a vague mockery of armour, linking in front of him and reaching up to his shoulders, with his stomach the only part of him where skin showed. His eyes seemed to shine brighter, too, like twin furnaces set in a face that could only snarl.

 _How the hell did we mistake the other one for this guy? It's practically tame by comparison._

Blake attacked from behind – and that proved a mistake for Hentacle took is as a threat to the one he was protecting. His tentacles slashed out, and while Blake was able to dodge a few with some clone usage, one caught her in the stomach and propelled her back. It caught her foot before she could create any distance and slammed her down into the ground. Gambol Shroud went flying. Nora roared angrily and charged back in to save her partner.

Yang took the chance to run over and free Ren. They needed all the help they could get. Her partner looked shocked and out of it so she gave him a gentle slap, one that shook his body and whipped his face to the side. Okay, it wasn't very gentle at all.

"Wha- where-?" Ren blinked stupidly. "I-I don't understand…"

What the hell was up with him? Did he hit his head? Yang shook hers and briefly explained. "Hentacle. Us. Fight. Help."

"But she-" Ren paused to look towards the melee, where Nora was struggling to stand upright, let alone hold her own. His eyes narrowed and he nodded. "Right. I don't have my weapons but I should be able to help."

Yang slapped his back and dragged him up. "That's the spirit."

The two of them managed to meet up with their teammates not a second later, when Nora finally saved Blake and Hentacle let them go, unwilling to leave the smaller version of himself. There was a brief moment of silence; one during which no one dared speak and none dared move. It was broken by the sound of a familiar voice.

"Get out of the way," Torchwick growled. "Move it. Stop standing there like idiots!" The thief staggered into the room, dispelled from the terrified faunus who clogged the corridor but no longer dared approach. Roman brushed some soot off his coat and looked to Hentacle. "About time you made it. Started to think the worst."

Hentacle's red eyes settled on the crook. A sibilant hiss escaped his lips.

"U-Uh, b-boss…?" Roman asked, suddenly nervous. As the tentacles wove through the air, he started to sweat. "You _do_ remember whose side I'm on, right?"

It looked like he might not, or just didn't care. Yang kept herself still, unwilling to break the tableau, especially if it might mean the two attacking one another. It wasn't to be, however. The Grimm behind Hentacle, the other humanoid one, wrapped her arms about Hentacle's waist. He froze, and there might have been an exchange between them but Yang couldn't hear any of it.

Eventually, Hentacle nodded and spoke. His voice was cracked and angry, and seemed to shake with each word – like they were forced out. "Roman."

"Y-Yeah?"

"Take."

"Take…?" The crook yelped as a tentacle rushed towards him but it didn't attack like he'd feared. Instead it gripped his wrist and dragged him forward. It flicked behind and threw him at the other Grimm, who caught him before he could fall. Even so, he'd had the presence to hold onto his bowler hat. "Oh right. Take her to safety. That's what you mean, right?"

Hentacle's head twitched. His lips kept peeling back, his tentacles flinching. The smaller Grimm put a hand over Roman's mouth and whispered something to him. The two of them slipped back through the wall that had been peeled apart.

Yang didn't try to stop them. Distracted or not, Torchwick was still a trained and powerful huntsman capable of fighting any of them one on one, and maybe even two on one as well. The last thing they needed was for him to work with Hentacle since they were barely holding their own as it was. She took the chance to catch her breath instead and consider the situation.

Two Hentacles – or two Grimm-human creatures, anyway. Hentacle was the name they'd given the one in front of them, and it occurred to her that if it could communicate and show things such as care and concern for its similar Grimm, then it actually had something all her studies told her was impossible.

Emotion…

Honestly, it should have been something of a discovery for the ages. A Grimm that could feel emotion was one that should technically be capable of human thought, and of emotion-assisted decisions. It might even be possible to reason with it and she was sure academics would be biting off their own hands in excitement at the chance to see such a thing. Oobleck would probably pass out from bliss.

 _Fat lot of good that does us now,_ she thought. The fact he could feel emotion was all well and good, but not particularly helpful when said emotion was rage. It wasn't just the mindless aggression of most Grimm either, but a clear anger born of what they'd done and nearly done to the other one. He was as filled with anger as she might be if someone hurt Ruby. The comparison somehow made him seem more human, despite how hard that was to accept with his eyes, bone plates, and the red veins that criss-crossed over his face and around his eyes.

"We don't need to fight," Ren said.

"What are you doing?" Blake hissed.

"I think we can reason with it," their leader returned. "It's intelligent – they both are." Ren took a cautious step forward. "My team only came to rescue me, and you only came to rescue her. Let us leave in peace and we'll do the same to you." He held his arms out wide. "There's no reason for us to fight."

Except that he was a Grimm, they were huntsman, and he was working with Torchwick and the White Fang – all fairly clear reasons why they were enemies long before Ren's kidnapping got involved. Yang thumbed her scroll, silently calling for help. She didn't really want Jaune and her sister getting involved in this, but she wanted to get killed even less. They could really use Pyrrha, Invincible Girl Nikos, right now.

/-/

Blood pounded through his skull and the world could only be seen through a lens of red. There was a voice in the back of his head, screaming his name, but he ignored it. His sister was gone, safe, and with that distraction out of the way there was only himself and the four humans before him, not to mention the _fear_ that leaked from the prey in the hallway. The cloying miasma of panic and terror pervaded the room and teased his senses. His teeth ached and his lips parted, expelling a breath of hot, humid, air.

One of the humans was saying something. The figure was familiar, oddly so, but the why or how eluded him, as did the words that were phrased into the air. It was all a low drone to his ears, buried under the irritating voice shouting for him to stop.

He had to silence it before it drove him mad. He had to silence all of them.

"Look out!" the yellow-haired one yelled, tackling the speaker aside.

One of his tentacles slammed down where he'd stood, cracking concrete. Dust flew up into the air and he surged through it, slashing out with one arm towards the black-haired girl who smelled of regret. Her arms crossed before her face, catching his fist, and she flew back from the blow. Before he could follow-up, the orange-haired one tackled him. The haft of her weapon pressed against his neck as she tried to push him down. He pushed back, earning a cry of shock as he pushed her away with enough force to lift her feet from the ground. One his tentacles flicked into her, whipping her to the side and sending her rolling across the floor with a satisfying cry.

It was fun to play with them. A part of him enjoyed that more than the promise of finishing them off, for he knew the pleasure would end then. Better to make them scream and beg now. His mouth watered at the thought and he turned to find another, eyes latching onto the yellow-haired girl as she leapt in.

Her eyes were as red as his, and as angry. It was beautiful in a way, and that fact caused him to hesitate. Her fist landed on his cheek and launched him back. He didn't so much feel the pain of his body striking a metal pillar. The pain felt pleasant, invigorating. His tentacles wrapped about the metal structure behind him and bent it in two, just for the fun of it. The roof groaned under the sudden loss of support. His enemies gathered themselves once more and he watched them with gleeful focus. He didn't try to stop them coming together or readying themselves. It would be better if they could fight before they died, after all.

" **-ne.** " something screamed. **"St-"**

The voice again. He shook his head and ignored it. When it didn't go away he decided to silence it another way, by dashing into combat with one hand outstretched. He aimed for the girl who smelled of regret, but she vanished in a puff of air, leaving a distraction behind that didn't feel nor smell human. He ignored it, changing his target for the one with the golden hair.

She was ready for him, however, and side-stepped his hand. One arm swept over it, the other under, and she kicked his legs out from under him. Two tentacles slammed down to replace them, acting as legs to keep him upright. That caught her off-guard and she was left open as he buried a fist in her gut. His other hand caught her by the throat while she was stunned and he drew her face in close, forcing their eyes to meet.

Something unpleasant stirred inside him. It burned in his chest and fled down to his stomach and he released her with a hiss.

The satisfaction wasn't there. It didn't work. His tentacles caught her in the side and threw her away. He wanted her out of his sight, away from him. He didn't want her in the fight, even if he wasn't sure why. A roar escaped his lips and he charged the others instead – the haze coming back over his vision as the girl with the hammer and the lone male prepared to meet his charge.

 _That_ was something more satisfying, and he forgot all about the other girl as he fought them. A hammer whistled above his head, a hand was blocked by his forearm – but he hissed as something seemed to shoot through his skin and bone. It dug deep inside but didn't pierce the skin. The unarmed one wasn't quite so unarmed, or harmless. He broke off from him and used his tentacles instead, trying to keep the dangerous man's aura away from him.

The girl was easier. Hers was power born of brute strength but that couldn't match up to his. She wasn't as skilled or fast and he swept in and out of her attacks with a manic smile, lashing out with his fists into her stomach, shoulders, and arms whenever he could. She didn't cry out. She bore it all with a scowl, meting out her own attacks in kind.

Something whistled through the air behind him. He leapt back on instinct alone and tugged on the girl he'd just been fighting with, twisting her so that she took the attack from the third – the dark-haired girl who liked to attack from behind. The girl's eyes widened and she checked her charge at the last second, still crashing into her ally, but doing so with her shoulder instead of the tip of a sword. They groaned and crumpled to the floor.

The other two took positions in front of them, and again he felt a strange disconnect when he looked at the golden-haired one. It wasn't anything he could place – more like a sudden dull in the desire for violence, a sudden hesitation.

She also wasn't afraid, none of them were, at least not in as dramatically as the masked faunus who flocked the corridor nearby. Many of them had fled and those that remained had started to get used to the carnage, their fear dulling by exposure. It caused the haze to lessen even more and he shook his head, trying not to let it bother him.

In the distance he felt an even greater negativity – and approaching fast.

That was enough to keep his fury fuelled.

It was actually enough to make him pause and sniff the air.

There was something else, too. Smaller and less focused, also less afraid – more of a vague sense of unease approaching from the west. As it approached he realised it wasn't one, but two, and that they also felt familiar.

More prey approached.

/-/

Ruby checked her scroll again and re-read Yang's hasty message, just the one word; help. There'd been no response to her reply and that had her teeth biting into her lip. She increased her pace and darted down an alley.

"They'll be okay," Pyrrha said, sprinting along beside her. "The fact Yang's calling for help isn't any reason to panic. It doesn't mean anything has happened to her; she just needs assistance. They've probably found Ren."

"I hope so," Ruby whispered.

"The tracker says she's close. They must be in one of the buildings nearby." A loud crash interrupted them and made them pause. Masked figures – White Fang – rushed toward them in broad daylight. Ruby cursed and pulled out Crescent Rose, as did Pyrrha with her own weapon.

They were left to pose stupidly as the terrorists ran past them, ignoring the two huntresses entirely.

"You think that's a bad sign?" Ruby asked. "I'm thinking it's a bad sign."

A sound like screeching metal echoed, followed by several gunshots and an explosion that sounded suspiciously like Nora's grenades. The building the terrorists had fled from shook and groaned, rocked by the explosion but somehow managing to stay upright.

"I think _that's_ a bad sign," Pyrrha said. She hoisted her sword and shield. "Shall we, partner?"

"After you."

The interior of the building was all but deserted when they entered. There were a few White Fang still in the process of leaving but they paid no attention to the two, other than to give them a wide berth. Ruby had to hold back her own desire to stop them. Yang was more important.

"Weiss is on her way here," Pyrrha said, putting away her scroll. "I'm not getting a response from Jaune, though."

"Maybe there's no signal?"

"Maybe…" She didn't sound convinced. "He might be distracted or on his way. He'll have got the same message we did from Yang. He might already be fighting."

Ruby nodded and gripped Crescent Rose tighter. They didn't want to be the last ones there and miss the fight. Speaking of, the sounds of combat echoed from a room off to one side, but something far more immediate caught their attention. The building was some kind of factory or warehouse, abandoned by its previous owners. The walls and general structure were still in one piece, but what really caught their attention was the giant hole excavated straight down into the ground.

"How odd. It's like the White Fang were digging for something."

"Yeah, but what?" Ruby asked.

"I've no idea. Still, the hole seems to go down for a bit and then lead off to the side. It's like they're tunnelling somewhere. We should tell the headmaster about this when we get back to Beacon."

"After the fight," Ruby said, already moving towards the combat. "Come on, we can take pictures of that thing afterwards. It's not going anywhere."

"True, true." Pyrrha joined her again and the two jogged the final distance through a narrow corridor towards the sound of frantic combat. As the corridor turned a corner, the scene in its full glory was revealed to them – and it was both good and bad.

Good news, it looked like they'd found Ren and he was safe.

Bad news, they were getting knocked around like children by Hentacle.

"Damn it," Pyrrha hissed. "Ruby, go wide. I'll keep him occupied."

"Got it!"

Ruby blurred off to the side the second she entered the room, trying to keep out of sight as Pyrrha charged in to help Nora fend off the Grimm-humanoid. He looked different, sturdier and better armoured, but she didn't really have the time to focus on that as she looked for an opening. Yang and the others were okay, alive at least, but obviously a little tired from however long they'd been fighting. Yang and Nora cheered on seeing them.

Pyrrha ducked and weaved her way up to the Grimm, using her agility to hop over his tentacles as they slashed for her feet, while scoring her own cut on the prehensile limbs. She blocked a second with her shield, then spun into his guard and backhanded him across the face with it. It didn't seem to do much more than stagger him but it gave Nora a chance to break off and catch her breath.

Ruby watched as her partner and the Grimm exchanged a flurry of blows. Hentacle had the advantage when it came to strength and stamina, but Pyrrha closed the gap with speed and skill, and seemed to be holding her own. She flicked out with her sword whenever she could, cut his brow, then twisted under and turned her sword into a spear in time to pin a tentacle to the ground before it could hit her. She leapt over another and delivered a sharp kick to his face.

It was a stark reminder of who was the championship fighter, and Ruby couldn't help but grin as she watched her partner go to town on Hentacle.

Now, if only it would actually do any damage…

 _He's too tanky,_ she realised. He was taking hit after hit without slowing down and what wounds Pyrrha scored seemed to sizzle and hiss, closing before their eyes as black goo washed over it, sealing the cuts.

Ruby readied Crescent Rose and crouched in a shadowed corner. She had to wait for her chance to strike, and considering a miss would mean hitting a friend, she'd have to do it in melee. The blade of her scythe gleamed as she readied it. She just needed Pyrrha to give her an opening – to get rid of those tentacles that were able to swat her away before she even got close.

A flash of white light suddenly appeared beneath Hentacle. It took the form of a glyph, and the creature seemed to visibly slow, as did Pyrrha. The redhead leapt back out of it and fired two shots from her rifle form, both of which struck Hentacle in the chest. The Grimm snarled at her, but quickly turned its attention upwards, towards an opening in the wall. Weiss hung from it, one hand on the sheet metal as the other pointed Myrtenaster at Hentacle.

He snarled and flung his tentacles towards her.

Ruby's eyes widened. There! She darted out instantly – Crescent Rose firing a round behind with a loud crack as she shot across the distance between them. She became a red streak aimed directly for his back.

The glyph beneath him wavered and shattered, Weiss falling from her perch as one of the tentacles slammed into the metal beneath it.

That gave Hentacle the time to turn and face Ruby.

She saw the danger before it hit, a veritable _wave_ of tentacles that would strike her all at once. There was no checking her approach, however, even as Yang shouted her name in worry. Instead she fired another shot, used the momentum to twist her body, and _swung_ her scythe early, aiming for the tentacles themselves.

All three were severed with a single strike.

Hentacle roared in fury and pain. Ruby's moment of victory was short-lived. Her weapon already swung and no time to correct it, she crashed into the monster, which swatted her scythe away with one hand and caught her neck in the other. His last tentacle wound about her legs, keeping her locked in place as he snarled directly into her face. Her eyes were clenched shut from the pain and fear, but she slammed a hand into his chin to try and push him back.

"Ruby!" Yang yelled. Ember Celica barked but Hentacle ignored it and the shots that riddled across his back. As Ruby felt his breath wash over her face she cautiously opened her eyes. His skin was white – not just pale, but pure white – and the angry veins that marked it seemed all the more pronounced. It might even have been a familiar face, but she couldn't tell why. It was all she could do to trace her eyes up to meet his.

And feel an intense agony stab directly into her skull.

"Ah!" she cried.

"Arghh!" Hentacle screamed. He threw her away and gripped his head with both hands. Ruby hit the ground and rolled several feet but didn't stand. She was too busy doing the same, gripping her skull with both hands as something _burned_ away inside.

"It hurts!" she yelled. "It hurts!"

Hands gripped her. "Ruby! What's wrong?"

"M-My head," she whimpered. "My eyes. Hurts!"

Pyrrha and the others rushed over as well, both to check on her and defend the downed girl from her enemy – an enemy which was at that very moment thrashing about wildly. Its remaining tentacle, and the much-shortened and bleeding stubs of the others, slammed into a nearby wall, gripping and scraping against it. The Grimm then threw his own body at it, almost like he was trying to bash out his own skull against the metal.

"W-What the hell is going on?" Blake whispered.

"I don't know," Ren said. "Do we attack?"

"And get close to him when he's doing that? We'll be crushed."

Hentacle let out a final cry of agony and crashed into – and through – the metal wall, shattering much of it and simply forcing his way through the rest. The building shook but continued to hold, the sounds of the Grimm's footsteps taking it further away.

"Should we chase it?" Nora asked. "Ruby must have wounded it when she cut the tentacles."

H-Had she…? She couldn't tell. Her head hurt too much. There was a high pitched keening in her skull and she clenched her eyes shut against it, trying to ignore what felt like a searing white light behind her eyelids. Despite her best efforts a pained whimper broke forth, and that was enough to end any thoughts of pursuit.

"Forget it," Yang said. "Shh, you'll be okay, Ruby. You'll be fine. I promise. You did it. You sent that Grimm running for his life."

Ruby tried to nod but faltered as a wave of fatigue shot through her. The only relief was that it dulled the pain – erased it entirely. What remained was intense exhaustion, and even in the middle of some abandoned factory it hit her like a truck.

She was just glad Yang was there to keep hold of her when she passed out.

/-/

Jaune staggered into an abandoned alleyway several hundred metres away and transformed back into his human form. That along seemed to be enough to lessen the pain in his head, but he still gripped his skull with both hands. He fell to his knees, sagging against the wall of whatever building he was next to. His forehead sought refuge against the cool bricks.

"W-What's going on?" Jaune rasped. His head roared with agony, though the pain had dulled somewhat after his escape. He looked at the bonelike plates that had fused onto his skin. He reached for one and prodded it. He was back in his human form but they hadn't disappeared.

" **I don't know,"** Remy said. **"I didn't do it, I promise. You did it yourself after you went mad."**

After he'd gone mad… Gods, he could still remember it – a vague sense of lingering rage. The actual memories were hazy, probably for the best. He knew he'd been fighting against his friends, trying his hardest to kill them, but he was spared from the images behind it. He was lucky he'd been able to escape, even luckier that they hadn't given chase. If it wasn't for Ruby… he shook his head.

The plates had to go. He swallowed and reached for one, teasing a finger behind it. It was a horrible feeling but not a painful one. He'd expected it to be like removing his own skin, but the bone didn't seem to connect to his actual bones. It was stuck to his chest with a thick tar-like substance, black like a Grimm. He peeled it off, gasping as the final strands broke. The plate hit the floor and instantly began to dissolve, as did the sticky skin-like material on his chest.

He pulled the other pieces off one by one, tossing them to the floor.

" **I tried to reach you but I couldn't do a thing. You even took control of my tentacles."**

"I didn't mean to…"

" **I know."** Remy swam inside his body and poked his head out of Jaune's hand, between his fingers and thumb. **"Lavender did escape and would have been killed. That's good, at least."**

"I nearly killed my friends."

" **I wouldn't go that far. You roughed them up but no worse than they've had before."** Remy's little mandibles clicked in the air. **"Is… do you** _ **smell**_ **something?"**

"I sensed it a while back," Jaune said. "It's like… it's a sense of something… coming. Something close. I don't know how to explain it. Is it… Grimm?" That was what it felt like but that made no sense. They were in the middle of the city.

" **I think we should leave,"** Remy said, hiding back inside his body. **"I don't like this feeling. It makes me… it even makes me feel angry. I want to rip and tear and that's not a good thing for me. I'm supposed to be an advisor. I wasn't created to fight. What kind of emotion can make me like this?"**

"A strong one," he said. "It's not fear, it's… no, never mind. I need to find the others as quick as I can, before they get suspicious. And I need to buy a shirt before I do," he added, looking down at himself. The plates had all but eviscerated his outfit. It was fortunate he kept his wallet in his pants, so he'd just need to find a store to grab something from.

He pulled out his scroll and composed a quick message in response to the one Yang had sent, the one alerting them to the danger they were in. He'd have to send one to Cinder after, too. She hadn't been able to help too much with his last episode of rage but it was time to try again. If that didn't work… if that didn't work then he'd need to talk to someone more experienced, maybe even his mother.

It didn't take him long to find a general store he could grab a shirt at, and while he received some odd looks at first a quick explanation of his motion sickness was enough to have the woman behind the counter nodding sympathetically. All the while the strange sensation of something approaching continued to build, and as the woman tallied up the cost and took his lien, his hands started to shake.

" **We should go,"** Remy said nervously.

" _What's happening?"_

" **I don't know."**

The ground shook.

"What was that?" the woman behind the counter asked. She looked around nervously. "Was that a quake? Did you feel that?"

"I did," Jaune said, buttoning his new shirt. "And I've got no idea what it was."

He only knew that it made the blood rush through his head once more. This time it was held back, however, weakened somehow, and the memory of Ruby's silver eyes flashed through his mind. The throbbing vanished completely, replaced with a vague sense of unease.

"I think you should close the shop for the day," he said.

"What, why?"

"I… I don't know," he admitted. "It's just… you've got to leave. Quickly."

The woman stared at him. "You're scaring me. A-Are you threatening me?"

"No. It's just… I think…. Grimm…?" His words slurred. It was close. So very close. There was something – and he could feel it somewhere beneath him. Below? Underground? How did he know that?

"Grimm," the woman laughed. "We're in the middle of Vale. You can't find Grimm here."

"I know, I…" He clenched his eyes shut. "Excuse me, I need to go. T-Thanks for the shirt."

"Sir, your cha-"

"Keep it!" he yelled, barrelling out of the store and staggering into the street. It was a square in the middle of town, a busy shopping district not too far away from the place he'd just been fighting for his life in. Or not too far by the standards of someone who could sprint across the city without getting tired.

" **I feel it,"** Remy said, answering his unasked question. **"Grief, rage, anger… there's so much of it."**

Yes, that was the best way to describe it. It wasn't fear or horror like he'd felt earlier – that taste still lingered on his tongue. This was something much darker, so much more primal. It was pure unadulterated rage, mixed with a hopelessness that made it feel desperate. More than that, he could feel it attracting Grimm, though how, he had no idea. How could Grimm be so close?

What remained absent, however, was the same rage that had overtaken him before. Whatever Ruby had done, it seemed to be enough to push it aside for now. That didn't mean all was well, however. His head pounded and blood dribbled from his nose. He fell to his knees, both hands clasping his head. The emotions were overwhelming him, burning him. It was like he was drowning in an ocean of it and there was nothing he could do. He couldn't even vent the rage.

"He, son," someone said. "Are you okay?"

"Get away!" Jaune snapped. His eyes flickered but didn't quite flash red. He staggered to his feet and reached for his sword, only to find it absent. He'd left it behind when he'd first transformed. Even so, the aggressive action wasn't missed by the crowd around him, who backed away warily.

Realisation snapped into him a second later. The Grimm approached. They were coming.

"Get away!" he howled, waving one hand. "Go! Move! Run!"

Some backed away; others turned their heads and pretended not to notice the crazy man, hurrying off so they didn't have to listen any longer. Yet more remained, however, and that wouldn't do. He took a threatening step towards them.

"Get out before they come! Before the Grimm arrive!"

"The Grimm? What are you-?"

The man who'd tried to question him froze as the ground shook. Everyone did, suddenly afraid as the very solid concrete beneath them shifted and groaned. It was the distraction he needed and he screamed at the top of his lungs.

"RUN!"

This time, they did. Whether they believed him or not – or whether it was just the quaking that forced them into action. Either way, men and women cried out in shock and ran as fast as they could. He would have followed but for the new fear – their fear – overwhelming him even further. He fell onto his knees and gripped his head again. Blood ran down from his nose and down over his chin.

"Why… why does it hurt so much…!?"

" **T-Too many…"** Remy gasped. **"Untrained, undisciplined… afraid. Fear, panic, rage, anger, revenge…"**

Was this what normal humans were like, those that didn't have huntsman training? Had he gotten too used to being around people who knew how to not let their negative emotions overtake them? He'd been in Vale before but never in a situation when so many people were afraid, never with something like the slow rage beneath him building up.

The ground below his knees cracked and bulged outwards.

/-/

This was an unmitigated disaster.

Cinder rushed through the halls of Beacon as fast as she dared. Teachers and students looked to her in shock but she ignored them, shouting out an apology where necessary. Behind her, Emerald did her best to keep pace and filled in for her, giving excuses that might explain away her sudden rash of panic.

That stupid idiot of a girl! Not Emerald, but Lavender. It went without saying the kidnapping of one of Jaune's friends was bad enough, but it was the _timing_ which really complicated matters, and now the fact Jaune had gotten himself involved _today of all days_.

A figure appeared in the corridor ahead and walked sheepishly up to them. Mercury's hair was dishevelled and he wore a huge grin, not to mention some telling bruises on his neck. He swaggered into her view and smiled laconically. She'd have normally wiped that away but she had bigger concerns.

"Look, Cinder, I'm sorry I-"

"Out of the way!" she snapped, knocking him aside. "I don't have the time to deal with you!"

"What's happening?" he asked, keeping pace with her. They exited the academy proper and approached the Bullhead docks.

"Jaune is being attacked in the city," she explained, panting for breath.

"So? I get you're worried but he can handle himself. The guy's been doing it for a while now."

"It's not that, you fool. Think of what day it is! Yesterday was the dance and I disabled the CCT, _specifically_ so that Vale could not call for international aid." She waited for the information to drill its way into his skull, and nodded when he suddenly looked worried. "Exactly. If everything goes to plan _that_ will be happening today, and Jaune being at ground zero is not what we want."

"Can't you call it off?"

Cinder shook her head. There was no stopping this now. Had it been Roman she might have expected him to be a few days late, but it wasn't Roman. He'd thrown his lot in with Lavender, leaving her to deal with Adam instead. Though much harder to control, he was far more efficient. She didn't doubt that everything was running to schedule.

"Shit," Mercury breathed. "How bad is this going to be?"

"Grimm are creatures who are driven man by negative emotion," she said. "Humans are creatures that produce it over and over. Something that is both Grimm and human is a mixture of two opposites, two contrasting sides of a coin that cannot truly exist in harmony. Even his own emotions can influence him in ways no one knows, not even me. Not even Salem."

"You're saying his own emotions can send him feral, that he'll get stuck in some kind of feedback loop?"

"I don't know."

Emerald stood beside them and looked out over the forest towards Vale. "What's going to happen when the whole city goes into a mad panic?" she asked.

"I don't know."

Cinder bit her lip. She'd planned this meticulously, but everything had been based on him being tired from the dance and safe at Beacon, distant from such things and out of everyone's way. If it hadn't been for Lavender, this wouldn't have happened. Now he was out there – and at the worst possible moment. She'd decided to speed her plans up to take advantage of the one time she'd known he wouldn't be in Vale, the one time all the students would be distracted.

An explosion rocked the city. Smoke billowed into the air and students gathered on the edge of the cliff, staring out towards the devastation and whispering among themselves.

"Shit," Mercury said again. "Is that-?"

"Adam," she finished. "The Breach."

* * *

 **Yep. Sorry to end on something of a double cliff-hanger here. I'm trying to bring things back onto plot as people know, and one angle was that Cinder would be making changes to her plans to keep Jaune busy. I always saw the Breach as having one of two objectives; either to sow panic and put Ironwood in charge, or to force the teachers to leave Beacon in a panic, giving Cinder a chance to snatch the maiden. In this regard, staging it directly after the dance isn't a poor idea since most of the students would be exhausted from the night before, and, of course, Jaune would be safe in bed, if not for someone being kidnapped.**

 **I also imagine Adam would be a lot more efficient about the whole thing, getting it done exactly on time, unlike a certain someone. Does this skip Mountain Glenn? Yes, it does, but that would have been skipped anyway since Roman didn't reveal any clues at the Paladin meeting and Ruby didn't encounter Cinder in the CCT and pass on her information to Ozpin and Ironwood.**

 **Serious chapter is serious chapter, though, so no jokes in this one.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 25** **th** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	52. Chapter 52

**I'm sure everyone knows by now about my business event killing my free time, etc. I'm supposed to have Wednesdays off (which is when I work on this fic), but didn't get it this week, or rather I had to give it up to get work done. Oh well, I still managed it. Can't wait for this period of work to be over, lol.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 52**

* * *

He couldn't think.

There was a ringing in his ears that wouldn't go away, and the aftershock of the explosion directly under his feet had rattled his bones despite his impressive aura and even more impressive skeletal structure. He was battered, bruised, and exhausted.

But none of that was what kept him down.

It was the emotions… it was the wave of negativity. It was the fear and the terror, but also the rage and the anger, the thirst for vengeance. The inequality. The forlorn hope. The shattered dreams. The yearning, the crying, the shouting and the begging. His very body shook as another wave of it slammed into him and almost drove him onto his side.

Humans…

They were such destructive creatures…

By Salem, was this what they really felt? There was so much _wrongness_ to it all, so much evil. Those that fled poured out their fear, while those that emerged from the tunnels below _stank_ of death and aggression. Humans were killing one another, while others fled and yet more pushed their fellows to the ground in a desperate attempt to escape.

So much… there was just so much…

" **Jaune…"** Remy gasped. His voice wasn't faded like it was before, but it was weak. Overwhelmed. **"You're not… losing… control…?"**

He wasn't. Whatever Ruby had done seemed to be locked in place, at least for now. Even so, it wasn't like he was _in control_ either. Blood dripped onto the ground before him and he touched his nose with one hand. It came away red and shaking.

" _I can't… the people… it's too much…"_

" **Get to… safety,"** Remy rasped.

Yes, he did. The Grimm wouldn't kill him, but others might, like the White Fang who were even now pouring from the ground with weapons in hand. They must have expected harsh opposition, that or deadly murder, for they looked confused at the lack of people to kill.

When they saw him instead, several moved in his direction, weapons drawn. They didn't know he was Hentacle and there was no way he could fight them back – not like this. He staggered to his feet regardless, but blood continued to run down and over his mouth.

"Kill him and be done with it," one of the faunus growled.

"He's mine," the second hissed, dashing forward with a sword. "Die human!"

Human, him?

His hand flicked out and batted the blade away before it could strike true. He lashed out with his other fist, caught the man in the stomach, and then twisted the sword out of his grip as he doubled over. He made to catch the sword, but nausea struck him before he could, driving the hand over his mouth as he struggled not to vomit. The _fear_ was overwhelming him once more. He wanted nothing more than to find and silence the one responsible. It hurt too much.

No…

Was that how the Grimm normally felt?

The hesitation cost him. Though the one he'd attacked staggered back, the second took the opening provided to rush in with a spear. Jaune saw it late, eyes widening as it came in for his chest. The masked faunus howled his victory.

It was cut off by a jaw clamping down on his head and shoulders.

The terrorist's arms went slack, the spear falling to the ground. The Beowolf which had clamped down on him pulled him back up and over, slammed the body down into the ground, then bit down with all its might, severing the head in one vicious motion. Blood splashed onto Jaune and the still surviving faunus, who began to whimper madly. It struck Jaune, too. The terror, that was, not the Grimm.

"Y-You're the one responsible," he gasped, staring red-eyed at the faunus. His eyes weren't just bloodshot. They had transformed, even if his body hadn't – couldn't. "How can you be so afraid when _you're_ the one who did this?"

The faunus looked at him like he was mad. He didn't try to speak. He simply turned and fled, screaming at the top of his lungs.

Those self-same lungs were crushed a moment later as the Beowolf pounced.

The Grimm were angry. They were upset. They'd been drawn to a new place and didn't know what to do, and then – much like him – they'd been _overwhelmed_ by all this fear and rage, driven mad themselves and left with nothing but a desperate desire to rip and tear, to _stop_ the wild emotions roaring through the city once and for all.

They hadn't asked for this.

 _Other_ humans had brought them here. Other humans had made them do this.

Those self-same humans – or faunus, it meant little to the Grimm – were even now trying to slaughter their fellow humans in what was a never-ending cycle of negativity, one that whipped up and never faded, driving the Grimm even more wild.

Jaune fell to his knees and clasped both sides of his head. His body wanted to transform and join them, to do whatever he had to do, but something was stopping him. Ruby was stopping him. Left with no way to vent, no means of releasing what built inside him, it was all he could do to wait until it reached a boiling point and exploded.

And that point did not take long to arrive.

His eyes snapped open, his teeth bit so hard into his lip that blood poured from his mouth, and he threw his head back to scream at the top of his lungs.

"STOP!" he screamed – and the words cut through the battle, laden with an energy of their own. He slumped forward, spent, but still managed one last sentence. "Make… make it all stop. Make it go away…"

The world faded to black a second later.

/-/

They heard the explosion easily.

Six heads turned in the direction of it, while one remained resting in her sister's arms, oblivious to the noise and what it might mean. Pyrrha's mouth opened as she prepared to ask the question on everyone's minds, but the sirens, not to mention the frightened screams, answered it soon enough.

"Hentacle?" Nora guessed.

"Not unless he can cause explosions now as well," Ren said. "That sounded like something else… something far worse."

It didn't take long for them all to come to the same conclusion.

"I can't leave Ruby here," Yang shouted.

"Take her back to Beacon," Weiss instructed. "We'll investigate this and do whatever we need to. Get help while you're there, if they haven't figured out something is wrong already. Pyrrha-"

"I'm ready," Pyrrha said, standing and drawing her weapons once more. "Let's go."

The others nodded, and Pyrrha followed Weiss out of the newly made hole in the wall, Ren, Nora and Blake in quick pursuit. She'd have normally felt bad about leaving her partner behind, but she trusted Yang would see to her safety. Up ahead, the screams had grown worse, now mixed with cries for help, safety and the sound of stampeding feet and screeching tyres.

Worse, Pyrrha heard gunfire.

Torchwick? No, they'd seen Torchwick leave with the other Grimm, which meant that unless they'd been caught on the retreat, this was something far worse. Their small group reached the intersection between the high street and Crimson Street, where a number of civilians were fleeing in abject terror. They flowed around the five of them, but Nora managed to catch one.

"What's happening?" she asked.

"Grimm!" the frightened man gasped. "The Grimm are in the city!"

Pyrrha gasped. Had Hentacle summoned Grimm to distract them?

"Where?" Weiss snapped. "How?"

"In the main square – and there was an explosion, a huge blast. It tore up the ground beneath us and… and those _terrorists_ came pouring out."

"Terrorists?"

"The White Fang!" he shouted. "They came first and that was bad enough, but then the Grimm came. So many of them. We had to run."

Blake gasped and looked toward the central square. Nora caught her shoulder before she could run ahead and put herself in danger. That action released the civilian though, who took his moment to flee, even as Bullheads tore through the air towards the disaster zone.

A noise shook the air before they could. It was a voice – a shout – and yet it seemed powerful enough to actually make Pyrrha take a step back.

"STOP!"

One word, or at least one that they could hear. Those fleeing obeyed it almost without thinking, but only for a second. They caught their senses and continued to flee soon after. That wasn't what she focused on, however. That voice had been familiar. Too familiar.

"Jaune," Weiss gasped, eyes wide. "He didn't arrive to the fight with Hentacle. What if he found this one instead?"

Pyrrha and Weiss shared a quick look. A second later they were both moving. It would explain everything, especially why Jaune had been so close but hadn't come to help them. It was a huntsman's job to protect people against the Grimm and it must have been that he found. As the four girls and lone male rushed up the hill through the thick crowds, they prepared themselves for what nightmares they would see.

Pyrrha was sure she would be fine. She'd seen things before.

But never anything like this.

"My God," Ren whispered.

Nora went pale.

Blake shook. "No…"

It was carnage. No, it was a massacre. Grimm were everywhere but mostly congregated around a huge hold in the ground, one that appeared to have been blown outward somehow. Of civilians there were none to be seen, but the White Fang that had been mentioned before were present. Just… she wasn't sure for how long that would be.

As they watched, one broke ranks and fled towards the buildings, only to be pierced through the stomach by the huge stinger of a Deathstalker. The woman was lifted into the air, screaming all the while, until she was flicked back and off, further into the mass of black Grimm. Her screams were silenced a second later. By the impact, Pyrrha prayed. The White Fang may have brought the Grimm to Vale, but they had not been able to get away from the point of impact and were now disorganised and groggy, not to mention surrounded by Grimm.

It was a bloodbath.

Pyrrha saw a slumped figure off to one side and her eyes widened. His golden hair was unmistakeable. "Jaune!"

"What, where!?"

Weiss' words went ignored as Pyrrha rushed forward and skidded onto her knees beside the still figure. Her hand flew to his throat and her own could barely take in breath. He had to be okay. Please let him- A pulse! She almost died of relief then and there. Even past her panic she'd already been crying, certain with all sense and logic that her friend was gone. The fact that he was alive was nothing short of a miracle, especially close to so many Grimm.

"No," Weiss whispered.

"He's alive," Pyrrha panted, smiling through her tears. "The Grimm must have been distracted by all the people and ignored him when he fell unconscious." With so many bodies around it would have been an easy mistake to make, especially for mindless Grimm. "We need to get him out of here. We-" Pyrrha's eyes widened. "Weiss, behind you!"

The warning came too late and Weiss was thrown aside as a Beowolf's paw caught her midsection. The attack was so sudden that she didn't have the time to react, and it was all Pyrrha could do herself to reach for her weapon. The Beowolf reacted before she could, however, shoving its snout forward. On her knees and cradling her teammate against her body there wasn't much she could do. Pyrrha placed a hand behind Jaune's head and pushed it against her chest, hiding him from view.

"You won't hurt him," she whispered to the beast. "I won't let you."

The Beowolf paused. It was a huge thing, an alpha for sure, and its crimson eyes met Pyrrha's with a spark inside that – if she dared think it – might have hinted at some bestial intelligence. Even if she did have her weapon from her position on the ground she'd barely be able to wound it if it attacked. It could kill her for sure.

Which was why when it snorted and loped away, she wasn't sure what to do.

"Pyrrha!" Blake called, finally reaching her, Gambol Shroud at the ready. "Are you okay?"

"I… I'm fine…"

"It didn't attack you?"

Pyrrha could scarce believe it and even had to look down at herself to make sure. "No. I'm… I'm completely unharmed. It just left…"

Blake's confusion was clear, as was her own. The girl looked back toward the Beowolf, which still had its head turned in their direction, watching. It snorted once, and the muscles of its powerful legs bunched. It leapt back into the melee against the White Fang, ignoring them entirely.

"Unusual behaviour," Ren whispered from behind.

"Could they be more interested in the White Fang than us?" Blake asked.

"Speak for yourself," Weiss groaned, clutching her side. "Seemed pretty normal to me." She glanced down at Jaune and nodded, then looked to the ensuing melee before them. "Should we try to help them?"

"Can we?" Ren asked. "I'm afraid we'll be killed if we try. And besides," he said, looking upward. "It looks like the cavalry has arrived."

The Bullheads from Beacon swept over the battlefield, surrounding and taking positions at all the major roads and paths leading into and out of the area. Students and teachers poured out, some forming human barricades to prevent the Grimm from escaping, while yet more gathered together in preparation to assault.

Miss Goodwitch landed near them and hurried over, one eye on the battle and the other on Jaune. "Is Mr Arc okay?" she asked. "Are any of you harmed?"

"We're fine, Miss Goodwitch," Weiss said. "Jaune was unconscious when we found him, though. He might need medical attention."

The teacher nodded. "Get him on that Bullhead and yourselves out of the area. Quickly. You may leave the rest to us."

"The Grimm are acting strange!" Pyrrha suddenly called, bringing the older woman to a halt.

"What do you mean, Miss Nikos?"

"I… I don't know how to explain it but they're not acting like they normally do. They haven't even left the plaza yet, and they've ignored civilians in favour of the White Fang."

As if her words had revealed some great truth Glynda looked towards the mass of Grimm and terrorists, many of the latter of whom had already reached the lines of huntsmen and surrendered. Some must have escaped before they'd arrived, but Pyrrha was correct. No Grimm had attempted to break past the huntsmen, nor had they spread out to cause mindless havoc like they might normally have.

It was… bizarre.

The fight was also wrapping up. Many of the White Fang had fallen before they arrived and those that were left had no recourse or rescue. Even had Glynda felt confident in sending in students against the mass of Grimm, she doubted it would have been in time to save the unfortunate faunus. The last fell with a piercing wail, his upper body dragged back into the horde of black and silenced.

The teacher took a deep breath and strode forward, crop at the ready. She nodded to Oobleck and Port, each in charge of a different section, and they moved forwards too, hemming the Grimm back against the hole they had come through. It would be a dire fight to sweep them aside long enough for her to seal the breach, but it was a fight they would have to take. If only James had arrived with his troops by now, it would not even be an issue, but those were still on route. This would be a job for Beacon and Beacon alone, but she would do her best to make sure as few students as possible fell when the Grimm attacked.

Which begged the question… why had they not attacked yet? The horde faced them with crimson eyes and ferocious snarls, and many were those who pawed the ground as though preparing to charge. None did, however. Even the King Taijitu she could see in the back kept its heads low, body coiled almost nervously about itself.

"What on Remnant is going on here?" she whispered.

"Glynda," Port asked, "shall we take the charge to them?"

She wasn't sure, but apparently Oobleck had an idea for he held a hand out. "No, wait. They've made no move to attack and time only buys us more opportunity to prepare. Wait a moment. I want to see where this goes…"

At any other time, she'd have called it a dangerous gambit, but time was on their side and only more huntsmen would be coming, some of them professional ones reacting all across the city. While more Grimm might come from the depths, they'd have trouble fitting up atop the ground. The area was already saturated.

"Stand back a second," Oobleck said.

"What is-?" Glynda's eyes widened when the man took a few steps forward on his own. "What do you think you're doing, Bart!?"

"Testing a theory. Worry not, I'm not so old that I can't retreat in a hurry." The huntsman took a few more steps forward but maintained a respectable distance from the Grimm – respectable for an experienced huntsman, anyway. He paused not six or so metres away and cocked his head to the side. At so close a distance it was all but unheard of for a Grimm to remain passive, let alone so large a pack.

A long howl penetrated the air, originating from the back of the horde. Oobleck reacted instantly, hopping back several feet and readying his weapon. Glynda and Port, meanwhile, rushed forward to take their spots alongside him, equally prepared.

They needn't have.

Slowly at first, and then with increased speed, the Grimm turned and began to funnel back into the tunnel from which they'd come. Deathstalkers crouched low and Ursae clambered over themselves, until at last it was but a single Beowolf that remained. It watched them belligerently and snarled once, before it too ducked its head and vanished into the depths, leaving behind three huntsmen, over thirty in training, and a stunned silence.

"Incredible…" Oobleck marvelled.

"You mean impossible," Glynda said, already using her Semblance to seal the breach. "What we just witnessed is without a doubt impossible."

"Then how did it happen, my dear?"

That was something she didn't have an answer to. She could only hope that Ozpin did, for she had a feeling a lot of important people would be asking it in the coming days. She also had a feeling she'd be the one playing personal assistant to him and fielding all those questions.

Damn it. She'd have rather wrestled with the Grimm.

/-/

"Where's my sister!?"

"He is my partner," Weiss snapped. "I demand to see him!"

"He's fine, Miss Schnee," Beacon's doctor, looking a little bedraggled, said. "And Miss Rose is perfectly okay as well. I've already told you this. I have an infirmary full of students in various degrees of ill-health, many of whom need their rest. Having you, your team, _and_ your troupe of well-wishers come barging in wouldn't help with that."

Weiss paused to look behind her and sigh at the combined might of their two teams idling in the corridor. She hadn't the heart to tell them to leave while she went on ahead, and if anyone was going to go in it should probably have been Yang anyway. She was the one closest to her knuckle-headed partner. Not to mention Ruby.

Of course, it looked like none of them would be entering.

"Do you know what happened to him, Miss Tsune?" she asked.

"Not at this moment, no. I've looked over him and all his vitals show he simply needs rest. He has no injuries bar some scrapes and bruises. It's possible he was simply knocked unconscious by the blast."

"There was blood across his face."

"He could have struck his face on the ground when he fell. If he lost consciousness before that then he would not have been able to activate his aura to lessen the damage." The doctor sighed and crossed her arms, standing her ground against the six of them. "Either way I'll have to ask you to leave. Mr Arc is one of the least injured and I'll send him back to you the moment he wakes up. Miss Rose is resting but also shows no signs of ill-health. The chances of either of their conditions getting worse are less than none, so you can stop looking so frightened." That was aimed towards Pyrrha, she felt, since the two wore expressions more befitting a funeral.

 _Heavens save me from dramatic, suicidal, or stupid teammates,_ Weiss thought. If it wasn't Jaune getting himself knocked out before a Grimm invasion or Ruby falling into some kind of mysterious coma, it was Pyrrha somehow managing to feel she was to blame for both. "Thank you," she said, nodding to the doctor who – rude or not – deserved her gratitude for looking after him. "Please alert us if anything happens, and if there is anything we can do to help them recover you can send that information to my scroll."

"I'll do so. Thank you for understanding."

It didn't look like any of them were that bar her, and as Weiss turned to usher the others away she half-expected them to bowl her down and storm through the door. Cooler minds prevailed luckily, and Ren moved to take control of his team, whispering confident words and distracting Nora expertly with a suggestion they make a get-well card for Jaune. Weiss echoed the sentiment, even if it was a little puerile for her. Anything to get Pyrrha to follow, really. The procession made their way reluctantly from the infirmary through the corridors of Beacon and toward their dorms.

The school itself was still in something of a panic – even if the actual danger was all but over. Rumours flew thick and fast along with tales of derring-do or hurried questions as to the health of teammates and friends. As they passed the library it was to see large groups piled around computer terminals, watching news reports as they came in. Everyone wanted to know what had happened and why, and they were no different. The moment they were alone – all of them entering Team RYBN's dorm – the rambling began.

"How did they get into the city?"

"The White Fang led the Grimm here, but why?"

"The civilians-"

"Jaune-"

"Everyone calm down!" Weiss slammed a hand down on a wooden desk to bring the room to silence. As everyone turned to look at her she pushed ahead, determined not to lose the moment she'd gained. "There are things we know and things we don't know. Let's run through what we know as fact, okay?"

"The White Fang are working with the Grimm," Blake said. "Or using them, at least. They struck from underground and there was a tunnel in that warehouse we just attacked; a tunnel that just so happened to be guarded by Hentacle."

"You mean _both_ Hentacles," Yang said. "I got a good look at the one we kicked around. It was shorter than the real one, weaker too. I think it was the one we fought when we were saving Jaune – the one who summed all those Grimm and ran away."

"That would make sense…" Weiss admitted, rubbing her chin. "If we assume that one is weaker then it explains why it didn't stay to fight. Hentacle always does and we know for a fact he's capable of holding us off. They both went for Jaune, though. Both have targeted him."

"You were with it longer than we were, Ren," Yang said. "You learn anything?"

The attention in the room shifted to the only male, so regarded them all with a cautious expression. "She was female," he said.

"Did have longer hair. You're sure, though?"

"She spoke to me. The voice was obviously female, and she referred to herself as such."

"What did she say?" Weiss asked.

"There was… none of it felt particularly relevant…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yang asked. "You're telling me they kidnapped you only to ask you nothing? Why even bother?"

"Maybe they took the wrong guy," Nora suggested. "She might have thought he was Jaune."

"Or they wanted to lure Jaune out," Pyrrha added.

Weiss hummed. "Maybe. What do you think, Ren? Does that sound possible?"

"I… it may be," he said. "She did hint that she wasn't enthusiastic about the White Fang's plans. She said she wasn't all that involved but seemed to realise she made a mistake afterwards and wouldn't say anymore."

That little snippet had them all sharing confused looks. In the end it was Blake who spoke, "Maybe it means Hentacle is the one involved with the White Fang and not her."

"But she was _at_ a White Fang base," Weiss pointed out.

"But she wasn't involved with their plan to summon the Grimm – otherwise she'd have been in the tunnels _with_ the White Fang. It could mean that she's focused on trying to capture Jaune and doesn't care much for the White Fang. We've only ever seen Hentacle – the male one – work directly with them."

Weiss nodded. It was a good point. "Was there anything else?" she asked Ren. "What did the female Grimm do to you? Were you harmed in any way?"

"She had hold of him when we came in," Blake said.

Weiss looked to Ren with some concern, waiting for an answer. The young man looked back, and then traded glances with the rest of the room. His lips thinned, and he even licked them once, before he shook his head and looked away.

"Nothing happened."

"She didn't hurt you?"

"No."

"Then what was she doing?"

"I don't know." He shook his head again. "Sorry, but I can't say anymore. I'm as confused as you are… maybe even more so."

Well, that wasn't as much used as she'd hoped. Weiss could sense there was something hidden there, but she doubted Ren would go out of his way to put them in danger, so she'd have to trust him. Perhaps it was something personal, or maybe the White Fang had tried to force him to betray them, or worse, put him through some kind of terrible ordeal. She nodded once to him, offering her silent support while also promising not to ask any further.

"Whatever the case, we bested the female version," Weiss said. "Even if she was able to escape we now know we can defeat her. It's the real Hentacle I'm concerned about. He's as strong as ever. I still don't understand what happened between him and Ruby."

"Neither do I, but I intend to find out," Yang said. The girl's eyes flashed crimson for a moment. "I honestly thought he was going to kill her. She must have done something to him, but I've got no idea what. She didn't activate her Semblance."

"It was more like they stared at one another and he was hurt by it," Blake said. "Like it was some kind of psychic attack. Did everyone notice how fast he disengaged after that happened? Ruby was out of the fight completely, but he didn't stick around to chance it."

More questions, and still no answers. Weiss didn't like the fact all of it revolved around her team – not one bit. _Is it possible Ruby will become a target as well now? I can't look after the both of them! Why does this keep happening to my team?_ She growled through her teeth. She was the leader of Team WJRP. It was the leader's responsibility to look after the welfare of their team, so no one was going to take that away, not even sentient Grimm.

"There's nothing we can do until Ruby wakes up," Pyrrha finally said. "She might know more, and since Hentacle didn't get to see Jaune, we dodged a bullet there as well."

"And Jaune was at the spot where the White Fang attacked," Yang said, stifling a laugh. "Trust him to be in the middle of it all, huh? At least he got a chance to fight some of them off before he was knocked out. Or I assume so, anyway."

"Jaune is nothing if not a stamina monster," Weiss said offhandedly. "I'm sure he gave as good as he received. We'll talk to both of them once they're awake."

/-/

Qrow stalked about the inside of the headmaster's office, his pace frantic, his arms rising and falling as he struggled to stay calm. Struggled and failed, as it were. He rounded on the only man capable of exuding any calm at all, who was sat behind his desk politely sipping from a cup of coffee.

"How can you possibly stay calm at a time like this!?"

"A time of relative peace, you mean? The danger is over, the Grimm rounded up, and while many are confused and frightened, the danger is null." He lowered the mug to the table and smiled. "I think this is as good a time as any to relax."

"You're not concerned about what this will mean?" Qrow asked. "The White Fang just led the _Grimm_ into the city… not to mention they managed it right under our noses."

"And I shall be inundated with meetings about that all day tomorrow," Ozpin said, "and likely for the following week as well. You'll forgive me if I'd like to enjoy a cup of coffee and some peace now. I'll have precious little of either soon enough."

Qrow sighed and sat down on the other seat, resting one elbow on the desk as he drew out and took a long swig from his hip flask. "How bad was it?" he asked. "I got there as soon as I could but by that point the Grimm had already started to attack." He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer, but it had to be asked. "How many dead?"

"None."

"What!?"

"None," Ozpin repeated, this time his smile taking an almost amused edge. "Though there were several injured, many of those were huntsmen, huntresses, or emergency responders. There were no civilian casualties."

The words meant something but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what. The reason for Ozpin's amusement was obvious now, even if the reality wasn't.

"How!? They attacked right in the middle of the city!"

"Yes, and at a time when people should have been about. I've only had a chance to read through the reports provided by the police, who interviewed many of those nearby. The blast first struck in the central square, but the civilians had already fled." The headmaster paused to give Qrow a chance to splutter in confusion. "Apparently they were warned away. Though the reports are garbled one thing that repeated was that someone _knew_ the Grimm approached. Someone began to rant and rave about how they were `coming` and how everyone had to `run away now` or they would be killed. This was fortunate since it meant the Grimm had few targets to attack once they emerged, and as a result turned on the White Fang themselves. I have a feeling the White Fang intended to use the stolen Paladins for this, to remove that risk, but thanks to Atlas reclaiming it a week ago, the White Fang were on foot and unable to wreck as much destruction as they might have liked."

"That's… someone _sensed_ the Grimm?" he leaned forward. "You realise that's impossible, right? The Grimm sense and hunt us, not the other way around."

"And yet this individual managed to perfectly predict the oncoming crisis, and to alert the nearby people so that they could escape."

Qrow sat back and let out a long breath. It was… if it was true then it was insane. Madness, even. He still struggled to believe it but knew that Ozpin wouldn't have brought it up if it was mere hearsay. The headmaster would have done his own investigations first.

"Do you realise what implications this has?"

"I do, my friend. I do, indeed." He sighed and removed his glasses. "I need to hire a substitute history professor."

Qrow blinked. "Oobleck died?"

"Goodness no. At least not yet. He's locked himself in his office with every textbook on Grimm behaviour he can find. I doubt we'll see him for a week, and it'll be up to him whether he remembers to eat or not."

"I was referring to the implications of the _ability_ ," Qrow sighed. "Not school stuff…"

"School stuff _is_ rather important, you know."

Qrow ignored him. Someone who could sense Grimm the same way the Grimm sensed humans/ He wasn't sure how it was possible, but such a thing might have been just what they needed in the war for humanity's survival, and for the war against Salem. It was the ability for those monsters to sense humans that made them apex predators. If humans could harness that same power…

It might be enough tip the balance at last.

"Who is it?" he asked. "Whoever it is we need to find them, keep them protected – and make sure Salem and her people don't find out." Qrow slammed his hands on the table and reared up once more. "Tell me who and I'll find them myself! You _do_ know, right?"

Ozpin chuckled. "You already know him."

Him…? Qrow's eyes narrowed. There was a sense of unease inside him, compounded with a pit opening up in his stomach as he studied the smug look on Ozpin's face. An expression that wouldn't exist there if the headmaster hadn't had things fall directly into his lap. It didn't take a genius to figure out who it might be, not with all the shit that had been happening lately.

Even so, he dared to hope.

"Please tell me it's not the kid…"

Ozpin's smile grew.

"Anyone but him. Anyone but Raven's brat, who is _still_ dating my niece, by the way! Not him. Please, Ozpin…"

No such luck.

"It seems Mr Arc holds more promise than we ever expected. Promise that Salem has taken notice of. At last we understand just why she was so determined to capture him, and just why she has sent such powerful Grimm to Vale to accomplish this very task. Not even the old legends have mentioned something like this, Qrow. Not even the oldest of them."

"Of course it's him," Qrow growled. "How did I ever think it would be someone else?" He shook his head and glared at Ozpin. "What are we dealing with, then? If this isn't related to the relics, the maidens, or anything else, then what is it?"

"Even relics and maidens did not exist once, Qrow. They had to be created, to come into existence. All legends begin somewhere."

"Is that what this is, a new legend?"

"Perhaps it is. There are more forces at work in Remnant than me. Some are even older than I am."

"Then what do we do?"

"We ensure that this legend goes as planned… and that Mr Arc does not fall prey to those who would see it snuffed out early." Ozpin stood from his desk and moved towards the window. He stared out over Beacon, even as Qrow came to stand behind him. "The maiden, the silver eyes, and now a new power reveals itself in a young man."

"And Ruby? She… I heard what happened with that tentacle monster." And those were words he never wanted to utter in the same sentence as his little niece. "Is it her eyes? This means Salem knows, doesn't it?"

"Leave Miss Rose to me," Ozpin said, crossing his hands before his face. "I shall try and explain things to her, even if it's a little earlier than I would have desired. This is not an eventuality I was unprepared for." The headmaster smiled. "It may soon be time to take the fight to the enemy once and for all. With everything coming to a head I believe we should look to a new maiden as well."

"So soon?" Qrow frowned. "Amber isn't even dead."

"You know as well as I that she will not awake."

"You're thinking the Nikos girl, right?"

"Among others," Ozpin mused. "There have been some particularly interesting candidates this year. In the meantime…"

"The kid's my responsibility," Qrow groaned. "Yeah, I get it…"

Just his bloody luck.

* * *

 **Well, that pushes things along I feel. Jaune's secret is closer than ever to being revealed and there are a barrage of new clues that several rather intelligent people have been given. Plus, silver eyes coming in a little earlier. Will it change things? Probably. Will it make a difference? Probably. What has Ruby done to Jaune? Something! Why am I asking myself questions I know the answers to? Who knows!**

 **Don't find out next time on White Sheep!**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 1** **st** **February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	53. Chapter 53

**Hey guys, I just wanted to let you know that there has been an update on the event I'm at which takes place next Thursday (8th). Before I said that I would strive to release a smaller chapter of around 4,000 words, but that's going to unfortunately not be possible. I will be trapped arranging, organising, and taking part in rehearsals for pretty much the entire day before, before I'll be leaving on the Wednesday to attend a pre-event networking evening dinner that will run from 6pm – 10pm. It's all very annoying and basically means I have no free time Wednesday or Thursday.**

 **As a result there will be no White Sheep next week. I apologise for that, but I've tried really hard, even trying to book a holiday from work so I could write ahead of schedule, but the event is taking so much of my time that I had to cancel those holidays and work through them. Yet again it's a case of me being the only one really putting the work in, as I have arranged for over 70 guests now, and when I quizzed my team who were also working on it (and who were the ones who were meant to run the whole thing alone), I've been told they have gained 1 guest in the last two weeks. ONE.**

 **So, yeah, I'm doing everything and can't trust them for anything, which means I'll be too busy to write White Sheep next week and won't actually have any free time in front of a PC from 6pm Tuesday to 10pm Thursday. Sorry about that, but things will return to normal afterwards.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 53**

* * *

Awakening came as something of an anti-climax.

He'd expected something dramatic; a gasp, start, or a lurch, but wakefulness didn't so much come with anything other than a realisation that his eyes were open, and he'd been staring at the white ceiling for the last two minutes. His dorm didn't have a white ceiling and it didn't have nauseating patterns of plaster swirled into it. Nor did his room have about twenty empty beds all around and a horrifying scent of anti-septic and chemical. He had a feeling he'd have remembered if it did.

"Jaune?" a familiar voice sounded to the side and white hair pooled across his vision as his partner's face appeared. Weiss didn't so much smile as raise an eyebrow. "It's about time you woke up. I've been sat here for two hours."

He blinked past his confusion to look around and realise that yes, he was in the infirmary, and yes, he probably was injured – none of which really explained why Weiss was acting like her presence was his fault. "Sorry?" he said, asked. "I should have woken up sooner?"

"Yes. Yes, you should have. You know now for future."

"Were you waiting at my bedside?" Jaune asked, struggling to sit up. "How long-"

"Two hours, and no, sorry. The doctor assured us you were unharmed, and I'd have waited until you were dismissed if it were my choice. Sadly, Winter somehow got hold of the information you'd be waking up today and dragged me here saying I should be at my boyfriend's bedside when he wakes up." She glared at him to make it clear that was his fault. "I also now have to reconcile myself with the fact my sister either reads trashy romance novels or watches trashy romance movies. How are you, by the way?" The last was added so randomly that he wasn't sure what to say.

"I'm okay. I think? I don't know. What happened?"

"We fought Hentacle," Weiss said. "We managed to rescue Ren, fight off that monster, and make it back to you in time to find out you'd discovered a White Fang and Grimm invasion of Vale. I'm not entirely sure whether I should say `good work` or not for that." Some of the irritation faded from her face and she looked him over. "I'm glad you're safe anyway. Well done for staying alive."

She had no idea how little he deserved that. If anything, they deserved praise for beating back his Grimm form when he lost control. His head ached at the memory and he could feel Remy asleep inside of him, exhausted. The last thing he remembered of that fight was choking Ruby. His eyes widened. "Ruby. Is she-?"

"She's fine. I'm surprised you noticed her."

Noticed? Weiss stepped aside, revealing the bed next to his where Ruby lay covered in a white sheet. There were no noticeable injuries, but she seemed unnaturally still. Weiss must have thought he'd seen her and that was how he knew. He could remember being the one to almost hurt her.

"We're not sure what's wrong with her and no one is telling us anything." Weiss sounded almost furious at that. "She fought against Hentacle and _did something_ … again, no idea what. Yang got her back here safe while the rest of us came to rescue you."

"That's a relief…"

"You should thank Yang for that," Weiss said. "Preferably not in my sister's line of sight. She's been here to visit you and Ruby a few times, Yang that is. Everyone has, really. Well, Blake only came because Nora dragged her along saying something about not trusting her with Ren when she wasn't watching, but still." Weiss paused, blinked, and then held a hand to her forehead. "Sorry. I'm a little out of it myself. I've been sat here for two hours without as much as a book to read. I can only watch two of my teammates sleep for so long before I start to lose my mind."

"Everyone is safe, then?"

"Pretty much. A few people were injured when the Grimm came up, but no one died and there were no civilian casualties." Weiss seemed to hesitate after that, watching him with an odd expression.

"What is it?" he asked.

"After you fell unconscious the Grimm… they acted strangely."

"How so?"

"They finished off the White Fang but didn't attack us. One of them even saw your unconscious body but didn't touch it, even when Pyrrha was next to you. It was like… I don't know what it was like…" Weiss sighed and stepped back. "Never mind. I don't know why I'm telling you anyway; you were out cold when it happened. Suffice to say things ended a lot better than they could have."

Relief rushed through him and he released a long breath. The last thing he really remembered was people not believing him when he told them to run, so to learn that they'd listened – or at least moved at the last second – lifted a weight from his shoulders.

"I'll tell the others you're awake," Weiss said, standing. "I was here when you woke up so I've done my girlfriend duty." She rolled her eyes. "If Winter asks be sure to tell her we had a very romantic moment."

"I will," he laughed. "Why don't I come with you, though?"

Weiss sighed. "Because I'm not the only one waiting to talk to you." She pointed off to the side and Jaune noticed the other figure stood arms crossed by the entrance. It was Qrow and he waited with an impatient scowl. "You asked if I'd been here waiting for you to wake up and the answer was no, but he's been here all day, and probably the night before as well."

"I'll thank you not to make me sound like some kind of predator," Qrow called.

"Then perhaps you'll refrain from acting like one."

"My niece is in here. Maybe I'm here for her."

"If that were the case you'd have walked up to check on her instead of spending your time _staring_ at my partner." Weiss was clearly unimpressed if she was talking back to someone who sort of ranked as a teacher. That said, it might have been having her time wasted tending to Jaune.

"You're as cold as your sister," Qrow snorted.

"I'll take that as a compliment, sir. At least my sister doesn't hover over young men's beds while they sleep."

"All I did was suggest you wake him with a kiss."

Weiss bristled and stomped past the man while Jaune winced. Ah, so that was why she was so angry. He could easily imagine Qrow being just as bored and distracting himself by baiting Weiss. Little wonder she'd been so desperate for him to wake up and spare her the aggravation.

"Man, what a sour puss," Qrow said, ambling forward. "She's just like her sister; neither has a sense of humour to speak of."

"Were you really waiting for me to wake up?" Jaune asked.

"Don't read into it, kid." Qrow swigged some booze and sighed. "Seriously, don't read into it. I'm here because Ozpin told me to be here. You did a number on yourself by the looks of it, even if there's not a wound to speak of. What knocked you out?"

Jaune eyed the man warily, unsure what he should say, especially if Ozpin was going to hear about it. From Weiss' story he'd figured out that the Grimm must have taken his parting words as orders, or surrendered to his will when he exerted it, but neither option could be provided here. "I don't remember much," he said, the lie coming easily. "All I remember is an intense pressure in my head and me warning the civilians they had to get away." There would be no lying about that of course, since the headmaster was bound to have witness testimony. "I fell unconscious soon after. I just couldn't stay awake."

"Did it feel like you were overwhelmed?"

"Yeah…"

"That's not unusual in the case of unlocking a Semblance." Qrow dragged a wooden seat toward the side of the bed and sat down with the back facing Jaune and his legs on either side. He leaned his arms over the top, one clutching his flask. "Some Semblances are purely physical, kind of like Ruby's. Those unlock when you need it most, or through training, and can leave a person feeling exhausted – it's the sudden energy expenditure and the fact the body isn't used to it. Others take a more mental toll," he said, and tapped the side of his skull. "Semblances like Glynda's, telekinesis, use the mind and it's that which gets exhausted. I've heard tell it can feel like the worst migraine you've ever had, at least the first time, and it's not uncommon for people to pass out once the adrenaline fades. I get it a lot with kids in Signal."

It took Jaune a long second to realise what Qrow meant, and what he was saying. "You think I unlocked my Semblance?"

"Sounds like it to me, kid. Those folks back there said you _sensed_ the Grimm coming, that you knew about it beforehand and told them to run for it. That's not a skill you had before, is it?"

It was. Of course it was, but if he'd learned anything about lying in the short time he'd been around humans it was to not interfere when someone was doing it for you. "I've never been able to sense Grimm," he said. "Wow. That's my Semblance, huh?"

"If it is then it could be a very dangerous one, kid. You need to understand that. There are a lot of people who'd like to have that kind of power on their side, and not all of them will ask nicely. Some might even want you out of the picture entirely."

"I think I'll be okay." It wasn't like his own mother was going to have him killed off. Spanked, sure, and probably grounded for weeks – but never harmed. "I doubt the Grimm can get into Beacon anyway."

"I'm not talking about the Grimm."

"Huh?"

"Vale, Atlas, Mistral, Vacuo, the SDC, the White Fang – anyone and everyone who counts the Grimm as an enemy would _kill_ for a power like yours, whether it be for early warning, scouting, surveying or even hunting Grimm." Qrow leaned back with and took a long drink. "And I doubt the walls of Beacon will be enough to keep all of those people away."

So many…? He could understand some of them, he supposed, and some might even have other people's best interests in heart, but the picture Qrow painted wasn't a pleasant one. _The White Fang couldn't get me, could they? Cinder has a deal with them. Wait; was Cinder responsible for all of this? No way. She wouldn't!_ He bit his lip. The denial felt weak. "What am I supposed to do?" he asked Qrow.

"Depends what _you_ want. People will start by making offers before they resort to anything else."

"I want to stay in Beacon. I want to stay on my team and carry on like I always have."

"Glad to hear it. In that case you've got Ozpin's support. He's doing his best to suppress this as much as he can, but that's pretty hard given that several people already talked to the media. He's trying to hide your name instead, claiming as a ward of Beacon it has to be protected. Everyone knows a _Beacon student_ sensed the Grimm and warned everyone, but not who or what year they're in."

"And you'd like me to keep it that way?"

"If possible. Tell your team if you want but tell them to keep quiet. I'll talk to Ruby about it so you don't have to." He nodded to his niece, who was still fast asleep. "Despite what the mini-ice-queen said I'm here for both you _and_ Ruby."

"This is… this is a lot to take in. You're saying people are going to be trying to find out who I am?"

"Possibly, yeah. There are a lot of people already demanding to know and Ozpin is stalling." The implication was clear; Ozpin was stalling to help him but would probably expect some kind of repayment in kind.

 _They're basically saying someone is going to try and use me, but I can pick who I want. If I want to stay in Beacon, then I have to side with Ozpin and Qrow._ That wasn't too bad since he agreed with their methods, well, apart from the part about killing his mother, of course. The real risk was that if all these people were looking for him then there would be more attention than ever. If he messed up, or someone somehow found out it _wasn't_ a Semblance, then there would be questions. The kind of questions he couldn't answer.

He wasn't even sure if he _could_ have a Semblance or if his Grimm heritage might somehow suppress it. Remy probably wouldn't know either and the poor parasite was exhausted. In the meanwhile, the excuse of claiming this as one would at least let him avoid interrogation from Ozpin, Qrow, and his teammates. He just hoped whatever Ozpin had in mind for him wouldn't come back to bite him.

"I'll do it," Jaune decided. "I'll keep it a secret."

"Good kid," Qrow said, standing with a sigh. "I'll pass on the message to Oz. I'm sure he'll be pleased you're on board with his idea." And pleased at the implicit acceptance that he had Jaune's loyalty as well. The huntsman paused at the door, one hand on the frame before he left. "You could do with some other help in making sure no one tries anything, though. Your friends might help there."

"I'll tell them, don't worry."

Still Qrow hesitated. "There are other people who might help as well." He sighed. "I'm not saying I agree with the way she does things, but results and results and you could ask your mother for help."

Jaune froze. "M-Mom?" he stammered.

"I know she's a piece of work, but she has her ways," Qrow gritted out. "At the very least she'd be good for silencing people who might try and take advantage."

"I-I don't know what you mean. M-Mom wouldn't hurt anyone."

"Kid, I'm no idiot." Qrow sighed, completely ignoring Jaune's rising panic, or how he was preparing himself for sudden combat beneath the covers. "She and I never saw eye to eye but Raven doesn't take shit when she doesn't have to." He turned away. "Give it some thought."

The door clicked shut behind him, leaving Jaune alone with Ruby's unconscious form once more and three-and-a-half tentacles under the bed sheets, one still recovering from being cut off. They'd been prepared to attack the moment Qrow did, but were now left to twitch periodically, as confused as their host and owner.

"Who the hell is Raven?"

/-/

On the other side of Beacon, a slightly less tense affair began by Coco raising a can of beer – _prohibited in Beacon's dorms, but since when had Coco Adel cared?_ – up in the air. "To my teammate Velvet, who finally snagged her man!"

"Cheers!" Yatsuhashi and Fox called, with Velvet and said man echoing it a little more reservedly. Mercury felt as out of place as he ever had, what with being surrounded by the teammates of the girl cuddling against his side, his arm over her shoulder.

"Even if it took her a while to figure out which man she wanted," Coco teased. "I swear, we were about to stage an intervention if you kept going after that Jaune guy."

"Coco," Velvet whined piteously, her cheeks flushed bright crimson. "You shouldn't insult Jaune. He's a nice guy."

"But not _your_ guy, right?" Coco teased.

Velvet's eyes flicked up, meeting Mercury's as he glanced down, and she `eeped` in embarrassment. "N-No," she admitted. "Coco, do we _have_ to have a party? This is embarrassing."

Coco laughed. "Ha. Embarrassing is walking in on you two sucking face. Embarrassing is hiding in the bathroom like an idiot because I don't want to interrupt, then being forced to listen to you to making out." She leaned forward, and both Mercury and Velvet leaned back. "You two don't know the _meaning_ of embarrassing. You're lucky I don't stage this party in the cafeteria as revenge and invite every single person in Beacon!" Coco grinned once it was clear Velvet had surrendered the point. "Still, this is a celebration, bun. You got a boyfriend. That's big. Congrats!"

Despite her mortification Velvet smiled and leaned against Mercury's side. "Thanks."

"And you too, tall, silver, and taken. Yats and Fox will give you the `don't hurt our teammate` talk later, but for now I want details. Last I saw was Vel running out the dance and you chasing. Details. I need details."

Mercury wasn't used to be the centre of attention and stiffened the moment it turned on him. He couldn't escape, not with Velvet attached to his side. His – dare he say it – girlfriend… and he was still trying to wrap his head around that, or to think of a way to explain it to Cinder and Emerald without them biting his head off. So far, he'd gone with the `don't` approach and that had worked wonders, but they were bound to find out sooner or later.

"There isn't much to say," he lied, choosing to save the two of them the embarrassment. He didn't miss Velvet's relieved sigh. "I caught up with her, we talked, and then things just sort of sorted themselves out."

Coco looked unimpressed, _and_ unconvinced. "Is that why we found the two of you in bed together when we came back?"

"W-We were dressed!" Velvet shrieked.

"Yeah, and I got a full shot of just how messed up your boy-toy's shirt was. What was it; two buttons popped, three? He was either attacked by a Beowolf or something far, far, hungrier." Her leer made it clear she was referring to Velvet and the faunus flushed wildly.

"We didn't do _that_ ," Mercury said. "Which you know full well since you'd have been able to tell. We just talked a lot and Velvet got tired." After all the crying, that was. The crying and the shouting, the latter on both their sides, and then the inevitable eruption of dormant emotions when he'd pushed her against a wall and challenged her and she'd lashed out in return.

Then there had been hands on his face and lips on his, before his own had wound about the warm body before him and they'd lost themselves to anger and passion. It was all a haze of warm skin, soft lips and bated breath to him. But he knew they hadn't gone that far, despite how much his body protested the decision. They'd just talked. Heatedly talked. Mouth-to-mouth talked.

Mercury coughed awkwardly. "We didn't do anything exciting, really…"

"Bullshit."

"You've heard our side of the story."

"And I saw those marks on your neck."

"I lost a spar with a teammate."

"Sure you did." Coco grinned and glanced to Velvet. While he might have been a proficient liar she wasn't and couldn't meet her teammate's eyes. "You go, girl. Never knew you had it in you. Or on Mercury, I guess."

"C-Coco please…"

"I think we should give our teammate a rest," Yatsuhashi said, coming to Velvet's aid and peeling Coco aside. The gentle giant smiled at the two of them and nodded to Mercury. "I'm very pleased to see you took my advice at the dance, my friend. I see you have discovered the truth of what I said."

 _What truth?_ _You just spouted a bunch of random nonsense. The only reason I went after Velvet was to knock some sense into her._ Everything that had happened afterwards was other things getting away from them. He smiled and nodded to the man anyway, not quite willing to cause any discord in his girlfriend's team.

And Gods, it was official, wasn't it? Mercury looked down to the rabbit faunus against his side and swallowed. She felt comfortable against him, like she fit there, as if there had always been something missing until this point. He knew it was nonsense, of course. Hormones and chemical reactions and other things that made otherwise normal people act like idiots.

He just wasn't sure when he'd been infected, or what he was supposed to do now that he didn't really want to find a cure. Velvet sensed his attention and glanced up. Her cheeks flushed but she managed a cute and loving smile.

It was like a knife twisted into his stomach, even as he grinned back.

It wasn't going to end well; not at all. Leaving aside the differences between them there was the fact that he was involved in a plan to pretty much destroy Beacon – a plan that would put _her_ in incredible danger. Even if she came out of that in one piece, what was there left for the two of them? He'd be a wanted criminal. She'd be a huntress without a school. _I shouldn't have agreed to this,_ he thought. _I should have turned her down. Told her I didn't feel the same._ _Lied to her._

Or better still, he _shouldn't_ have felt the same at all. Things had gone wrong far too quickly on that front. She'd ensnared him better than Cinder ever had, and with just a smile and a gentle touch.

 _Trapped like a rabbit in a snare. What irony._

"To Mercury and Velvet!" Coco cheered, can held high. Yatsu and Fox clanked theirs against it while the new couple cheered weakly. Once they'd all had a huge swig, Coco grinned wildly and pointed at them. "Now seal it with a kiss!"

"COCO!"

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

Velvet stammered and squirmed, eyes flicking between Coco's and his, her teeth nibbling on her lower lip as she didn't quite pull away or complain about the idea. Her cheeks heated, and it only got worse when Mercury cupped them and turned her face towards his.

It was a bad idea. It was a doomed venture. Even before he'd killed his dad, the bastard had warned him not to get in so deep that he couldn't escape. That was how every assassin ended up getting killed; they formed attachments, gained weaknesses, boundaries. Morals. With all the shit Cinder had planned the best thing he could do was back out now and save both himself _and_ Velvet the inevitable pain.

But they were kissing before he realised he'd leaned forward, and once he had the scent of her, and the taste, there was nothing he could do. She was poison.

And he'd willingly sipped of it.

/-/

"If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. I've yet to discover who it was that alerted the people as to the approach of the Grimm."

"And I've told you a thousand times that I don't believe you," James Ironwood replied, staring at an old friend who was fast becoming an annoying one. Ozpin made a show of feeling some offense, even if they both knew it was fake. "I know how you work, Ozpin. There's no way you don't already know who the student responsible for this is."

"I have my suspicions."

"Don't play games with me, Ozpin."

"I'd do nothing of the sort," he said, glancing down at his scroll. It was a message from Qrow. He read through it and smiled victoriously. Perfect. Exactly the kind of news he needed before a difficult meeting. He put it away and tried to hide his pleasure when James shot him the most suspicious look he'd ever seen. "Come now, James. We have a meeting with the Council and you know I can't keep them waiting."

"Perhaps we wouldn't be doing so if you hadn't continued to dodge my question for the last _three hours_!"

And perhaps his old friend would _get the hint_ after he'd played dumb for the five-hundredth time. Really, the man was too used to having everything go his way, no doubt a result of years at the head of the military with men and women eager to follow his ever command. Oh, he'd tell his long-term ally in time, but now was not that time and the people were in an uproar. For now, it was best to keep his cards close to his chest, and his hidden aces even more so.

With a nod to the doorman, Ozpin and Ironwood entered the large Council Chambers of Vale. They were a central conference and meeting room in the middle of Vale's Town Hall building, a huge structure that dominated the city, if not in height, than in terms of status. The room was plush and warm-lit with a long wooden table, polished to a shine, and a tiled floor with marble excavated and shipped from Vacuo. There were several important figures sat at places about the table, and even a representative from the media – under strict embargo as to what exactly they could report – stood in the corner, prepared to take down minutes and prepare tomorrow's front page.

Ozpin took the seat labelled for him, though in his time he'd sat at a few others – not that the current head of the Council realised. _I do recall that was a rather thankless life even if it did allow me to push further funding into Beacon in preparation for this one._ The paperwork had been killer, though. Really, he considered himself fortunate to have discovered Glynda in this incarnation. If only he could pass on his curse to her as well, but he didn't know how and very much doubted she'd agree to an eternity of handling his paperwork. She'd kill him first.

"Ozpin," the current head declared. He was a round and chubby man with three chins and a large stomach. He had a feeling the man hadn't seen his waist without the aid of a mirror or at least a decade.

"Yes, Council member?"

"There are a lot of conflicting reports going around at this time, Ozpin. It's becoming difficult for us to handle the flow of information, especially when we're not sure what is correct and what is rumour." He huffed, clearly frustrated at his ignorance. "Some of the things I've heard today beggar belief. Perhaps you can shed some light on them."

Ah, phrased like a suggestion and not the order it was. It seemed they'd learned from dealing with him, though even combined they did not have his experience. "What rumours might those be, esteemed council? There are many that have crossed my ears and I would not dare to waste your time listing them."

"The rumours that someone _predicted_ the attack," a white-haired man to the left snarled. Wiry and thin, his patience did not hold as well as the others and several council members glared at him for having spoken so rashly. Even so, he continued. "Numerous eyewitness reports claim there was a huntsman who somehow warned the people of what was to come. Some are claiming it a prophet, others that he is an agent working with the White Fang, and yet more are suggesting he has some kind of empathic link with the Grimm themselves, hence why they retreated without harming your students. It's ridiculous!"

"It certainly sounds it. I'm afraid the reality is somewhat less esoteric. We do not have a prophet in our ranks, or a traitor, or some kind of Grimm-in-disguise." He paused, allowing the pressure to build, even as a few laughed awkwardly at his last joke. In the corner, the journalist's pen creaked under the pressure of the fingers holding it. Ozpin picked up the mug before him and took a short sip of coffee. It was bland and unsatisfying; nothing like the coffee he enjoyed in Beacon.

"Well, out with it, man!"

"Hm?" Ozpin feigned confusion, even as Ironwood groaned. "Oh, I apologise. Yes, our investigation so far suggests this is the origin of a Semblance that allows the user to detect the Grimm. That is the nature of our recent stroke of good fortune."

The response from the council was immediate. Their voices rose and merged together, becoming indistinct and lost as each shouted to be heard over the other and yet more argued between themselves. Fists slammed on the table, mugs shook, and faces with far too much fat grew red from sudden exertion. Through it all Ozpin sat with his mug in hand.

"You do this on purpose, don't you?" Ironwood asked.

"I'm sure I have no idea what you mean."

The pitch in the council room reached its peak, echoed by the sound of a chair falling back and clattering onto the tiles. The room stilled for a millisecond, and the head council member took that chance to slam both fists down on the table. "Calm!" he shouted. "You shall remain calm. We are the Council of Vale, not a group of rowdy students!"

"You'd never know the difference," James whispered.

"I know, right?" Ozpin agreed. He glanced away as all attention came back onto him once more. No one had heard him, and his face was the picture of polite indifference. The Council's were less so, many of them run ragged from the recent disaster. _Or the recent miracle as some of the papers are writing it. A miracle organised by Beacon. I normally like to plan these things myself but if Lady Luck wants to throw me a bone, who am I to complain?_

"Ozpin," the head declared. "You claim that someone _detected_ the Grimm?"

"That is what I claimed, yes."

"Detected…"

"Radar…"

"Incredible…"

"Think of the applications!"

"Silence!" A stern glare was enough to quell the peanut gallery. "What of the one responsible, Ozpin? We need to find him, or her, and see to this Semblance immediately! Such an asset belongs to Vale and-"

"Ahem," Ironwood coughed.

"And her allies," the council member recovered admirably, "and it wouldn't do to see such a person swayed by anyone else. You shall make their identity available to us immediately and remove them from Beacon while you're at it. Such a location is too dangerous for someone so valuable." The proclamation earned a hum of approval, along with a call for the mysterious person to be trained to use their gift. Made into a weapon for the council, more like. Such wouldn't do. It was callous and cruel.

 _And besides,_ Ozpin thought. _I saw him first._

"I'm afraid the identity of the one who sensed the Grimm is, as of yet, unknown to us, honoured council. I do apologise." He finished with a sip of coffee, more so that he could hide his smile than anything else.

"You expect us to believe you're not aware of who this person is?"

"That's what I said," Ironwood groaned.

"It has been quite a hectic day, council members, as I'm sure you can imagine." Ozpin placed his mug down and adopted a benign expression, inwardly delighting more than he really should. He could hardly help it, not when everything was coming up roses. Literal Roses, in fact. Miss Rose had shown evidence of her silver eyes manifesting and Mr Arc was some kind of Grimm Sensor. "There were many students of Beacon who massed to defend Vale against the Grimm. Finding the one responsible among them was not easy, not when there were over one hundred in attendance."

"Hmm…" The council stared at him. Their faces said they didn't believe a word he'd said but couldn't fault the logic in it, nor find the holes in his story. As such they wouldn't dare question him, their political power too valuable to waste accusing the man in charge of the school which had just – quite literally – saved all of Vale.

"I will of course be looking to locate and speak to the one responsible, but that might take some time and with the Vytal Festival on our doorstep, time is not something I have an abundance of."

"I could help," Ironwood offered. "I'd be happy to take over security for you."

Ozpin's face twitched. "No, that will be fine, old friend."

"But you'll have enough on your plate trying to find this mysterious asset, Ozpin." He turned to the council. "Atlas stands ready to aid in the defence of its ally. We will, of course, adhere to all local laws and customs."

"Beacon just stopped a White Fang attack!" Ozpin interrupted. "We're more than enough for the festival, and Atlas has failed before. In fact, they failed when they lost the Paladin prototype to Roman Torchwick."

"Which we reclaimed."

"In the middle of Vale, my friend," Ozpin said. "In what could have endangered lives."

"But which didn't, _old friend_ ," Ironwood gritted out.

The two glowered at one another, or rather they both exchanged glances that spoke of much glowering but included little of it. It would not have done for two such powerful and respected men to resort to such pettiness, after all.

"General Ironwood does raise a good point," the council head said, and Ozpin's eyes widened, even as Ironwood's smile grew. "If he took over the security then it would better allow you to focus on other matters, not least of all finding the one responsible for this early warning and bringing him to our attention."

"Thank you, esteemed council," Ironwood said, nodding. "I shall personally ensur-"

"Putting us in charge would better help me find this person." Ozpin ignored his friend's indignant expression. "After all, it was in Beacon's defence of Vale that this ability was discovered. If we seek to recreate the situation, having my huntsmen and huntresses at the forefront of any defence, then not only would it enable us to better find this individual, but if something _did_ happen, he or she would discover it early and raise the alarm." Ozpin smiled and raised his mug in a silent salute. "Having the forces necessary to repel any Grimm is good, but having the ability to sense an attack before it happens, and evacuate all the civilians safely? Why, such a thing might be even better. Not to mention it would reveal once and for all who our saviour is."

The council murmured and whispered between them, even as Ironwood tried to catch Ozpin's eye and Ozpin pointedly ignored him, not quite prepared to deal with it. Eventually, the man at the head of the table nodded.

"Very well. Beacon shall be in charge of the security for the festival."

"Thank you, esteemed Council," Ozpin said, even as Ironwood let out a long, irritated, sigh. "I shall not let you down."

/-/

Jaune's hand hesitated an inch before Ruby's sleeping face. He took a deep breath, and felt hers against the palm of his hand. He swallowed and pulled it back, then forced himself to continue and touch his fingers to her eyelids, his own clenched and prepared for agony. It didn't come. Instead a primal and strange anger did; a distant feeling of rage that beat against the bars of some imaginary cage. He shook it off with a sigh and pulled his hand back. Ruby slept obliviously through it all.

 _There's no telling what might have happened if you didn't stop me. Would I have killed the others? Would I have killed Yang?_ It was hard to tell. The memories were blurred but one thing rang true through them all, the blistering pain and agony of silver eyes staring into his – into his soul, into every part of his body, ripping and tearing before they winked away. It had been like staring into the sun and feeling your eyes burning.

His head spun just to remember it and he had to catch himself on the hospital bed with one hand. His chest rose and fell as he struggled for breath.

"What are you doing to me?"

Ruby didn't answer, and he was sure she wouldn't know what he was talking about even if she did hear him. The Grimm side of him had already recoiled and vanished, and he even felt his tentacles stirring, quivering like they were afraid to come out.

" **I warned you about befriending one of her kind."**

"I know," he said, out loud. "I don't regret it, though."

Remy sighed and let the matter be. Jaune echoed it and turned away, leaving her to her rest. It was about time he found the others and made sure they were okay – and that he contacted Lavender to find out what was going on. Then there was Cinder… a conversation he wasn't looking forward to at all. _And Ozpin,_ he reminded himself. The list never ended.

He didn't notice the girl on the bed stir as he left, and Ruby awoke only in time to see the back of his head as he closed the door. Her throat was too sore for her to shout out and she felt light-headed and faint. She fell back on the bed with a quiet thump.

 _I wonder if he was visiting me,_ she thought, easily recognising the Beacon infirmary and remembering what had happened. It made sense her team would be worried, and Yang, but it left her feeling giddy to know he'd stood by her bedside. Damn it. if only she'd woken up a little earlier she could have surprised him. She closed her eyes and imagined what she might have said, but when she thought of his face a lance of pain shot through her head.

"Ow," she whined, and clutched a hand to her temple. The pain originated deeper inside, almost in her eyes, and as she thought of her teammate again she felt her eyes sting, not painfully, but an uncomfortable tingling, almost like they were too dry, and she needed to blink.

For some reason the feeling returned whenever she imagined his face.

"W-What's happening to me?"

* * *

 **So, that all happened. You know I actually received a PM which asked me whether Velvet was going to get with Jaune or not, which kind of surprised me because I thought I'd made it 1000% clear that Mercury and Velvet made out after the dance, but hey ho, here it is for confirmation. They're a thing. I guess you could say Mercury's… going down the rabbit hole!**

…

 **I'll see myself out.**

 **And Jaune has now become… well, what's the opposite of public enemy number one, public hero? Public `need to know identity`? I don't know. Whatever the case, the whole world of Remnant is now after him, though not exactly for the right reasons.**

 **I know some people have this idea that I dislike Ironwood, mostly because he faired poorly in Professor Arc, but I actually really, really, like him. Sure, he makes mistakes, but he's quick to act, professional, and has people's best interests at heart. I honestly like him way more than Ozpin. It's just how the stories roll in some cases. Ironwood, as a stern and disciplined man, just works better with comedy bouncing** _ **off**_ **him and him being the butt. It doesn't mean I hate the guy. Apart from Jaune, Ironwood is probably my second favourite male character in RWBY, beyond even Qrow and Ren. I know the list isn't** _ **long**_ **, but he edges out people like Tyrian, Watts, Hazel, Qrow, Ozpin, Oscar and all that, at least in my eyes.**

 **I guess I like that, similar to Jaune, he is a guy in over his head. He's the leader of Atlas' military, yes, but he doesn't have all the answers like Ozpin does, yet he tries his best anyway. He's not in it for greed, glory, or because he's some kind of eternal wizard. He's just a man – a man who has obviously seen hell – doing his best to protect his Kingdom. I like that he's normal, if well-positioned. It means he has to succeed through wit, grit, and determination - not special powers he's born with.**

 **But I don't need to like or dislike a character to sometimes make them an antagonist, and oftentimes I write characters I** _ **genuinely like**_ **going through bad things not because of personal feeling, but because it's just what I need for the story. Same thing with Mercury, really. I'm utterly "meh" on his character in the show, but he has a big presence here just because it fit what I wanted from the plot. A lot of people tend to decide that I dislike certain characters based on how little I use them or what I put them through, but I'd honestly say my top five characters - men and women included - are thus: Jaune, Blake, Ironwood, Sun, and Yang. I like Neo artistically, but there isn't much to her character so she doesn't make the list. And yet, surprisingly, despite my top five being that I have no Ironwood or Sun fics. No real reason, though. It's just the way the cookie crumbles.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 15th February (2 Weeks)**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	54. Chapter 54

**So, I'm back. Thank goodness.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 54**

* * *

"We need to talk."

"I wondered when you would come by." Cinder opened the door fully and allowed Jaune inside. "I see you're awake. I take it you've recovered without incident."

"I'm fine. That's not why I'm here, though."

"I didn't expect it was." Cinder crossed her arms and stood before him, making it clear she was still upset and that he wouldn't be invited to sit. That was fine. He didn't feel comfortable doing so either, not with the thoughts rushing around in his head. "Your sister got in contact with me."

"Huh?"

"Lavender," Cinder explained. "She's departed from Vale. She had me take a message for you."

"Where is it?"

"Sadly, I didn't have the time to write it down – mostly because a certain someone had put himself in grave danger for no good reason. The basics are that she apologised for causing you problems, for not being able to control herself, and for letting you down. Since she believes staying here would just put you in more danger she has chosen to leave."

She had…? Damn it. It sounded like she was beating herself up over it. He'd have to see if he couldn't contact her, but that would be difficult given the distance. _I never found out why she took Ren, either. I'll have to try and get the answer out of him._

"If she gets in touch again tell her I forgive her," he said.

"I'll pass the message on. Now then, I'm sure you came here for something else. Go on. Speak."

"I lost control."

Cinder's brow rose. "Hm?"

"I lost control of my Grimm side," he said. "I… I don't know how or why but I went wild when I thought Lavender was in danger. I attacked my friends and kept fighting them despite not wanting to. If it had continued then I'd have killed them all."

"What of it?"

"Damn it, Cinder!" Jaune surged forwards to grip her by her shoulders. He shook her. "I need answers! This can't happen again!"

"Are you going to attack _me_ now, as well?" The question was calm, even if it dug deep under his skin. He released her, horrified to have lost control, if only for a second. "That's better," she said. "I've told you before that I don't know everything, Jaune. I'll tell you what I know because it's in my best interests to do so, but you're walking on thin ice as it is." Cinder cocked her head toward Emerald, Mercury, and Neo. "Leave us. My _brother_ and I need to talk."

The three made their way out of the room without complaint, and only once the door was shut once more did Cinder continue. "You say you lost control when you saw Lavender in danger. Were you afraid for her?"

"I… I don't know. I think I must have been but I didn't have a chance to think about it. One second I knew I had to look after her and the next I was shaking off my rage in time to see everyone looking like they'd been through a meat grinder."

"Hm, I see." Cinder's hand came up to stroke her chin and she hummed to herself for a moment. "You realise you're an anomaly, correct? You may be part human but you're not fully so, and what that other part of you is, is far beyond normal. I, on the other hand, am perfectly human. Whatever I say can only be what I've been able to work out. It's not fact."

"At this point I'm desperate," he said. "Even if you can't promise me it's true it'll be better than nothing."

"Very well. From what I can tell you are losing control to your Grimm side as a result of being around negativity for so long. Human negativity, that is. You spent the better part of seventeen years with only Watts, Tyrian and Hazel and I for human company, and we're hardly normal when it comes to that. Our negativity was muted and rarely related to yourself or the Grimm. From that, you have gone to being surrounded by hundreds, sometimes thousands, of human souls. Did you think that would have no effect on you?"

"It didn't when I arrived here," he argued. "I came to the city before Beacon and I didn't have any problems at all."

"And was the city in the midst of panic at that time? I somehow doubt it. It may be that your emotions were overwhelmed by the fear of the people, or it could be that constant exposure has brought the Grimm side of you to the fore. As I said, I don't know for sure."

She was being honest with him, painfully so. Jaune sighed and looked away from her, biting down on his lip as he thought back to when he'd arrived in Beacon. Things had been easier then, and the first time he'd lost control hadn't been until much later. Now, however, he could almost feel the inhuman anger bubbling beneath the surface, and that was with no negativity around him at all. Cinder was calm and most of the people in Beacon weren't prone to panic.

Whatever had happened, it felt like the barrier between his human and Grimm side was weakening. With all the attention from Ozpin, Qrow, and now everyone else looking for him, it could only spell bad things for the future.

 _What if I lose control again and hurt someone? What if I kill Yang by accident?_

The correct thing to do would be to leave. That was the safest option. But he knew he couldn't. He was too much of a coward to leave them all.

"I need to be able to control it."

"That would seem an obvious solution," Cinder agreed. "Sadly, I have no idea how you would go about starting that."

"Big Sis-"

"Don't `Big Sis` me," she snapped. "Do you not think I would offer you help if I knew how? The possibility of you going crazy at any moment hardly helps me with _my_ plans. I would help you with this if I could, Jaune. Do you honestly believe I would not?"

"No, I… I didn't mean to suggest that. I know you would. You've always been there for me."

"I have," she agreed, "yet that seems to be something you've forgotten of late!"

"I haven't forgotten. I've just… been busy." The excuse sounded weak to him and Cinder as well if her raised eyebrow was any indication. "Cin- Big Sis, I'm sorry. I know I said something wrong the last time and made you angry but I didn't mean it. You're important to me."

"Hmph. About time you realised it." She shot him a fierce glare, but he knew how to look deeper and there was a certain self-satisfied edge to it. "You're not off the hook, but I suppose I _can_ try and help you with this if you wish me to."

His spirits soared. "O-Of course. Anything you can do!"

"All I can do is _try_ ," she said, "so don't get your hopes up. It strikes me that the best way to deal with your Grimm side would be to try and gain some control over it. We can begin training in the Emerald Forest. That will be the safest location, since if you lose control it won't lead to any incidents."

"You want me to let it out?"

Cinder shrugged. "Sealing it away has hardly worked. If it's going to happen on its own then we might as well test it in a safe environment. Unless you have a different idea?" He had none and his silence made that clear. "Very well. I'll find a time where we can slip away and train a little. If anyone asks you can say we're simply practising for the tournament. Now, was there anything else you wanted to quiz me on, little brother?"

There was. The words caught in his throat, however. Cinder was smiling at him and it felt so long since he'd seen that. He didn't want to ruin it.

"N-No. It's nothing. Thanks, Cinder. I appreciate you trying to help."

She nodded and let him go, never noticing the conflicted expression that spread over his face.

" **I thought you were going to ask her whether she was responsible for that Grimm attack,"** Remy said.

" _Another time, Remy. I'll… I'll ask her next time."_

He was afraid to find out the answer.

/-/

"Hey, you're up."

Ruby jumped a little at the voice but recognised it and grinned as Yang snuck up behind her. She'd only just been dismissed from the infirmary but true to form her sister was there to catch her before she could escape.

"Yep, and I'm okay to leave. Tsune said so."

"Did she?" Yang gave her a long and searching look but Ruby held it. She was being honest and Yang could check inside if she wanted to. "Hmm, okay. I believe you. What happened anyway? Did they tell you?"

"Tsune said I worked myself to exhaustion and passed out."

"That's it?"

"Yeah…" Ruby trailed off, and she could tell that neither of them was particularly pleased with that excuse. She knew her limits better than anyone. No way would she just pass out like that. She hadn't even taken any real hits.

"You going to ask Uncle Qrow later?"

"Yep."

"Cool. Tell me if he tries to dodge and I'll help corner him." Yang threw an arm around Ruby's shoulder as they both laughed. "How you doing, anyway? No side-effects?"

"I have a headache and I get dizzy when I shake my head." She made to do so for example but Yang's hand caught her hair and her sister glared at her. "Which I won't do," Ruby quickly added. "Heh heh…"

"Don't make me send you back to the infirmary."

"Sis, I'm fine! The doctor said so."

"Ruby, the `doctor` likes sticking needles in people to hear them scream."

Ruby shivered. It was another reason why she was fine; ergo, she wasn't going back there if she could help it. Tsune was scary.

"She told me about the breach," Ruby whispered, hoping to change the subject. It worked.

"Yeah, that thing. Not sure what to think about it, really. I mean, no one was killed but it was still touch and go. Grimm in the city, you know. It's not exactly a good thing. We're lucky Jaune was around to sort it out."

Ruby perked up at the name, and the implication. "He beat back the Grimm by himself!?"

"What?" Yang laughed. "No, no. He…" Yang cut off suddenly and looked around. When she continued her voice was in a whisper and her head was close to Ruby's. "We've been told to keep it quiet, but basically he managed to _sense_ the Grimm coming and warn the civilians away. It's why more people weren't hurt."

"Why are we keeping it secret?" Ruby asked, nonetheless remaining quiet. It sounded important.

"Instructions from Uncle Qrow, Ozpin and from Jaune. Basically it's something about keeping his abilities quiet so no one figures out. Uncle Qrow thinks some factions might want to actually take him out of Beacon to make use of his Semblance, whether he likes it or not…"

The thought was a horrifying one and Ruby gasped, not just at the prospect of losing a close friend but also of anything being done to him against his will. "I'll not tell anyone," she promised.

"Heh. Knew you wouldn't." Yang's voice rose to a more normal level. "Anyway, we were all waiting for you to wake up so we could hang out. Everyone's been put in the know on Jaune's Semblance but we wanted to figure out what was going on with the White Fang, Hentacle, and all the other stuff. You're not too tired, are you?"

"No way! I want to know what's going on too!"

"Alright, but take it easy, okay? I don't want you wearing yourself out. No training for today, okay?"

Yang's expression was so caring, so worried, that Ruby couldn't help but flush and mumble an assent under her breath. "I won't…"

They made their way back to their dorms, though Yang dragged them over to her team's first. Voices could be heard from inside but they went silent as the door clicked open, only resuming again once they saw her.

Pyrrha reached her first, eyes filled with worry – and before Ruby could even _think_ to tell her partner she was okay she was swept up into the taller girl's arms and given a once-over more thorough than even the school doctor had.

"Are you okay?" the redhead gasped. "Did they give you anything for what happened? Did they _explain_ what happened?"

Ruby's head span. "Um. Yes, yes, no. I think."

Pyrrha looked horrified. "You're not okay?"

"I'm fine, I have headache tablets, but no, they didn't tell me anything," she reported, knowing Pyrrha wouldn't give up until she had the full answer. Weiss wouldn't either, for all she pretended she didn't care for them. "I'm okay, guys. I swear."

It felt nice to have everyone looking out for her, though sometimes she wished it could be the other way around and someone _else_ could be the one who had to be pampered like a baby.

"The glorious vanquisher lives!" Nora crowed.

"Glorious vanquisher?"

"One so terrifying that even the mighty Hentacle took flight at the mere sight of her face."

Ooh, that sounded cool. No, wait, was that an insult? Ruby whined to herself as she tried to figure out whether she should be pleased with the moniker or not. She'd always wanted a cool title but a person whose face was so ugly even the Grimm fled for their lives? Not quite what she'd been hoping for.

"Give her some room, for the love of dust," Weiss snapped. "Ruby, sit down. You shouldn't be standing in your condition."

"But I'm-"

"Sit!"

"Yes ma'am!"

Weiss nodded when Ruby was down, sat on the edge of Yang's bed with the blonde beside her. The others had doubled up on beds too, though there was an empty space next to Weiss. Jaune was missing, or late. Before she could ask where he was, the door clicked open.

"Hey, I'm back. Sorry about that."

"About time. Did you speak with Qrow?" Weiss asked.

"I couldn't find him. Someone said he was with the headmaster and they're not to be disturbed or something."

"Hm. That's a shame. We have some good news at least. Ruby is back."

"She is? That's great!"

Jaune's honest excitement made Ruby grin. She turned on the spot to find him. The moment she did, a knife was jammed into her skull. She fell back with a startled scream.

"Argh!"

"Ruby!?" Yang's hands were on her shoulders, trying to see if she was okay. "Ruby, what's wrong?"

"N-Nothing." Her hands felt about her hair, prodding the skin there. There was no injury, of course, but the feeling… it had been so sharp and sudden. Just the memory of it left her feeling a little nauseous. "I-I guess my headaches are coming back," she whined.

"Lay down and close your eyes," Yang urged, pulling her down so that her head rested in her sister's lap and her feet were up on the mattress. "Close your eyes, sis. Does that feel better?"

Ruby did so, and breathed an immediate sigh of relief when the pain didn't return. It had left immediately in all honesty, but the memory lingered. "Hmm," she moaned when Yang's fingers started stroking her hair. "Nice…"

"Stay like that for a little, Ruby," Weiss said. "You're recovering."

"M'kay."

No complaints there.

"Jaune, are _you_ okay? You froze for a second."

"I-I'm fine. I was just surprised, you know. When Ruby yelled." He sounded worried. For her? Ruby cracked her eyes open and glanced over at him, but clenched them shut again when a wave of dizziness washed over her.

It was followed by a wave of fear. What was going on? Was she sick? She kept her eyes shut, relieved again when that helped alleviate the pain. Not even the medicine she'd been given was helping, though she did feel a little light-headed and spacey.

Weiss let out a long breath. "Okay, if Ruby is not about to collapse, then I suppose we can start. We have a lot to discuss…"

"Do we?" Blake asked. "We know the White Fang just staged an attack on Vale, or tried to. What else is there to question?"

"Why, for one," Weiss said. "What good does attacking Vale do the White Fang? It's not going to make people accept the faunus any more than they already do; it'll do the exact opposite in fact. What's more, why now of all times? The Vytal Festival is coming up. Would it not have been better to strike during that?"

"Maybe they didn't want to cause untold casualties," Ren suggested. "Forcing the festival to cancel would be an effective way to send a message. What do you think, Blake?"

"It's too subtle. I'm not saying they can't be subtle when they need to be, but all this does is shout out that the White Fang is still here. Thing is, everyone knows that. It's not like they've been inactive lately."

"I think the big question is why Hentacle and the _Grimm_ are working with them," Yang said, still running her fingers through Ruby's hair.

 _Mmmm…_

"The `why` from the White Fang's point of view is fairly obvious," Weiss said. "He's exceptionally powerful. Still, I see your point. We've been raised to believe Grimm are unintelligent monsters, but the fact one can communicate with them, and even form an alliance, is proof to the contrary."

"But why? What could the White Fang possibly offer?"

"Negativity?" Nora offered.

Everyone stared at her.

"Well it's a perfect match, isn't it? Grimm want negativity and the White Fang makes loads whenever they attack." The ginger girl grinned and brought her hands together. "Both sides working together for what they want. It's a mutant agreement."

"Mutual," Ren said.

"Same thing."

"Honestly, it's as good an idea as any," Weiss said. "I'm not sure we'll get a better one out of them without capturing one to speak to."

"If they even know anything," Blake added. "Those in command might be the only ones who know the truth. It's common practice to make sure each cell works independently has limited information. Our best bet would be to capture Hentacle."

"Oh yeah, and we've seen how easy that is," Yang drawled. "He only kicked all our asses at once."

"Then we get stronger, and we train harder. We improve our teamwork and go through strategies, and when we're confident we can take him on, we do so."

Jaune shuffled awkwardly. "Are you sure that's a good idea? Wouldn't it be best just to leave him be. I mean, he's only fought back when yo- we attacked him. He hasn't actually tried to hurt any of us."

"Apart from you, of course," Weiss said.

"Well, yeah, but I'm okay. Nothing bad happened."

"It could have, though. That's what is important. Yesterday's attack could have killed hundreds of people and might very well have if not for your Semblance." Weiss must have been nodding to Jaune at that. "Vale won't always be so fortunate. _We_ won't always be so fortunate. I think Blake is right; we need to increase our training and all of us get stronger."

"The Vytal Festival will be a good place for that," Pyrrha said.

"Yeah, and all the transfer students will be coming soon as well," Yang laughed. "That ought to put a few more weapons around. Might make the White Fang and Hentacle back off for a bit."

"That might even be why they made such an attack now," Weiss mused. "Perhaps they knew they wouldn't be able to during the tournament due to the increased security. Rather than be mocked for failing to take advantage of such an event, they strike now when people aren't ready, and ride the wave of that publicity until after the festival."

"Maybe," Blake said. "It sort of makes sense…"

Ruby's attention drifted for a few minutes, eyes still closed and mind slipping off as Yang continued to play with her hair. She woke suddenly with a snort to find Yang shaking her. The room was silent. Oh Gods, had she just started snoring?

"Looks like Ruby is still worn out," Yang laughed. "We can call this short, right?"

"Yes, I suppose so. Take Ruby to our room to get some rest." Weiss tossed over her scroll for Yang to open the door with. "Get some rest, Ruby. You've more than earned it."

Ruby wanted to argue but couldn't find it in herself. She really was exhausted. Her eyes opened as Yang helped her up, and she was relieved to find that apart from a little dizziness when she went from laying down to standing up, there wasn't any pain.

Then again, that wasn't what caused it. She glanced at Jaune once more, sat smiling on the edge of Nora's bed. Her eyes throbbed. She closed them instantly. Three times out of three, and for no one else. Her eyes only hurt when they met Jaune's. As a last experiment she looked at his feet and legs. As expected, she felt nothing.

That didn't do much to make her feel better.

"Come on, sis," Yang whispered. "Bed time."

Ruby didn't resist, nor did she say a word as she was helped out of the room and back to her own. Her thoughts were too muddled; her heart was beating too fast. Something was wrong with her. Something wasn't normal, and it was making it so that she couldn't even look at Jaune without feeling sick to her stomach.

She needed to talk to Uncle Qrow.

/-/

"There's something I don't understand."

"Congratulations. I hear it's the first step on the path to enlightenment. Tell me how it goes."

Qrow paused to give Ozpin a suffering look, not that the old coot noticed or cared. Maybe it had something to do with the paperwork the headmaster was going through, or maybe he was just a little less patient after Ironwood had stormed out of the office, cursing the entire way. Whatever the case it was up to _him_ to deal with the man, since Glynda had taken one look at the stack of paperwork and stormed off with half.

"It's just that something isn't right," he said, ignoring Ozpin's pointed lack of attention. He knew the old man was listening; he always was. "If the kid's power is so damn useful then why would Raven let him out of her sight? She has the Spring Maiden to look after. You'd think some kind of Grimm radar system would be pretty useful."

"Didn't you say yourself that Mr Arc ran away?"

"Yeah, but if Raven really wanted to stop him she would have done. It just doesn't add up."

"Semblances are rarely as simple as you seem to believe, Qrow. You know for a fact they can evolve and change in myriad ways. I believe we've scratched but the surface of Mr Arc's abilities." The headmaster paused. "Speaking of, I suppose I will have to have a word with your niece at some point. You don't suppose she'll forget entirely about what happened with her eyes if I don't mention it, do you?"

Qrow had the grace to feel a little offended on Ruby's behalf. "Ozpin, she's not going to miraculously not notice or not care about the fact she fell into a coma. What do you take her for?"

"She isn't ready to know the truth."

"Then give her the half-truth. Give her something, though. She deserves that much. If you don't, I will. Anyway, enough about Ruby. I want to know what you're hiding about my apparent protégé and nephew."

There had to be something. Qrow didn't believe for a moment that Oz would protect the kid so much for the chance of someone who could sense the Grimm. It was a big deal, sure, but not to the degree the old man was making it out to be. There was something more going on. And damn it if he didn't have a right to know.

"Are you aware of what took place during initiation?" Ozpin finally asked.

"Considering I wasn't here for it, no."

"Mr Arc came upon a rather ancient Deathstalker that had been trapped in a cave since before Beacon. The beast should have been no threat but went wild upon discovering him, chasing him across the Emerald Forest and showing incredible focus on the young man, to the exclusion of all else. Hentacle was also in the forest at that time, searching for Mr Arc."

Qrow winced. Neither of those were good outcomes but the kid was fine, so it couldn't have been too bad. "What's your point?"

"My point is that Mr Arc entered a cave he should have had no interest entering and encountered a Grimm long sealed away. What, I would ask, made him wish to enter the cave in the first place?"

"His Semblance," Qrow realised. "He sensed the Grimm and wanted to have a look. Ballsy."

"That seems possible," Ozpin agreed, nodding. "However, we also have to consider the other things that have happened. Grimm seem unusually interested in him. Hentacle seeks to capture him, and we can construe that Salem wants him brought before her. Ask yourself, Qrow. What use would the Queen of the Grimm have for someone who could only sense Grimm?"

None.

Apart from robbing them of a tool, there was absolutely nothing – and he doubted she'd have cared enough about them having a Grimm radar or not. As a tactical tool it was useful but not exactly game-changing. Most Grimm weren't exactly subtle.

"There are two possibilities, of course," Ozpin continued. "The first is that Mr Arc is a threat to Salem's latest line of Grimm, those which can conceal themselves among humankind."

"You mean Hentacle and that other one Yang fought." Qrow's eyes widened as realisation seeped in. "He could find them! The kid can tell if someone is a real human or a Grimm in disguise!"

"Indeed. There is a tactical reason for Salem to desire him, but we might be jumping to conclusions there. Consider for a moment how the Grimm reacted to him. The Deathstalker hunted him across the forest, Hentacle has tried time and time again to capture him, and there have even been reports of Beowolves attempting to kidnap him."

"You mean kill, right?"

"I do not believe sensing Grimm is the only facet of the young man's Semblance, Qrow. And that may well be the reason Raven was prepared to let him leave her tribe. It might also be the reason he declared his Semblance `dangerous` to utilise in his training with you."

Dangerous? Of course, the kid had said he couldn't use it for fear of hurting them. He'd scoffed at the time and thought it an empty boast, but apparently the kid could actually hold his own against that Cinder girl when he used it.

"I figured it was some kind of kick-ass offensive Semblance but that doesn't make sense if it's sensing Grimm. What's so dangerous about that?"

"Nothing from him to her," Ozpin said. "It's a purely support-based Semblance. That said, if the young man is afraid to use it then it's likely due to there being a good reason. One that we have seen time and time again whenever he is sent out into Grimm-infested territory."

It clicked in an instant.

"They can sense him, too."

The sensing went both ways – or it at least did something that made him light up to the Grimm's senses, maybe just the negativity of knowing there were so many Grimm around, but maybe something else. Whatever the case, if the kid was a beacon for the Grimm then it made sense why he'd keep such a power under wraps.

It also made sense as to why his bitch of a sister would be willing to let him leave the tribe. He'd become stronger at Beacon and the constant risk of Grimm attack for keeping him around would be an issue. _But she sent that Cinder chick after him to make sure he'd be okay, sort of like a bodyguard. Damn it. This is complicated._

"Can you now see why I want to keep his abilities secret from our friends on the Council, from even James?" Ozpin asked.

Qrow took a second to imagine what Ironwood would do if he found out the kid was a beacon for the Grimm – or what the Council would demand if they realised his very presence in Vale might be responsible for the recent upsurge in Grimm attacks. They were a paranoid lot and if one life was the price to pay for keeping the Grimm away, they might well accept it. Forget people after him for his use, they'd be lining up to cut his head off, or maybe just launch him into a volcano with the Grimm alongside.

"Fuck me," Qrow breathed.

"My thoughts exactly. Paraphrased, of course."

/-/

Ren closed the book on the table before him with a heavy sigh. His research hadn't been going well, no thanks to the librarian who had somewhat misunderstood his request and provided him books of somewhat dubious use. He glared down at the one before him, which depicted a multi-tentacles monster on the cover, but which contained said monster doing unspeakable things to the rear-ends of men who looked suspiciously like himself.

"This isn't what I meant when I asked for material on tentacle monsters…"

Little wonder the woman had given him such an odd look. She'd been quick to provide, however, along with mentioning that if he needed more she would be happy to show him. He made a mental note to avoid her for the next couple of years, lest his mind be scarred any more than it already was.

This just wasn't working.

"There you are."

Ren hummed and looked up, surprised to see Jaune approaching, and on his own for once. He nodded to the other man, pushing out a seat with one foot so that Jaune could take one opposite him. "Good evening," Ren greeted. "I didn't expect to see you here. How is Ruby?"

"Asleep still, but she's looking a little healthier." Jaune sat down. "I was actually looking for you."

"Oh?" He took the distraction for what it was, pushing the hardcore trash aside. "What for?"

"I wanted to talk about what happened yesterday."

"The Breach?"

"No, before that. When you were captured…"

"Ah." Ren's smile faded. "Technically, that was the night before. I don't recall much of it if that's what you're asking. I already told Weiss and the others that." It wasn't the complete truth, of course. But he wasn't sure anyone would believe the truth.

He wasn't sure _he_ did, either. How could a Grimm feel the way she'd claimed to? Grimm didn't have emotions. _But she did spare me, and actions speak louder than words._

Not for the first time since that moment, his lips tingled.

"I don't remember anything," he lied.

"Nothing at all? What about the woman who abducted you?"

"Nothing." Ren hesitated. "Did I say that it was a woman?"

"Y-Yang did," Jaune said. "I think she mentioned that the Hentacle was smaller and more feminine."

"Did she mention anything else?" Ren asked.

"Not really."

Ren breathed a sigh of relief. It looked like no one had actually seen him lip locked with a Grimm. Even if no one would believe it, he had a feeling that would have come back to bite him if they had. _Thank goodness for small mercies._

"What are you reading through?" Jaune asked, changing the subject. Ren was only too happy to accommodate him.

"I'm trying to research Grimm. So far it's been a fruitless task."

"Well, I can help. What do you want to know?"

Ren blinked and stared at the man before him, a little confused by the offer. Then again, hadn't Jaune shown that despite his lack of understanding in many cases he was actually a very well-read person? He'd been enough so as to maintain a conversation on Grimm theory with Doctor Oobleck, which meant he might just have the information he was looking for.

But that in asking for it, he might give away _why_ he was interested, and thus put himself in a bad spot. Still, the reward was worth the risk.

"Can Grimm feel emotions?" he asked.

"That's… that's a bit of a tricky one." Jaune sighed and leaned back to think. "Obviously there are a lot of people who say no, and that Grimm are evil and need to be killed, et cetera and all that. Most of that is just propaganda, though. If Grimm were literally mindless then they wouldn't be able to move, let alone fight. If they had no emotions then forming packs and herds would be impossible. You need to have a social instinct for that."

That was true, and a fair point. Many Beowolves hunted in packs and some of the larger Grimm also moved in herds and flocks. Funny how that had never made him consider them as anything other than mindless before. "So, that means they can feel emotion?"

"It depends on what you count as emotion. That's what makes it hard to explain. Does a dog have emotions? Probably, but how many and are they the same emotions people have? That's where it gets complicated."

"I see. You're suggesting that the emotions Grimm feel may not be applicable to human standards. That makes sense, I suppose."

"It's all theory," Jaune said, falling into a voice that was honestly reminiscent of Doctor Oobleck. If anything Jaune seemed inordinately happy to talk about it, and actually seemed _pleased_ Ren was interested in the idea of Grimm having higher thought. "But even if it's theory we still see signs of it. Ursa don't attack one another, which they would do if they were mindless, and if Grimm hunt people because of their negativity then they need to have a mind capable of identifying what that is and following it."

"Couldn't that just be instinct?"

"Maybe, but Grimm don't need to eat people to survive, so instincts don't really make sense."

"What about older Grimm?" Ren asked. "I've heard those can develop intelligence of their own. Would _they_ be capable of emotion?"

"Uh, maybe? I think it would be the same thing as before just them getting smarter. Grimm aren't born with zero intelligence. It's just low intelligence compared to a human. I think the easiest way to imagine it is that truly ancient Grimm just keep getting more and more intelligent, but that it might be at the level of an adult human. Even if the Grimm are taking over most of Remnant, humans are typically smarter."

"And what about Grimm like Hentacle?"

"Ah, well," Jaune laughed and ran a hand through his hair. "They're a new breed, right? I can't really say anything for sure about them."

Ren wasn't prepared to let it go. Jaune was easily the most knowledgeable person he'd ever met on the Grimm, despite his young age. "What do you think, though? We've seen that they can talk with people, that they can act like humans, but are they just acting? Or is it real?"

"I'd like to think it's real."

"You would?"

"Well, yeah. Can you imagine if it was? That means we could communicate with them, and maybe even make peace. Wouldn't that be something worth trying?"

"Some would say no," Ren pointed out.

"And those same people will say the Grimm are evil and they're not," Jaune snarled. "What's the point of being angry at the Grimm when you're literally spending all your time trying to kill them!? Is it even self-defence at that point?"

He was surprised at the other man's passion. Surprised, and if he dared admit it, not quite as against the idea as he should have been. _Then again I know full well humans can be just as cruel to their own as the Grimm._ Shion was a sign of that. If Grimm could be reasoned with, if they could feel emotion, then perhaps Jaune was right. Perhaps peace _was_ possible. He only hoped the White Fang hadn't beaten them to achieving it.

But neither that nor the other solved his real problem. Ren took a deep breath and let it go, swallowing as he prepared himself.

"Do you think Grimm can fall in love?"

Jaune froze. "Eh?"

"I asked if Grimm could fall in love."

"Eh!?"

Ren sighed. It was as bad as he expected. Well, Jaune had proven to be a trustworthy person, so he drew a deep breath and took the plunge.

"I lied before, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone. I was taken by the female Hentacle and she claimed to have… _feelings_ for me."

Jaune stared at him with wide eyes.

"She kissed me," Ren added.

 _That_ got a reaction. Jaune stood, tripped, tangled his feet in the chair, and slammed face-down onto the table, before he slid off and slumped to the floor. Even then, his voice managed to echo from down below, muffled somewhat but no less shocked.

"WHAT!?"

* * *

 **So, some jokingly pointed out that Ruby was OOC last chapter and after reading their points I can only realise they are correct. After all, canon has shown that Ruby will NEVER enquire about her eyes or wonder if anything is wrong with them even after she blast-freezes a dragon or has great big white wings pop out of her face. As such, it's completely OOC for her to even wonder what is wrong with her for something as small as this. She should have just woken up, believed everything she is told, and then never question it again.**

 **Argh, you're right. Damn it.**

 **Still, that's a fair point. I'm afraid Ruby here will be a little more… aware. Or, you know, at least vaguely concerned at the fact she threw herself into a coma.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 22** **nd** **February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	55. Chapter 55

**Here we go. This chapter went through a few iterations before reaching where it is now, mostly involving the last segment.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 55**

* * *

Ruby was no stranger to being summoned to a headmaster's office, though that was usually because Yang had done something wrong like blowing up the gymnasium in Signal, or beating up some guys who groped her, or using some guys who groped her to blow up a gymnasium. She wasn't used to being called in on her own, and even less used to seeking out someone like Ozpin herself.

Poking her head out of the elevator, Ruby stared at the man behind the desk, who was at that moment staring at some paperwork with the clear focus only someone like Weiss could normally achieve. She bit her lip and wondered whether she should come back another time.

"Miss Rose. Do you intend to come in, or are you going to stand there frustrating my elevator for the next two hours?"

"Eep!" She hopped out of the elevator, finally allowing the golden doors – which had been closing and opening when they sensed her head in the way – to close. The carriage ran down with a near-silent whirr, leaving her alone to kick one foot against her heel. "Um. Hi?"

A pen clicked down on the desk. Ozpin linked his hands together, looked up to her, and then raised a single eyebrow. "Hi," he replied, lacking the same kind of excitement her greeting had. "How can I help you, Miss Rose?" He noticed her shuffling a hole in the floor and sighed. "Would you like to take a seat?"

Ruby was relieved to do so, rushing forward to pull out and sit down on the other side of the desk, even if it did make her feel a little short compared to the man opposite.

"I apologise for not having any cookies this time," he said, chuckling. "Now, I'm sure you came here for a reason and I doubt it's my scintillating company. Is there something I can help you with?"

"I-It's my eyes…"

Ozpin nodded. "Your eyes?"

"I just woke up from a coma."

"I heard. I hope you're better, Miss Rose."

"I am, thanks." Ruby smiled, then realised he was changing the subject. "But my eyes. Uncle Qrow said it's because I have silver eyes that this happened."

"He did? How very eloquent of him."

"And he said you'd be able to tell me more," she pressed.

"Ah. How very annoying of him."

"That's my Uncle," Ruby giggled. "Um, but yeah. Something happened and there was all this pain, and then Hentacle was running away, and I was falling unconscious – and I know Dad says I shouldn't jump to conclusions, but this seems like pretty obvious!" Ruby waved her hands wildly. "So, yeah. That's why I came to see you, sir."

"And what, Miss Rose, makes you believe I know anything about this phenomenon?" the headmaster asked, sipping on his coffee.

"Apart from the fact Uncle Qrow told me you would?" Ruby asked.

"Apart from that, yes."

"My eyes are silver."

"They are."

"And you kind of made a big deal of that the first time we met…"

Ozpin's poker face could have won tournaments. "I did."

"And that didn't raise any alarm bells at first but now it strikes me as a little odd," Ruby said, more rambling than making any real point. "I mean, most people don't tell you what your own eye colour is the moment they meet you. At least I think not. No one's done that to Yang, though there was this guy once who walked up and said she had amazing boobs and-"

"Your sister's breasts are not the subject of this conversation, Miss Rose." The headmaster paused to think. "Nor, I hope, will they ever be a subject of conversation in my office."

"Y-Yeah…" Ruby scratched her head and laughed nervously. "But I know you know something about my eyes and I think I deserve to know. They're my eyes."

Ozpin let out a long sigh and put his mug down, then pushed away the papers in front of him, leaning his elbows on the desk and his chin atop his linked hands. "I _do_ know a little about your eyes," he admitted, not surprising Ruby in the slightest. "But I'm afraid the information won't be as satisfying, or as detailed as you might like."

"That's fine," she said, leaning forward herself. "Anything you know. I need something…" She needed answers, even if those answers led to more questions. She couldn't just _ignore_ the fact that she knocked herself into a coma – not if it was going to keep happening!

"Then I shall tell you a story about those eyes of yours. The story begins back before huntsmen and even the Kingdoms. Back then, those born with silver eyes were some of the greatest warriors the world had ever known, enough so that even the creatures of the Grimm feared them. They were the best of the best, and it was said that a single look from one of these fighters could strike a Grimm down."

Ruby leaned further forward. "And!?"

"And that's it," Ozpin said, picking up his mug once more. "Story time is over."

Ruby stared at him, mouth open.

Ozpin sipped his coffee.

"How is that it!?" she cried, falling back.

"There's no need to shout, Miss Rose. I am right here. I warned you that there wasn't much I could tell you. I hope this has been an enlightening experience."

"E-Enlightening?" Ruby gripped her head between her hands and groaned. "You didn't tell me anything! What were the silver-eyed warriors? Why were the Grimm afraid? What does my eyes do? Why did I knock myself out?"

"In order; I don't know. I don't know. I don't know, and - believe it or not - I don't know."

Ruby whined through her teeth.

"Come now, there's no need for such pitiful sounds. Although we don't have all the answers we can at least make some assumptions. The fact of Grimm fearing those with silver eyes seems true enough, given that your friend, Hentacle, fled from you. Since I'm sure we can all agree Grimm aren't normally prone to random bouts of cowardice, it seems safe to assume your eyes have some kind of detrimental effect on them."

"It's a weapon?" Ruby's eyes lit up. "Do I have laser eyes?" The whole `descended from ancient warrior people` had sounded cool at first, but if eye-migraines and spontaneous unconsciousness was what she got from it, then she wanted her money back. Eye lasers, though? Ruby felt she could come to a compromise on those. But only if they were awesome.

Pft, who was she kidding. Eye lasers! That was already awesome.

"I cannot confirm or deny the eye lasers, I'm afraid." Ozpin shrugged. "You might consider it more akin to a Semblance than a weapon, especially given that it appears to be hereditary. As such you'll need to unlock any such abilities on your own. Your mother shared the same traits as you, but failed to manifest them in any significant manner."

"Could she… you know…" Ruby waved towards her eyes.

"Summer did not need assistance knocking herself out, Miss Rose. She was very adept at dragging every spar with her teammates to that conclusion as it was. But no, I'm afraid she did not manifest any of the… abilities, or complications, you have."

Ruby stared meaningfully at him.

Ozpin sighed. "No. No eye lasers."

"Aww…"

"That's not to say she wouldn't have in time, but her life was cruelly cut short as you know. I expect that much like Semblances, the power of the silver eyes only manifests in extreme circumstances. After all, you have had to fight Grimm normally ever since you became a huntress. It is only now that your eyes chose to reveal their powers."

That made sense. Some people didn't discover their Semblances until late, usually at the very moment they needed them. She'd unlocked hers running away from some Grimm when she'd been caught along visiting her mom's grave. It let her run away fast, escaping certain death. If her eyes were similar then maybe the whole `passing out` thing was just her getting used to them.

There'd been a few similar accidents with her Semblance when she first got it, though mostly because suddenly being able to accelerate and run at high speeds didn't necessarily mean you were _used_ to it, or impervious to the consequences of running face-first into a wall because you misjudged your ability to brake or pull high-speed turns.

"So, is it something I can practice? Is it something I _should_ practice?"

"It's hard to say, and you're right to be wary about it. If your eyes only reveal themselves around the Grimm, then I would not consider it safe to practice alone."

Ruby's heart skipped a beat. "R-Reveal around Grimm?"

"Why yes," Ozpin said. "I expect this is the case anyway. The silver-eyed warriors have ever been enemies of the Grimm, hence why you were able to use them to attack Hentacle. They shouldn't cause any problems in typical company."

"I-I see…"

"Is there something wrong, Miss Rose?"

Yes. Maybe. She… She wasn't sure…

"No!" She shook her head. "I was… I was just thinking. How am I supposed to find out more about my powers, then? I can't just sit back and ignore them and I don't want to get a headache every time I run into a Grimm!"

"The rest, I'm afraid, will be up to you to figure out."

"B-But how am I supposed to do that?"

Ozpin made a mysterious gesture with one hand. "The answer to that question lies within you."

Ruby groaned piteously. "Is that your way of saying you don't know?"

"Yes."

"Why don't you just _say_ that?"

"Because fifteen year-old-girls keep assuming I have all the answers in the world," Ozpin said pointedly, earning an embarrassed giggle from her. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Miss Rose, I have to organise the security for the upcoming Vytal Festival. Leave your eyes for a later time. Focus on the tournament instead. I'm sure things will work themselves out in time."

Ruby nodded and rose from her seat, whispering a farewell and heading back to the elevator, which had been called up remotely for her. As the golden doors shut she reached up to touch the skin around her eyes once more. They didn't hurt. They didn't feel any different from how they normally did. But if that was because she wasn't around any Grimm…

"No," she said, shaking her head. "No way is that possible."

/-/

"Transfer students are arriving," Yang pointed out, staring nosily at a team of girls that had just come off a Bullhead. They wore a mix of skirts, trousers, and other outfits that matched a colour scheme like their own. "Some of them look pretty tough."

"The schools will be sending the best of the best to the tournament," Ren said, sat beside her. He'd chosen the position on purpose she was fairly sure, as sitting anywhere else left him open to Nora and Blake, who were still in some kind of weird mood around him.

She'd have felt bad for her team leader if it wasn't so damn entertaining to watch.

Ren noticed and glowered. "Shouldn't you be cheering on your boyfriend?"

She rolled her eyes but acknowledged the point, turning back to the sparring ring and cheering out. "Whoo! Go Jaune. Kick Weiss' ass!"

"He'll have to actually _fight me_ to do that!" Weiss snarled, lunging for her partner's face. Jaune `eeped` and dodged it, as he'd been doing for the last fifteen minutes straight. Sweat was running down Weiss' forehead and had already stained her outfit. "Stop running, damn it!" she howled. "Fight me properly!"

"But isn't me wearing you out a good strategy?" Jaune had the misfortune to ask.

"RARGHHH!"

"I think he's doing fine," Yang said, grinning. "He's getting better."

"Is he? He still hasn't landed a good hit on Weiss."

"Yeah, but he dodges now. Back when he started he'd just take most of the hits, which admittedly didn't do much to him, but it let Cardin beat him in a spar." Again, Cardin had only won by a technicality and by this point Jaune's endurance was almost legendary. "Learning to not be hit is pretty good progress, and like he says if he can wear his opponent out then it doesn't really matter when he strikes back."

Ren acknowledge the point with a nod. "I guess we'll need to factor that into our own strategies in case we end up against him in the tournament."

"Leave that to me. I'll be the Anti-Jaune countermeasures." Yang grinned when Ren shot her an interested look. "I'll just lure him to the edge of the arena and tackle us both out. It'll be a double ring-out, but you and Blake don't have the stamina to keep up with him."

"That still leaves us to deal with Pyrrha, Yang…"

"That's your job," she cooed, making a little shoo-shoo motion with her hands. "I came up with a plan to deal with Jaune. You come up with one to deal with Pyrrha."

"The undefeated championship fighter," Ren drawled.

"Hi," Pyrrha waved, smiling from the other side of Yang.

"Yep," Yang said, mock-ignoring her. "I'm sure you'll think of something, Ren. You're team leader for a reason. I have the utmost faith in your abilities."

Ren rolled his eyes at that, sensing the sarcasm. Pyrrha laughed at it, not even bothering to argue against the face she'd be their biggest problem. It would have been an empty gesture anyway. They all knew it.

Some of those arriving knew it too, since Yang caught more than one staring at Pyrrha once they realised who she was. Some pointed and others even took out their scrolls and snapped pictures. Luckily, Pyrrha didn't realise.

"I can't believe the festival is almost here," Pyrrha said.

Yang snorted. "I can't believe no one seems to care about the White Fang attack that _could_ have ended in disaster. Is there any reason everyone's forgotten that?"

"They haven't forgotten," Blake said, entering the conversation at last. She wore a beleaguered expression, one that spoke of faltering patience with her partner. "People are just trying to move on, even if they're doing so recklessly. It happens all the time."

"Still dumb," Yang said. "You two finished with your little argument?"

Blake sighed and flicked her head. She didn't even seem to notice when it made the bell around her neck tinkle. Hell, she didn't seem to realise she was still wearing it. "Not even close. Nora won't stop trying to change the names on our team attacks – or the attacks altogether."

"I'm just saying mine and Ren's attack should be called `together forever`," the ginger bombed declared. "Or Renora. And Blake's and Ren's needs a new name."

"Why?" Yang asked. "I thought Black Lotus was pretty cool."

"That's the point! It should be called `Home Wrecker` or maybe `Not going to work`, or – ooh, I know – how about we design a new one entirely and call it `Operation Meat Shield`? Basically, Blake runs in to draw their attention while Ren escapes."

"And I flank them?" Ren asked.

"Sure. Why not?"

" _Help me_ ," Blake hissed to Yang, clinging onto her arm. "She's been like this since we woke up. I asked for a pen this morning and she thought I said Ren and hasn't let it go since. I'm losing my mind."

Yang patted the girl's arm. "Fight for your right to love, Blake."

"I hate you so much!"

"I HATE YOU SO MUCH!" Weiss echoed, collapsing at last onto the grass and taking great gulps of air. The poor girl's entire body was twitching and she'd lost all ability to stand. She was covered in sweat. "My loathing for you knows no bounds. When I finally hit you, when that heady day comes, I will spare no expense in making you _scream_ for mercy!"

Jaune, to his credit, looked a little hesitant to step close and end the match. He hovered out of Myrtenaster's range, Crocea Mors held loosely in one hand. "Do you surrender?"

"I'll make you suffer so much!"

"That doesn't sound like you surrendering, Weiss."

"…" Weiss glared at him. "Let's call it a draw…"

Yang snorted to herself at that, and laughed even harder when Jaune had to actually help Weiss out of the ring. Despite Weiss' words he'd definitely caught a few blows here and there, but the damage had been slight and he was capable of ignoring the most of it. She had a feeling she ought to have been upset at watching her boyfriend bridal carry Weiss out of the ring, but it was just too damn funny.

"How does he do against you and Ruby?" she asked Pyrrha, still giggling. "Does he beat you?"

"He hasn't bested me yet. Although Jaune's stamina and endurance are impressive, he's not quite able to keep up with my speed and I can find the gaps in his guard."

"How does Ruby do?"

"It's about fifty-fifty. Ruby's speed makes any effort on his part to dodge pointless. It usually comes down to whether she can do enough damage to bring his aura down before she wears herself out like Weiss does." Pyrrha's smile cracked a little. "His fighting style is… unorthodox to say the least."

That was one way of putting it. Still, it looked like he had energy to spare and she wasn't quite up for her own fight, having lost to Pyrrha less than an hour ago.

"Anyone want to fight Jaune?" she asked.

"I'll do it if only to escape Nora," Blake groaned.

"How about Ren?" Jaune called, surprising them all. He normally didn't like to be put into spars and had never actually requested one with anyone, let alone with the only other male between the two teams. And was that a flash of light in Jaune's eyes or had she imagined it?

Ren obviously hadn't noticed it, or the uncharacteristic look on Jaune's face.

"I'd be happy to spar," he said, standing.

Jaune's smile turned vicious. " _Perfect_ …"

Yang, Blake and Pyrrha shared confused glances. As one, they shrugged. Nora ignored it all, of course, cheering her not-so-secret crush on. The three of them left her to it, and Weiss was too busy panting for breath to do anything but lay down with one arm over her face, shielding her eyes from the sunlight.

"Looks like even the guys are getting worked up for the tournament," Yang quipped. "Didn't expect Jaune to ask Ren for a spar though, or for Ren to accept."

"We're hardly the only ones getting in some last minute sparring either," Pyrrha said, nodding to the other training fields outside of Beacon. Many of them were currently in use, teams sparring on their own or as groups. It was the first time they'd had a day off and genuinely seen every student use it for training as opposed to trips into Vale.

Honestly, it felt like the week before a major exam in Signal, except with hardcore training as opposed to a hundred or more teenagers sat silently in a library fighting over the same ten or so text books.

"We'll have to be careful not to give anything away to the other competitors," Blake said. "It looks like some of the transfers are already trying to get an idea on what the completion is like." She gestured to a team from Haven, four guys, who were watching them quite intently.

Yang snorted. "Uh, Blake. They're actually watching _you_."

"Excuse me?"

"It's your stalker."

Blake blinked. "Bun?"

"I think it was Sun, actually," Pyrrha pointed out politely.

"Who would name their child Sun?"

"Who would name their child `Bun`?"

Blake sighed and shifted so that she was sat a little behind Yang, shielded from view by her and Pyrrha. "Just hide me. It's too hot a day to deal with this."

"You could always send him a hint by making out with Ren."

"She could," Nora giggled. She said nothing more but there was a certain edge to her laughter that had even Pyrrha leaning back. Blake, meanwhile, placed both hands on Yang's shoulders and angled her so as to take any sudden charge from their teammate.

"We're not like that," Blake said, both for Yang's benefit and more importantly Nora's. "Anyway, I- oh look, Ruby's back."

"Nice try, Blakey. I'm not going to be distracted so easily tho-" Yang saw her sister run up and wave. "Uh, never mind. Hey Rubes!" She patted the grass next to her. "Take a seat. You manage to talk to Ozpin?"

"Yep." Ruby sat down with a sigh, relieved to be back with them for some reason. "Yang, there are so many people in the corridors! It was like initiation all over again and someone asked me for directions and my mind just went blank!"

"What did you do?"

"I sent him somewhere."

"Where?"

"I don't know," Ruby groaned. "I panicked and rattled off some random directions."

"Classy." Yang rubbed her sister's hair and laughed. The poor guy was probably lost in any one of a hundred corridors by now. Sometimes it was easy to forget just how awkward Ruby could be, mostly because she'd made friends between the two teams and then never bothered to expand out of it. "So, did Ozpin tell you anything about your little problem?"

"Ugh. Barely anything. Apparently it's some kind of anti-Grimm weapon from people who had silver eyes and were big, mysterious fighters of Grimm."

"And?" Pyrrha asked, interested.

"And that's it. Apparently the `answer is within me`," Ruby said with a fake air of mystery. "If it is then I've got no idea. It's definitely a thing though, and it's what scared Hentacle away. He said that much."

"And the fact you passed out?"

Ruby shrugged. "I think it's just me being exhausted by using it."

"Maybe you just need to get used to it," Pyrrha suggested. "I doubt a trait that renders someone unconscious around Grimm would have survived this far. Those people back then must have been able to control it, so I'm sure you can too."

"That's a relief," Yang said, rubbing her sister's head some more. "No news on why it kept hurting yesterday though?"

"Ozpin said it should activate around Grimm."

"But there weren't any Grimm in our room the other day."

"I-I know," Ruby stammered, looking away. "I was probably just still out of it from the first time."

"Residual headache, perhaps," Blake agreed. "It makes sense. She'd just woken up after being out for a while. There was bound to be some lingering effects."

"Y-Yeah," Ruby agreed, though a little weakly. She glanced to the ring where Jaune and Ren were fighting. "Probably just… lingering effects…" The worry on her face disappeared, replaced with simple curiosity. "Is there a reason Jaune and Ren are fighting to the death?"

"It's a spar," Pyrrha said. "They're training."

" _This_ is training?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Yang turned back to the spar for the first time since it had happened. She did so just in time to receive a huge wave of grass, dirt, and air to her face – courtesy of Jaune's sword striking the ground where Ren had stood so hard it carved a furrow into the soil.

"Stand still!" he growled, lunging after Ren. Ren obviously did the opposite, jumping aside and ducking as the sword nearly took his head off.

"Have I done something to upset you?"

"No!" Jaune growled. "Now die a little!"

Ren blocked the next strike with both his weapons. His eyes widened at the sheer force behind it however and he was launched back, landing in a crouch a good four metres away. He shook his hands and winced. "If I knew what I'd done I could apologise…"

"You've not done anything. You're a friend. You're a good friend." Jaune's chest rose and fell and his eyes flashed angrily. "I just want to spar. Nothing wrong with that, right? It's not like you did anything wrong. It's not like you took advantage of anyone."

Ren held up a single hand. "Um…"

"Isn't your harem big enough already!?"

"My what…?"

"Yes!" Nora shouted, waving a fist in the air. "Yes, it is. Kick his ass, Jaune!"

"What? Nora!?" Ren looked back in shock. Big mistake. Jaune missed him with his sword but caught the lithe man with one hand, drawing him into grappling distance. What followed was a flurried and panicked kicking of legs and fists, all the while Jaune exacted some unknown vengeance on his opponent.

"Aw," Nora crooned, ignoring Ren's cries for help. She wiped a tear from her eye. "Ren and Jaune are bonding. I always said Ren needs more male friends."

/-/

Ren, it turned out, could fight like a Beowolf.

Jaune sported more cuts and bruises than he'd given after instilling a little brotherly justice on the guy, even if Ren had no idea what he'd done to deserve it. Seriously, stealing his sister's first kiss without so much as a date – without so much as a declaration of never ending love? Unforgivable! Or, well, not entirely so… Ren was still a bro, even after their little scuffle.

"Are you going to explain _why_ we just had to go through that?" Ren asked, eyeing him warily. In comparison to himself, Ren had come out relatively unharmed, though not entirely so. His hair was a mess and there was mud above and below his left eye where Jaune had pushed his head down into the dirt. He didn't seem to have noticed and Jaune sure as hell wasn't telling.

"I just found out my sister had a crush on you," he admitted after a second's thought. Since his team had technically met his sister he was sure Ren wouldn't jump to the conclusion it was female Hentacle. "I'm a big brother. Sorry."

"Wha- But I never even met her!"

"It's the principle of the matter."

"Is it?"

"Ask Yang," he said. "She'll agree with me."

"That's a terrible example and you know it. Yang would attack anyone who so much as _looked_ at Ruby the wrong way."

"I rest my case."

"Yang is not a good role model, Jaune."

"That's my girlfriend you're talking about." Jaune raised a fist in mock threat and Ren let out an exasperated sigh, letting the issue go. Mission accomplished. Well, part one, anyway. Now that he'd worked out his anger – and potentially saved Ren's life, since that meant his _older_ sisters wouldn't have the right to do so – he could instead start focusing on part two of the plan.

Operation Brother in Law.

It wasn't a very subtle plan. It didn't need to be. He liked the name though, mostly because it said everything that needed to be said. _Not to mention if he falls in love with and marries Lavender, then that'll be more evidence humans and Grimm can co-exist._

" **Until his teammate snaps and kills your sister,"** Remy drawled.

" _Blake wouldn't do that."_

" **I wasn't talking about- ugh, you're hopeless."** The parasite let out a suffering sigh. **"What are you going to do about this festival, then? You realise whether you ask her or not Cinder is going to be doing** _ **something**_ **with it."**

" _She promised not to hurt my friends."_

" **She promised to try. Besides, do you expect that whatever she has planned, your friends won't want to interfere with? Your `Big Sis` will be hard pressed to avoid harming them when they're actively trying to tear her head off."**

" _I know, Remy. I've thought of that too."_ Thought, but been unable to come up with a solution. _"Any ideas?"_

" **Order some Grimm to kidnap and keep her in a cave for a month?"**

There was a long silence.

" **I wasn't being serious."**

" _But it could work…"_

" **Jaune, she'd just kill them and escape. And then find you and make you wish she could kill you."**

Yeah, he was probably right there. There was no doubting Cinder had some kind of plan. Realistically speaking he had two options; stop her plan or help it happen – and neither was the same as `do nothing`. If he helped with her plan then he might be able to make it happen better, saving any kind of risk to his friends and Beacon. If Cinder got what she wanted, she wouldn't have any reason to stay.

Stopping her on the other hand… well, that would make things awkward, especially since she'd report back to his mom, and he was fairly sure she'd let her know _exactly_ who was to blame for things going wrong.

" _Nothing's ever easy…"_

"Hey, I'm heading out," Ren called, finally having finished changing into a fresher outfit. "I'll see you later. I'd appreciate it if you didn't attack me the next time."

"Sure thing."

Ren waited for anything more and rolled his eyes when nothing came. He swung his dirty clothing, now bagged, up over his shoulder and headed out the changing rooms, leaving Jaune alone with his thoughts.

There had to be something he could do, perhaps with Ozpin and Qrow since he had some kind of weird deal going on with them. First things first was figuring out exactly what Cinder had planned though, which meant either convincing her he was willing to work with her – hard given that she knew him and could see through his lies. Or he could try and find out another way, which meant going through Mercury or Emerald.

Still hard, but that depended on how loyal they were and whether that extended to him by association. "It's worth a shot. Worst thing is they say no, but if I'm lucky they might just assume we're all working together and tell me."

" **Or you could ask your mother."**

Jaune froze.

Remy… did have a point…

It was just a very, very scary point – and one that he'd been trying to avoid for a long time now. Mom had never really cared all that much for plans and secrets, seeing them all as rather pointless.

"I… well…"

" **It's just an idea,"** Remy said. **"CCT is still open and it could boost your signal enough to reach her. No one would know either."**

"Yeah…"

" **What's the worst she can do? It's not like she can reach through the screen and drag you back to the Grimmlands, is it? You're going to have to talk to her sooner or later and the longer you leave it the angrier she's going to be. Might as well be on your own terms."**

"Could you stop making sense, please? Especially when that sense involves me calling mom."

Remy didn't respond and he felt the parasite drifting off, apparently content with his part in their little planning session. Remy was still a little wiped from Ruby going all crazy eyes on them, the little guy being fully Grimm to his half, making it hit him twice as hard.

But tired or not, he had a point, and compared to his odds of getting a straight answer out of Cinder it was one he couldn't get out of his head.

"I guess it couldn't hurt…"

It really, really could. He pushed off from the locker with a sigh and headed to the door. Best to get it over with before his self-preservation instinct kicked in and made him think twice. It was late in the afternoon, which meant now was the best time to make a call, the CCT being mostly deserted as people wasted away their time after lunch. Most of the transfer students would be busy being assigned rooms too, so they'd be out the way.

Heading out the changing room doors, he was surprised to run straight into a familiar figure.

"Ruby?"

"Oh, hey Jaune," she said, quickly averting her eyes. She stared at his chest. "Um, Ren said you were still inside and I wanted to ask you something. Uh, several somethings…"

"Now?" He hadn't meant to sound so impatient but it must have come through because Ruby cringed. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. It's just that I need to go and make a call to someone at the CCT and I don't have much time. Can't it wait?"

Ruby shifted nervously. "M-Maybe not. I don't think so." She started to wring her hands together, before an idea came and she perked up. "I could come with you. You can do your call and we'll talk afterwards."

"Come… with…?"

That sounded like a terrible idea. Oh, sure, Ruby could just sit next to him as he called the Queen of the Grimm. No way that could go wrong. No way at all.

"It's kind of a private issue," he said.

"I'll wait outside the room while you do it. I just want… I just need to talk to you." She sounded insistent and there was no way he could really say no to that. As long as she didn't come in and listen to what he was talking about, there wouldn't be any issues.

"Alright."

/-/

Jaune spared a third and fourth look around the CCT terminal room. He was alone, much like he'd expected, although there were two Atlas Guards off by the entrance. They were chatting between themselves, however, and he'd chosen a terminal far away from them. Ruby, meanwhile, was doing the same. Not chatting, obviously, but sat at a terminal several seats down, well out of hearing distance and also out of sight. Thankfully the call screens had partitions on either side to prevent anyone looking in on what you were doing.

He looked again, just to be sure, and yet again he was safe.

Damn.

He'd been hoping something would intervene so he'd have an excuse to call off the terrible plan and delay it, preferably until the sun died and the world ended. No such luck. He took a deep breath and placed his scroll face-down on the terminal, linking the two so that it could use his data and library to make the call. It rang once, twice, three times – and kept ringing.

"Maybe she's not in," he whispered to himself, feeling a little relief. "Maybe she has better things to do."

On the sixth ring he reached for the end call button. On the seventh, the screen flashed and the call was connected. A huge red eye filled the screen – ominous and angry with a lit pupil in the centre. Fetid breath washed over the screen.

" _Manny,"_ an angry voice cried. _"I swear on Nicholas' testicles if you don't give me that back I'll have you made into a tapestry! Damn mutt!"_

" _Huff. Huff."_ Manny, his ever faithful Beowolf, recognised his master instantly and slobbered on the screen. He didn't seem to realise how it worked and it looked like he was trying to climb through to reach him.

"Hey boy," Jaune whispered, smiling despite his mounting panic. "It's good to see you. How you doing, boy?"

Manny huffed again and whined, frustrated that he couldn't reach through for a cuddle and a wrestling contest. The scroll was quickly picked up by another hand however, and the view tumbled and spun as it was moved around.

" _Calling at this hour, I swear. You'd better have good information for me Watts or I promise you now I shall flay the skin from your-"_ His mom's face appeared on the screen. Her words cut off with a splutter. Her eyes widened.

Jaune winced. "Hey mom…"

" _SWEETIEKINS! My little baby!"_ The shout, practically a scream, was so loud that everyone heard. The guards stopped talking instantly. Ruby's head snapped in his direction. Jaune winced and leaned against the screen, covering most of it from view.

"Shh, shh," he whispered. "I-I'm around people. Don't talk so loud or they'll hear you."

" _Nicky! Nicky, our baby has called us!"_ Salem yelled, ignoring his words entirely. Luckily it seemed everyone had made up their own minds for the guards laughed at his embarrassment and got back to work, while Ruby giggled and went back to reading through some messages on her scroll. He wasn't sure what to think of a communique with Salem - Queen of the Grimm - being dismissed so, but it worked in his favour so he wasn't going to question it.

" _Wait, Nicky isn't here,"_ Salem said, volume coming down to a more reasonable level. _"Hm, that's frustrating. I could have some Nevermore go and find him but the last time I did that he got angry. Something about it being difficult to explain how he'd survived being abducted from a public event by six Grimm. I'm sure he'd make an exception for this, though!"_

"Don't get Dad," Jaune pleaded. "Look, mom, I'm at Beacon so you _need_ to keep any kind of uh… _family stuff_ to a minimum, okay?" He shot another look toward Ruby and lowered his voice even further. "I have one of my friends here. She can't find out about me, okay?"

" _She?"_ Salem asked, suddenly much more interested.

"Mom, please…"

" _Oh, do stop being silly."_ She fiddled with some buttons on the scroll and the screen suddenly became blurry. _"There, I've switched off the video feed. Now it's just my voice, so can you please stop trying to make love to the display, sweetie. It's awkward to look at."_

He breathed a sigh of relief at the blank screen, and did as she asked, climbing off the screen and no longer covering it from view. She could obviously still see him, even if that wasn't returned, and her voice was clear as day.

" _So, you've finally decided to call mommy after all this time, hm? I don't remember raising my son to be so callous. Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for you to call?"_

"I've been busy…"

" _So busy you couldn't spare me five minutes? Oh, that's fine. I only carried you inside of me for nine months and spent three excruciating hours pushing you out of my-"_

"Mom!"

" _But anyway,"_ she said, quickly changing the subject. _"Enough about my privates. How about yours? Have you gotten anyone pregnant yet?"_

"No, I-"

" _Well, that's fine, I'm sure it would take more time to show. Has anyone been sick recently? Has Cinder been sick recently?"_

"I don't think so…"

" _Hm. You should try a little harder, then. Sometimes it takes more than one try for it to take. Then again that's probably for the best or you'd have a thousand siblings by now. Why, Nicky was just here the other day and we spent a whole weekend without putting on any clothes!"_

"I didn't need to know that, mom…" He fought past his revulsion, even if his skin turned a sickly shade of green. "Mom, I need to ask you something. It's about Cinder."

" _Cinder?"_

"Yes."

" _Doggy or BDSM. I have a feeling she's into domination plays."_

"It's about what Cinder is doing here in Beacon," he said, not really understanding the two phrases he'd been given or why Cinder would like a dog. He lowered his voice so Ruby couldn't hear. "Why did you send her here, Mom? What is it she's after?"

" _I sent her for you. She was `supposed` to bring you home, or at least start on convincing you to return of your own volition."_

"She was? She hasn't even mentioned it."

" _Oh, hasn't she?"_ Salem's voice dipped. _"Hm, well, thanks for telling me, sweetie. I'll be sure to remind her of that the next time she calls to make a report. As for why she's in Beacon, she was initially supposed to arrive now, but with the transfers. She was registered in Haven, after all. She only came to Beacon because you did."_

He remembered that, or at least the fact she was posing as students who had transferred from Haven to Beacon. That she'd followed him made sense, but now with the arrival of the other school's fighters he'd realised she would have been here at Beacon anyway – which meant that whatever it was she had planned, it needed to happen in the time when Haven's students were in Beacon.

That was only for the next month or so. He was on a time limit.

"But what is it she's here for?" he asked. "Originally, I mean. She has some kind of plan in Beacon and I want to know what it is."

" _And you thought I would tell you? Sweetie, I love you but you `do` realise we are on different sides on this, no? Since I'm almost certain you would try to interfere, I'm not sure why I should tell you her goals."_

Damn it. It was like he'd thought.

" _But I could be convinced to point you in the right direction."_

"You could…?"

" _But of course. Whether Cinder succeeds or not will be of her own making. While I won't give you everything, I'm not afraid to give you the opportunity to find out more. How successful you are will be your own choice. But such information doesn't come for free."_

His eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"

" _You to come home?"_

"Not happening. Not yet anyway."

" _Ah, then in lieu of that, how about a chance to meet this `she` you've brought along with you tonight? I think I'd like to have a chat with the girl my son trusts enough to bring along to a call with his mother."_

"Absolutely not."

" _Is that so? Then I suppose you won't find what you want. Goodnight then, son. It was nice talking to you-"_

"Wait…" She had him. He knew she had him just as much as she knew it, and he was grateful for the blank screen that prevented him from seeing the satisfied look he knew graced her face. Letting his mom speak to Ruby?

Letting the Queen of the Grimm speak to one of the most exuberant huntresses ever… it was not a good idea. Hell, it was probably the worst idea imaginable.

"Promise me you'll not reveal anything."

" _I'm hardly about to endanger my son when he is in the middle of the hornet's nest."_

That was true, he supposed. Even he would have a hard time fighting his way out if she did, and she wasn't going to get him killed. Even so, he glanced back to Ruby and cringed. True to form, she was trying to sneak a peek without being obvious and buried her head back in her scroll the second he looked over.

"And you won't tell me what I need if I don't do this? Why can't you just tell me?"

 _"Sweetie, you're asking me to pick sides between Cinder and you. While I'll admit that's not very difficult, I do have hopes she will one day be my daughter-in-law, and I feel that sabotaging her here might lead to her withholding baby-cuddling rights. It wouldn't be fair for me to give you everything. I'll give you what I gave her, and it will be up to you to see what you make of it. Of course, none of that will happen if I cannot meet this friend of yours."_

Regret had never tasted so bad. Heck, he was regretting it before he'd even started.

"Ruby, you got a second? My… my mom wants to meet you."

* * *

 **Sheesh, this chapter was originally 9k words, but I kept re-writing the final 2k, and by the third time I'd done it – with Ruby and Salem's conversations being INSANELY different each time – I decided to sod it and save it for next week. It's not a decision that can be rushed, especially with some implications.**

 **Anyway, here we go for this week. I think the alert system is fixing itself on the site, as I'm sure everyone has noticed alerts not going out for my stuff, and for other author's and even for reviews, Pm's and the like.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 1** **st** **March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	56. Chapter 56

**Like a drowning man thrusting his head above the water, so too do I publish this in a rare moment of** _ **actually having internet**_ **. GASP! Quick, before I drown back into the dark ages! Be published!**

* * *

 **So, here's the chapter after the delay. I'm trapped at home today as well, not to mention my sickness has come back with a vengeance. Yay for terrible weather. In the end I never managed to get to the work I had done on the cloud, which meant it all got wasted and I had to try and re-write most of this from memory.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 56**

* * *

If she'd been offered the chance before she would have jumped at it, but now Ruby hesitated. Her eyes met his, and she looked away as the stinging in her eyes pulsed. If Jaune was… well, if that crazy idea was true – and it had to be crazy, it really did – but if it was true, and this _was_ his mom, then it raised all sorts of questions. Things like, how did that happen, and even who the hell was she going to be talking to?

On the other hand, she couldn't exactly say no, and Dad had always warned her not to jump to conclusions. And even for her, this felt like a conclusion that required a whole lot of acrobatics to jump to.

She slid off the chair and over toward the terminal, biting her lip as she came around and saw the screen for the first time – only to be presented with nothing.

"The call's too long distance to get a picture," Jaune said. The explanation did very little for her confidence. She'd really been hoping for a totally normal and nice-looking woman to appear on the other end dressed in an apron and fresh from baking cookies. The static, mixed with her mounting paranoia, only made everything worse.

But Ruby smiled and waved nonetheless, if a little timidly. "H-Hi."

" _She is adorable,"_ Jaune's mom decided. _"I approve."_

It was a little weird. Ruby would have normally argued against that but there was something in this woman's voice which made arguing impossible, or at least made it seem pointless. She didn't so much _say_ Ruby was adorable as declare it, and that carried some kind of weight, some sort of undeniable fact.

Jaune's mom sounded like someone who was used to getting exactly what she wanted – kind of like Weiss, except much better at it and without a single shred of doubt.

"It's nice to meet you, Jaune's mom," she said, smiling as best she could. "My name's Ruby Rose."

" _I know who you are, just as I know your sister and the fact my son and her are in some form of relationship. Hm. You seem nervous, child. Why is that?"_

Oh, you know… because she may or may not have been talking to someone who may or may not be something impossible – at least if the effect her eyes had on Jaune was any indication. It was just everything she thought she knew crumbling down around her ankles. You know, the usual things.

"Ruby is pretty shy," Jaune said, coming to her rescue.

" _I'm sure Ruby can speak for herself, son."_

"I'm shy," she parroted, latching onto the excuse he'd given her.

There was a long moment of silence punctuated by the gruff snuffles of what _sounded_ like an unusually large dog.

" _Jaune, why don't you let your friend and I chat in peace. I'm sure you can grant us a little privacy for a womanly conversation. No?"_

He crossed his arms. "I'd really rather not."

" _Oh my, I've raised such a nosey and insensitive little boy. Woe is me."_ The woman's voice was so sarcastic Ruby could _feel_ the roll of her eyes. _"I promise not to tell your friend any embarrassing stories about you. Is that enough?"_

"I really think-"

" _Go over and glower somewhere else, Jaune. Let Ruby and I chat."_

It really didn't look like he wanted to. Jaune jutted his chin out stubbornly and held his ground, glaring at the monitor. His mother didn't relent however, and as the silence dragged on his willpower waned. Eventually he lowered his arms and huffed.

"Don't do anything weird, mom. Please…"

" _I'm not sure what you mean. I'm a perfectly normal mother wanting to talk to her son's darling friend. What's weird about that?"_

Maybe the way she made it sound like a threat, Ruby thought. That might have been it. Or maybe she just felt threatened because she was going to be left along with someone she'd never met before. This was Yang's territory, even before her eyes had decided they were going to be stupid and start rebelling against her.

Jaune didn't argue any further and left with a scowl. He made his way over toward the guards at the door, out of hearing distance, but then proceeded to cross his arms and _stare_ at her, making it clear it was on sufferance.

Why was he glaring at her like it was _her_ fault!?

" _Ah, that's better,"_ Jaune's mom said.

"Wait, you can see that he left?"

" _Why, of course. The signal is only bad on my end. You can't see me, but I can see you perfectly."_

That wasn't how calls worked, Ruby felt like pointing out. If anything, it should have been the other way around or both of them having trouble, but she could tell from the crystal-clear reception that wasn't the case. Ah, there came the paranoia again. Wow, she'd never really felt that before her eyes started poking holes in the things she'd come to take for granted.

" _You look worried, dear. What is the matter?"_ The woman chuckled, and even _that_ sounded like it was full of dark promise. _"If you're concerned about what my son said, you needn't be. I'm hardly going to crawl through the screen and kidnap you."_

She'd have felt better if that last bit were left out. "Then why did you want to talk with me?" she asked.

" _Call it a mother's concern for her darling son. I want to know how he is doing at Beacon and trying to get any information out of him is like plucking the feathers off a Nevermore. Do you know this is the `first time` he's called me since he left?"_

Now that she mentioned it, yes. She'd known Jaune ran away to join Beacon, and that sort of implied that he'd done so against his mother's will. Still, maybe it was the thoughts of her own mom and how different things would be, but she couldn't help but feel a little sympathy for the woman.

Even if she knew it wouldn't have been any different if Summer were still alive. She had a dad, but whenever he asked her or Yang how their day at Signal was, all he ever got was `fine` or `okay` in differing degrees of no detail.

Who wanted to talk about school?

"Um, Jaune's doing okay, Mrs Jaune's mom-"

" _Please, call me Salem."_

Salem? Huh, that was a weird name. "Uh, okay. Well, he's doing okay – way better than he used to. He has a lot of friends and he's dating my sister, Yang. He doesn't get in trouble, at least not intentionally. His grades in combat class are a little low, but he more than makes up for it in history. Doctor Oobleck says he's one of the most well-read students he's ever taught."

" _He did?"_ Salem's voice peaked in a happy shriek. _"Oh, that's so sweet. I'll have to send the man a gift basket. Maybe I'll come myself and bend my son over my knee and make him regret all the trouble he's caused me at the same time!"_ The latter was delivered in a feral snarl that shook Ruby to her core. She made an immediate note not to stand between Jaune and his mom should that happen.

"W-What kind of trouble?" she asked, against her better judgment.

" _Oh, nothing you need worry about. So, tell me, has my son been keeping out of trouble? He hasn't done anything dangerous, has he?"_

That depended on what you counted as dangerous. "Nothing too much," she said, coming in on his defence. "He was attacked by some Grimm early on. They tried to kidnap him." Ruby waited for the gasps of horror, but they never came. The woman didn't even react.

" _Nothing else?"_

"Should there be?"

" _I don't know,"_ Salem said, sighing. _"My son has always been so rebellious. He never wanted to do what I'd planned for him – always eager to go off and `make friends` and `become a huntsman`."_ The way she said that made it clear she didn't think much of huntsmen, and Ruby would have normally protested. Not in front of Jaune's mom, though. Not when she still wasn't sure who or what Jaune's mom was.

"He did tell me he ran away from home," Ruby admitted.

" _He admits it, then? What a stubborn child. Maybe it's his father's blood in him."_

The father she'd kidnapped and locked in a basement – and oh Gods, with what her eyes might have been telling her, that suddenly made way more sense than the story Jaune had given her about rival companies. Who else would fight against a huntsman? Who else would a huntsman be trying to sneak up on?

" _And you, my dear. He must trust you a lot to tell you so much about himself."_

Ruby's stomach, for the first time, stopped flipping. "You think so?"

" _I know so, my dear. It is not just anyone my son would trust, let alone to talk to me like this. He must hold you very dearly to himself."_

Her eyes darted to him at that, and yet again the familiar flare between her eyes reminded her of what her instincts were telling her, something that had seemed so impossible and yet now was making more sense with every passing second.

But if he was what she thought he was, then what was she supposed to do?

If Jaune was… if he was _Hentacle_ …

It was a huntress' job to kill Grimm. Failing that she should tell Ozpin or someone else in authority and they'd kill the Grimm for her – but that would mean he would be gone. Dead. Yang would be devastated, their team hurt, and even she would regret it. But… But what was she supposed to do?

And if he _was_ Hentacle, then _who on Remnant was she talking to right now!?_

"I'm not sure he really trusts me all that much," Ruby whispered, almost without thinking.

" _Why not?"_

"W-Well, if he trusted me then there wouldn't be any secrets between us." It only occurred to her at the last second that _admitting_ that to this woman (if she was even technically a woman) was a risky idea.

" _And you feel he keeps something from you?"_

Ruby nodded nervously.

" _Are you not keeping one from him, as well?"_ Ruby's awkward silence said it all. _"Secrets will always exist between people. My husband and I share none, but we are married and that is different from what you and my son are. Or at least I hope that if it were the same, you would have told me by now."_ The worst part was that she trailed off, intrigued.

"W-We're not married!" Ruby yelped, cheeks bright red.

" _Then perhaps you should not expect every one of your secrets to be bared to one another. That is not to say you cannot care for the other. I know he does for you, and dare I say it seems you do for my son, as well."_

"Maybe…" She poked her fingers together.

" _Then what is the problem? If you know he cares for you, and you care for him – then should your differences be any barrier?"_

"What if they're too much?"

" _My dear, had I subscribed to that fallacy my husband and I would not be together. Nor would I have eight children I love dearly._ " Salem chuckled. _"Absolute truths are things humans create to limit themselves. Rather than allow someone else to make your decisions for you, why not think for yourself?"_

Ruby wanted to argue she wasn't like that, but something held her back. Doubt wormed its way inside her.

" _And if you want to have a roll in the hay with my son, then I certainly won't argue."_

The doubt evaporated. It was replaced with something far worse. "N-No, no, no. We're not like that!"

" _But you could be."_

"La-la-la-la, I can't hear anything!"

Salem laughed in response, even as Ruby struggled to regain control of herself and stop the flush threatening to swallow her face whole. Seriously, didn't Jaune's mom understand that him being with Yang was a big thing? She couldn't just do that.

" _You might as well call my son back now,"_ Salem said. _"No doubt he'll be afraid I've filled your mind with all kinds of nonsense."_

Ruby nodded, but also hesitated before she called Jaune. Seeing one last chance, she asked the burning question. "What are you?"

" _I am a mother."_

Weirdly, that was enough. Jaune came back, eyes flat and expression even flatter, but he seemed to relax a little when Ruby didn't say or do anything.

"You alright, Ruby?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

" _Such little faith, my son. Well, I have what I wanted, even if I could stand to have you get in touch more often. I'll have one of your uncles contact you with what you wanted. It was a pleasure talking to you, Ruby. And do remember what I said."_

Which part, the one about making decisions for herself, or the part where she should have Jaune's children? Ruby kept her mouth shut, not trusting herself to ask either. Jaune said his own goodbyes and the screen went black a few seconds later, leaving the two of them alone.

"I'm sorry about that," he said. "Mom's… kind of pushy at times. She always wants to know every little thing about what's going on with me."

Wasn't that like every mom? She couldn't remember her own too well, but she liked to imagine Summer would have been much the same. Taiyang certainly was. That comparison brought its own confusion to her. Jaune's mom was a mom. It sounded obvious, but it was kind of a big deal. His mom acted like every other mom ever.

And yet when she looked up into his eyes, she felt that tell-tale burning again. It didn't hurt, so much as it itched. As if someone behind her eyes was desperately trying to get out and hurt him. Ruby scowled and forced it back, ignoring the discomfort and holding his gaze.

What the hell were her _eyes_ to tell her who she could and couldn't be friends with? What right did they have? _I didn't ask to be some silver-eyed warrior and I'm not. I'm Ruby Rose._ The pain didn't fade entirely, but it did dull. Enough that she felt she could ignore it. For now, anyway.

"Didn't you want to ask me something?" Jaune asked. "Isn't that why you came with me?"

She had, but now that question had become muddled and lost. In lieu of one to ask, she went for another, tilting her head to the side.

"Are we friends?"

Jaune gaped at her. "What kind of question is that!?"

"I don't know. It's just-" She cut off as his arms wrapped around her. She stiffened for a moment, panicking, but when he drew her in for a warm and soft hug, the tension soon fled.

"We _are_ friends," Jaune promised, voice thick with emotion. "You're the first friend I made at Beacon, my _best friend_. I don't want you to ever doubt that."

Ruby sniffled. Her hands wrapped around his back. "Okay…"

Maybe… Maybe it would be okay if she just pretended nothing was wrong. If she pretended things were normal. For now, at least, she could give her best friend the benefit of the doubt. She hugged him tight and didn't let go.

Not until the guards made some suggestive noises, anyway.

/-/

The first day of the festival was finally upon them.

If Blake were being entirely honest she'd say she hadn't been looking forward to it. The fights would be fine, but the first rounds of those weren't until tomorrow. The first day was just the opening ceremony, the carnival, and all the other little things, including a national holiday to celebrate the day. There were no classes too, which would normally be a great chance for her to find a quiet corner of Beacon to settle down into with a good book, as she was doing right now with a book on Grimm resting on her lap.

The woman behind the counter had commented that her teammate had been reading it too, which raised all sorts of questions in her mind, not to mention it piqued her curiosity. The librarian meant Ren, of course. Nora wouldn't care to read about the Grimm and no one would dare accuse Yang of visiting a library for studying purposes.

So, Ren had been reading into the Grimm as well as her, but he'd kept it quiet and not told anyone. Very interesting. Very interesting, indeed. _I wonder if it's about what that Grimm did to him._ It seemed almost obvious, though she didn't know what he thought of it.

Nora hadn't seemed to notice, or if she had she'd erased it from her mind, but Blake thought it was the former since she'd been the first into the room, Yang close behind and Nora bringing up the rear. As such, Blake had been treated to a front-row seat of what that female Hentacle did to Ren, and contrary to Nora's protests it had _not_ been a close call to save Ren's life.

His virginity, perhaps. But not his life.

Hence the reason for her current reading – which she kept hidden indeed. She'd heard there were many fetishists about the world, each with tastes more deviant than the last, but she really didn't want anyone to see her reading theories of "Grimm reproduction" and jump to the _worst possible_ conclusion.

Oh yes, she could just imagine the look on Nora's face if she heard how her partner had some kind of fetishist desire for Beowolves. Blake's face twisted. That hadn't been as amusing a thought in her head as she'd felt it might be. She shook her head and continued reading, moving past the wilder theories and towards the comments on intention and generations.

 _All animals feel the urge to reproduce as a means of continuing their legacy through offspring, with humans being a rare breed to find personal pleasure in the act. Reproduction in animals is functional in nature, which raises the question that if Grimm can breed, then what purpose does it serve? No recorded studies have found evidence of Grimm young, but we know that Grimm can age, and that juvenile-sized Grimm do appear, so they must breed or be created from a different source._

 _Naturally, the absence of evidence of Grimm children does not mean evidence of absence, and it is entirely possible that no such cases have been witnessed, or that Grimmlings live in very specific locations humans have not approached. Due to the threat toward them, for huntsmen would surely kill them, it is possible that Grimm have hidden nurseries, similar to certain species of fish who return to the same location each year to breed._

Blake sighed and turned the page. It was all very interesting, and if she'd had more time to herself she might have cared more about it – but she was looking for something in particular. Something she was fairly sure she wouldn't find.

Could Grimm and humans mate to form a hybrid?

That was almost certainly what Hentacle and the female version of him were. Of course, it could be that there was some other creation process that didn't involve procreation at all, but the similarities were too much. Unless Hentacle and his ilk existed as some kind of parasite organism overtaking a host, which wouldn't make much sense because Ren would have been infected.

Unless he already was… No. There was no way someone could fake the long-suffering look on his face when Nora had demanded pancakes that morning. No Grimm could mimic that perfect blend of exasperation, frustration and incredible patience all in one.

But still, the female Grimm had made out with her team leader – and it had been a real session from what little she'd caught of it. She'd seen chaste kisses, experienced a few herself, but that…? Yikes. Ren was lucky Nora hadn't witnessed it.

 _She also kidnapped Ren, which suggests some level of planning._ The female Hentacle – and they really needed a better name for her – but if she had kidnapped Ren with the intent of… doing things to him.

Her cheeks flushed, and she peeked nervously over the cover of her book. No one was watching. Good.

Ahem…

If the female Grimm had done _that_ , then did that mean the actual Hentacle was similar? There'd been the rumours about him and Roman, but it felt like weeks ago that they'd witnessed that. The last time, before this recent fight, that they'd fought against the actual Hentacle must have been the docks. At that time, he'd thrown Bun (or whatever his name was) aside and knocked him out.

He'd also taken Ruby hostage, but Blake didn't think there was any desire for more there, since Hentacle had let her go soon after, which he wouldn't have done if he'd wanted her. No. He wasn't after Ruby. But the only other person he'd shown interest in was… well…

Her.

"He attacked two White Fang members to protect me," she whispered. And it had been protection, as made obvious by both his words and his anger – and then the way he'd stalked towards her like some terrible predator, pushing her back against a container until… well, until Roman had been in trouble and he'd snapped out of it.

Snapped out of what, exactly? Had the sight of her driven him to some kind of primal urge? There were sick racists and porn-addled idiots who suggested the faunus went into `heat`, just another means of likening them to mindless beasts, but could something similar be true of Hentacle and other Grimm-hybrids? Faunus weren't actually half-animal, the truth being more complicated, but Hentacle might well be half-Grimm, and that would come with whatever complications it did.

 _But if Femtacle_ – Blake cringed – _went after Ren as some kind of attempt to seduce him, then does that mean Hentacle attempted the same with me?_

The similarity to one or two of her books wasn't lost on her, even if she knew full well they were fiction. Or had been fiction. Good lord, this sounded like something she'd read about once or twice. Okay, maybe four or five times.

"This is nuts," she whispered. "This is absolutely insane."

"What is?" Nora asked.

Blake slammed the book shut so hard she caught her thumb and nearly crushed it. Even so, she fixed the most innocent look on her face she'd ever worn. "Nothing!"

"Well, that's suspicious," Yang pointed out.

"What? No." All three of them stood before her, two looking curious and vaguely amused, the latter staring at the book she'd been reading and just looking worried. Blake was just glad to have the one ally, even if she'd need to blackmail him for his help. "I was just reading, that's not suspicious. What's suspicious is you and Nora existing within a hundred feet of the library." Her eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," Yang laughed. "And I _can_ read, by the way."

"Can and will are two different things."

"Yep, just like a library and a festival are two different things," Nora said, smiling happily.

Blake stared at her. "What?"

"Festival," her partner said, slowly, as though explaining the concept to a particularly dumb child. "As in, there's a festival out there. And then library, as in, you're in the library reading when you could be out at a festival with your super-cool team and best-friend-forever partner."

It took a second for what Nora had said to click, but maybe that was the point – for the second's hesitation as she tried to sort the jumble of words in her head was all it took for Nora and Yang to flank her, reaching down to hook their hands under her shoulders and haul her up between them.

"What," Blake hissed, "do you think you're doing?"

"I think I'm taking you to the festival," Nora laughed. "Why, what do _you_ think I'm doing?"

"I think you're making a mistake."

"Hm, that's weird." Nora shrugged. "Oh well, I guess we'll see when we get there."

Between them, and with no concern for her, _or_ the bell that kept chiming around her neck, Yang and Nora carried her out of the library and away. Ren stayed behind a second to politely clear her book away before he followed.

"The Vytal Festival only comes around every two years, Blakey," Nora said. "You can't spend it hiding in the library reading."

"I bet I could," she whined, feeling increasingly like a naughty child – especially when they bundled her onto a Bullhead making the rounds to Amity and back. "I think that if I tried my hardest I really, really, could."

"When I was made your partner, I promised to help you come out of your shell." Nora sniffed, as if remembering a distant and fond memory. "Today, I honour this solemn promise."

"Who did you even promise? I never asked for this!"

"Eh, I promised Mr Ursa."

"Didn't you ride him to death?" Ren asked.

"Yes, but his death working to draw a shy maiden out of her shell would have been what he wanted."

Blake sighed but didn't bother to fight as her partner dragged her off the Bullhead as it landed and through the brightly coloured tents and stalls by her wrist, Ren and Yang behind, both enjoying her suffering. Had someone told her a few months back she'd be letting some excitable girl drag her around, she'd have called them foolish. She wasn't afraid to let someone know when she didn't appreciate their presence. It was just that Nora wasn't afraid to completely ignore that.

"Shouldn't we be training instead?" she asked, trying for one last-ditch effort. Even sparring would be better than fighting through crowds of squealing children and impatient adults.

"We've spent the last few days training," Ren pointed out. "I think we've earned a little time off."

That traitor! Just because by having her along he spared himself Nora's attention. Blake hissed at him for that, but Ren wasn't moved. She looked to Yang instead, desperate for some – any – assistance.

"You _do_ need to socialise a little more."

Betrayal.

"Come on, Blake, it's not like you had other stuff to do. We should be spending today together as a team. Think of it as a chance to scope out the competition."

"By playing asinine stall games?"

"S-Sure." Yang, to her credit, recovered quickly. "It's a way to test their accuracy."

"Are we even allowed to take part? It seems unfair to let huntresses and huntsmen compete against untrained children for teddies. What hope do they have?"

"None at all," Nora cheered, not quite as distressed by the thought as she ought to be. "That's why it's going to be a competition between us."

Blake's eyes narrowed. "Define _us_."

"You and me."

"I have no interest."

"Chicken?"

Blake rolled her eyes. She wasn't six. "Yes, sure. I'm a chicken. Can I go and cluck-cluck my way back to the library now?"

"Nope!"

"I didn't think I would…" For all her complaints she didn't try very hard to escape. There really wasn't that much she had to do, and her books could wait. It wasn't like she was averse to fun, but rather it was the large crowds that annoyed her. Too many people bustling around in too small a space, and it always felt like people's manners were the first thing to go, as they brushed past and nudged you out of the way, not even bothering to say sorry but instead pointing gormlessly at a firework display or some stand selling balloons.

Honestly, she couldn't wait for the competition to get started already. At least fighting she knew, and that was an arena in which she could test herself.

 _As long as we don't end up against Team WJRP straight away,_ she thought. They still didn't have much of a game plan in place to tackle Pyrrha. She really was the person to beat for everyone at the festival this year.

Speaking of Team WJRP…

"I'm surprised you're not out with Jaune today, Yang. Wouldn't this be a perfect place for a date?"

"I would have, but I couldn't find him this morning," Yang admitted. "His team said he woke up early and slipped off for some early-morning training."

"And he didn't come back?"

Yang shrugged. "He'd only been gone half an hour by the time I showed up. Maybe he has by now; I don't know. I wasn't about to wait when he might be hours."

"What a doting girlfriend."

"Shut up, you," Yang laughed, slapping toward Ren's head. "I like to think I'm independent, and that I don't mind if he is, too. Besides, it's not like we have to be around each other twenty-four seven."

"No thoughts that he might be off with some secret admirer?" Blake teased.

"Nah, I trust him. Just because he goes off into the woods doesn't mean he's meeting some secret paramour or something."

/-/

"Concentrate!"

"I _am_ concentrating."

"Then try concentrating better," Cinder said, a scowl on her face. She stood against a tree with her arms crossed and one foot on the trunk. Rather than the red dress he was used to, or the Beacon school uniform, she wore an odd mixture of brown and tan with numerous bandages across her stomach. She caught him staring. "What's the matter now?"

"Are you injured?"

"What?"

"Those bandages," he said. "Did something happen?"

"It's a disguise, you moron."

"But why would you need a disguise? No one knows what you look like in your other outfits. If people haven't recognised your face, then they're not going to recognise you in your usual gear."

Cinder's mouth opened and closed, trying to find the answer. It looked like she hadn't considered it, but that she didn't appreciate him point it out either. "Shut up and concentrate! I'm out here wasting my time when I could be enjoying myself at the festival."

"I didn't think you liked events like those…"

"I don't."

"Then why are-"

"Less talking, more concentrating! If you want to learn to control this Grimm side of you then you need to put some effort into it. Try to feel whatever it was you felt when you last lost control."

"I don't actually remember it all that well."

"For the love of…" Cinder sighed dramatically. "Okay, fine. I can work with this. I can handle this. No reason to get annoyed. I am calm."

Jaune blinked. "Are you talking to yourse-"

"No talking!" she snapped. He felt like pointing out she wasn't sounding as calm as she'd said, but he had a feeling that would be a bad idea. "Your Grimm side seems to appear when you experience a rush of negative emotion, similar to how Grimm are drawn to the same. It may be that it's simply your baser instincts coming out when roused."

"So, I need to avoid negativity?"

"That would be impossible. Humans are bundles of it and with the Vytal Festival coming up it's only going to get worse for you. It would be better if you could learn to control it before the tournament itself begins."

"But that's tomorrow…"

"Hence my pushing you to focus now. You obviously can't _stop_ your Grimm side appearing, so learning to control it is the only option. The first step to doing that will be to bring it out. Get angry at me."

It was just like her to demand something like that, and just like her to scowl when he gritted his teeth and did little else. He tried tensing his muscles a few times, and even glaring at her, but her own stare beat him back and he sighed.

"I can't. I can't just _get angry_ like that."

"Try imagining something horrible; some terrible memory."

"Like when Mom caught me reading after bed time?"

The woman palmed her face. "You're so spoiled." She sighed. "I guess you don't have any real trauma to draw back on. You should count yourself lucky. Alright, fine. Let's try something different." Cinder spread her legs and fell into a combat stance, body turned half toward him, one foot forward and a fist outstretched. "I'm going to attack you. Try to defend."

Uh-oh, that didn't sound-

A fist crashed into his cheek.

"Ow!"

"Defend!" Cinder snapped. She twisted and followed up with a roundhouse kick. It would have hit a few months ago, but Weiss' training hadn't _just_ been him running away. He ducked under, reached for his sword, then panicked and thought better of it.

Her heel slammed down on his shoulder and knocked him to the grass.

"Why didn't you draw your weapon?"

"We're far away from help," he explained, pushing his face up out of the mud. "I don't want to accidentally hurt you."

"I think you're missing the point here." Cinder kicked one of his legs out from under him. He managed to cross his arms over his chest as he fell, blocking her straight thrust, but he still hit the ground hard. He was forced to roll away as she stomped for his head.

"What point? Aren't we just sparring?"

Cinder growled and lunged in again. She launched a flurry of blows that he caught on his forearms. He tentatively sent one back, probing her defences, but Cinder was a master in combat where he was an amateur. She caught his arm, twisted it over her shoulder and flipped him onto his back. She then placed her knees against it, threatening to break the bone.

"I give," he yelped, slapping the ground with his other hand.

She paused, and then increased the pressure, making him gasp. "Who said I'd accept your surrender? Break free."

"I-I can't."

"Then you'll lose your arm."

The tone of her voice shocked him. He struggled again, but her grip was unrelenting, and his shoulder cried out in pain when he tried to turn over. As a last resort he reached deep inside of himself.

The change came on quickly. His skin, hair, and eyes changed in a matter of seconds – a tentacle lunging out of his back and driving her away, breaking hold of him. He staggered to his feet, arm limp beside him as his other prodded and massaged the muscle there.

"Good," Cinder called, squaring herself. "Now, see if you can't control it."

Jaune paused. "Control what?"

"You're…" She sighed and lowered her guard. "You changed on purpose? You idiot, you were supposed to become angry and lose control, lashing out in an attempt to harm the one hurting you. You can stop fighting now and change back before someone sees you." She waited for him to do so, eyes narrowed. "This isn't working. You don't seem capable of generating the necessary anger and rage."

"I can't do it against you," he said, releasing a long breath.

"Hm. I suppose that's understandable. I did help raise you, not to mention the lengths of time we've spent together. Perhaps it's more instinctive and your mind and heart hold you back." She shrugged her shoulders but didn't seem quite so upset about it as she had before. "Good to see you still hold me in the correct regard. That does make our training here all but useless, however."

Damn it. She was right. It wasn't that he didn't try his hardest or that he was trying to be obstinate, but he just couldn't raise the necessary anger. The last few times had been freak occurrences; one of Ironwood's men against the White Fang – two sides willed with hatred, and the other being when Lavender was threatened. That was his little sister though, weak little Lavender, and friends or not he wasn't about to sit back and let Team RYBN kill her.

"I'm sorry. I just can't get angry enough at you – at least not enough to lose control." That would be some serious rage, as opposed to minor annoyance, so even her kicking his ass in a spar wasn't going to make much of a difference.

"Then there's little that can be done but to chance it. The Vytal Festival will not be stopped. It's too important."

Something about that caught his attention. "Too important to you?"

"To the people of Vale," she countered. "I could care less."

"Then why are you here at all?"

"I came here to look after you, or did you forget that?"

No, he hadn't. But he'd also not forgotten that her initial plan had been for her to be a team from Haven, who would have also come here for the Vytal Festival. The only thing his running away had changed was what school she fought for. There'd not yet been the promised information from his uncles, but he didn't need it to know something more was being planned for this.

"You said you wouldn't harm my friends."

Cinder sighed. "And have I? Why are you bringing this up now of all times?"

"I just wanted to make sure you remembered it. You _did_ promise me."

"I am well aware of that fact." She crossed her arms. "And I believe you are being foolish. Still," she added, when he made to complain, "I will honour it. I will nor personally harm any of your friends, nor – if I can help it – will my goals harm them. That is _intentionally_ , of course. I cannot guarantee every aspect, especially if your friends throw themselves in front of me, but I will try my best. You have my word."

Most people who thought they knew Cinder Fall wouldn't have counted that for much, but it was different for him. She would lie, and she would break her agreements if it suited her, but that was only against people she knew she could get away with it on. She was cautious to the extreme. The fallout of her breaking an agreement like this with him would haunt her forever, especially once Salem found out. Cinder would keep her word. He knew it.

"Thanks, Cinder. And thank you for trying to help me here as well. It really does mean a lot to me."

"What are you blithering on about now?" She glowered at him, but her eyes widened when she saw him approach. "What are you-? No, back. Don't even _think_ about it."

He did. He approached with arms wide open, face and body smeared in mud, and enfolded his Big Sis into a huge hug. As ever, it was like hugging a Boarbatusk – kicking, spiky bits and growling all included.

"Thanks, Cinder!" he yelled, fighting past her raging fists and vitriolic curses. "You're the best Big Sis and I love you." She froze. "Just… don't do anything too bad, okay? I don't want to end up fighting against you if I can help it."

"Is that what has you so worried?" she asked, relaxing in his arms. She sighed. "You're such a dramatic fool. What will happen will happen, but it won't change anything. You're still the Prince of the Grimm and I'm still Cinder Fall. Whether we fight with or against one another, what we are cannot be avoided. It is our destiny."

"You and destiny," he laughed. "I'll never understand it." He smirked a second later. "By the way, I noticed you stopped trying to break free. Could it be you _like_ being hugged by me?"

Cinder's eyes narrowed. A knee buried itself in his groin. Jaune slumped, knees locked together, hands buried between them. His face pressed against the mud as Cinder tossed her head and stalked away.

" **Smooth,"** Remy commented. **"Real smooth."**

* * *

 **So, a note here. Wow, I bet some people will be surprised to see that Blake segment coming back after what,** _ **thirty**_ **chapters. Talk about a plot thread that was slow to ever get mentioned again. Well, that was kind of the things that fell by the wayside during that long dance arc, and some of you might even have forgotten it all entirely.**

 **Anyway, I was doing a lesson with one of my students recently and he asked about it, and basically urged me to just continue it as I'd originally planned it. You see, I had plans but when the dance arc dragged on and on, I was forced to throw them away, and once I'd fixed it I felt the Blake and Hentacle scene was just so long ago that I was going to ignore it. Just call it a casualty of the dance arc, or something.**

 **But maybe my student had a point. Sure, it's been ages – and sure, that means it's going to suffer a little from that – but I've already acknowledged my mistake on the dance arc, so even if it won't be as good as it could have been, that's no reason to let the plan die entirely.**

 **So, yeah, I know it's been ages since that ever got mentioned – but I'm just digging it up and using it regardless. At least from** _ **their**_ **point of view, it would have only been two to three weeks.**

 **P.s. Oh, and yeah, Ruby has _actually_ has figured out the truth. Or at least some of it. I tried to show through her thoughts, but for those who didn't get it, the reason she is conflicted and isn't _telling anyone_ is because she's aware what that would mean. Jaune would be hunted and might be killed. I'm sure some will be "Well why doesn't she tell Ozpin!" and there's the reason. She still has feelings, friendship and more, for Jaune, and doesn't want to lose someone she considers her best friend, let alone be responsible for killing him.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 8** **th** **March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	57. Chapter 57

**So, I had a lovely lunch break in the shithole town I work in today where some twat on a bicycle tried to knife me. Fun, fun, fun. Just two of them riding around in a parking lot in a shopping centre knocking people over, riding into the shops and basically cackling like morons as the security guards tried to chase them. One rode by me and tried to slap me in the face so I, quite reasonably, caught his arm and hauled him off his bike.**

 **And he, being a 16 year old idiot hyped up on speed, M-cat or whatever other stupid drugs go around this deadbeat town, came up spitting abuse and trying to swing a knife for my face. Luckily I didn't have to do anything other than step back, let it miss, and then let the security guards pile the asshole to the floor (all while his mate shouted abuse and pedalled away like an idiot), but still, fuck this place! I was only after a mother's day gift.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 57**

* * *

Ruby and Blake made for a strange sight as they each slumped over the counter of a small noodle bar, empty bowls before them. It wasn't so much the complete exhaustion, although that did generate a few strange looks from the man behind the counter, but rather the fact that the two, who weren't even teammates, were out together at the carnival at all. Of all the people Ruby knew in Beacon, Blake was easily the least easy to talk to when you were socially awkward.

But there were always similarities to be found if you looked hard enough.

"Nora is a nightmare," Blake groaned. "I'm not sure which is worse any more, her thinking I'm after Ren or that I need help socialising."

"Weiss is just as bad," Ruby complained. "Don't eat now; matches start in four hours and we need you ready. Don't touch your weapon. Don't drink juice when there's water available. Eat a healthier breakfast. Have you done your homework?" She sighed into her arms. "I barely escaped with my life. We don't even know if we're fighting today!" The first rounds would be split over two days, after all, due to the number of fights involved. The progressive ones would take less time as teams were knocked out.

"It's a roulette system, I think," Blake said. "None of us will know if we're fighting today until we're actually there."

"I know, but try telling that to Weiss." Ruby placed her hands on her hips and made a passable impression of her team leader. "We need to prepare for every eventuality. That means we need to sit down and consider every single possible combination of battlefields, every combination of teams we might face and our plans for beating them. If we start now it'll only take twenty-five years." She slumped, head on the counter. "It sucks, Blake. It sucks!"

"Planning isn't necessarily a bad thing. What are you going to do if you end up against a team who has an advantage due to terrain?"

"Throw Pyrrha at them," Ruby said, completely serious.

Blake opened her mouth to argue, but was forced to close it a second later. She tried to think up a scenario where throwing the overly-skilled and competent champion _wouldn't_ be a good solution and came up blank. "Well, this whole tournament suddenly feels a lot less winnable…" She slapped a fist into her palm. "Ah! What if you end up against someone who has a Semblance that can knock her out instantly?"

"Use Jaune as a human shield and have him walk forward tanking it with Pyrrha hiding behind."

"…" Blake sighed. "Your team is stupid."

"Sorry."

"What are your teammates up to, anyway?" Blake asked, changing the subject before her already diminished confidence took a further nose dive.

"Jaune's on a date with Yang," Ruby said. "And Pyrrha is Pyrrha. She's perfect, so her homework is already done and she's already the best fighter in Beacon." She stuck her tongue out at that. Pyrrha was awesome, don't get her wrong, but when you were already two years younger than everyone else, being partnered with the best wasn't exactly good for comparison.

"Ugh," Blake complained. "Teammates…"

Ruby agreed. "Teammates…"

The camaraderie was odd, but not unwelcome. The first rounds of fights were planned for later in the day, but there was still plenty of time left for that to happen, with the tournament being sort of the climax of the carnival and thus in the afternoon. Classes were off, obviously, and that left them with a vast amount of free time and not much to do with it. Training was out, since if you got tired or an injury this close to the big fight; you'd be the laughing stock of Remnant. Couldn't go into Vale because the air traffic was stupid and you didn't even _want_ to know what Miss Goodwitch would do if you _missed_ your fight, and you couldn't stay back in Beacon because Nora.

Caught between Nora and a hard place, Blake had fled to the carnival to hide in the stands, and Ruby, doing the exact same but with Weiss, had bumped into her. Cue their hiding together at a noodle stand while their teammates looked for them.

"We should probably hang out," Ruby said, thinking that if Weiss found her she might be able to run faster than Blake could thanks to her semblance.

"I agree," Blake said, looking Ruby up and down and clearly judging that she could trip the girl up and sacrifice her if Nora found them. "I don't suppose there was anything you wanted to do today, was there?"

"Avoid the games stalls."

"Really? I thought you'd like those."

"I do, but Yang and Jaune are there," she explained.

"Ah, you don't want to intrude. That's kind of you."

"More like I don't want to be a third wheel," Ruby mumbled, "but sure, let's go with kindness. What about you, did _you_ have anything you wanted to do?"

"Apart from avoid Nora and Ren, no." Blake ran a hand through her hair, ignoring the way the bell on her collar tinkled. When she saw Ruby's confused look, she explained a little more. "Ren is fine, but he's more than aware Nora gets distracted and focuses on me. Don't be fooled by the calm demeanour. He's more than willing to use me as a shield to save himself the crazy."

"Wow," Ruby said, not really having expected that of someone like Ren. "Dad always did say it was the quiet ones you had to watch out for. And the confident ones," she added, "and boys in general."

"Protective much?"

Ruby laughed. "Nah, he just liked to scare off any boys who came near me or Yang."

Blake blinked, clearly trying to figure out if Ruby was being sarcastic or not, and whether she should point out the fallacy in that statement. She thought better of it, however, shrugging her shoulders. Ruby was odd, but she wasn't Nora. That meant she was perfect, whatever her faults. "Well, I wouldn't mind picking up some things from the shops," she said. "Want to come with?"

"Will Weiss be there?" Ruby asked.

"And buy something from a non-branded shop? I think not."

Ruby grinned. "Then let's go."

The carnival, or festival, whatever people wanted to call it, took up a pretty large part of both Beacon _and_ Amity. There were also loads of celebrations in Vale, too, but the majority of the stuff was out of the city. It was broken into sections, organised roughly around themes like entertainment, shopping, and cultural stuff like history re-enactments and shows of Vacuo fire dancing and Atlas dust crafting. There were food courts spread throughout the whole place.

The shopping section was basically a big square of tents and marquees, some larger than others, and all selling a wide array of goods. Some were cultural again, like shirts and clothing of fashion from the other kingdoms, while others were just general tat like kid's toys or balloons. More was tournament-focused, and Ruby actually considered buying one of the flags with Pyrrha's face on it. It would have been funny to see her partner's reaction.

In the end they visited a few smaller stores selling equipment, and Ruby was able to get some special lubricant oil from Vacuo – which earned very worried looks from Blake for some reason.

"It's for Crescent Rose," she explained.

"Ruby, that's… you know what, never mind. Please just don't let Yang know you bought it with me. Do you mind if we stop at the book store? I want to see if the latest in one of my series is out."

"Sure thing." Books weren't really her thing, other than comics. Luckily the pavilion Blake took her to knew its target audience, and coming to Beacon for a festival had a huge stand dedicated to huntsman and huntress-based comic books. Blake laughed when she saw the look on Ruby's face.

"I guess I'll leave you here. I'll be over in the adult section if you need me."

"The boring section," Ruby recounted, eyes glazed over. "Got it."

Ruby didn't react as Blake rolled her eyes and wandered off. She scanned the comics, all the while running through funds in her head and trying to figure out how many she could afford. Some of these were titles she'd never heard of, most being from Mistral. They _looked_ awesome.

 _Where's Jaune when I need him? He could buy me loads… no, no, no. No taking advantage of him. Maybe Weiss… no. Bad Ruby!_

She'd just have to be picky. Since other people in the store were flicking through books and reading a few pages and the shopkeeper, an elderly woman, didn't seem to mind, she did the same, choosing a comic off the rack with a young woman fighting off a Beowolf. Yang had once laughed and asked why that appealed since it was what they did themselves, but she didn't understand.

It wasn't about fantasy worlds or different universes, but about an awesome heroine – or hero – rising past adversity to kick butt and save the world. Ruby flicked through the first few pages, eyes widening as she read the intro.

Wow, Mistral comics were a lot more brutal than Vale ones. In a good way. There was actual violence or at least more than what you'd see in a normal comic. It was against Grimm, of course, but the heroine was already bloody and exhausted, with a determined look on her face. Most of the Vale heroes she read about basically beat everyone and never got dirty doing it. This one felt more realistic.

"Mistral is so cool…"

It took five minutes to read through the first quarter of it, and she only stopped when she realised she was actually reading it all and not skimming. The story looked pretty good – it was about a girl whose parents were killed by Grimm, and she then went on a campaign of revenge, tempered by a friend who didn't want to see her walk a dark path. It held promise, and seemed way better than the `hero kill Grimm` comics she was used to. She tossed it in a small plastic basket and looked through a few more on the shelf.

This was torture; they were all so good! She had to pick through them carefully, putting some back that she _really_ wanted to buy. "Maybe Pyrrha will know somewhere in Mistral I can order them from," she said, finally counting up six comics and not a single one more.

 _I'd better go find Blake before I cave and buy some more,_ she thought, hurrying away. It was too much of a temptation otherwise, and she still had to save some lien for dust and any repairs Crescent Rose might need if it got damaged in the tournament. Ruby tore her eyes away and marched toward where Blake would be, peeking around aisles to try and find her,

It didn't take long. Blake was stood before a stand of books that all had concealed covers, as in the books had little strips of black over them, preventing people from seeing them. The not-so-secret faunus stood with hunched shoulders, body turned just slightly so that it was hard to see her face as she read through a book. Like Ruby, she had a basket with a few others by her side, and again like her, it wasn't empty.

Call her socially awkward but she wasn't an idiot. Blake looked like she might _freak_ if she just jogged up and said hi. Ruby backed away and drew out her scroll instead, sending a quick message to say she was done and to ask if Blake was. At least that way there wouldn't be any nasty surprises. "Heh, I'm so clever," she self-congratulated, putting the scroll away. This way Blake could come find her and there wouldn't be any awkwardness or embarrassment.

She was about to hurry back to the comics section when something caught her eye. The section she was in, the mature – or boring section – actually had a rack of comics as well. _Huh, that's weird. I thought adult book shops were always just boring. I didn't know they had comics, too. Sweet._ Blake was probably still distracted, so she slipped over and stood on tip toes to peek at some of them.

They looked similar to the comics she'd looked at before, again with huntresses on the cover, except that they seemed to be really overly-formed, and the outfits they wore didn't seem entirely practical. Ruby looked at one where the heroine was basically just wearing a bra and her underwear. "I guess it wouldn't restrict her movement," she mused. Plus, aura would protect her exposed skin. Maybe the cover had a point.

Another quickly caught her attention, however. It featured a girl – a huntress – standing with a huge sword gripped in two hands. Her skirt was torn, her top near ripped in two, and opposite her stood a huge figure, black in colour with bright red eyes. Behind him, and surrounding the girl, numerous tentacles hovered.

"Is that…?"

It was close, though not quite perfect. Focus a little more on the hair and the face, and limit the tentacles to four instead of around twenty and it would have been Hentacle. Still, it was really similar, and a dormant curiosity came back to niggle at the forefront of her mind. It was just a comic, she told herself. Weiss always did tell her she should read more…

She spared a quick glance left and right. Everyone was distracted and she could still see Blake's bow peeking over the top of a nearby aisle. With that in mind, Ruby snatched the comic and stuffed it into her basket, replacing it with one of the ones she'd chosen earlier. No one would notice and even though she wasn't technically old enough to buy it, she was still a student of Beacon. The woman at the till would just need to see her Beacon ID, and she'd then assume her as being seventeen.

"Ruby?" Blake called. "Ruby, are you there?"

"Over here, Blake!"

"There you are," Blake smiled, following the noise. "I got your message. Sorry about taking so long. There are a lot of really good books here."

"Yeah, I know." She hoisted her basket and laughed nervously. "I got a few as well."

"Comics?"

"Hey, they're still books!"

"I think Weiss would disagree," Blake teased. "But she's not here, so I won't. Come on, let's pay and get out of here. Yang would have my head if she caught me bringing you into this section of the store."

"The adult section?" Ruby asked innocently.

"Shh, shh, not so loud!" Blake's cheeks were red and she ducked her head, trying to hide away.

"It's just books, Blake." She rolled her eyes and tugged her friend along. "Besides, we're practically adults now anyway. You shouldn't feel embarrassed about reading what everyone else does."

"What do you think adult books are, Ruby?" she asked.

"Books for adults," Ruby said, rather plainly. "Duh."

Seriously, Blake could be so weird sometimes, especially when she let out a huge sigh of relief and straightened back up, leading them over to the till. She even kept her books hidden as she bought them, blocking Ruby's view as she hid them over. If she hadn't she might have seen the book Ruby bought, but she didn't.

The shopkeeper did, and looked about ready to ask for her age before she saw the Beacon ID and nodded. "It's a particular favourite of mine as well," the woman said, winking. "You'll have fun with this one, believe me."

"What was that about?" Blake asked curiously when they stepped out.

"I-I dunno. Maybe she likes comics. Hey look, it's nearly time for the first rounds. We should go back to Beacon and hide - I mean _stash_ – these books. We'd just have to leave them somewhere if we have to fight, right?"

"I suppose you're right. I need to find a good spot to hide mine."

"You mean stash?"

"No," Blake said. "Uh… I mean, well, it's not like I _have_ to hide my books for any reason, but Nora would get them messy, you know? It's not like there's anything wrong with them."

"Yeah, mine either," Ruby said. "I have to hide mine because Weiss would see them and decide they're not educational. It's not like I actually have anything I shouldn't."

Blake and Ruby stared at one another for a long moment.

"Help me hide mine and I'll help you hide yours?" Blake offered.

"Deal."

/-/

"Where are they!?" Weiss hissed.

"I'm sure they'll be here any moment," Pyrrha said, seeking to calm her down. It wasn't very successful.

"I'd certainly hope so, since you know, _the whole tournament_ is about to begin any moment. If those idiots are late I swear to any gods in this world I will make them suffer!" Despite the angry words, Weiss paced about nervously, often raising her nails to her lips before she thought better of it and played with her skirt. "Damn it. Don't they know my sister is watching this? What kind of message will I be sending if I have to go out there and fight with just the two of us!?"

"Um-"

"We'll still win, of course," Weiss said. "Because, you know, _you_. But still, it's the thought of the matter!"

"I'm sure the competition won't be _that_ simple," Pyrrha defended, feeling equal parts awkward and maybe even a little sympathetic for the other competitors Weiss had so easily dismissed. "I'm good, but I'm not _that_ good."

"Whatever you say. Ah, finally!"

"Yo!" Yang called, strolling toward them with Jaune beside her. She had two large stuffed animals in hand, one beneath each armpit and pinned to her side. When she got close she tossed one to, or at, Weiss, which the heiress caught.

"What on Remnant is this for?"

"Jaune won it for you," Yang said, grinning. "At least that's the story if your sister asks."

Weiss groaned and eyed the thing warily. "Ugh. I see your point…"

"Is that any way to react to your boyfriend winning you a prize? You should be hugging it against you and blushing."

"You're not blushing," Weiss snapped, eyeing the blonde. "No, don't even start; this is _completely_ inconsequential to the matter at hand. Have either of you seen Ruby anywhere? What are we going to do if she isn't here and we're forced to compete!?"

"Have Pyrrha handle it?" Yang suggested, jerking a thumb in the redhead's direction.

"I really think you're over-exaggerating my skill level here…"

"Sure, and I bet _everyone_ here doesn't have metal weapons," Yang drawled, earning a flush of colour from the other girl. "You realise bookies aren't even _taking_ bets on you. I checked."

"That's-" Pyrrha's eyes widened. "Oh look, a distraction. I mean, look, Ruby."

"We're here!" Ruby shouted, approaching with Blake of all people and smiling widely. "Whoo. Made it with time to spare."

"No, you did not!" Weiss snapped. "You are _late_."

Ruby checked her scroll. "There's still fifteen minutes until the first match…"

"That _is_ late, you dolt. I explicitly said to be here half an hour before in case something went wrong. We've lost valuable time we could have used to strategize against our opponents. I swear, I try my hardest to be the leader this team needs and nothing I say works its way into your-"

"So, yeah, Jaune took a few tries – like twenty – but he eventually got the ball through the hoop," Yang said, showing Ruby her lion-teddy. "Then it was, like, another thirty tries to win Weiss the penguin."

"Sounds about right," Ruby giggled.

Weiss' eye twitched. Pyrrha nervously stepped away.

Luckily for Ruby, and possibly for everyone with a working pair of ear drums in the vicinity, Ren and Nora arrived at last, bringing the two teams to completion. It was enough even to distract Weiss, mostly because Nora arrived cheering wildly and waving her weapon above her head.

"Heyooo!" she called. "The main characters are here at last!"

"Main characters?" Yang looked vaguely amused. "Whatever. You two cut it close. Where were you?"

"Making up plans to beat Pyrrha," Nora chimed. "I think I've got it."

"I've told you we can't go with that plan, Nora," Ren sighed. "You can't break both of Pyrrha's legs."

"Actually, she can," the girl in question answered, not quite as worried by the threat as she perhaps ought to have been. "There aren't any rules against debilitating attacks in the tournament, so if she can manage it then feel free."

"See? I told you she'd be cool with it." Nora smiled and gripped her hammer, turning to Pyrrha. "Now, stand still. It'll hurt less this way."

Pyrrha blinked and, contrary to the suggestion, backed away. "I meant it would be allowed _during_ the bouts…"

"Aww…"

A PA system within the competitor sections of the stand came to life, informing them to head to their seats and prepare for the tournament to begin. The stadium itself was huge, seating tens of thousands, but there was a small section by the front – prime seat space – for students who were competing. Those who attended one of the schools but weren't competing sat further behind.

"Front row seats," Yang cheered, stealing one and lounging out across three more. "Sheesh, and look how empty this section is. It's sweet."

"I'll admit it's pleasant not to be crammed shoulder to shoulder like some are," Weiss commented, placing her stuffed toy down on one seat and sitting next to it. "We do have a good view of the arena as well, though it is rather close to the ground."

"Yeah, we might not have a good view if the arena is tall," Ruby said, "but there's always that," she added, pointing to the huge display screen that took up a good part of all four of the stands. There was one on each, providing a perfect view for anyone on any stand, as well as numerous cameras on automated lines running around the arena itself.

"There's a lot of people here," Jaune said. "More than I expected…"

"Nervous? I didn't think you'd get stage fright."

"It's not that." He bit his lip and scratched his arm with the other. Ruby wasn't sure, but he looked out of it, almost distracted. "It's nothing," he said. "I'll be fine. I have to be."

She was about to ask what he meant but for the tournament's first round being announced, and the huge roulette system beginning to turn. Concern took a back seat at that, the excitement building to a fever pitch as literally every single competing student leaned forward, gripping the railings or seats in front of them.

It seemed to go on forever – and Port and Oobleck's commentary hardly helped. Eventually, the first one stopped. It was Team RYBN, Yang's team.

"First ones out?" Blake sighed. "Talk about pressure…"

Ruby saw Yang grip the railing, fingers turning white.

The second dial stopped.

Team CRDL.

"Yes!" Yang yelled, pumping a fist in the air. "Not Pyrrha!"

"H-Hey now," the redhead chimed.

"Sweet!" Cardin howled, several rows down from them. "We didn't get Nikos!"

Pyrrha threw her arms in the air. "Oh, come on!"

/-/

Jaune's finger tapped rapidly on the railing as he watched the battlefield be selected for the fight, both Team RYBN and CRDL now stood in the centre and watching in awe as the ground around them shifted. It was impressive, he'd happily admit, and the crowd clearly loved the spectacle, but there was too much on his mind to really process it, let alone enjoy the fight.

He was surrounded by people…

People in numbers greater than he could have ever imagined – thousands, maybe even tens of thousands. Their thoughts washed over him like a tidal wave, as did their noise as they cheered and screamed. Jaune swallowed and wiped some sweat from his brow. There was nothing yet that had even started to niggle on him; no anger, sadness, or negativity.

But the potential was there – and that terrified him.

" **Just concentrate,"** Remy said, sensing his distress. **"This is… it's dangerous, but you can get through it. Focus on cheering people on. Like Penny. She's competing."**

" _Or Yang, since she is my girlfriend…"_

" **Or her…"** Remy suddenly sounded much less interested. **"Heads up, but I think someone is staring at you."**

Remy's warning was all he needed to sense it too, and he turned his head subtly, catching Cinder's gaze on him. She didn't recoil at being caught, and instead nodded her head slowly. So, she was aware of the danger too, and as worried as he.

Hopefully she'd have a plan in case the worst case scenario came to pass. Maybe she could help him escape, or just see if he was being overwhelmed and get him out of the area as quickly as possible.

" _Nothing bad should happen. This whole festival is supposed to be about making people happy, so I'll be fine. Even if a few people lose bets and feel upset, their negativity will be swallowed by everyone else's happiness. And if the worst happens, Cinder is here."_

" **Yeah, but I didn't mean** _ **she**_ **was watching you. Try your little silver-eyed-monster."**

"Ruby?" he asked, out loud and before he could think better of it. The girl in question yelped, embarrassed to have been caught when he wasn't even looking her way. Unlike Cinder, she totally did look away awkwardly when he turned in her direction. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"I-I just thought you looked nervous. You don't have to worry. Yang is strong."

Yang _was_ strong, he knew that. Ruby might have thought he was nervous about the match, and since he _was_ dating Yang she probably had a point that he should have his mind on it. He nodded to Ruby and turned back to the match, content to let it distract him. The best way to not focus on any negativity was to watch Yang kick ass, after all. She'd be in a great mood afterwards.

"Go Yang!" Ruby called.

"You can do it!" he echoed.

Yang heard them and turned in their direction. She held up one fist, and the crowd, no doubt thinking it a sick taunt, went wild. Jaune clapped along with them, enjoying Yang's easy confidence. It was something he'd always liked about her; a sort of constant assurance that things would be fine, even in the worst of spots. This had to count. None of them had ever had to fight in front of so many people before.

"Make sure to watch carefully," Weiss instructed. "We'll need to analyse their fighting styles later."

"Okay."

"Sure."

Both he and Ruby gave it the automatic answers of people who hadn't heard and wouldn't have followed the orders even if they had. Weiss sighed and rolled her eyes, not at all surprised. To be fair, Professor Port was really whipping the crowd into it, and that was pretty infectious. Infectious, but not dangerous. _I guess excitement doesn't really count as negativity, even if they're basically shouting for combat and blood._

The battleground was a… _unique_ one. The counter had revealed fire and a city, picking two options at random and tacking them together. That resulted in a strange arena that had one part of flaming dust, rock, and rivers of what looked like – but surely couldn't safely be – magma. On the other end it was a broken down and half-destroyed city-scape. It _looked_ impressive, but there was something of a flaw to the design.

Teams RYBN and CRDL took one look at the fire side, shrugged, and then all wandered over to stand in the city side, ignoring half the arena entirely.

"I feel like someone went to great lengths to plan this, but didn't account for common sense," Pyrrha said.

"Tell me about it," Weiss sighed. "I mean, really, two utterly random environments? What would they have done if a forest and fire combination was chosen? They'd have a forest fire in the middle of the arena."

"Shhhh!" Ruby glared at them both. "We're watching the fight."

"They've not even started yet."

"AND BEGIN!" Port yelled.

The crowd roared. CRDL moved. They wasted no time closing the distance, rushing in to take Team RYBN off guard and end the fight before it could drag itself out. It might have worked against a weaker team but Nora hadn't taken her eyes off her opponents since the fight began and quickly put a stop to the charge with a barrage of grenades. The explosions, in colours ranging from pink to green, created a thick smoke that blanketed the arena. The display screens on the stadium walls quickly switched to a view which highlighted each fighters outline, letting the audience see what was going on.

Ren had charged into the smoke with Blake, the two sneaky fighters taking advantage of what they could. They split apart and circled wide, getting behind the enemy – but not attacking. Both ducked into a building in the city-scape, slipping away while Team CRDL backed into a small huddle and waited for the smoke to clear.

The second it did, Yang and Nora nearly knocked all for our – Nora coming from above with her hammer, while Yang launched a double shotgun blast directly at them. Cardin surged into it, turning at the last so the back of his armour took it, shielding his teammates. It was a clever move, even if his aura did take a hit. It gave Russel and Dove chance to dodge back, while Sky ducked under and caught Nora from behind the moment she landed.

The two tussled, the taller boy using the reach of his polearm to try and keep Nora's hammer away. His height and reach seemed to give him the edge and he hooked the haft of his weapon against hers, using both hands to push her down onto her knees. She didn't see Russel charging in from behind, knives at the ready.

But Blake did.

Russel didn't make it within five feet of Nora before the girl in black appeared, streaking over the top of him and leaping from a second-floor window of a fake apartment complex. She landed on his shoulders, crouched low and slammed the butt of her weapon into the top of his skull. Russel staggered but managed to stay standing, even as Blake hopped off his head and toward Nora, forcing Sky to disengage and back off.

"Thanks Blakey," Nora laughed.

"What are partners for, huh?"

"GO BLAKE!" a half-topless faunus screamed from several seats down.

Blake either didn't hear him or chose not to. She dashed after Sky instead, tapping for Nora to take the already stunned Russel. The fast and agile faunus was able to get under and past the tip of Sky's weapon, forcing him into close quarters – while Russel couldn't do the same against Nora since she could keep him at long range with her grenade launcher. The melee was broke by a loud cry as Dove was launched through the already broken window of a nearby building, rolling across the street. He barely got up in time to parry Ren's follow-up blow, but was unable to stop the foot that planted itself in his chest, kicking him back.

Cardin might have been able to shift the focus and support his team, but Yang knew that. The brawler kept him busy with several short jabs towards his face, testing and probing, taking few risks and preventing him from breaking off to help the others. The one opening he did get, he swung his mace across him, but Yang bent back acrobatically. It looked like she might fall, but she aimed both fists back and fired, propelling herself back into a standing position and also delivering a punishing punch fist directly into Cardin's face.

He sailed back – and for a moment he teetered on the edge of the ring. There were gasps from the crowd.

Yang could have finished it there, but she let him recover, making a "come" motion with one hand. Wise it might not have been, but for her flare the crowd went wild, cheering and screaming. No one wanted the first match to be anything other than epic, Yang included.

The fights split into four separate melee engagements, removing any element of teamwork. That might have been bad for some, but with Team RYBN having capable individual fighters it gave them a chance to limit CRDL's options. Whatever drills Cardin had put his team through weren't paying off, and unless they got a chance to regroup it looked like the fight would end from attrition. The average aura score among the team was 46% or so, while Team RYBN were between sixty and seventy each.

CRDL seemed to recognise it. On the next pass Russel pushed in close to Nora, waiting for her to blast him away. Rather than be hit he leapt and planted both feet on the hammer, using it as a vault to create more distance than expected. Ren saw him flying in towards his engagement and backed away, unwilling to accept the two versus one. That gave Dove and Russel a chance to do the same with Sky, forcing Blake off.

"Don't let them regroup!" Ren snapped, ordering Nora and Blake into place. The three rushed between the boys and Yang and Cardin's fight, cutting them off from reaching their leader. Yang noticed, sparing a glance, but led Cardin further away with several taunts and a teasing blow. Cardin, unable to resist the bait, charged after her.

It went downhill for them from there. Blake, Nora and Ren were individually strong, but also exceptional as a team – both because Nora and Ren had fought together since they were children, and also because Blake's independent nature allowed her to slot in without any instruction. Using Nora's grenades to crate cover and disorient the three, Blake's clones pushed them apart, drawing Sky in for a blow that would have taken her out of the fight entirely, if she was real. The head of his polearm cracked into the arena instead, and Nora's hammer struck it further down, driving the spikes in like one would a nail.

Ren sprinted up the haft and kicked Sky away, disarming him entirely – all in the space of a few seconds and while the other two were distracted by the real Blake, weaving in and out of her semblance-crated clones. They only turned in time to see Sky fly out of the ring and crash onto the grass, removed from play, and low on aura.

Two against three they didn't stand a chance, and Team RYBN weren't feeling merciful. That or they didn't want to give too much away. They broke the two down brutally, ganging up two on one until one Russel was removed, and then three-teaming Dove until he ran out of aura and slumped to the ground. The moment he did Port announced the defeat of Cardin too, and the team leader's aura swept down into the red, flashing once as a big red X crossed over his face on the display screen.

The crowd erupted in screams and cheers. "Team RYBN are the winners!" Professor Port shouted over the top of it, unable or unwilling to be drowned out by even ten or more thousand voices.

Jaune cheered and clapped with the rest of the audience, standing up to shout out Yang's name when Ruby did the same. The blonde down below, bruised, battered, but undeniably victorious, caught their eyes and waved happily. She picked Blake up and helped her stand as well, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. Nora might have waved as well, but she was too busy spinning Ren around like some kind of child's toy.

"They did it!" Ruby yelled. "They really did it!"

"Of course they did," Weiss said. "They had the edge from the first moment. Did you expect them to lose?"

"No, but still… they did it!" Logic didn't come into it, not really, and for once Jaune could agree. He'd known Team RYBN would probably win but there had still been that tiny element of doubt. Seeing that dashed now, and seeing Yang victorious, he couldn't help but feel elated.

His scroll dinged a moment later, though. He didn't hear it so much as feel the vibration of a message being sent. He pulled it out, checked the screen, and froze when he saw the sender. Uncle Watts. Was this the information his mom had promised? He tensed and licked his lips, considering it for a moment.

No. This could wait. Right now his girlfriend, and some of his friends, had just proven to all of Remnant that they weren't to be trifled with.

That deserved some celebration.

/-/

"I can't believe we didn't get our match today," Weiss complained, not for the first time, and if Ruby's thoughts were accurate, not for the last either. They'd sat on the edge of their seats for the whole day, low on food and frightened to eat lest it impacted their performance, only for the final fight to roll on through without their names making an appearance.

It was an anti-climax, Ruby agreed, but you didn't see _her_ bringing it up every five minutes.

"This is for the best," Pyrrha said. "It gives us more time to think about the competition, and less time for people to analyse our strengths and weaknesses. Fighting first isn't always the best option."

Weiss didn't look entirely convinced but went back to reviewing some of the match footage, now available on the TV and online. The rest of them left her to it, content to focus on their own things. For Pyrrha that meant reading a novel she'd found in the library, while Jaune was playing video games with Ren, Yang and Nora to celebrate their win.

Ruby would have normally been up for that as well, but had chosen, to both his and Yang's surprise, to stay behind and read instead. They'd looked justifiably confused, but she'd pointed out how she had to do some research because there was stuff she didn't know, and although they'd not fully grasped it, they'd sensed she was serious and let it be.

That was why she was sat on her bed, legs beneath her covers, with a large book on aura and dust application open on her lap. Weiss looked positively enthused, hence why she hadn't demanded Ruby help look over the footage. Of course, if she knew there was a comic book hidden on the other side she might have had something else to say.

 _It's still technically research,_ Ruby told herself, swallowing nervously as she looked at the cover – and the big, bold, M-17 rating on the bottom left corner of it. There was something oddly exciting – and frightening – about having it in front of her.

How bad could it be? She was pretty mature for her age and it wasn't like a little violence or gore was going to be too much for her. She was a huntress-in-training, for crying out loud. Ruby rolled her eyes, giggled silently to herself, and started to read. The story was okay, telling the tale of the huntress on the cover – Miriam Ambrosia – as she sought to defeat the terrible monster that had been stalking her and her family, a Grimm creature capable of taking human shape and wielding an array of tentacles.

Wait a minute, was this thing new? She checked the date and saw it was less than a month old. Had people in Mistral really heard about Hentacle and decided to make a comic about him? That was kind of weird. But also kind of cool. _That makes me the heroine,_ she cheered internally. She was Miriam, or Miriam was her.

She read as _`she_ ` confronted Hentacle, faced him in a climactic battle – even getting wrapped up in his tentacles as she had in real life. Ruby nodded at the close recreation of what had happened to her except that she obviously bought her combat skirt from a way better place than this girl did, since it had fallen to tatters at the first hit here. Ruby turned the page, eager to see how Miriam escaped from his tentacle grasp.

She didn't.

She didn't escape at all.

"Oh…" Ruby's eyes widened. Her cheeks flushed with colour. She slapped the comic shut and gazed over the top at her teammates. Neither was paying attention. That… this… was this…? Ruby swallowed. Slowly, tentatively, she opened the page once more and took another look.

Her head tilted to the left.

"Ooh…"

"Something you don't understand?" Weiss called.

"NO!" Ruby slammed the book shut, trapping her fingers. It hurt, but that went almost unnoticed in her panic. "Nothing is wrong!"

Weiss looked confused. "I'm not saying anything, Ruby. I can help you if there's something you don't understand. Or Pyrrha can if you don't want me to."

"I-It's not that. I… ah… well, I need to work this out on my own." Yeah, sure, that sounded like a good excuse. Wonderful. It wasn't like she had utter _filth_ in front of her. No way. Nuh-uh. Oh good lord, was this what Blake read!? She could never look at Blake the same way again!

"If you're sure," Weiss surrendered.

"I am. I'm very sure. Super sure." Ruby laughed, waiting for Weiss to look away, and for Pyrrha to go back to her own book. Phew, coast clear. Now she just had to destroy this thing before someone – Yang – found out.

Ruby stared down at the closed book, dirty comic hidden within.

Well, she'd already bought it, right? It would be a waste of money to destroy it now. A-And besides, she still needed to understand more of this. She needed to see more tentacle hentai. Understand more, she meant. Not see. Maybe. Just a little.

The book cracked open once more, and Ruby's face dove within, hiding her cheeks in the pages so that the others couldn't see. It was just for research. She stared at one scene, remembered the feel of those tentacles wrapped about her legs, and felt a strange electric shock run through her. She swallowed, breathing suddenly heavy. The room was really hot all of a sudden. She wished she could open a window but she couldn't pull herself away.

Reading a little more couldn't hurt, just so she understood the storyline. Just to find out what happened next…

"Oh." Her silver eyes widened. "Wow."

So _that_ was how they were used…

Ruby's knees rubbed together beneath the blankets.

* * *

 **0.o**

 **Well, I'm just bringing back all the ridiculously old plot threads here, aren't I? Again, this was something that should have been covered absolutely ages ago and it's now all being squashed in here at the end of season three. My bad. I'll stop going on about the reasons, I guess.**

 **Do I honestly think Ruby is this innocent in the show? No, not really. As I've had her say time and time again, she's fifteen, not five. So yes, it's exaggerated for comedic effect. Still, I had fun writing the little Blake and Ruby sketch at the start, especially with their similarities despite being such different characters.**

 **I chose to make the RYBN vs CRDL fight rather short, since it wasn't a key moment.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 15** **th** **March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	58. Chapter 58

**Here we go and all that. I meant to mention in my other fics, but forgot, that I released a new Fanfiction last Saturday. Whoops. Anyway, feel free to check it out if you're interested. I'm fairly excited for it and it's had a lot of planning gone into it. It's called "Relic of the Future".**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 58**

* * *

Jaune banged a fist on the door.

"What!?" an upset voice replied. "You can't come in! I'm in the shower!"

"Ruby, you've been in the shower for three quarters of an hour," he yelled back, holding his knees together, hands between them. "Some of us need to use the bathroom!"

"Well give me another half hour."

"The water will be cold!" he whined.

"Good!"

Oh, come on. This really wasn't his day. Jaune held his urges in and looked around for help. Weiss rolled her eyes, clearly unwilling to get involved in what she saw as a childish argument. Pyrrha had been up an hour before them and already had a shower. She was busy with her hair. Jaune growled and banged on the door again. "You're not the only one who needs to use it – and I have a meeting with the headmaster in ten minutes. What are you even doing in there?"

"…" There was a long moment of silence before Ruby answered. "Shower things."

Gods damn it! He really did have a meeting with Ozpin; one that had arrived in the form of a message request on his scroll. He'd woken up to it, grumbled unhappily, and gone back to sleep. That was biting him in the ass now. He hopped from one foot to the other in clear agitation.

"You know there _are_ public restrooms all over Beacon," Weiss said. "You-"

Jaune didn't hear anymore. He was already out the door.

Ten minutes later, a few of which had been spent in blissful relief, he found himself headed towards the tower of Beacon and the elevator that led to the top of it. To his surprise he wasn't the only one there. Mr Branwen, Ruby's uncle, was present, as was General Ironwood. His instincts immediately flickered at the latter, a rush of fear overtaking him. None of them were armed though, and their poses spoke of them being relaxed.

Then again, if Qrow Branwen had known the truth he'd probably not let him share a room with his niece, so his secret was probably still safe.

"Thank you for coming, Mr Arc," Ozpin said. "Please, take a seat. I hope my summons didn't catch you at an inopportune time."

"Er no, it's fine." It wasn't so much the summons as Ruby. What was up with her? She'd looked incredibly red when she'd woken up, and then stormed into the shower before anyone could so much as ask her what was wrong. For some weird reason she'd dragged her bed sheets in, too. _It's too early in the morning for this. Maybe it's some custom for them to do it. I don't know._

"I'm glad to hear it. I called you here today because I felt that in the spirit of our agreement to work closely together, you ought to have some things revealed to you."

He perked up at that, a little surprised. "Really?"

"This is a sign of trust," Ironwood said solemnly, "and not one given lightly. In my opinion you are too young to know these things, but… but I cannot deny that you are also too young to be hunted by our enemy, and too young to be a piece in this war without understanding why. A lack of information gets good men and women killed."

"And while you _are_ too young for this," he continued, "I hope you can understand the importance of keeping anything we say here firmly to yourself."

"I understand, General."

"I hope you do." Ironwood nodded to Ozpin, stepping back.

"Thank you, James," the man said. "Mr Arc, please sit down. What my friend here tells you is true and while I would normally hesitate to include one so young into such truths, I feel your situation is a unique one. You are a target for the Grimm, as we have discussed before. As James says, keeping the truth from you would be a foolish mistake lest you fall for a trap of the enemy, and since we both now know why they are searching for you and how important it is to safeguard your powers, we are left at an impasse."

"Because I can sense Grimm," Jaune said, recalling the theory Ozpin had come up with.

"So, it _was_ you," Ironwood said, earning a sigh from Ozpin. "I should have known."

"Yes, yes, because of that, Mr Arc – and other things. Again, I must urge you to sit down. What I'm about to explain to you will shake you to your very core. You won't want to be standing for this." He sounded so serious that Jaune swallowed and did as asked, taking the lone seat opposite the headmaster. Ironwood and Qrow remained standing, creating a strange sense of his being surrounded. He could feel Remy squirming in agitation.

"Here," Qrow said, pouring a small amount of amber liquid into a glass. "You might need this."

" **Be careful,"** Remy warned. **"It might be poison."**

" _I doubt they'd poison me,"_ he replied internally. _"Besides, you can take care of poisons, right?"_

Jaune took the drink, downing it in one. His face puckered a second later. The taste was horrible! If it wasn't poison, then he had no idea why anyone would want to drink it. The foul stuff burned his throat and mouth and he instantly wished he had some water to get rid of the aftertaste.

"You're supposed to sip it," Qrow laughed. "Nice, kid. We'll make a man of you yet."

" **I'll get rid of it,"** Remy hissed. **"Ugh, this is foul."**

Forcing himself past it Jaune looked back up to the headmaster and nodded, showing he was ready for whatever they were going to lay on him. It had to be bad for the man, normally so calm and reserved, looked deadly serious. He sighed and took a sip of his own drink, placing it on the desk and laying both hands down.

"This is a truth kept from the public for obvious reasons, Mr Arc. It may shatter everything you have held as truth, but I ask you to remain as calm as you possibly can. If you need it, you may ask me questions afterwards and I will do my best to answer." He paused for emphasis. "Are you ready to hear it, Mr Arc?"

Jaune swallowed. "I am."

Ozpin nodded solemnly and drew a deep breath. The tension in the room reached a fever pitch, Ironwood and Qrow watching Jaune for any reaction, both prepared to step in if things became violent or he acted out. That alone had his heart being wildly. This was big. It had to be. Ozpin's eyes snapped open, his mouth moved. Words came forth.

"There is a Queen of the Grimm."

Jaune waited.

And waited.

And waited…

"I see the truth has stunned you to silence," Ozpin said, nodding. "I can assure you it's the truth. The Grimm are not as mindless or uncontrolled as many are led to believe, and there is one such individual who controls them all – the dread monster, Salem, Queen of the Grimm."

Well, yeah… Duh…

Jaune blinked and looked to the General and Qrow, hoping either of them would have something more to say. In turn, they took his expression as his seeking confirmation. Qrow nodded. "It's true, kid. Believe me when I say I wish it wasn't, but it's all true."

"O-Oh…" Jaune stammered, recalling that this was probably supposed to be something he shouldn't know. "W-Wow. I mean, that's insane. Someone leads the Grimm?"

Ozpin nodded. "Yes."

"And the Grimm _aren't_ just randomly walking around killing people for no good reason?"

"That is true."

"Because, you know, it would _really_ be random if they were. I mean, that wouldn't even make any sense. There'd have to be someone giving them orders because otherwise the Grimm would have just thrown themselves at humanity en masse and one side would be extinct by now. It's kind of obvious someone was in control." Jaune trailed off. "Just saying…"

"You're not wrong, Mr Arc – and like you say, in hindsight much of this starts to make more sense once the truth is revealed."

"I wasn't talking about hindsight…"

"And that is why the general public must be kept unaware," Ozpin went on, ignoring him. "If the people knew that there was some figure behind the Grimm, why, the panic would be incredible. I dread to imagine what might happen."

"Yeah, me too." The people might band together and actually target the one responsible for the Grimm if they knew, killing his mom and family. Humans might actually _win_. Since it was all a secret and no one knew Salem existed, no one was aware there that there actually _was_ a way to end the Grimm threat once and for all. As such, they felt there was nothing that could be done. Grimm would just exist forever and there was no way to stop them.

Come to think of it, why _were_ they keeping it a secret? Limiting panic didn't make any sense since – even if he wasn't fully in on the culture yet – he was pretty sure thinking mindless murder monsters were everywhere would cause just as much panic. Heck, if they knew someone was controlling them then at least that panic could turn to anger or a desire to end that person. What good would having the people think the Grimm were an eternal and unstoppable force of nature do?

Was Ozpin even _trying_ to stop his mom?

"I'm glad you agree. Ironwood, Qrow and I have been working against this Queen for many years, orchestrating a constant battle to prevent the Grimm from overthrowing mankind. Our goal is to overthrow and kill Salem once and for all."

Jaune's brow twitched. "And how's that going for you?" Ozpin coughed and looked away. Qrow found himself intrigued by the ceiling, and Ironwood was busy on a scroll. Jaune sat there for a good five minutes before he realised his question wasn't going to be answered. "That bad, huh?"

"Not nearly so, Mr Arc. Our focus has been on the protection of the cities," Ozpin defended. "We've bolstered defences, tracked her movements, and set in motion several plans to limit the damage she might cause. Through our actions we've pushed back her influence."

"There have been good results, as well," Ironwood said. "Twenty-five years ago she was far more active in trying to harm humanity, but through our staunch defence we were able to beat her back. She has been licking her wounds ever since, and the last two decades have been rather peaceful."

The last twenty years? Wasn't that about the time his mother and father met? It was probably when she got pregnant with Sapphire – and then the rest of them in quick succession. Jaune looked to the three men smiling proudly and resisted the urge to sigh. Staunch defence, indeed. He had a feeling his dad would have something to say about that, and probably about how much `attacking` he's been doing to keep mom busy. She'd leapt from pregnancy to pregnancy for a couple of years.

"Her attempts to capture you have been one of the first times she has acted in the last decade," Ozpin said. "I was unsure at first if we weren't reading into things too much, but hearing that several Grimm attempted to take you alive. And seeing this new strain of Grimm, this Hentacle-" Ironwood groaned at the name, "-shows us that she has awoken once more. Whatever devious plan she has devised involves yourself, Mr Arc. It is because of this that you need to be aware of her existence."

"Okay. Well, consider me aware, I guess. Is that all?"

"You do not seem overly perturbed," Ozpin noted.

"Oh, I am," he said, the lie coming quickly. "It's a real shocker. Wow, a person in charge of the Grimm. That's insane! Still, I think I'll be okay."

"Over-confidence is a risky trait to have," Ironwood warned.

"I'd know if she was close, though," he said.

"Your Semblance," Ozpin agreed, nodding, and somehow getting the wrong end of the stick again. "Yes, I suppose you would. Go easy on him, James. We all adapted to the truth in different ways. You've not sensed any Grimm in Beacon, then?"

"None," he answered instantly. "Definitely none."

"You're certain? I've heard it said Hentacle can adopt a disguise rather similar to that of a human."

"There are definitely no Grimm here," Jaune lied. "And no bad guys that I can sense, either. Nothing whatsoever. None." His smile became forced. "Absolutely not a single one."

"I see. Thank you. I suppose that is a credit to our security." Ozpin nodded to Ironwood, who stood a little straighter. "However, I'd like to ask you to keep your senses alert during the Vytal Festival. Can you do that for us?"

"I can… do you expect something to happen during it?"

"I think it is a possibility. Salem's actions have been unpredictable of late. Her last attack was five years ago, and she struck a library in Vacuo, frightening away the caretakers and stealing much of the knowledge there. We are lucky no one was killed."

Five years…? He wasn't sure but he had a feeling he'd asked his mother why they didn't have any novels to read, and… yeah, well, there'd suddenly been a full library installed in the tower a few days later, hadn't there?

Oops.

"It's possible she is seeking to limit access to knowledge that might be used against her," Ironwood said. "It's the only reasonable explanation. Or that she is seeking for information _on_ something."

"Ten years before that, there was a Grimm attack on a hospital in Mistral."

Jaune gasped.

"Yes, and I recall that the children's ward was breached." Ozpin shook his head, either not seeing or not reacting to Jaune's horror. "It is a miracle that none of the new-borns within were harmed. The Grimm seemed to have become tangled in baby supplies and nappies, and fled when the huntsmen approached."

Amber's birth…

"Ozpin theorised that she was trying to interrupt the birth of new huntsmen and huntresses," Qrow said. "Not sure if it's true or not, but there were a few attacks on other hospitals, too. The Grimm always ran away when they ran into nappies, though. I hear some people in rural communities took to hanging new and unused nappies on the outsides of their doors as a way to ward the Grimm away. I hear some places still do it today."

Well, to be fair there really wasn't anywhere you could buy those kinds of things in the Grimmlands. Cinder had been too young to send on her own, Watts had been busy and Hazel was already looking after the other girls. Tyrian hadn't been sent because he probably _would_ have kidnapped a load of the other babies there.

"There was an attack on a pharmaceutical shop recently too, wasn't there? A pack of Ursa. Miraculously, the owner survived – but a lot of his stock was damaged or dragged away."

"Was that two years ago?" Jaune asked miserably.

"Yes. How did you know?"

"N-No reason…"

" **Hey, wasn't that around the time you caught the flu?"**

Jaune pointedly didn't answer.

"There was also an attack on that kinky sex shop last year," Qrow said.

Jaune's face turned bright red. It was too much. "I don't need to hear anymore!" he shouted. "Stop, stop, stop. I get it! I get it!"

"Yes, quite." Ozpin coughed. "Mr Arc gets the point, I'm sure. The Queen of the Grimm's attacks have been unpredictable of late, but after much research and deliberation, we believe we have discerned the true purpose for her actions."

"That she became a mother and desperate housewife?" Jaune groaned, cheeks suffused with colour. Qrow barked a sharp laugh.

Ozpin chuckled as well. "Not quite, Mr Arc. The attack on the library was in search of information. In that trove, she found something that intrigued her and decided to look further into it, prompting her attack on locations where she believed more information might be found, specifically the wards where young children were kept."

Jaune blinked. That was… quite the leap in logic. "What kind of information would be kept there?" he asked.

"Fairy tales, Mr Arc. Fairy tales."

He stared at Ozpin.

Ozpin stared back.

"Fairies are real?"

"He means books mothers might read to children," Qrow groaned, one hand on his forehead. "Come on, Ray. Even you can do this, can't you? They're like stories and folklore. Little tales and stuff."

"Ohh… kid's books? Legends? I've read some of those."

"Read them yourself?" Qrow asked, annoyed for some reason. "No one read them to you, maybe before you were tucked in for the night?"

"Cinder used to read some to me."

"At least she had _someone_ do it…"

"It sounds like she cared for you greatly," Ozpin said, smiling. "Fairy tales are often stories designed to teach young children life lessons, morals, or wisdom that can keep them safe as they grow. Most consider them to be fanciful and make-believe, but not all are so. Some are more real than you could ever imagine. Some hold… power. Power that Salem wants."

" _Remy?"_

" **Yesh?"** the parasite replied, voice a little… strange sounding.

" _Did my asking mom to buy me more books set off a Remnant-wide conspiracy?"_

" **Looksh like it. Whoo! Go you!"** There was an odd sensation inside of him as Remy swam around randomly, drifting to and fro and… was he singing?

Jaune felt a headache coming on.

"Tell me, Mr Arc. Have you ever heard of something called a… Maiden?"

"Sure." Jaune shrugged. "I've heard the name a few times. Mom said I should marry one. Well, she said I should sleep with one," he admitted, blushing. "I don't think she cares as much for marriage as she does the actual sleeping part."

"I didn't need to know that," Qrow deadpanned. He turned to Ozpin. "She _does_ have the Spring Maiden, right?"

Ozpin nodded. "It makes sense. It would be an easy way to keep her loyal." He looked back to Jaune. "But you didn't sleep with her, correct?"

Jaune's cheeks heated up. "I didn't."

"And what does the young Miss Fall think of this?"

"C-Cinder!?" His face became even brighter at that. "She's _definitely_ against it, believe me."

"Good lass," Qrow laughed. "Talk about loyal. You should shack up with her."

"She's like a sister to me!"

"But she isn't," Qrow said pointedly. "And that's something I'm very keen on maintaining right now."

"Should the uncle of the woman I'm dating be telling me to date someone else?" Jaune asked.

Qrow's face became pained. "Yes. Yes, he should."

"Enough, Qrow," Ozpin rebuked. "This is neither here nor there. Mr Arc, the maidens are true and you have possibly met one before in your life. Let me tell you a story about how it all started, and just why it is so important to keep them out of Salem's hands."

/-/

"Where's Jaune?" Yang asked when she and her team reached the cafeteria.

"Called for a meeting with the headmaster," Weiss replied. "I'm sure he'll catch up with us later."

"Not afraid he'll be late for his match?"

"Not unless the headmaster of Beacon is going to be late as well. He'll be there." Weiss eyed their team, watching as Nora chatted incessantly into Ren's ear while the leader methodically ate his porridge. On the other side, Blake had been approached by Ruby, and was listening to something she was saying. Weiss sighed. "I suppose your team is going to have an easy day of it since you've already ad your match."

"Yep." Yang grinned. "A zero stress day. Just what the doctor ordered. Hm?" Yang glanced over as Ruby tugged on Blake's arm, leading her away from the group. "I didn't realise those two were so close," she said.

"Me neither, but it's not a bad development. Ruby could do to pick up some of Blake's maturity."

"Hm, Blake could do to open up a little more."

"Let's hope they both pick up traits from the other," Weiss said, sitting down. "I think it'll be good for both of them."

/-/

Blake's mouth fell open. Her ears flattened against her head and she felt her stomach flip. This was it. Her life was over. All those terrible things she'd done as a part of the White Fang had come back to haunt her and she could see a dark tunnel ahead. There was no light. In fact, darkness seemed to be creeping in at the edges of her vision. She swayed and nearly fell.

Ruby caught her. "Blake? Blake?"

The name stirred her. One hand reached out to grip Ruby's collar, twisting itself in her hood as she stared up into worried silver eyes. "I-I must have misheard," Blake said weakly, desperately, pleadingly. "C-Can you repeat what you said?"

Ruby clearly didn't want to. She looked away and one foot started to play with the other. "I… I asked if you'd help me order some tentacle hentai online," she mumbled.

She hadn't misheard. Blake's breath came out through clenched teeth in a frightened whimper. Yang was going to _kill_ her. It was all over.

 _I mustn't run away, I mustn't run away, I promised I wouldn't run away anymore._

Screw it. She was totally going to run away!

"Blake, please," Ruby whined, voice quiet and horribly shy. "You're the only one I can ask. I'm too young and there are age checks. I… I can't ask _Weiss_ to help me and I can't ask Yang, obviously. Pyrrha's reputation would be ruined if anyone found out. They'd think it was for herself!"

"W-What about Jaune?" Blake gasped.

"It can't be him!" Ruby snapped, with far more passion than the question really deserved. Her cheeks were bright red. "It definitely, absolutely, positively can't be him. For reasons."

"Why?"

"It's… it's complicated. Very complicated."

"But why me?"

"Because you were there when I bought it." Ruby said. Blake's eyes widened. "You're the one who took me to that book stall." Blake's face fell. "You're the one who was reading in the adult section." Blake whimpered. "And you're the only one I know won't tell anyone."

Blake didn't respond. Her eyes swirled in their sockets.

"Blake? Blake!?" Ruby slapped her cheek lightly. It was that which pierced through the darkness, bringing her back to reality. Horrible, terrifying, cruel reality. A reality where she'd corrupted Yang's sister. She'd corrupted Ruby…

Was there anyone in their two teams who _wouldn't_ kill her for this?

Was there anyone in in Beacon!?

Blake came alive with a burst of sudden energy – all of it born from a sense of self-preservation, the desire to remain breathing. She leapt up and gripped Ruby by her shoulders to stare down into her eyes. "You can't tell anyone!" she hissed.

"Well, yeah. Duh…" Ruby blushed and looked away. "Not like I was going to go around admitting it…"

Okay. Good. This was… this was… okay, it was still horrible but it was _manageable_. She could control the chaos. She could make sure it never reached the light of day. No one could ever find out, but at least Ruby understood that.

"Doesn't the book stall have any more?" Blake asked.

"They only had the one on… on _that_. I checked."

"And it has to be…" Blake winced. "Tentacle based?"

Ruby's cheeks turned an incredible shade of red. She nodded. "Please don't ask why."

"I have a feeling I don't _want_ to know why," she replied, even if she maybe knew deep inside just as much. "Okay, look. I can… I can lend you one of my books for now. It's not a comic," she added, earning a frown from Ruby, "But it _does_ have tentacles in it."

Ruby lit up. "It does? Do you like it too, Blake?"

"I'm… not going to answer that question." Not like she had to, what with how much she was blushing and the rather obvious tell that she even _had some_ in her collection. "You can't let anyone see you with it though, and if anyone _does_ see you, then tell them you got it from someone else. Or you found it. Just do not, under any circumstances, let Yang find out that I supplied you with _anything_ resembling smut. Okay?"

"Okay."

"On pain of death!" Blake pressed.

Ruby balked. "You'll kill me?"

"I didn't say _your_ death…" Blake looked around nervously. They were safe, for now. "Okay, come with me. I'll show you where I hide my collection and you can help yourself. Just make sure no one sees you."

"You hide it under your bed," Ruby said. "Everyone knows that."

"Ruby, that's where I hide the stuff that I _want_ to be found," Blake explained, not quite meeting the younger girl's eyes. "There… there might be more."

"But Yang told me even that stuff was filthy," Ruby said, eyes wide with awe. "How much worse is the stuff you don't want them to find?"

Blake didn't answer. There was no need to. Ruby was about to find our first-hand.

Gods, how she wished Adam had just killed her…

/-/

"And that is why the power of the maidens must be kept away from Salem," Ozpin finished, relaxing once his long-winded explanation was done. "It is a power that can be stolen through murder and one that holds great potential. The current Fall Maiden, Amber, is currently being protected, but the wounds she took are grievous. She is not expected to survive."

"That's terrible," Jaune said, wincing at the thought of the poor woman's fate. "How was she attacked?"

"She was ambushed while alone and unprotected. Qrow was able to recover her before she was killed, but sadly it was too little too late."

"I didn't get a good view of them," Qrow said, frowning. "Too late to help her. Story of my life."

Something niggled at the back of Jaune's mind, and it wasn't Remy's rather unfaithful demonstration of a pop song they'd heard recently. That was just white noise at this point, and burning a hole in his brain from the pain of it. Still, he turned to Ozpin. "The Fall Maiden's powers would have made this woman super strong, right?"

"Correct."

"Strong enough that you think if Salem had them, she'd be unstoppable."

"Essentially, yes."

"But this super strong woman, who has magical powers _on top of being a huntress,_ fell for an ambush and was beaten by three normal people?"

"Quantity has a quality of its own, Mr Arc. And Amber… she was not experienced with her powers. She was vulnerable in that state and would have been stronger had she more time to prepare herself."

"But you knew of her," Jaune pointed out.

"I did."

"Then why wasn't she protected?"

The question seemed to stun Ozpin and Qrow, though not Ironwood, who rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Yeah, Ozpin," the man drawled. "Why wasn't she protected, Ozpin? Why don't you answer his question, Ozpin?"

"W-Well, Amber always valued her independence…"

"More than her life?" Jaune asked, not at all convinced. "And, I mean, I get that it would be cruel to do something against her will, but maybe you could have explained the danger and convinced her to stay with you for training. Or maybe you should have just forced her. I know it's not the right thing to do, but if the whole world is resting on this…"

"She liked to travel-"

"And you _let her_?" Jaune asked, eyes wide.

Ironwood looked like he was currently drowning in smugness. He basked in it, eyes closed. Smile splitting his face in two. Ozpin, on the other hand, didn't appear quite so pleased. "It's complicated, Mr Arc. Very complicated."

"It doesn't _sound_ complicated…"

"Well it is."

"And since she was attacked and you know full well someone is after her, you decided to bring her here to Beacon? Wouldn't that be the _first place_ whoever attacked her would look? They saw Mr Branwen. And you just said Salem knows who you are and knows you interfered."

"Beacon is the safest place for her."

"Wouldn't somewhere less obvious be better?"

"Yes," Ironwood said.

"No," Ozpin countered, frowning at the man. "Mr Arc, I can tell you have Amber's best interests at heart here, and I can see you're simply sharing your opinion. Still, you must trust me on this." He smiled. "I'm not a complete fool. I know what I'm doing."

"And you don't think someone could infiltrate Beacon and get close to her… or find out about her?"

"I doubt that would be possible under my nose."

Jaune really wasn't sure how to answer that one. At all.

" **Hey!"** Remy cheered, slurred, warbled. **"But… but aren't** _ **we**_ **sneaking in? Bwahaha! That's sho funny!"**

"So, you told me about Salem so that I wouldn't be caught off-guard, but why tell me about the Maidens?" he asked. "Was there something else you needed me to know?"

"You have a quick mind, Mr Arc. There is." Ozpin sighed. The weight of several years seemed to press in on him. "I'm afraid that despite our best efforts, Amber is unlikely to survive much longer. We need to look towards transferring the maiden's powers onto another. This procedure is dangerous and will also leave us, and the maiden, incredibly vulnerable. That is why I wished to request your assistance in the matter. With your Semblance, you could inform us if any threat approached."

There really wasn't any way for him to say no to that, especially since it shouldn't have mattered either way to him. "Okay, sure. What do I need to do?"

"You need only be ready at the time," Ozpin said. "We're currently considering several individuals who we believe are strong and loyal enough to become the next Fall Maiden. We have two in mind, and, since you have agreed to help us, I suppose it would not be too much for us to point out who they are. You know both."

"I do?"

"One is your teammate, Pyrrha Nikos. Her strength and skill make her a natural candidate, while her humility should help to prevent the power getting to her mind or ego. The last thing we need is someone with a less than clear intent inheriting the power. We're looking for individuals who espouse the values we respect most; loyalty, kindness, strong will – and beyond all of that – raw skill and determination. Miss Nikos is a natural candidate."

He could see that. He wasn't sure Pyrrha would _want_ the added responsibility, what with her having explained how much she hated all the fame and attention she got normally. In fact, she'd hate it. He might be doing her a favour if he pushed the suggestion away from her. "And who else?" he asked.

"Someone a little more… questionable, I suppose. Our intent is to look for individuals who show loyalty to Beacon, but that isn't often easy. We are just a school. Miss Xiao-Long has her connection to Qrow, but would throw caution away at the first sign someone she cares for is in danger. Ruby, on the other hand, would chase after danger seeking to do good, ignoring our warnings entirely."

"And Weiss has her family," he finished, guessing what the angle there was. Come to think of it everyone had someone or another they might be more loyal to.

"So, in lieu of finding someone loyal to Beacon, we considered finding someone loyal to an individual already in our cadre." Ozpin smiled proudly, pleased with his wisdom. "With that in mind, we wanted to suggest your close friend, Miss Fall."

Jaune choked.

"Your aptly named friend," Ironwood chuckled. "She has fought against Hentacle before and nearly died for it, so her loyalties are clear. What's more, she has shown willingness to leave her home in order to protect you. Our designs align with hers, wishing to keep you away from Salem. As such, she should find it easy to accept our teachings."

"That's why we're having this conversation," Ozpin finished. "You are the closest to Miss Fall and can speak with her in private. Push the idea on her, see what she thinks of it, and, if you believe she is ready for the responsibility, come back to us."

"I-I get it," he said, still a little lightheaded. "This is why you wanted me here, then? Because I'm close to her."

"And because it is you she is loyal to," Ironwood added.

Cinder? Loyal? To him!?

Sort of…

Maybe…

"I'm not sure she would be all that interested," he hedged. He wasn't quite willing to say it was because the last thing Cinder would want was Ozpin and Ironwood snooping around her business. He probably needed to warn her they had an eye on her, otherwise she might be caught doing something she shouldn't be. "I can ask her, though. If you can leave it with me…"

"We have time, but that time is fast running out. We're hoping to make a decision by the end of the tournament and this will pose a good opportunity to get a feel for the skills of each candidate. The risk of another attack is high, so they must be able to defend themselves." Ozpin waved a hand. "In the meanwhile we would appreciate it if you could keep this to yourself. The only reason you have been informed is due to your direct involvement, and the fact that both candidates are close to you. Your insight on them might be invaluable."

"I understand." Jaune rose unsteadily from his seat. "Can I be excused? The tournament will start soon and my team will be fighting today."

Ozpin nodded. "Good luck, Mr Arc. I'll be looking forward to seeing how both Miss Nikos and Miss Fall present themselves in the tournament."

 _Yeah, me too,_ he thought, backing away toward the elevator. If Pyrrha did well then she'd be made the maiden – and she'd probably hate it. On the other hand, he had no idea what Cinder's response would be, but the added attention from Ozpin and his lot would be bad, bad, bad. The risks were way too high.

And if it was going on what happened in the tournament, Pyrrha would probably win. Cinder was stronger, probably, but she wasn't about to go all-out in something like this. Not when she had to keep her cover.

Pyrrha was going to become the maiden.

Jaune's scroll beeped. He drew it out and turned the alarm off; a reminder to get to the festival. While he was doing so he noticed the message from his Uncle Watts, the one his mother had promised would be sent but which he hadn't opened yet. He did so now and scanned through it.

 _Dear Nephew,_

 _Your mother informs me I am to provide you some information on Cinder's goals as per an agreement. She has asked me to make you work for it, so do not expect everything to be handed to you on a silver platter here. All I will say is that it has to do with the seasons._

 _And a power Cinder will kill to acquire._

 _From,_

 _Your Best Uncle_

 _Arthur Watts._

Jaune stared at the screen open-mouthed. Well, that was a thing.

" **Hey looks,"** Remy slurred, drooping out of the joint between Jaune's neck and shoulder. The little Grimmling gasped for breath and swayed to the side, staring listlessly at the silvery scroll. **"It's a silver platter!"**

"Yeah… yeah, it is."

Cinder wanted the power of the maiden.

Pyrrha was going to become the maiden.

Cinder was going to kill Pyrrha.

Unless… unless he helped _her_ become the maiden instead. He had no idea what she'd do with the power, and if she was the one who had attacked this Amber girl, then that didn't bode well. But if the only other option was that Cinder might try and kill his teammate? There was no choice. None at all.

"I've got to talk to Cinder."

Remy started to dry heave and wretch on his shoulder.

"After I get you a tissue," Jaune sighed.

/-/

"Are the three of you prepared?"

Her three underlings nodded and Cinder smiled, pleased to see they had a grasp of the situation. The four of them stood in the audience as the tournament's second day began, the irritating crowds shouting for it to start sooner, incapable of waiting even a measly few minutes.

"Good. Remember, do not show all of your skills in the fight. We don't need to draw attention."

"You're sure we'll be up next?" Mercury asked.

"Have a little faith, Mercury. When I infiltrated the CCT I made sure this was one of the things I could change. I made the decision last night and set out opponents. We'll be facing a team from Vacuo, a Team NDGO."

She'd picked them specifically for their strengths and weaknesses, in what she hoped would be an impressive – but not too impressive – fight. Importantly, information on their Semblances had been acquired through other means, so their team knew the weaknesses of each.

A disturbance caught her eye off to the side. Jaune, her foolish little brother, had entered the competitor's stands and looked to be trying to make his way towards her. His arm was snatched by his partner half-way. He was dragged over to his friends despite his best efforts to break free. She chose to ignore it. Now wasn't the time for their closeness to be made visible. Not with what was to come.

"Did you rig his fights as well?" Emerald asked.

"I had a small hand in keeping him away from ourselves, but I've otherwise left his team's opponents up to fate," she replied. "So long as our teams do not cross there will be no problem."

"You've made sure we won't?" Mercury asked nervously.

"Yes. I specifically chose our opponent and set it last night," she said, turning to frown at the two. "Why? What has you so worked up?"

Mercury and Emerald exchanged nervous glances but it was Neo who answered, tugging on Cinder's arm and then pointing behind her, in the direction of the arena. The two teams to face off against one another had been selected, their faces emblazoned proudly on the big screen. Cinder's eyes widened and her frown slipped into a dumbfounded expression.

"Impossible… I rigged the matches…"

"Well, it looks like someone un-rigged them," Mercury whispered, staring at the sign that said Team CMEN, their team, would be facing off against Jaune's. "That or someone did the opposite and rigged them so we'd end up fighting."

"Nonsense. Who would-?" Cinder froze. Could it be? No, surely now. Her eyes flickered to the box up near the top of the arena. She knew General Ironwood would be inside, and likely Ozpin, as well. Had they discovered her? Did they know?

No, of course not. If they did then she would never have been allowed near the arena. That said, it could be a test. They might have changed the fights today and she, lost in complacency, hadn't even thought to check! Her eyes narrowed.

"What do we do?" Emerald asked.

"We lose the fight," Cinder growled. "Give it your all but do not win. We can't run the risk of Jaune losing control here. Our plans won't be overly affected if we proceed or not. It will just be a minor setback."

Her three underlings nodded, catching the order even as they made their way down off the stands and towards the ready rooms. On the way she passed by their opponents, catching Jaune's eyes. He looked panicked and afraid. She rolled her eyes and ignored him.

She had a fight to throw.

/-/

Jaune felt sick. Sick to his stomach. This was what Ozpin and Ironwood had meant; the parting line about judging the difference in skill between Pyrrha and Cinder. They'd rigged the matches to place their teams against one another, no doubt hoping to base the maiden on the victor of this battle. The winner would become the Fall Maiden.

And if that wasn't Cinder, then she would kill the other.

"Come on, Jaune," Weiss growled, tugging him along. "We have a fight to win."

No, Jaune thought.

He had a fight to lose. He had to throw the fight.

" **I'm gonna throw something…"** Remy moaned.

"Please don't…"

* * *

 **NOTE: Some have pointed it out and I wanted to make it clear; yes, I'm aware that Ozpin revealing Salem HAS happened before. This was during the confusion stage with CF in which I was trying to take the plot one way and CF another. Salem was an attempt by me to drag it back to comedy and Grimm, but CF convinced me to go back into romance and the whole thing went forgotten and led to nothing.**

 **Now, I need it again - and rather than make up some convoluted reason as to why Ozpin mentioned it once and then ceased to care, I simply re-wrote it. I figured if I didn't, then after 24 chapters (which is almost half a year), people wouldn't even remember, or might ask why it wasn't done earlier.**

 **Is it perfect? No, not at all.**

 **But this fic isn't and I've already shared my frustrations on that for what happened before. I'm basically now taking an approach of "re-write and change whatever I have to" because frankly, it won't ever work otherwise.**

* * *

 **There we go. Okay, this chapter is maybe a little fourth wall, what with the rather blatant jabs at Ozpin for holding an idiot ball so big it eclipses the sun in the third season of RWBY. "Hm, I know Amber has been attacked and I know someone will come here for her. I'd best do absolutely nothing and then act surprised when something happens."**

 **In the show itself S3, and to a much worse extend S5, were ridiculously exposition heavy (and a lot of the blame for that can be laid on Ozpin. Or, well, RT's writing, but delivered through Ozpin). I'm a little annoyed I had to do that here as well in this chapter, but I'm hoping to cut it much shorter in future, if not try and remove it entirely. I tried to liven it up here with some jokes ala Ozpin's successes in stopping Salem basically being her getting pregnant and going on maternity leave from being evil.**

 **Either way, I'd hope to see no more long-winded Ozpin meetings. Yay.**

 **Now, what comes next in the Game of Throws? Who will throw harder, and can Jaune snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in order to save Pyrrha's life?**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 22** **nd** **March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	59. Chapter 59

**So, as many eagle-eyed viewers noticed last chapter's Salem reveal HAD been done before. Well, I added a note after to address it but some may have missed it. Basically, I knew and just kind of ignored it. I've already spoken before of how the story went off the rails when CF and I had our moment of confusion, and, in an attempt to fix that, I've been dragging it back. A part of that involved Salem's reveal which was supposed to be a big moment but again got swallowed in the sodding dance arc.**

 **As such, rather than try and work around it and making it all the worse, I decided just to repeat it and ignore the first time. At some later point, when I have free time, I'll likely go back twenty chapters or so and delete the first mention of it. Consider it a retcon. I don't mind.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 59**

* * *

Cinder stood in the middle of the stage alongside her three underlings, staring across the short distance to Jaune and his team, three of which looked none the wiser to the sharp glares she sent towards her adopted sibling. They were fools, all of them – and no less than the crowd which screamed and shouted their lust for violence. If they wanted blood she would give it to them, but not here. Not now.

Regrettably, this fight had to end in her brother's favour. Cinder looked towards Mercury, who nodded back subtly, even as he waved to some rabbit-eared girl in the crowd. He knew his role. He wouldn't let her down.

Emerald returned a nod next. She gestured towards the Schnee girl, selecting her opponent. It was a good fit since the girl relied on dust and had a reputation to maintain as a powerhouse fighter worthy of the Schnee name. It wouldn't look suspicious for Emerald to lose that fight.

Neo, of course, was the wild card. The girl had eschewed the planned black hair and green eyes for her normal tri-colour explosion, with eyes that couldn't quite decide what they were supposed to be. She chewed on some gun, smirking wildly. They needed the girl but she was too unpredictable and not at all loyal to them. She might fight for her own amusement and cost them the loss they were looking for. Still, there were options. She eyed Pyrrha Nikos and smiled slowly.

"And here we have the fine teams arranged for our first fight of the day," Peter Port, the overweight commentator roared. How any noise came past the sickening rag he called a moustache, Cinder didn't know. "Two teams from Beacon, ladies and gentlemen, and you know you're in for an incredible fight when the best school in Remnant puts its fighters forward."

"Peter," the other rebuked. He went ignored.

"No more fancy-pants Atlas technology or Mistral theatrics, and no more Vacuo hit and run nonsense, just good old fashioned skill and strength, fighting here today for your entertainment. Let's hear it for Beacon!"

A good half of the stadium roared its pleasure, leaving the visiting tourists to scowl at the rather blatant favouritism being shown. "And representing Beacon here today we have the one, the only, Team Nikos and three others-"

"That's Team WJRP," Oobleck interrupted, valiantly fighting for the microphone. "Team WJRP from Beacon Academy."

"And that's _Whirlpool_ , ladies and gentlemen." Port reiterated, winning the quick scuffle. "Don't ask how or why. The naming process is complicated. At least we didn't spell `Sun` with three S's like Haven. And against them, transfers from Mistral but now officially students of Beacon – _because, honestly, why would you not want to be?_ – we have Team C-"

Port paused. He then snickered. "Am I reading this right?"

"I think so, Peter. It's—oh my… how unfortunate."

Cinder held her ground, arms crossed. Behind her, she heard Mercury shuffle from one robotic foot to the other. "Knew we should have changed it," he grumbled.

"Ignore it, Mercury. Focus on the task at hand."

Even saying that, Cinder couldn't quite prevent her eye from twitching when the audience started to not-so-quietly laugh at them. Yes, it would be wonderful indeed when the Beowolves were released. She'd see who was laughing then.

"Team CMEN, ladies and gentlemen," Port finally managed, snickering loudly. "Yes, you heard that right, Team _CMEN_."

"It's Cinnamon…" Mercury groaned. The crowd laughed, not hearing him in the slightest. That fat commentator was the worst, almost choking into the mic.

"Peter, please," Oobleck sighed.

"W-Well, let's hope Team WJRP's prepared adequate protection today, otherwise Team CMEN will be all over them and it'll be a total mess." On the big screen the moustached professor dodged to the side as his companion tried to wrestle the microphone away to no avail. "Now, before the show gets started let's roll for the environment."

Oobleck sighed with relief. "Thank you, Peter."

"Hopefully it won't be an abandoned motel."

"Peter!"

They went ignored, at least by her, as the wheel above them began to spin and turn. There'd been no plan for her to fight here so she hadn't bothered to tamper with this, leaving it to fate. Fate, however, had already seen fit to poke her in the eye. She clenched her teeth together as she waited to see what would come next. The first dial stopped. It was… a drop of water?

"Rain?" Mercury guessed, shrugging one shoulder.

"Ocean!" Port yelled gleefully, right as the marble flooring to their left gave way, sliding back to reveal a deep pool of dark-blue water. It even had waves for some reason, which splashed about choppily, spraying them with salt water.

"How is the ocean represented by a drop of water?" Weiss Schnee asked. "And how are we supposed to even fight on it?"

"Because Beacon is run by idiots," Cinder replied. She wasn't sure if the girl heard her or not but she crossed her arms and waited for the next segment. If she'd seen anything of this tournament so far it would be something equally ill-thought out. Hopefully it would at least be an arena they could stand on otherwise they'd be having their big fight in the tiny central circle, not even five metres across.

Salem must have smiled on her, and for once not in a `you can have children with my son` kind of way. The battlefield was a grassy plain of some kind, with nary a rolling hill in sight. There were a few flowers by the bank, which were promptly splashed with salt water and likely doomed to die. For some unexplained reason there was also a see-saw, merry-go-round and a sand pit.

"Park!" Port exclaimed.

Cinder sighed. "Of course…"

"Are we fighting or playing?" Jaune wondered out loud.

"Fight first," Ruby said, grinning. "Play after. I pick the old man."

"Hey!" Mercury cried.

Well, if they were going to stand there and make their plans she might as well join in. "Neo, take out Nikos." And good luck to her with that. "Mercury, keep the child busy-"

"Hey! I drink milk!"

"Emerald, the heiress. Leave Jaune to me."

"Yes, ma'am."

"You do realise we can hear you, right?" Weiss drawled.

"Of course, but do you have any complaints with who we've chosen to assign to each of you?"

The heiress blinked. It looked like she felt she _should_ argue, but couldn't quite. After all, Cinder had selected her team and chosen to split them up, all with the intent of quickly losing. Weiss couldn't really argue against what gave their team the best shot at winning. "Well, I mean… oh, whatever. Fine. Don't let your guards down," she hissed, aiming a stink-eye at Jaune. "And don't go easy on them, no matter what."

Cinder's smirk grew just a little wider. This was almost _too_ easy.

/-/

Jaune's attack went high.

Cinder's blow swung wide.

Jaune ducked another, trying with all his speed and skill to react in time, but alas, he was unable to get his face in the way. Her fist sailed harmlessly past, barely brushing his blonde locks. He threw his head back and gasped anyway. Maybe the angle was bad and people wouldn't notice.

"Oh, look at that, Bart!" Professor Port commentated. "The young Cinder Fall must have used some kind of sound-based technique or Semblance, because I'm fairly sure that didn't connect in the slightest."

"Indeed, Peter. It seems all sorts of skills are on display today."

"What will Team Semen manage next?"

"It's CMEN, Peter."

"That's what I said."

Okay, maybe he hadn't been as subtle on that one as he would have liked. Cinder snarled and launched a flurry of kicks towards him, each one perfectly timed so that there was nothing he could do to plant a soft part of his body on the end. In turn, he swung his sword towards her chest.

It bounced off Cinder's left breast. He hadn't put any force behind it.

"What do you think you're doing?" Cinder hissed.

"Fighting…" He stood with his guard open, waiting for Cinder to take the bait. She didn't. "What are _you_ doing?" he questioned. "You're not even trying."

"Well neither are you!"

"I am!"

Cinder's scowl was dreadfully sarcastic, and only seemed to grow more so when he proved his point by charging in with his sword held high, swinging over her head and practically checking himself on her elbow. She, in turn, caught him by the collar and dragged him forward so that he crashed into her. She flung herself backwards, striking the grassy floor hard and rolling back to slam into the sandpit.

"Hey! No fair!"

"Nice one, Jaune!" Ruby called, fighting back her silver-haired opponent. Mercury was trying to fend her off – or, well, sort of trying – but couldn't quite stop her fast-paced attacks. Behind him, Emerald crashed into a merry-go-round, which spun wildly from the impact and tossed her off the back. Their team was winning, and soundly.

That was bad. Very bad.

He looked around for some kind of inspiration or just some idea on how he was supposed to lose better. He'd thought the easiest route would be to get himself knocked out as quickly as possible, hence charging Cinder in a reckless attack. She'd normally have rolled her eyes and stomped him into oblivion, but she was practically throwing the fight herself.

"A lucky blow," Cinder said loudly, staggering to her feet.

Forget practically; she was _literally_ throwing the fight. _This is real bad. Even if I manage to lose to Cinder she'll still be able to let the others beat her if she wants to._ He glanced to Emerald and Mercury, who panted harshly, despite that they'd been fighting for less than five minutes. They were trying to lose the fight, too! Damn it!

" _Remy. I need a solution."_

" **Bwah? Penny?"**

" _Remy!"_

" **We needs more of the liquid gold… the gold drink. I likes it…"**

Damn it. Qrow's poison from earlier must still have been running around inside of him, and it looked like Remy had been affected trying to fix it. That was another trick in his arsenal lost, though to be fair he couldn't actually bring out any of his Grimm tricks here.

Did he tell Cinder the truth and have her fight him properly? No, that was even more dangerous. If Cinder was willing to kill Pyrrha for the power of the maiden, then telling her now would just be the same deal, except Cinder would go after Pyrrha _after_ this fight, just to make sure Ozpin selected her. Promise or not, there were still ways Cinder could get rid of Pyrrha without physically harming her. She could get her expelled, for instance, or just cause a problem that forced Pyrrha to take a break from Beacon for a while.

No. She couldn't find out what rode on this. He had to lose the fight, and he had to make sure he took his team down with him.

When Cinder attacked him the next time, not being able to _not attack him_ without it looking suspicious, Jaune made sure to dodge back aggressively. Cinder, having expected him to try and take the blow, looked shocked.

But not as shocked as Weiss did when he crashed into her. "Jaune!" she hissed.

"Sorry," he lied, stumbling and carrying her to the floor. His hand hit Myrtenaster, knocking it from her grasp. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Get off me – the fight!" Weiss planted both knees in his chest and _pushed_. He flew back, landing on the floor and rolling to the side.

"I'll get your weapon," he called, rushing over to it.

"No, don't touch it!"

"It's fine. I've got this-" He thumbed the trigger and gasped as a huge fireball shot off from it, hurtling toward Pyrrha and Neo. He had no idea how Pyrrha noticed, what with it being aimed at her back, but whether she'd seen the reflection or not in Neo's eyes she turned and ducked to the side, rolling to safety.

She stared back at him, wide eyed.

"Sorry! My bad!"

Cinder's heel caught him in the chest. His Big Sis snarled as she pushed into his guard, striking at his wrist to make him drop the dust rapier before he could do any more damage to _his own team_. She flipped up, kicking him back and following through, leaving the weapon behind for Weiss to collect it.

"You are such an annoying idiot," Cinder growled, serious this time as she pushed him back, away from anyone he might influence. "I'm doing this to protect your cover!"

"We can lose," he argued. "Beat us."

"And give away all of our skills? It would take that just to beat your teammate – and Ozpin's eyes would be on me for the rest of the tournament!"

"That wouldn't be a bad thing," he insisted.

"It very much would!" Cinder slipped under a clumsy attack and pressed a hand to his chest to push him back. It was a light shove but his ankles hit something wooden and he stumbled. His fall was cushioned by soft sand. He'd fallen in the sand pit. His attempt to stand was thwarted when Cinder knocked one of his arms away with her foot, sending him back down again.

"Jaune, hold on!" Ruby shouted. "I'm coming to help!" She came flying in from the side, scythe at the ready. Cinder stared down at him and smirked, clearly having noticed it, clearly prepared to let the blade connect and rob her of her aura.

In panic Jaune reached down for a handful of sand and cast it out. It flew in a spray, blinding Cinder – but also spreading wide and catching Ruby, as well. The reaper shrieked and tripped, her increased momentum from her Semblance causing her to cartwheel by numerous times before she crashed off the bank and into the ocean with a loud splash.

"Oh my," Port commented. "It looks like Jaune Arc has just had an unfortunate case of friendly fire."

"Unfortunate my ass," Cinder growled, wiping her eyes with one arm. "I'm going to _kill_ you!"

"That would require you to actually try and hit me."

"You make it so very tempting."

"Then do it."

Cinder's eye twitched. "I will."

"Go on."

"I'm going to."

"I'm open."

"It could be a trap."

"It's not."

"That's what you would say."

Jaune and Cinder glared at one another, weapons held firmly in their hands. With a mighty cry the two clashed in a flurry of steel, leather and brutal blows.

And not a drop of blood was shed.

/-/

"They're making a mockery of us," Ironwood growled.

"Come now, James. Don't be so glum," Ozpin said, sat beside his friend in the VIP box. "Most of the audience seem to love it, though I suppose the action is moving a little too quickly for them to get a very good view."

"Not so for us. The two of them are faking this. They haven't been serious from the start." The General made it clear he wasn't amused, if his expression hadn't already given that away. And true, Ozpin considered, one might call it an insult to the spirit of the Vytal Festival. But, at the same time, was it really?

"What do you think, Glynda?" he asked.

"It's clear neither wishes to harm the other but I dare say the sentiment is only shared between those two. It's hard to say with the others. The silver-haired one is losing, but… it could be a mismatch of speed. Miss Rose _is_ a difficult opponent for some. As for Weiss Schnee she has an advantage so long as she keeps her opponent at range and Miss Nikos is fighting hard against her opponent."

"We're supposed to be using this to judge the suitability of Fall and Nikos," Ironwood said. "This travesty of a fight doesn't help us at all."

"Doesn't it, James? I believe it shows us more of our candidates than I'd hoped for."

"Cinder Fall is showing nothing."

"She's showing how much the young Mr Arc means to her," Ozpin countered, and he smiled when James fell into a contemplative silence. He saw it now. "While I'll admit that the fight so far hasn't done much to show us her skill in combat, it has reinforced the aspects which made her appeal to us as a candidate in the first place. I think her loyalty to the one she holds close is admirable. It's also beneficial to us."

"It is," Ironwood allowed. "It _would_ be easier to control the maiden if she were bound to us. Amber should have been the same."

"She desired her freedom."

"And you believe the next won't? Everyone wants to be free, Ozpin. It's just that not everyone has Salem chasing after them and can doom the human race if they're captured. Sacrifices are necessary; cruel, but not necessary."

"They might not be if the next maiden were loyal to us out of her own free will."

"A gilded cage is still a cage, Ozpin. And it wouldn't be loyalty to us at all. It would be loyalty to him."

"I trust Mr Arc."

"You've trusted the wrong kinds of people before," Ironwood pointed out.

"Well, I haven't made a decision yet, so there's still time. I just don't think we should be quite so upset at the display between these two. It is… refreshing to see personal feelings come before glory and victory."

"I can't disagree entirely. One thing I don't understand is why _he_ is playing along with this. If he didn't want to fight her, then why not fight one of her teammates and leave her to face off with Nikos? That would serve us all better and save him the hassle. Why throw the fight so obviously?"

"Perhaps this is his way of telling us who he believes should be the fall maiden. Mr Arc believes Miss Fall would be the suitable choice, and is attempting to show us so with this display." Ozpin chuckled into his mug and sipped from it a moment later. His eyes remained fixed on the screen before them, showing the high-speeds game of two teens trying not to harm one another. "One thing is for sure, however. Those two must hold some true affection for one another."

"I agree," Glynda said. "They must love each other dearly."

/-/

Argh! She was going to tear that idiot's head off and stick it up his own rear-end. She was going to drag him back to the Grimmlands and tie him to a chair, and then throw him in Tyrian's room in the middle of one of the insane idiot's rants about the glory of his Goddess. She was going to do all that and more – but only after she'd _torn_ a pound of flesh from his body first!

"You are the most irritating excuse for a person I have ever had the misfortune to be forced into dealing with!" Cinder snarled, catching Jaune's hands when he tried to punch the air above her shoulder. She twisted them painfully and dragged him in close, so that he could have a nice view of the _fury_ in her eyes. "First you run away and ruin my plans in Haven, _then_ you have the temerity to rebel against your mother's attempts to bring you back, and now this? You are making a fool out of me!"

"I-I don't know what you mean."

The answer infuriated her. She placed a foot into his stomach and pushed, stretching his arms out so that his shoulders almost popped. She knew they wouldn't, what with his inhuman endurance, but it still hurt and she revelled in his pained gasp. "Don't take me for a fool, little brother. I _raised_ you. I damn well know when you're lying to me. Fight me properly."

Jaune growled but didn't budge. His eyes flashed red for a moment but wavered back to blue, and that was something she didn't like seeing. This was dangerous enough without him getting upset. The whole point of her throwing this fight was to _prevent_ him going full Grimm on her.

"What could you possibly have to gain from losing to me?" she asked, breaking off and launching several blistering attacks. This time she aimed straight for him, connecting with each and earning some cheers from the crowd. Her fist snatched his collar before he could fake a dive to the floor. "What's your game? Why bother with all of this?"

"I-I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"I just can't. You have to win the tournament."

"The tournament means nothing to me. I never intended to win it in the first place." He looked so shocked at her words that she couldn't help but laugh. "It's a schoolyard tournament, Jaune. Why would I care for something as fleeting as the glory of the Kingdoms? There is only one person I seek power from."

"Then I order you to beat me," he said, trying a new tactic. She'd admit she was impressed, but only vaguely. "I'm the Prince of the Grimm, so-"

"Not so loud, _prince_ ," she chuckled, burying a knee in his stomach. He folded and gagged. "This isn't the place to be throwing words like that around, and your mother already gave me permission to disobey anything you might say. I wouldn't be much use convincing you to return home if you could just order me to stop."

"N-Not that you've tried very hard to do that…"

Cinder paused. "Excuse me?"

"You never wanted me to go home because that would mean you'd have to escort me," he said, laughing. "I spoke to mom, by the way. She told me what she ordered you to do."

"Y-You spoke to her?" she asked, suddenly nervous. "When? How?"

"A few nights ago. She told me what you were supposed to do. I told her you'd never even tried to take me home." He had the guts to smirk at her. "She didn't sound very pleased about that; even said she'd have to `have words` with you."

She couldn't believe it. Cinder stared at him, eyes wide as panic, fear and anger coursed through her. "You… you…" Her eyes flashed. "You _told on me_!?"

Jaune grinned. "Yep."

"You filthy little tattletale!" she howled, hurling him away from her. He bounced twice on the floor – and that wasn't enough. She assisted him with a swift kick to the side, causing him to bounce a few more times. "I can't believe you!" she growled. "After everything I did for you and all the times I covered for you wanting to read your silly books instead of attending lessons with Watts, you go and betray me like this!"

Salem was going to have her head! This would mark the first time she'd ever gone against her control, and insubordination like that wasn't going to be punished lightly, not when it might have led to her son being put in danger. Cinder's entire world swam before her eyes. They, her eyes, eventually settled on Jaune once more.

She snarled out loud.

"Yeah, sorry," he said, not sounding quite as sorry as he ought to. "If it helps she'll probably not go too hard on you. Well, not unless I tell her about that meeting you took me to with the redhead; the one which ended with me fighting for my life against the Atlas military. Wow, if she ever found out about that then she'd-"

He didn't get to finish on account of her foot impacting his cheek. His head whipped to the side. "She won't find out at all!" Cinder growled, hammering a fist into his stomach. "Because you won't tell her, am I understood?"

Jaune coughed a little spittle onto her arm. "W-Why? I think she'd want to know…"

"Because I am your Big Sister, and I am telling you not to say _anything_!" She caught him by the scruff of his neck and shook him wildly. "I gave up the early years if my life to clean up your messes, some of them very literal! I carried you around. I fed you. I had to spend three hours searching the Grimmlands for that _stupid teddy_ you dropped out the window, and I did _all of that_ for you, so you can shut your mouth and repay me by not telling your mother _anything_. Am I understood?" She said the last with another shake, panting wildly with a face the colour of that stupid Nikos' hair.

Damn him for making her this angry. No one else seemed to have the ability. What was more, the brat had the guts to grin at her, even with his face bruised from the various blows she'd landed. "What are you smiling at?"

Jaune nodded past her, to the big scoreboard. "My aura."

"Your what?" Cinder looked back, and near enough dropped him in shock when she saw the big screen. Her aura was practically fine, at more than eighty per cent, where as his, the sneaky little bastard, was closer to thirty.

"You're my Big Sis," he laughed – _laughed_! "I know how you think… and I know how to make you angry."

He'd tricked her. He, Jaune Arc, idiot extraordinaire, had tricked her. Forget Salem; she could imagine Watts, the bastard, laughing himself hoarse over this. His stupid cackle was already echoing in her head. Jaune had made her lose her cool. Far from throwing the fight, she'd practically annihilated him.

He'd actually managed to trick her. She'd have been proud… if it were anyone else he'd done it to!

"You…"

"I guess that's the end for me," he laughed. "You win. Good job."

She seethed, she really did – but controlled herself at the last second and forced a calm smile onto her face. "Not yet you haven't, little brother." She smirked at his sudden panic. "There's more than just _you_ on this team, after all. Even if you're knocked out all I need to do is lose to your teammates, which shouldn't be very difficult at all. Especially," she added, "with you now out of the fight and unable to _accidentally_ hurt them."

His panic was delightful. "Cinder, wait-"

"Goodbye!" she mocked, pushing him back. She threw all her power into a kick that caught him in the chest. He sailed back and splashed into the water on the other side of the arena. There, that should keep him busy. Now she just needed to find someone capable of giving her a good ring-out. At least her team had followed her instructions and were losing their fights.

Nothing could stop them now.

/-/

"He's getting his ass handed to him!" Coco groaned. "Come on, Merc. Man up!"

"I'm sure he's trying his best," Velvet said, nervously biting her nails. "He is against Pyrrha Nikos, after all."

"He's against her fifteen-year-old teammate! Damn it." Coco growled and looked around for inspiration, her eyes settling on Velvet a second later. "Come on, girl. You need to cheer your man on."

"Me? How are you saying this is my fault? I'm not the one fighting."

Sound as Velvet's logic may have been, no one stopped Coco once she had an idea in her head. She gripped Velvet's shoulders and pushed her forward to the railings. "He's not pumped up enough. Everyone is cheering for him but his heart isn't in it. He needs his fair maiden to show her support."

"W-What?"

"Cheer, bun!" Coco howled. "Cheer for him!"

Velvet swallowed and looked toward the ring. "Go on, Mercury. You can do it!"

"That was pathetic. Put some heart into it. That's your man, your boyfriend, and he's being manhandled by another woman!"

Even if Coco didn't mean what she was trying to say Velvet felt a little anger, uncharacteristic as it was, bubble inside of her. Mercury was better than this, she knew it. Seeing him knocked around by a little girl, as skilled as she was, just wasn't fair.

"And look," Coco went on, "everyone is laughing at him – laughing at your boyfriend."

That… that wasn't true, was it? Velvet bit her lip and looked around. Many of the students here with them were watching animatedly, able to track the fight and understand that it was just a bad match up against so speedy an opponent. They were clapping, nodding or just watching silently. The rest of the audience though, the civilians, were a different matter entirely. They didn't see two skilled opponents giving their all. They saw an older teenager being whipped by someone young enough to still be considered a child. They jeered and laughed, banging their hands on their seats and calling out horrible names at Mercury.

Velvet's eyes blazed. Her hands slammed down on the railing. "Mercury!" she roared, so loud that Fox nearly fell off his seat. She knew Mercury had heard her for his head twitched in her direction. "You can do it, Mercury. I believe in you! I know you can hold your own. I know you can win!"

The silver-haired teen paused in the arena. In a moment where Ruby had stepped back to reload, his head turned – and his eyes met hers.

"You can do it," Velvet whispered, nodding at him. "I believe in you."

/-/

"And that's Ruby Rose out by aura loss – and what a turnaround by Mercury Black, using her Ruby's own impressive speed against her. She certainly didn't expect him to be that quick on his feet."

"Nor the shotguns apparently hidden _on_ his feet," Oobleck added.

Cinder whirled on Mercury. "What the hell!?"

The crowd were cheering. Mercury was stood over Ruby Rose's body, a chagrined expression on his face. His eyes seemed to dart between her and some rabbit faunus in the crowd and his cheeks were dusted with colour. "Um, I can explain?" he tried.

"Oh, but Emerald Sustrai follows. A remarkable ring-out manoeuvre by Weiss Schnee." Oobleck called, and Cinder's anger lessened a little. This was fine, this was still salvageable. Pyrrha Nikos could probably beat them all, at least if they weren't trying their hardest. Mercury's aura was low as well, so it wouldn't take much to disqualify him.

It was three against three now, or two but she knew Jaune would still have a little aura left after his dip in the ocean. He hadn't been called out as disqualified, after all. "Take a moment to have a breather," she whispered to Mercury. "Make it look convincing. I'll get myself knocked out of the ring by the Schnee."

"G-Got it."

"And we'll have _words_ later about your choice here," she added, earning a panicked look from him. "You're supposed to be following orders. Not pandering to pretty girls." She eyed the faunus in the crowd and raised an eyebrow when Mercury moved between them, cutting off her view. That was interesting - and not necessarily in a good way.

Weiss Schnee landed before them and flourished her rapier. She took a quick look at them, counted two, and swiftly summoned a wall of ice that pushed Mercury back, cutting him off from supporting Cinder.

"What did you do to Jaune?" she demanded.

"I fought him," Cinder admitted freely. "He's currently taking a little swim."

"That idiot," Weiss huffed. "He should have been able to handle you."

Cinder's eyes narrowed. She wanted to ask what this little girl thought she knew about _her_ capabilities, but refrained. As satisfying as it would be she still had to lose the fight. Being thought of as a weakling was fine. For now…

But oddly enough, Weiss' eyes weren't on her. They were on the ocean arena-biome behind her. "You said you knocked him in. Why hasn't he come back up? He _can_ swim, can't he?"

What a stupid question. Of course he couldn't swim – where would she take him swimming in the middle of the Grimmlands? The only place was the ocean and it wasn't like he could learn to swim in something like that.

…

Cinder's body hit the water a second later.

/-/

Jaune awoke to a white ceiling. His head ached, as did most of his body. Groggily, he tried to look around, only to wince when his throat ached. He managed to croak out a little gasp, and that proved enough to alert the only other person in the room.

"Are you awake, Mr Arc?"

"O-Ozpin…?"

"I'm here." The man helped him to sit and then moved a glass of water to his lips. The sight of it was enough to turn his stomach and he tried to push it away. "Drink, Mr Arc. I know you've likely had enough of water for a lifetime but your body needs it. It will help the pain in your throat as well."

Jaune nodded and sipped a little, relieved to find the man's words true. "What happened?" he asked. "Where am I?"

"You're in the infirmary, my boy – and you nearly drowned. Or perhaps you _did_ drown." Ozpin put the glass down and sighed. "I wasn't aware you couldn't swim."

"I never really thought about it."

The Grimmlands only had an ocean, after all – the closest pools being the ones the Grimm could spawn out of, which weren't exactly safe to take a dip in even if someone was stupid enough to think it a good idea.

"Miss Fall saved your life," Ozpin went on. "Though I suppose you could say she endangered it too, but I believing the saving outweighs that. She was able to find your body and drag it to the beach, and then performed CPR to bring you back, even as the paramedics rushed onto the arena."

She'd done all that…? Well, it wasn't too much of a surprise since she'd always looked out for him, but never so publically. She was usually much thornier about things. Jaune's head swam again and he cringed. Cinder was going to be furious, either at him nearly getting himself killed, throwing the fight or just from forcing her to save his ass. At least one good thing had come out of it. "I take it we lost, then? We'd have been disqualified because of me, right?"

"Disqualified? Goodness no. If anyone were to lose it would have been their team, as they were low on aura and Miss Fall left herself completely open to attack as she helped you. Of course, we would never countenance someone harming her while she treated you, and I doubt your teammates would have interfered. The match was postponed the very moment we realised you were in danger."

"So, who lost?"

"No one lost. The crowd were shocked at the near-death incident, and then inspired at the sight of a student throwing away their chance at victory to treat another, especially an enemy. It was a moment to remind Remnant of who we truly are, and that, even with the Kingdoms between us, we are all allies at heart." Ozpin chuckled, and it was impossible to miss the wide smile on his face. "I feel the crowd would have rioted had we declared her side the defeated. As such, we declared the battle inconclusive. Both your teams will be put back into the roulette and have a chance to fight again."

Jaune's mouth fell open. Wait, so all of that – all of the pain and the taunting Cinder – and it was _pointless_? They were going to have to fight again anyway? He wanted to scream. It was only his strained throat which prevented him doing so.

"And I should note that Ironwood and I have decided not to push your two teams to face one another the next time. Yours and your `sister's` little display convinced us of the futility of that. I can promise your next match will be randomly chosen."

A small mercy, then, and maybe a victory after all. He slumped back into the cushions at the news. At least he'd managed to avoid the Cinder killing Pyrrha thing, even if it was more a postponement than a solution. Thinking about it, this was the only way it could have worked anyway. There was no way he could have made their team lose when _all_ of Cinder's team were trying to throw it. He was only one man.

"I'll leave you be for now, Mr Arc," Ozpin said, standing with the aid of his cane. "I'm sure there are many people who want to see you and I'm delaying that. I'll ask you to think a little more on what we spoke of before; our choice between your teammate and your adopted sister." He smiled and nodded his head. "I must say that both have shown good reason to be selected today."

Ozpin really had no idea. It was kind of depressing. "I'll think about it, sir."

Jaune sighed as the man slowly moved away. His body really did feel like crap, especially his lungs. He winced and reached inside of himself. _"Remy, you still alive?"_

" **Kill me…"**

" _Remy?"_

" **I feel terrible,"** the little parasite groaned. **"A-And I can't remember anything. It's like I blacked out. What happened?"**

" _Qrow poisoned you. Then I drowned. Also, you started to sing."_

" **That… what? Is that why it's so waterlogged in here? And what do you mean singing?"**

It really wasn't worth explaining – and luckily the door slammed open before he had a chance to. Golden eyes flashed as a figure with black hair stormed in, hands clenched into fists. Jaune stared back, praying fervently that it was Blake and she had some reason to hate him. No luck, of course. Cinder snarled as she came to a stop beside his bed.

"This is your fault!" she hissed.

"Um… hey, Cinder." He wasn't sure what she meant. What was his fault? Hadn't he technically managed to both keep her in the tournament _and_ protect her cover? "What's my fault? Drowning?"

"No! These… those… the idiots you call friends! FIX THIS!"

Jaune blinked, confused. "Fix what? What's the problem?"

"Where is- Jaune, you're awake!" Ruby's voice, and Ruby herself, came rushing in through the door a second later. She shot over to his side and gripped his hand in hers. Cinder cursed and tried to flee but ran into Yang in the doorway. She bounced back, and soon the doorway itself was blocked by the rest of his team, along with Team RYBN.

"There's my idiot partner," Weiss said, voice tinged with just a little more concern than he'd ever heard before. "I can't believe you never told us you couldn't swim, you absolute dolt!"

"It never came up in conversation…"

"I feel it should have when _half the arena we're about to fight on_ becomes water," she snapped. "That would have been a good moment to make us aware of the fact!" She sighed and crossed her arms. "Still, you're okay. That's what matters. And it's all thanks to Cinder."

"Cinder!" Ruby cheered, letting go of Jaune's hand and lunging for the dark-haired woman. Her arms enfolded around his Big Sis before she could escape, and Ruby hugged her tightly. "You saved my friend's life. You're a best friend forever!"

It could have been a beautiful scene. It probably should have been. Sadly, Cinder's eyes bore into his, and contained the kind of look a person might have were they being mauled to death by a Beowolf. "Fix this!" she croaked, glaring at him.

"I'd normally be upset at some girl making out with my boyfriend," Yang said, "but I'll make an exception this time. You're a regular hero. Thanks." Yang clapped a hand on Cinder's shoulder and pulled her in for a one-armed hug. Now trapped between both of the sisters Cinder's glare took on an almost magma-like heat.

Jaune looked to Pyrrha for an explanation. "Um…?"

"After Cinder saved your life Ruby and Yang pretty much adopted her," the redhead explained, giggling. "We all have, really. Something like that can't go unrewarded. You really should have told us you couldn't swim, though," she added, frowning at him. It vanished a second later. "But I'm glad you're okay."

"Stop hugging me!" Cinder growled.

"Not a huggy person, I get it." Yang laughed, not relinquishing her hold at all. "How about you and I have a girl's night out instead? Or a girl's night in if you'd prefer."

"Ooh, I can help," Ruby cheered, looking up from her position wrapped about Cinder's waist with an earnest smile. "We can paint our nails, talk about boys and play video games."

Cinder's entire body seemed to twitch aggressively. He had a feeling she wanted to erupt into violence, but knowing she had to keep her cover couldn't do a thing. Calling Cinder not a huggy person would have been pushing it. She _despised_ any forms of contact and it had taken him seventeen years of life to worm his way into being allowed to touch her. Ruby and Yang had firm grips, though. It didn't look like she'd be escaping anytime soon.

" _Well, all's well that ends well, right?"_

" **Cinder looks like she's going to murder you."**

Eh, close enough.

* * *

 **A farce of a fight and then a postponement, pushing it back. Jaune's managed to escape by the skin of his teeth on this one but the race to become the maiden is still on. I've tried to make it clear why Jaune can't just** _ **tell**_ **Cinder, but if you missed that it's because he knows Cinder wouldn't take any risks and would do something to Pyrrha to sabotage her chances of being chosen, and that would undoubtedly be something that would hurt Pyrrha, if not physically then emotionally or mentally. He can't take the risk of Cinder using Emerald or Neo's illusions to make someone think Pyrrha did something illegal or terribly immoral.**

 **Anyway, since the fight didn't end up "meaning" anything, it might seem pointless, but believe me that it's integral. You'll understand why later.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 29** **th** **March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	60. Chapter 60

**The chapter is here and I'm currently working past a headache that has been plaguing me for three days straight. Lovely stuff.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 60**

* * *

"Keep your head above the water," Cinder snapped. "Above! Damn it. Do you not know what that word even means!? UP! If you can't breathe, that's a problem." The woman stood on the edge of the pool and sighed dramatically. With a graceful dive she splashed into the water and hunted the floundering huntsman down.

Beacon's swimming pool was something of a rarely used thing, at least for any academic purposes. There were mentions of aquatic Grimm and courses in dealing with them in the upper years, but since swimming was good exercise the school left the pool open at most other times, free for the use of students. Most didn't have exercise in mind when they came down, but a little de-stress and relaxation was never a bad thing.

It also doubled up rather well for swimming lessons. Yang grinned as she watched the dark-haired woman reach Jaune and wrap an arm around his throat, kicking backwards to drag him into the shallows. She kicked her own feet in the water, enjoying the sensation. It was nice to have a break and since their team had technically done their first round fight, there was no need to be in the arena. It was also a nice chance to show off her yellow swimming costume, which was just shy of a bikini and clung to her figure.

She'd noticed more than a few boys stare – and Jaune glowered back in the periods where he wasn't busy drowning. His jealousy made her stomach flutter and she took a sinful delight in watching his attention fracture whenever he saw her. It felt good to be wanted.

"Shouldn't you be more concerned at another woman manhandling your boyfriend?" Weiss asked from beside her. The resident heiress had come in a one-piece that was far more conservative, if no less attractive.

Yang snickered. "Shouldn't you?"

"He's not my—" Weiss broke off with a sigh, realising she couldn't argue it in case Winter found out. "Fine, forget I asked. I'm only here to make sure something like yesterday never happens again. I can't believe the dolt didn't tell me he couldn't swim."

"You can't believe he doesn't know how, or that he didn't tell you?"

"Both, though the latter annoys me more. How am I supposed to develop a team strategy when I don't know what he can and can't do?" Weiss sighed dramatically. "At least he's willing to learn. He won't be a confident swimmer at this rate, but if he can keep his head above water I'll call it a win."

Yang hummed her own agreement, recalling that moment of heart-stopping panic where she – and much of the audience – had realised Jaune still hadn't come up from the water. The commentary had stopped, all sound coming to a halt, and it felt like a single pin falling would have deafened the entire arena.

It hadn't been much better when he'd been brought out by Cinder, lifeless and still. Yang had been halfway to the arena by the time he woke up – and he only _had_ woken up because the woman currently dragging him out of the shallows saved his life.

For that alone Yang wouldn't have cared if Cinder had her hands all over him, which she totally did right now, but not in that kind of way. Really, with all the insults and the snapping, not to mention the glaring and foot-stomping, it almost felt like she was watching a reluctant sister chastise a stupid young brother. It was like her and Ruby, except five times more bitchy and with Cinder not _quite_ having the same degree of patience she did.

That fact kept her from feeling jealous as Cinder Fall swam out with Jaune pressed against her chest, even if Yang couldn't quite squash her envy at the soft curves and elegant air Cinder gave off. _And I thought I was a knock out. If I was a man I'd be all over that. Hell, if I didn't have Jaune I'd be questioning my sexuality right now._

It just wasn't fair.

"Yang!" Weiss snapped. "Are you paying attention to what I'm saying at all?"

"I've got a feeling I'm not," she said, tearing her eyes from Cinder's creamy skin. "Not unless you were talking about what I was just looking at, which I'm pretty confident you weren't."

Weiss looked back at the pool, grimaced, and came to the wrong conclusion. "Spare me the sordid details of Jaune's body. I don't need to see nor hear it."

"Sure, let's go with that. What were you saying?"

"I was _saying_ that, swimming aside, I'm not sure what to make of the two of them. They act like siblings, but when I asked Jaune he said they weren't, at least not technically. He also repeated the story about his mother trying to marry the two together."

"I can see why," Yang murmured, mesmerised again.

"Yang!"

"I'm listening!"

"Eyes off my partner's chest," Weiss said. "My concerns aren't that she'll steal him away, at least that's not my concern – whether it should be yours is your own choice – but that their fight against one another was…"

"Ridiculous?" Yang offered.

"I was going to say staged but ridiculous also explains it rather succinctly, thank you. Yes, though I wasn't able to tell it at the time I reviewed the footage to try and analyse my own mistakes and their fight was… it was a joke, Yang."

"I know, we all saw it – or at least the students did." The audience didn't seem to notice, too unused to the shows they could put on or how much stronger they could be when they were taking things seriously, as Jaune and Cinder had not been. "I think some people started to figure it out at the end but I doubt there'll be any fallout. Most people see it as the sweetest thing ever, and if they find out they wouldn't even fight one another in the first place? That'll just make them `aww` even louder."

Weiss didn't look like she was ready to croon at the adorableness of it all. She looked prepared to murder her partner. "Yes, but that doesn't help us win the tournament! What if we have to face her team again?"

"I doubt the teachers will let that happen after this time," Yang said. "And you won't have to worry come the second rounds."

"Oh?"

"Yeah." Yang grinned. "Because I'll knock your team out myself."

Weiss snorted. "You and what army? I have a Pyrrha and I'm not afraid to use her."

The two shared a quick laugh, a rare moment of camaraderie between two people who, by all measures of personality, shouldn't have gotten on as well as they did. Maybe it was shared woes over Jaune but still, it was nice.

"She isn't really a people person, is she?"

"Hm?" Yang blinked.

"Cinder," Weiss explained. "Look."

She pointed into the pool, where Cinder was currently stood in the shallows with one hand under Jaune's head, trying to teach him to float on the water. The woman's black swimsuit left little to the imagination and she'd already attracted some attention. One man was behind her, trying to hold a conversation with her. Cinder did _not_ look amused. In fact, she looked downright murderous.

Yang couldn't hear what she said to the boy, but from the way his face paled, then went red, then white again, it couldn't have been anything nice. He stammered and backed away, slipping back and falling into the water with a splash. His friends laughed as he swam back, but he didn't. "Ouch," Yang said. "Someone got rejected."

"Someone got emasculated, you mean. She doesn't seem to like spending time with many people. I've seen the way she looks at Ruby."

"Eh, she's probably just not used to it. She lives out in the sticks with Jaune, remember. I bet she just hasn't had the time to get used to having a load of people around her." Yang grinned and gave Weiss a thumbs up. "She'll open up to us just like you did."

"If you're certain…"

"I'm a great judge of character," Yang said. "She's a cool girl, I'm sure of it. Just not patient," she added as Jaune sank like a brick. Far from help him up, Cinder slapped a hand to her forehead and grumbled something under her breath. Yang kicked off the edge and landed in the water with a splash. "I better go help before my first proper boyfriend drowns in a freak training accident. Wish me luck."

"I'll wish you more than that," Weiss said, not moving to join her. "Where is Ruby by the way?"

"Eh, she's off with Blake."

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "And you're not concerned about that? When I asked her what she was doing earlier Ruby clammed up immediately. She made up some nonsense excuse about studying marine biology."

"Nah, Blake is cool. Besides, with all the drama she gets with Nora I feel like she deserves a little chance to relax every now and then. The poor kitten gets stressed otherwise." Yang laughed at her final joke, ignoring the roll of Weiss' eyes, and swam over to help Cinder.

It was going to be a while before Jaune could manage much more than the `death stroke`.

/-/

This must have been what being a drug dealer felt like.

The thought didn't quite manage to amuse Blake as much as she would have liked, not when she picked up the parcel from Beacon's front desk and stared at it. Such an innocuous thing, wrapped in brown paper and about the size of a textbook. So innocent and simple, and yet the white tag on the front – containing both the addresses of the recipient and sender – was anything but.

On one side it contained her name, location and residence at Beacon. Below it, a logo of a book opening – innocent enough – but for the words beneath; _Adam's Adult Albums_ and beneath it a slogan, _succulently sinful stories for all tastes and occasions_."

The name was a coincidence. She had to tell herself that; otherwise her grasp on sanity – fragile enough already – would snap. "Is that it?" a voice whispered hungrily behind her.

Blake's heart leapt into her throat and she staggered forward, spinning in time to see Ruby staring at the package with wide eyes and grasping hands. The sight didn't calm her any, though her heart did stop trying to burst free from her chest. "Ruby, don't scare me like that!"

"He he, sorry. Is it, though?"

"Yes," Blake said, looking down at the parcel like it was a bomb. "This is it."

"Let's open it!"

"No!" She ducked aside, letting Ruby dart by with hands outstretched. "Not here," she said. "Not where people could see us. Do you want Yang to find out what this is?"

Ruby's face, suddenly ashen white, said she didn't.

"Exactly, and however bad you're imagining it to be, it'll be ten times worse for me. We have to be subtle, stealthy…" She tried to think up another word beginning with s that fit. She quickly gave up. "This is serious business."

"Blake, they're magazines," Ruby pointed out.

"They're not just magazines, Ruby." For one, she had a book or two she'd ordered with them. "Anyway, we need to get these back to your dorm, preferably without anyone we know noticing or asking what we're doing."

"Can I help?" someone asked.

In her defence, she was already on edge. The voice came from behind – too close to be aimed at anyone else – and Blake reacted instantly, turning with the package in hand. She didn't mean to use it as a weapon, not really, but she caught a shock of blonde hair and her mind leapt to the thought it might be Jaune. As such, there was only one option; something she had relied on all her life and which had never failed her.

Run away and start a new life.

Sadly, that wasn't an option.

She brained the person with the package instead, striking his face to the side and crumpling him like a pile of rocks. Blake Belladonna stood over the remains of a blonde faunus, clutching a brown package in hand and breathing heavily. Sun Wukong didn't move.

"You see that?" someone whispered.

"So violent."

"Never took her for being a racist…"

"Blake," Ruby whispered. "Did you just kill someone with your porn?"

"No," she replied defensively. "It's _our_ porn."

"H-Hey, that's not fair."

"Life isn't, Ruby. Here, grab his legs."

"We're hiding the body?" Ruby yelped. "I'm too young to go to jail!"

"He's not dead, Ruby. Though he'll wish he was if he dares mention anything of what he saw here. We need to make sure he didn't see anything he wasn't supposed to. Help me get him out of here and outside."

It took a few minutes to carry the dazed faunus out into the gardens. He wasn't fully unconscious but rather stunned. Aura was something you needed to concentrate to use, and force to an area to block an attack. It didn't do so well against surprise attacks, especially not when you were completely at ease and not expecting several hefty books to the skull.

Sun groaned as he was put down on the soft grass. The dew wet his back, slowly bringing him back to reality. "Ugh, what hit me?"

"You tripped," Blake said, long before Ruby could interject with the inconvenient truth. "You tripped and fell. How do you feel?"

"Like I just took a brick to the face…"

Blake shifted awkwardly. "I'm sure you'll be fine. Do you remember anything?"

"I remember coming up to talk to you," he said, and flashed her a charming smile. Blake rolled her eyes and groaned. "I also remember you had something you were talking about. Something you needed to keep secret."

Gambol Shroud flicked out.

Ruby pushed it away. "It's nothing," the younger girl laughed. "Blake and I were just playing a bit of a game. We need to get back to my dorm without anyone noticing. It's… training," she said. "Yeah, training. In stealth."

"Heh, that sounds pretty cool. I've had to sneak around Haven a couple of times myself, maybe I can help." Sun held out a hand, and after a poignant moment to see where Ruby would take it and spare her the effort, Blake sighed and extended her own. Sun kept hold as she dragged him up, and even caressed it a little before he let go.

She resisted the urge to stab him. Just.

"What would you normally do?" Ruby asked the stalker- sorry, monkey faunus.

"Eh, I'd normally climb through a window or something. The corridors are a no go when you need to get in or out quick, and the window lets you check if your teammates are already there. Though to be fair the first time I did it was because we'd left our scrolls inside and locked ourselves out." Sun chuckled nervously. "Breaking into our own dorm in the first week wasn't exactly the highest point of our career."

Ruby and Blake looked away from Sun toward the building which houses their dorms. The wall was flat but not impossibly so. There were drains and ledges to be had, not to mention some parts of the foundation that stood out. It wasn't a vertically flat surface by any means.

Did Blake dare risk Ruby's life climbing up the side of a building?

Yes.

When it was weighed against the question of whether she dared let Yang find out she'd provided her little sister Class-A Smut, then yes she would happily risk her and Ruby's life. Falling and breaking her neck would be a mercy compared to what Yang might do. Except for one little problem…

"We don't know which window is mine," Ruby said.

"Oh, that's easy." Sun pointed. "It's that one."

Blake stared at him.

Ruby did, too. "How do you know?"

"Because it's next to Blake's window."

Blake stared a little harder.

"How do you know which window is Blake's?" Ruby asked.

Sun didn't immediately answer.

Blake's eyes turned to slits of amber.

"Heh, well, that's a story right there," Sun said, laughing nervously. "Would you believe me if I said there was a totally reasonable explanation for how I knew? One that _didn't_ involve me being some kind of stalker?"

Blake's teeth started to grind together.

"No," Ruby said, placing a hand on Sun's arm. "But I think it's brave that you tried."

No more than fifteen minutes later Ruby was balanced on the ledge outside the window tinkering with it and desperately wishing Weiss wasn't so darn good at remembering to lock up every time they went out. "I can't get it open," Ruby whined.

"Move out the way. I'll do it."

"Don't smash it." Ruby pleaded, and Blake sighed as she threw the idea away. They could have just said a bird slammed into it or something. She brought out Gambol Shroud instead and ran it down the join where the lock was, working the blade in and twisting it to the side. The latch didn't so much open as it did bend in two, allowing her to push it inward. "I'll bend it back before I leave," she promised, climbing in and dragging Ruby in after.

"You better. Weiss will have my head if she realised what we just did."

"She won't if you don't tell her."

"Blake, we just climbed up the side of a building. Someone must have noticed." Ruby's face went red and she swept a hand behind herself, pushing her skirt against her rear. Blake winced. If they had noticed, then Ruby's outfit would have betrayed her a little.

"Sorry," she said. She placed the package down on Ruby's bed. "Maybe this will make things better."

It did, and with remarkable speed. Ruby hovered behind her shoulder, practically vibrating with excitement as Blake peeled the brown paper packaging back. Beneath it was a box, made of cardboard and carefully disguised so that no one would know what lay within. Her contacts were discrete, necessary in her line of work.

"C-Can I open it?" Ruby asked.

"Go for it. Just be quick; we don't know when your team will be back."

Ruby nodded and hurried forward, taking the box in two hands and swallowing audibly. A little sweat ran down her brow and she looked left and right – checking for a Yang hidden behind the curtains. When there was none, she pried the lid off and they both stared at the contents. Two book and six magazines. The books at least no one could tell of the contents, their covers blank and their titles misleading.

The magazines were less subtle, and bore their subject material proudly in the form of a girl in a school uniform held aloft by four black tentacles. "It's perfect," Ruby whispered. She took the one on the top and sat down on her bed, peeling off the cellophane and tossing it aside.

"Don't do that," Blake warned, catching it. She straightened it back out and showed Ruby the price tag. It also had the magazine's title on it. "This is the kind of evidence that'll give you away if someone finds it. You have to hide everything. _Everything_." She held it out. "Swallow it."

"Blake, I'm not swallowing that," Ruby said. She did take it, but only to pick up a pen and scribble all over it. She then stuffed it into her pocket. "I'll put it in a bin outside tomorrow or something. No one will know."

"Okay." Blake sighed, a little more relaxed now that their smuggling run was over. "You have a hiding place for them, right? You took what I said about hiding them seriously."

"Yep. They'll be hidden – and even if someone finds them they'll never realise they belong to me."

"Or that I helped you get them," she pressed.

"Or that. Relax, Blake. It'll be fine." Ruby turned a page and gasped. Her skin turned red and she drew the magazine closer to her face. She also shivered a little, and looked to Blake somewhat desperately.

Blake caught the hint. "I'll leave you to your reading," she said, taking her books from the box and leaving it behind for Ruby to deal with. "Try to make those last. I'd like to have at least a week or two before I need to start fearing for my life again."

"Okay," Ruby replied distractedly. She was too engrossed in her smut. "I'll do whatever you just said."

With a roll of the eyes, Blake slipped out the door and let it shut behind her. Now she just needed to find a quiet spot alone so she could enjoy her own—

"Hey," Sun said, popping up in front of her with a wild grin. "I take it my plan worked. So, you want to hang out a little now that you're done with whatever it was you were doing? Oh, books? I like books. Want to study together?"

"Uh…"

/-/

Sun sighed and watched as Blake slipped away, again with an excuse for why they couldn't spend any time together. Oh, it was politely given. Blake always did manage to make it sound like she had a reason for avoiding him, and usually without calling him a stalker. _All I did was follow her when she ran away from the White Fang, ask her deeply personal questions, hang around her all the time and tell her I knew which window was hers. Does that really make me sound like a stalker?_

No way. That was all cool, romantic and mature stuff. Well, at least he thought it was. Neptune had sighed pretty heavily when he'd told him, but what did he know about getting a girl? Neptune had all sorts of short relationships in Haven but no long-term girlfriend to his name.

Even so, it was hard to argue his process with Blake had been anything less than pathetic. Sun ran a hand down his face and cursed himself. _Every damn time, man. You really have a knack for messing this up._

At this point he was about ready to give up, except that he didn't really think he could. Call it stupid – and it probably was – but he had a feeling he'd regret it if he did. "Just gotta keep trying," he told himself. "If I give up now it only shows her how little effort I'm willing to put in."

Wait, did _that_ sound stalkerish?

Nah…

A hand clapped down on his shoulder from behind. Sun turned, excited at the thought it might be Blake – but his smile almost turned into a scream when he saw it was a ginger-haired girl with a wide smile. "I didn't try and break into Blake's room, I swear!"

"I know," Nora Valkyrie said. "I was watching."

"Y-You were?"

"Yep. I had to make sure Blakey wasn't sneaking off to try and get a leg up on Ren. Or a leg over," she added in a mumble.

"You followed her?" he demanded, a little offended. "You know, you can't just butt your nose into other people's business like that."

"Says you, mister. Anyway, I wasn't stalking her. I was just collecting blackmail."

"Blackmail?"

"Did I say blackmail? I meant… uh… something else. Anyway-" Nora quickly changed the subject. "I couldn't help but notice you trying to ask Blake out and being rejected. Again."

"Heh," Sun laughed awkwardly. "You noticed, huh?"

"I think the whole school has by now."

Sun's cheeks turned red.

"But it's your lucky day!" Nora crowed. "Because I, Nora Valkyrie, am your fairy godmother."

"My what?"

"Your love coach."

"Look, I appreciate the offer but I really don't think I need someone to tell me how to-" Sun was cut off as Nora's hand, still on his shoulder, clamped down with incredible force. The girl's face was flat, her expression unimpressed.

"Yeah, I think I and every woman alive are going to have to disagree with you a little there. I follow Ren around less than you do Blake and we've been together forever. Do you even know anything about Blakey?"

"Sure, I know loads. She's a faunus and she used to work for the White Fang but she realised how bad their methods are and is now trying to be a huntress in an effort to redeem herself. She wants to help the faunus find equality."

"Yeah, I was thinking anything a little less hefty," Nora said, rolling her eyes. "Like what her favourite colour or food is, or what hobbies she has or what she likes to do in her free-time."

Sun flushed with colour. "She-uh- she likes to read?"

"What does she like to read?"

"Books?"

Nora gave him the most pitying look ever.

"Okay, I need help," he finally admitted, sulking. "But why are you willing to help me? What do you get out of it?"

"Let's just say I get to kill two stones with one bird…"

Sun blinked.

"What?"

"No time. Come with me, prince charming. It's time for your make-over."

/-/

"And then I nearly drowned," Jaune said, walking down the corridor with his teammate. "Again."

"Well they have your best interests at heart," Pyrrha said, ever the diplomat. "I'm sure it's difficult but you should stick with it. Knowing how to swim could save your life."

"I know, I know…" Jaune mumbled something under his breath about drunken insects not helping – Pyrrha didn't really understand but chose not to comment. Jaune could be odd sometimes. She'd learned to just accept it.

"At least you don't need to worry the next time a water arena is used."

"Hopefully there won't _be_ another water arena," Jaune groaned.

"I would hope so, too," a voice behind them said. Ozpin nodded, stepping out from an adjoining corridor. "Mr Arc, Miss Nikos, a pleasure to see you both. While it may be unprofessional to tell you this, I'll confide that I've asked the crews to ensure there are no more deep-ocean arena selections. Even had you not drowned a fight underwater doesn't exactly make for a good viewer experience. Calm water and little else doesn't reveal much."

Pyrrha giggled at the imagery, but was a little surprised to find that Jaune didn't. In fact, her teammate seemed almost defensive before the headmaster. Had something happened that she wasn't aware of? Headmaster Ozpin was strange, yes, but not in a bad way. She'd always considered him quite approachable.

"What are you doing here?" Jaune asked the man.

Shocked, Pyrrha rounded on her teammate. "Jaune! I'm sorry, sir," she said, spinning back to Ozpin. "He's had a hard day learning to swim and I don't think they were gentle with him."

"There is nothing to apologise for, my dear. I am not here in an official capacity, and I did interrupt your conversation. I apologise for that," he said, bowing his head. "In truth, I'd actually been looking for you."

"Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, recalling the many times he'd been summoned to the headmaster's office. It was something of a topic of gossip among the team.

"Yourself actually."

"Me?" she balked. "Have I done something wrong?"

"Not at all, and you aren't in any trouble here. It's something of a huntress nature…" Ozpin's eyes slid to Jaune's. "Mr Arc is already aware of it, at least nominally. I'm sure he'll confirm I'm not here to cause you any distress."

He did? Pyrrha's eyes sought his but Jaune wouldn't return her gaze. The awkwardness between them wasn't making her worry any less.

"You've made your decision, then?" Jaune asked. "I thought you said you hadn't decided."

"We haven't," Ozpin replied, and yet again Pyrrha looked between the two of them, completely lost. "This is simply us approaching Miss Nikos to explain the situation. I apologise if I didn't make it clear before, but I would present anyone in this situation with a choice. I won't force this on someone."

"A choice for what?" Pyrrha asked.

"Pyrrha isn't right for it."

Emerald eyes grew wide. "W-What? What's wrong with me?"

"Don't you think that's a decision best made by her?"

"No." Jaune's attention flicked to her at last, and Pyrrha found herself floored by the emotion in his eyes. He was frightened for her. She could see it as clear as day. "Pyrrha's a wonderful person," he said, and her heart soared. "And that's the problem."

Eh?

"She'll do whatever you say because she thinks it's the best thing to do. Well it's not."

"If that's the case, Miss Nikos can make her own decisions," Ozpin said. "She should at least be given the opportunity to listen. I applaud your concern for your teammate, Mr Arc, I really do. It shows how much you care for her."

Pyrrha's cheeks heated up. She just hoped no one noticed.

"However, you should try not to let your concern turn into control. Look out for her, but do not seek to make decisions for her, or to take the choice out of her hand entirely. She is not a child. None of your friends are." Ozpin turned to her at last. "Miss Nikos, will you talk with me in private? I can assure you – and your teammate – that nothing shall befall you this night. I only wish to tell you a story, and then to make you an offer. I won't even accept a decision until at least a few days have passed."

She knew the last bit was aimed at Jaune, and it seemed to calm him down a little – probably because he knew he'd have time to convince her out of whatever it was they were talking about. And really, what was it? Pyrrha's curiosity burned, even if it was tempered a little by Jaune's nervous posture. Either way, he'd asked her a direction question. It demanded an answer.

"I… I suppose so…?" Pyrrha looked to Jaune for his approval, even if she wasn't sure why she really needed it.

"She'll have time to think about it?" he asked.

"I promise you that," Ozpin said.

"And the other…?"

"She will be given the same opportunity," Ozpin said.

Pyrrha blinked. "Another? Is someone else going to be there…?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you who, Miss Nikos, for your own safety. You'll understand more once you hear what I have to say. Mr Arc can be trusted but you will have to keep what you learn here tonight secret from any other."

"I understand."

She didn't; how could she?

"Good. Come with me. And tell me, how familiar are you with fairy tales…?"

/-/

Jaune slumped onto his mattress and sighed into his hands. Ozpin had Pyrrha and was going to tell her about the maidens. That knowledge made his head ache. He was grateful Weiss was still out with Yang and, by the sounds of it; Ruby was busy having another of her unusually long showers. It gave him time to muse on what he was supposed to do.

 _It's not actually a bad thing,_ he told himself. _Ozpin promised to give Pyrrha time to explain and I can use that to convince her to say no. Cinder has to become the maiden. It's the only solution that saves lives._

The reasoning was simple. If Cinder received what she wanted on a silver platter, then she wouldn't need to do anything to _get_ it, which meant that whatever plan she had could just fizzle away. Pyrrha wouldn't need to be hurt, either by Cinder or the responsibilities of the maiden, and everything could continue on as normal.

" **Couldn't you just tell Cinder?"** Remy asked. **"If you told her what was going on she would work with you. She wants that power, after all."**

" _That's why I can't tell her,"_ he said inside his head." _Big Sis wants it too much._ _If I tell her what's going on, she'll know about Pyrrha. What do you think would happen if she knew the only thing standing between her and the fall maiden was a single person? What do you think she'd do?"_

" **You made her promise not to hurt any of your friends…"**

Jaune didn't bother replying to that. Cinder would keep her promise for his sake but that didn't mean she'd keep it in the way he wanted her to. She was a master of loopholes and trickery, and she'd find a way to remove Pyrrha from the game without technically harming her. A dead family member calling her away for a funeral, a scandal pushing her into the limelight and tarnishing her reputation, or hell, she could have manipulate someone _else_ into killing Pyrrha, playing it off as an accident or their actions. If he could think up those three examples, Cinder could think up thirty more.

" _It's too much of a risk. We don't know what Ozpin and Ironwood will decide. What if I tell Cinder the truth, explaining everything, but Ozpin decides it should be someone else? Cinder would go ballistic. She'd kill whoever it was."_

" **Nothing to stand between her and what she wants, huh? Yeah, that sounds like her. It's a shame your mother doesn't have any more female servants. We could make them the maiden and let that be the end of it. Though I doubt it would work with your sisters. It would probably kill them."**

That seemed likely, and he wouldn't have put any of his sisters in front of Ozpin and Ironwood anyway. Really, the best bet was Cinder – and it wasn't like he had to try very hard to make her win Ozpin's little competition. If the headmaster had already gone to Pyrrha now, then he'd certainly go and talk to Cinder after, or maybe Ironwood was doing that right now.

Once she learned the truth through them – importantly not discovering Pyrrha's identity as her rival – she would do all she could to appeal to the headmaster. In turn, he could convince Pyrrha to do the opposite or bow out. It wasn't just for her safety but for her happiness. She wouldn't want the pressure.

A plan in hand, he let out a long sigh and slowly relaxed. Really, it all looked pretty easy. Cinder wanted the position while Pyrrha would want nothing to do with it. And if Ozpin really wanted someone to be the maiden then he'd surely choose the person actually _willing_ to take it. If he forced it on someone they wouldn't stay very loyal to him.

" **And Cinder is loyal…?"**

No, but Ozpin didn't know that. He didn't need to know. Sure, he'd lose the maiden but that wasn't any problem for Jaune, nor would it be for Team JNPR. Cinder would either play nice for a few years until she graduated or she'd fake her own death. She wouldn't run away, not when it would put him in danger by association and send his mom into a mad rage. _"She's loyal to mom. That's enough here. Cinder has some plan in place that involves the White Fang and Roman, but all of that is to become the fall maiden. If she gets a chance to acquire it early, and gets it by pretending to be loyal to Beacon, then she'll take it."_

"She might even stand _with_ Beacon if something happens," he whispered, a smile beginning to form. She totally would, too. If there really was some plan to harm Beacon about to happen – but Cinder saw a better, easier, way to get what she wanted, then she'd betray the White Fang in a heartbeat. Her complete lack of loyalty to anyone but herself and his mom would actually be a good thing for once.

Jaune laughed. It was perfect. It all fit. Relief flooded him and he fell back on his bed, laughing at the ceiling. He was glad for the loudly running water that blocked Ruby from hearing him, and the loud music she was for some reason playing in there, which drowned out any sound _she_ might have been making in turn.

Something brightly coloured caught his eye as he did. He hummed, sat up, and reached for it. It looked like a page sticking out from the corner of a box, hastily stuffed under _his_ bed. That was odd. He didn't actually put anything under there, not having anything in the way of belongings when he'd come to Beacon via Nevermore. He reached down to tug on it, finding the box to be unlocked. It was a shoe box, with the word `shoes` written boldly on the side. There were no shoes inside, however. It was instead filled with comics.

His eyes lit up. He'd forgotten all about the trip to the comic store with Penny and Ruby, and his desires to find more. Whosever these were, they looked pretty good. The picture on the front of the first looked to be a woman fighting a monster that, if he admitted it, looked a little like he did in Grimm form. He pulled it out and flicked to the middle.

Jaune's eyes widened. He squeaked.

Remy let out a strangled death cry deep inside.

"I'm done," Ruby yelled happily, pushing out the bathroom with a wide smile on her face. It froze as she saw him, sliding off the side of her face with a sound like shattering glass. Or maybe that was just his sanity.

The silver-eyed girl leapt at him a second later, red-faced and screaming like a banshee.

* * *

 **Oh, Ruby. You're awakening. To something terrible perhaps, but it's still a thing. Well done. Yes, I do play Ruby's innocence up differently in fics. Here, she is portrayed as being very innocent, while in some others she knows full well about things and acts much more natural. But she's still clumsy. But still, Ruby – Blake trusted you to keep those hidden!**

 **And does Adam run an adult book store? Who can say? The show doesn't explicitly deny it.**

 **Suddenly, the true reason for Tukson's murder is revealed! We all wondered why there was a scene thrown in where a person is murdered and it** _ **never**_ **gets mentioned again and never turns out to be important for** _ **anything**_ **plot-related. It was all just Adam's plan to corner the smut market, that fiend!**

 **On Cinder, I've tried to make it clear why Jaune couldn't just tell Cinder the truth, especially in their match and even now. He needs to be sure she'll win the race to be the maiden, and only then tell her, because if he doesn't – and Cinder thinks there is any chance she will lose it – she** _ **will**_ **kill her rival. That's not an `if` or a `maybe`. She isn't going to play a fair competition if she can win it another way. Right now, he knows she has her own plan and that she'll be content to wait and be patient, which is ironically when he wants. He doesn't want her to** _ **try**_ **to catch Ozpin's eye, because he knows whatever she does will probably be at Pyrrha's detriment. I've tried to make that clear in the chapter.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 5** **th** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	61. Chapter 61

**Here we go.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 61**

* * *

There were some things in life that were better left unexplained. Ruby wished this was one of them. She also wished a giant hole would open up and swallow her, but since that wasn't about to happen anytime soon she was stuck instead glaring at the quilt beneath her and picking at it. So, how were you supposed to explain to the guy you maybe had a crush on that he'd found your porn stash? Also, how were you supposed to explain that said smut was of a very _niche_ nature?

And she didn't even want to get into the fact that she might have known he fit that nature a little more… specifically than most people did. Yeah, that wasn't happening.

Oh, and said individual was also your sister's boyfriend.

Could it get any worse?

"So, you… read these things?"

Okay, scratch that – it could get worse. Ruby shot her teammate an agonised look; one that begged if he really had to ask that considering he'd found it and it was obviously hers. She wasn't _wearing_ the stupid things, was she? She wasn't eating them!

"And people _do_ this… with tentacles?"

Ruby squirmed all the harder. "N-Not really. It's fiction. These things don't really exist so-" She trailed off, recalling who she was talking to.

Oh, right. Yeah…

"And you _like_ this?" Jaune asked.

"C-Can we talk about something else?" Ruby's eyes sought inspiration. One of Qrow's lessons came back to her. If you were under pressure, go on the attack. "Why were you looking around in my stuff anyway? You can't just rummage around in other people's things."

"It was under my bed."

"I-I had to hide it somewhere and Weiss gets on my back if I make a mess," Ruby whined. The underside of her bed was already filled with random crap, comics and weapon maintenance equipment. "Besides, no one would think to look in your things. It's the perfect hiding spot."

"You realise that had someone else found them, they'd assume _I_ was into this kind of stuff."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take?" Ruby cringed when Jaune didn't laugh. "Okay, not funny. I just needed somewhere to keep them, I promise. It's not like there's anything wrong about me having them."

"This one is marked seventeen."

"Erk." Trust him to pick over details like that. Good old literal Jaune; now he was going to keep her smut away from her until she was old enough. Ruby tried to snatch it back, but he tugged it away, accidentally opening it to a double page image of a woman trapped in a pose that wasn't so much suggestive as outright pornographic. Ruby whined impotently.

"T-This is a little much, isn't it?" Jaune croaked. "I- I mean, how can she even fit all those inside of her? Why would she want to?"

"It's fiction," Ruby groaned. "Don't question it!"

"And it's not like they're genitalia or anything. They're more like arms." He realised what he'd just said and quickly tacked on, "At least I imagine that's what it's like."

 _You'd know,_ she felt like saying. She glared at him with crimson cheeks instead.

"It would be like shoving both my arms up-"

"No details," she snapped, finally reaching the comic and clutching it to her chest. "J-Just leave it, okay? No one has to know. No one has to find out."

"I have to know. I have to live with this trauma."

Her cheeks heated even further. "No one _else_ has to know, especially not Yang."

"I don't think Yang would forgive me if I kept this secret from her."

"I won't forgive you if you tell her," Ruby pointed out, bringing an agonised expression to his face. "It's just a thing, Jaune. People like things. Yang likes going out to drink and that's bad. I like… I like tentacle hentai…" Her mind almost broke at having to say it. "A-And that's maybe bad as well. But at least my hobby doesn't lead to liver cancer or broken bones."

"Does alcohol lead to broken bones?"

"When Yang is involved, yes. Please, Jaune. Yang would flip, not to mention I promised Blake-"

"Blake? She's in on this?"

Ruby's face drained of colour. "I shouldn't have said that…"

"Blake's the one who helped you get this!"

"I really shouldn't have said that. I totally should not have said that. Why did I say that?" Her eyes widened when Jaune stepped off the mattress, no doubt prepared to storm into Team RYBN's dorm and demand – quite loudly – to know why Blake had defiled his teammate by providing her tentacle-based smut.

With a wild battle cry, Ruby tackled him again, carrying Jaune further and onto _his_ bed. She straddled him, legs on either side of his hips. It might have been a position to make her mind die, but it was already running on panic and adrenaline and hardly noticed. "No," she growled, hoping she sounded more threatening than she thought she sounded. "No telling Yang and no killing Blake. No _mentioning_ this to anyone. This is… this is a best friend's forever promise."

Jaune blinked up at her, confused. "A forever promise? I've never heard of that before…"

That was because she'd just made it up on the spot, but right now Ruby was desperate enough to run with it – and to play on Jaune's naïve nature. "It's an oath sworn between two best friends that binds them for life," she explained, being as liberal as she needed to be with the truth. "You can never break it or… or terrible things happen."

"Terrible things?"

"We stop being friends," she threatened. "And… and you have to walk on all fours and bark like a dog for two weeks!" The latter was just some random thing she tacked on the end in case the threat of losing her as a friend wasn't enough. In anyone else that would have been enough to clue them in on it being a ruse but, well, this was Jaune.

"W-What? That seems a little much…"

"Yep," Ruby said, nodding sagely. "A best friends forever promise is an important and everlasting thing. That's why you can't tell Yang."

"I don't remember us making a promise though."

"We just did. Right now." She clambered off him, relieved that no one had come in to see her straddling her sister's boyfriend on his bed. "It's an official forever promise so you can't tell anyone. Those are the rules."

"I… well…" Jaune spared a glance towards her and was instantly caught in a teary-eyed trap. "I… I guess it's okay? As long as it's not hurting anyone…"

When Pyrrha returned not forty minutes later it was to a room awkwardly silent, with two teammates sat on their respective beds staring steadfastly into their textbooks. Their cheeks were red, their postures stiff, and for a second she almost forgot her own problems.

"Did I miss something?"

"No!" They both yelled in unison.

 _I totally missed something…_

/-/

" **Humanity needs to be eradicated,"** Remy decided. **"I think we've seen enough. We came here and we've seen their culture, their achievements, and everything they have to offer. I think we now know that the only real solution to them is complete and utter annihilation."**

" _It was just fiction, Remy."_

" **It was filth, Jaune. Filth!"** The parasite whimpered inside of him and he had the strange image of its six little claws hugging itself. **"Did you see what that woman was doing to that poor Grimm? She was devouring him alive. She was putting his tentacles in… in…"** The Grimm parasite cried out in horror.

" _I know, Remy. I know. There, there, let it all out."_

" **So horrible… kill them all…"**

Jaune let his little companion be and tried to focus instead on Pyrrha, who had asked to speak with him in private and drawn him out into an abandoned corridor. He'd been happy to oblige, not just because it let him escape Ruby and the awkwardness so thick you couldn't cut it with a chainsaw, but also because he had an idea what this was about in the first place.

When Pyrrha finally stopped and looked unsure of herself, he spoke. "So, you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes, I… it's hard to explain."

"I already know about the maiden," he said, earning a surprised look from her. "You were there when Ozpin and I had out little chat, Pyrrha. I know all about it so you don't need to explain any of it to me if you don't want to."

"You know everything?"

"Pretty much. I also knew he was going to ask you to become the maiden."

"Ha," Pyrrha chuckled. "I suppose that should have been obvious from how you acted in front of him. It was a lot more casual than I would have expected. Ozpin, he… he explained what happened to Amber to me, and also what the Fall Maiden is. He says he wants me to consider being the next one."

Just as expected. "And what do you think?"

"I'm not sure. It… it all sounds too unreal. I mean, wizards and magical girls, not to mention the four seasons and the way it's passed down. Amber, the last maiden, was attacked for it too. Do I really want to put myself through that?"

It went without saying that the one who had orchestrated that attack was probably his Big Sis. Again, it was more evidence of what she might do to Pyrrha. "If you don't want to do it, then don't," he said. "There's no reason to force yourself."

"But if not me, then who will? It's a responsibility-"

"That _you_ don't have to be the one to bear," he interrupted, taking hold of Pyrrha's shoulders. "It's a duty, Pyrrha, but no one said you have to do it. Why would they? Ozpin made you an offer, nothing more. It's a yes or no question and `no` is definitely an answer you can give. It's probably even the right answer."

"You seemed against him asking me in the first place," she noted. "Why?"

The truth obviously wasn't the right answer. "Because I knew you'd be unhappy," he said instead. "Because you don't deserve to have this kind of ball and chain around you. You already told us how you hated being famous because people would treat you for what they thought you were rather than who you are – and this would be more of the same. You'd be afraid to even have friends in case you thought of a female one at the end and passed the burden onto them."

Pyrrha's head started to fall.

"And that's not right!" he said, surprising her. "You don't want that and I knew you wouldn't. It's obvious you don't right here as well. So say no. Say no and that'll be the end of it."

"It's not that easy…"

"The only one making it harder is you!" He'd shocked her. Good. Jaune used the moment in which she recoiled to press his point home. "You're acting like you're the only one in the world who can do this, but you're not. Ozpin said literally any woman young enough would work, so that's what, fifteen or twenty per cent of the population of Remnant? That's not exactly a small number."

"But if not me, then someone else will have to suffer it…"

"Don't be so arrogant."

Pyrrha flinched. "What?"

"Don't be so arrogant," he repeated, making sure she heard him. "If you say no then sure, someone else will have to become the Fall Maiden, but it's not like Ozpin is going to force it on someone against their will. He gave you a choice. What makes you think he won't give someone else a choice?"

"But-"

"What makes you think they won't _want_ the responsibility?" Or the power. "You're not willing _or_ prepared, but others might be. Yet instead of giving them a chance you act like this is a life or death decision and it just isn't. If it was, Ozpin wouldn't have given you time to think about it. He wants someone _willing_ to become the maiden. He doesn't want someone who is going to regret and resent it."

"And you would," he finished, placing his face close to hers. "Look me in the eye and tell me you wouldn't regret saying yes. Do it."

Pyrrha's eyes watered. "I can't…"

"Then don't." He smiled back at her. "No one wants you to be unhappy, Pyrrha, least of all me. I doubt Ozpin does either; that's why he gave you a choice. Instead of forcing yourself to do what you think is right, how about letting yourself do what you actually want? Besides," he added with a grin. "I happen to know one of the _other_ candidates Ozpin wants to speak to – and I'm pretty sure she would accept it happily."

That caught her attention. "Really!? Who?"

"It's best if you don't know. Ozpin wants it all kept secret but trust me when I say she would accept it without any of the regret you feel. So, stop thinking you're the only one in the world who can do this. I hate to break it to you, but you're not."

"I…" Pyrrha laughed. It was a desperate, choked and weak laugh, but it was laughter nonetheless. Without really thinking about it she moved forward to press her forehead against his chest, and Jaune's arms wrapped around her shoulders in a warm hug. "I guess I'm being stupid," she said.

"You're trying to help and always trying to do what you think other people want from you," he returned. "That's just how you and Ruby are. The difference is that she does it because she wants to, whereas you do it because you think it's what _others_ want of you. I just want you to be happy, and if you think Ruby and Weiss are any different then you don't know them as well as you think you do."

Her face pressed further into his chest. She didn't cry but took some small comfort from his warmth. "Thank you," she whispered.

"What are friends for?"

She leaned on him for a moment longer and he allowed it, relieved to find she was as against the idea as he thought she would be. "I'm sorry, Jaune," she said, stepping back. "I shouldn't have… well…" She gestured uselessly to him. "Yang would be upset."

"That I helped a teammate? I don't think she would be."

"Ha." Pyrrha smiled, and for the first time since they'd come out to talk it was a bright and genuinely happy one. "Maybe she wouldn't. I… I feel like I owe you an explanation."

"You don't owe me anything."

"No, I do. Maybe not an explanation but I owe you a lot for being a friend. But I… I _want_ to explain myself. I want you to understand." Her smile faltered. "Does that make sense?"

It didn't, at least not to him – but that wasn't really what mattered. "If it makes sense to you, it must be important. I'll listen. But only tell me if you _want_ to."

Pyrrha nodded, and quickly began to speak. "I wasn't always like this. I came from a large family in Mistral, the kind of family that has _history_ and _family honour_ and all the trappings that come with it. We weren't wealthy or powerful, but we had influence, and a lot of other families that wanted to see us suffer for it. My parents never let that bother me, though. They treat me like any other parent would and tried their hardest. I… didn't have many friends in school thanks to my family name, however. Children from rival families saw our influence and taught their children to hate me, while the others either followed suit – assuming there was a good reason – or felt too shy to stand up for me. They were only children," she said with a long sigh.

"Things got a little better as I grew older, mostly because I learned to rely on my parents and family instead. My father was my best friend and a father all in one. We would go fishing together or play card games or just read in the library." She smiled fondly. "Mother would teach me to cook whenever I wanted to, but I always connected with my father more. She didn't mind, and I did love her. We were happy."

"I'm sensing a `but` here," Jaune said.

"You'd think so, but there isn't," she laughed. "We were happy, and I was happy, and I came to realise that I didn't need friends, or I thought I didn't. I… I suppose I came to depend on them for too much, however. Father never made it seem like I was a burden and I'm not sure I ever was, but _I_ felt that I was. I felt like he would give up so much time to be with me and I sometimes heard the other family members – his mother, especially – talk about how he was spending less and less time on furthering the family's position and power. Dad always told her that didn't matter compared to me; I was his little girl and _his_ family was myself and my mother. I'd never felt so proud to hear that."

"He sounds like a good man," Jaune said, thinking of his own parents. The tale wasn't so dissimilar. They both lived in families that could, by all means, earn a lot of hate and anger. And they both had only their family for friendship.

Were they really so alike to one another? He'd never realised.

"Even if my father never pressed me to be better than I was, I wanted to be for him and my mother. I took my grandmother's words to heart even though she hadn't meant them for me. I started to look for ways I could help. I started to look for a way to be useful. I found the competition fighting scene and, well, since I was already training at that point, it seemed like an easy option."

"Father was only too happy to help me into it," she continued. "He didn't know why I wanted in, only that I wanted to try this as a hobby and, as a loving father, he wanted to do everything he could to support my choices. I can still remember my first tournament," she said, eyes closed. "Mother and father were in the front rows, along with some of the older members of our family. They didn't like us much, but when I won, when my parents and the crowd cheered, I saw their eyes light up. Soon after, we were invited to more family dinners. I was the talk of the family. My parents, and the criticism they received, ceased."

A happy ending, had it ended there. Jaune remained silent, knowing there was more to come.

"I didn't dislike it at first. The enthusiasm and the adoration, not to mention my parents' compliments and the attention they lavished on me – I became addicted to it. Their love wasn't any more or less than it had been before, but I'd _earned_ it, and that felt somehow more real than what I'd had. I realise now that the unconditional love of a parent shouldn't need to be earned, but that was my problem back then. I'd been isolated so much that I over-thought and doubted everything. I'm not even sure it was me wanting to earn their love, but rather prove that I was worthy of it – to make myself of value so that they wouldn't stop loving me."

"I don't think they would," he said. "It sounds like they truly love you."

"They do. I know. It… it was silly of me. That was my problem," she said. "I'd only just started then, but I became someone who did things because I thought it was what would make other people happy. I felt that if they were happy, and if it was because of me, that they'd like me for it. It's why I continued being a championship fighter even when I started to hate it. Looking back, there were so many opportunities for me to make friends, but I missed them because I was too afraid to try. Instead, I kept winning and fighting to make my parents happy. And they, believing it was what I truly wanted, let me."

"It was only last year that my father caught my crying in the changing rooms after a match," she admitted. "I'd forced my opponent into retirement, not through injury but a broken spirit as he lost for the tenth time. It was the closest I'd come to respecting someone as a friend and I watched him break his sword and give up on his dream. All because of me." Pyrrha didn't cry; she was too strong for that, but the regret on her face told him the memory still haunted her. "My father didn't know what to do or what had made me upset, but I was just so tired. I explained everything to him. Everything."

Jaune nodded. "What did he say?"

"Nothing. He didn't know _what_ to say at first and just hugged me until I stopped. We talked later and… well… he told me how silly I was being." She laughed awkwardly. "We came up with a plan later, along with my mother, that I'd come to Beacon instead of Haven. Here, I would be away from the family's influence, which would still want me to compete and improve their fame. Father lied and convinced them coming here was a chance for the Nikos family to extend their influence outside of Mistral, using our greatest champion as a tool. It worked. And, well, my family isn't well-known here, so I'm free of their influence."

"Is there any risk of them coming?" he asked.

"Not with me being teammates with Weiss Schnee. According to my father, the family elders were over the moon when they learned that. And I'm happy here," she said, letting out a long and relieved sigh. "I've made friends, _real friends_ , and my parents aren't disappointed in me at all. More in themselves for having not noticed, even if it's not their fault."

"Maybe they're like you in that way," he said.

Pyrrha's smile was bright. "Maybe they are."

"At least you know they love you, and for more than your fame. They helped you escape from it."

"They did. And I love them, too. I… I guess I just needed to spread my wings and stop hiding behind them. But I wanted to tell you because, well, this is why I…" She trailed off.

"Why you almost gave in to Ozpin despite not wanting to?"

She nodded. "Like I said, I've always done what I feel others wanted because I thought I could win their friendship. I was quick to offer to train you and Ruby because I thought it would make us friends faster or make me useful. It's not like that now," she quickly added when he opened his mouth to call their training off. "I like it now, I really do. Helping you improve makes me so proud and I'd _hate_ the thought of any one of my friends being in danger because they weren't strong enough, especially if I could have helped. I'm just saying it was like that at first."

"I get it," he said. "And maybe I get why you did it, too. I wasn't much better…"

"You were," she argued. "You didn't know much about normal interaction and you were a little sheltered." She smiled apologetically, not that he minded. It was a pretty accurate way of putting it. "But at least you trusted us enough to let us become friends naturally. You didn't try to buy friendship with training or power."

 _Only because the kind of power I have wouldn't buy friendship,_ he thought. _Well, except maybe with Ruby._

" **Bleach my brain!"** Remy howled.

"We _are_ different," he admitted, "but not _too_ different." He placed a hand on Pyrrha's arm. "I guess that doesn't matter in the end. We're friends now, real friends, and nothing is going to change that. If Ruby or Weiss heard you were about to agree to something like this and make yourself unhappy, all because you thought it would please _them_? Well… Ruby would feel terrible and I'm not even _sure_ what Weiss would do."

"She can be creative," Pyrrha agreed, giggling. "I think she'd lock me in the dorm and chew me out."

"Out of concern."

Pyrrha smiled. "I know. She's… not what I expected of her."

"In the same way you're not what people expected of you," he pointed out. The realisation seemed to shock her.

"I-I guess you're right. I can't believe I fell into the same trap I complained of people doing with me. That's kind of disappointing."

"You're only human, Pyrrha. Despite what the people who put you on a pedestal might say. You can make mistakes. No one is going to blame you for that."

"It's not the only mistake I've made," she said, stepping a little closer. Her eyes met his and she sighed heavily. "I can't help but wish I'd been more confident here, or maybe just a little quicker to express myself."

Jaune blinked. "How so?"

"It's best if you don't know." She hugged him again, and he returned it. From her grip alone, he could tell she was feeling better. "Yang's a lucky girl."

"Is she? I'm not so sure."

"She is." Pyrrha squeezed him tighter. "And so am I. You're a good friend, Jaune. Ruby and Weiss are, too. I'm lucky to have you all."

"We're lucky to have you," he returned.

Pyrrha nodded.

He had a feeling she'd be okay.

/-/

"Let me get this straight, you are here to assist in the destruction of Beacon and a betrayal on a scale so large it would be generous to call it treason, and you thought it would be a good idea to pick up a _girlfriend_ on the side!?"

Mercury shuffled awkwardly, not that Cinder lessened her glare any. The fool deserved to be afraid. "It's not like I intended it, per se…"

"It takes two to tango, Merc."

"Stay out of this, Em."

"Silence," Cinder snapped. "Emerald, this discussion is between Mercury and I. Consider yourself fortunate not to be involved. I fail to see how a relationship could be anything other than _intended_ , however. Are you suggesting she assaulted you?"

"N-Not exactly…"

The flush on his face said it wasn't all too far from the truth, which brought a disgusted frown to her own. "Spare me the sordid details. Just answer me this, will it be an issue when it comes to our plan? Can you follow through and betray not only Beacon, but her as well?"

"Yes."

No, he couldn't. She saw it in the way his eyes flicked away. Wonderful. If it wasn't bad enough Jaune was acting like a pain in the ass, she now had one of her own underlings going native on her. This was exactly why she'd wanted to avoid studying here and instead come with Haven. Mercury and Emerald were like her, but not quite the same. They were young and impressionable enough to form attachments.

He would need to be watched. She sent Emerald a look that made it clear it would be her responsibility, as would killing him if he tried to betray them. The green-haired girl, still loyal, nodded back.

"Very well," Cinder said to Mercury, pretending she believed him. "See to it that your dalliances don't interfere with our work and I shall turn a blind eye. Disobey me again, however, like you did in that fight, and I shall take personal action."

"You won't have to tell me twice," he said.

"I wouldn't anyway. Disappoint me a second time and it shall be _her_ who receives a visit from me." Cinder smiled when Mercury stiffened. "And yes, you would do best to avoid letting that happen."

"It won't," he promised. "I… I'll not mess up again."

There was a knock on the door before she could continue. "See that it doesn't," she whispered, moving over to the door. Jaune at best, Ruby and her annoying friends at worst, she opened it and prepared an excuse either way. "I'm sorry but I have homework and-"

"Good evening, Miss Fall." General Ironwood greeted. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

"N-Not at all," she said, trying and failing to regain her composure. What the hell was he doing here? "How can I help you, General? I hope there isn't a problem." As in, she really hoped not, because if there was then she would have to fight her way out of Beacon.

"Actually, I was hoping we could have a word in private," he said, gesturing for her to step outside. She was reluctant to do so, and her team were reluctant to let her. Still, discretion was the better choice here, so she nodded to them and followed the General. He only brought her into the hallway outside her door. That was perhaps a good sign, since if he'd suspected the truth his reaction would have been far worse.

"What was it you wanted, General?" she asked once they were alone. The hallways were empty, convenient if things took a turn for the worst. She slipped both hands behind her back, as though nervous. In truth, she readied herself for combat.

"I'd like to invite you to have a word with the headmaster and I in his office."

A small flame flickered to life between her palms. "Oh?"

"You're not in any trouble," he chuckled.

The flame went out.

"We just want to talk about yourself and Mr Arc."

The flame came back. "Jaune? What's happened?"

"Nothing has happened to him. He is fine, Miss Fall."

Good. She let the flame die.

"But we _are_ aware of who his parents are."

The flame roared to life. She was about to shove it down his gullet.

"And we have no problem with that."

"What?" It winked out, more from shock that conscious effort. "You…" The words didn't come. "What?"

"Now, we're aware that she is, as one might say, on the wrong side of the law…"

"One might say that," she admitted, if one were very much into understatements. You couldn't exactly get more on the wrong side than Juniper Salem Arc, Queen of the Grimm. How did they know? Why wasn't he trying to kill her?

"We also know that Mr Arc doesn't exactly agree with all of her policies."

The flame came back. Where they hoping to _use_ Jaune against his own mother? She wouldn't allow that, broken cover or not. If she struck fast she could incinerate him before he even had the time to bring up his aura, grab Jaune and flee back to the Grimmlands.

"Of course, we would never ask him to turn against the one who raised him."

The flame died again. Cinder's brow twitched. "Can you get to the point, General?"

Preferably before she lost control and burned him and Beacon to the ground. At this point she'd do it just to stop the abominable uncertainty. Her little brother was involved in this somehow, she just knew it. _You'll pay for this, Jaune. You'll pay if I have to drag you to Salem, tear down your pants and behind you over her knee myself._

All of her plans were about to be ruined. All of them ruined because her little brother had ratted her out to—

"The headmaster would like to make you an offer, Miss Fall. One that requires a certain degree of secrecy on your part. We can talk while we walk, but I must ask you to keep the knowledge of what you learn here from your teammates. There are worse people out there than Mr Arc's mother."

"There are?"

Because wow, if so, Salem would probably want to meet them.

"Indeed. Terrible people, Miss Fall. It is them we must protect Vale from."

"I see…" The flame came back again. "And where do I fit into this?"

"Potentially as a protector, perhaps as something more. If you come with me, you'll find out. If it helps settle your nerves, know that Jaune Arc is aware of this meeting and has given his tacit approval to us approaching you."

"He has?" That did calm her, at least a little. It also made her want to hunt him down and demand some answers immediately. Even so, it was enough to make her reveal her hands, now bereft of maiden-summoned fire. "Very well, General. I'll agree to this for now."

But if this went badly, she would have some very stern words for her little brother. Stern words indeed.

/-/

Cinder returned not an hour later, vacant-faced and without saying a word. She stepped into the dorm room, closed the door, sat down and stared at the wall in front of her. Mercury hesitantly raised a hand. Emerald reached over to push it down, shaking her head.

As one and with Neo close behind, the three members of Team CMEN snuck out of the dorm, closing the door behind them.

"I'll go stay at Velvet's," Mercury said.

"Weiss will probably put me up for the night," Emerald added. "Neo?"

The mute girl raised a hand – but any silent sign she might have given was cut off by a frustrated and angry scream muffled into a pillow from within their dorm. The multi-coloured girl winced. "Why do I even bother!?" Cinder howled. "Arghhh!"

Yeah, it was probably best they all gave Cinder some room. At least for now.

* * *

 **This is something of a short transitionary chapter, but also putting to bed some plot points before they get out of control. I considered having the whole Cinder x Ozpin scene, but halfway through writing it I realise it was just a slog of dialogue, most of which you can expect. I really don't want more Ozpin exposition, especially on things we – as readers – already know.**

 **As for Pyrrha, eh, it's not head canon so much as just something made up, but it at least explains some of how she acts. Take it or leave it. I'm sure there is no way Jaune's speech with her can backfire.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 12** **th** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	62. Chapter 62

**Ah, here we are, and for what feels like the first time in ages there is no drama to report. No family members doing their best to harm themselves, or ridiculous drama otherwise. The week has been peaceful.**

 **It has me on edge…**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 62**

* * *

Cinder watched the match before her blankly, as uninterested in the outcome as she was with much else in Beacon. Her mind was on other matters, and quite lost in them, as well. Anyone watching might have said she was lost in a catatonic stupor.

They wouldn't be entirely incorrect.

"So, let me get this straight," Emerald said. "Ozpin and Ironwood want to make _you_ the maiden?"

"That is what I told you several hours ago, and several times."

"I'm just struggling to wrap my mind around it."

While normally Cinder would have berated her underling for wasting her time like this, she felt that for once, and just this once, she could be forgiven. Of all the things they'd planned for and all the contingencies in place, there had been a curious lack of a plan for what happened if Ozpin just up and gave them what they wanted - mostly because the chance of that happening was all but impossible.

 _Impossible doesn't seem to matter in the face of my little brother's bumbling stupidity,_ she thought to herself. Really, he should have been caught the first time he came to Vale and snuck into Beacon, let alone when he transformed into his full Grimm form _multiple times_ in front of _his own teammates_ , and yet no, they had no idea.

Instead, he'd wormed his way into the confidences of their worst enemies, misled them, and was now planning to have the maiden's power transferred to her and made loyal to Salem. She might have complimented him on his plans or felt proud that she'd trained him to be so smart...

If it wasn't for the fact he kept outdoing her!

"Emerald," she snapped.

"Y-Yes?"

"Am I… getting old?"

Emerald didn't know how to answer, though she was smart enough to smell the potential minefield she was walking into. Mercury wisely kept his eyes focused on the match.

"Um… no?"

"Am I past my prime?"

"Definitely not," she said. "I-I mean, I'm sure there are a lot of guys who would kill for a chance with you."

Cinder shot her underling a quick glare. It wasn't her looks she was concerned about, though now that Emerald mentioned it... no, absolutely not. She was in the height of her youth, reaching her prime, and was about to ascend to maidenhood. Everything was going to plan - just not _her_ plan, and in some strange way that irritated her.

But did it really matter?

Well, yes, otherwise she wouldn't be so miffed, but in the _long run,_ she meant. She would become the Fall Maiden either way, so why worry about who had given it to her? And besides, she'd technically raised Jaune, so any successes on his part were only due to her own excellent ability as a mentor and surrogate parent.

Yes, that was her story.

And by Salem, she was going to stick to it.

"What happens now, then?" Mercury asked, looking around to make sure no one was listening in. With the match in full flow, everyone was distracted. "You're the maiden now, right? Do we leave?"

"No to both questions."

"To both-? Wait, you're _not_ the maiden? You said no!?"

"Don't be a fool," she snapped. "Of course I said yes, that should be a given. Unfortunately, the headmaster doesn't want the aura transfer to begin just yet and as such would not accept an answer. There is also another candidate for the position."

"Who?"

"I don't know," she said. "Yet. I'll be sure to find out, and when we do said candidate might find themselves in a little accident. A shame, but there are all sorts of things that can go wrong in the Vytal Festival."

"But what about the old plan?" Emerald asked. "Is that still going ahead?"

The plan to discredit Beacon fighters to cause outcry and despair, and then to take over the CCT and turn on Beacon? It was a good plan, and so it should be since she'd made it. That said, going ahead with it now was something of a waste of time, especially when all she had to do was wait.

"We'll hold off for now. I do not want us to do anything that might jeopardise my becoming the maiden." It would grate on her nerves to have to play nice, especially in front of Jaune's friends, the General and the headmaster, but it was a necessary sacrifice to pay. "We'll also focus on performing as well as we can in the tournament, winning it if necessary."

"I thought we didn't want to attract attention?"

"We do now. I need to make myself the perfect option for the Fall Maiden. If I can do so legally, without having to resort to violence, then I will."

"Yeah, one problem," Mercury said, cringing.

Cinder glared at him. "And what would that be?"

"Adam."

"Ah." Cinder sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "And what do you expect are the chances I can convince him to hold off on his attack?"

Mercury and Emerald didn't answer. Neo cringed.

Yes. That might be a problem...

/-/

Jaune sat next to Yang and smiled when he heard Pyrrha laugh at something Ruby said a few seats down. It looked like his teammate had finally relaxed again now that the decision on the maiden was out of her hands.

"You know, if you keep looking at Pyrrha like that I might get jealous." Yang smiled to show she wasn't entirely serious.

"She was upset yesterday. I was just checking to see if she felt better."

"Yeah, yeah, I could see that myself. Saw her walking the corridors like she didn't know what to do. I was going to step in but you beat me to it."

"Did you listen?" Jaune asked.

"Nah. Figured you could handle it. Why? Did you get up to anything naughty?"

"I'd never cheat on you."

"I-I was just joking," Yang said, laughing past her red cheeks. "Anyway, Ren and I are going to fight in the doubles for the next rounds. You decided who will fight for yours yet?"

"Not yet," he replied.

Their team had been forced to fight their first round again after the postponement between their and Cinder's team. Luckily, they'd had no problem dismantling Team FNKI earlier – especially once they'd realised the enemy team relied heavily on a roller-skating faunus and a man with a trumpet for their offence. Turned out roller skate speed really didn't mean much when Ruby could run just as fast, and that Flynt Coal ought to have made his trumpet out of something other than metal.

Or not, but, well, it was just bad luck on their part really. Pyrrha's Semblance really did seem unfair when just about everyone had a metal weapon. Was the tournament really that much of a foregone conclusion? Probably not – but he could only imagine Cinder being able to hold her own against the championship fighter.

"We'll probably put Pyrrha through," he said, ignoring the obviously sarcastic eye roll from Yang. "I'm not sure if it'll be me or Weiss who fits the other, though. I've got plenty of endurance but Weiss is far more versatile."

"No to Ruby?"

"Not when we might have to fight you," he said, eyeing his girlfriend. "You know everything about her. We're not going to make it _that_ easy for you."

It was more than that, of course. Like him, Ruby was a very two-dimensional fighter. They both had pretty much one fighting style with an added technique or two – his tentacles for him, and her sniper rifle. The odds of coming up against someone who could counter that was pretty high though, especially when everyone had seen the first matches and would now be specifically coming up with counters.

That was one of the main reasons Weiss had demanded he learn to swim, actually. In her words, no one was going to beat their team by throwing buckets of water into the ring.

A loud noise brought their attention back to the main ring in time to see Penny take advantage of an opening in her opponent's guard, hooking a foot under that of the Vacuo student before her and yanking it away. As he fell, she caught him by his collar and hurled him out of the ring.

"That's the match!" Port called. "A wonderful display of acrobatics and not a bad show from Atlas' team either."

"Peter, I think you have it backwards…"

"And that marks the end of the first rounds of the Vytal Festival. Who will make it through the perilous doubles rounds? Who will be crowned victorious? Which lucky lady in the audience will have a chance to spend her time with Peter Port? Find out next time, ladies and gentlemen."

Jaune ignored the muffled argument taking place on the other side of the microphone to lean over the railing and cheer for Penny. Her eyes scanned the crowd and when she saw him and Ruby – and saw them cheering for her – she hopped up and down excitedly. He had a feeling they'd be having intercourse later, and not the kind Yang ought to be worried about.

"Well, we're through," Yang said. "The only ones we're really worried about is you lot, so there's a good chance we'll make it through to the singles round as well. If we do, I'll be going it alone. You going to cheer for me?"

"Of course."

"Heh." Yang smiled proudly. "You know, my Dad was thinking of coming down for the tournament to see me compete. He saw mine and Ruby's match on the TV the other day. He also asked about you. Quite a lot about you, actually. I think that's the real reason he wants to come by."

"You told your father we're dating?"

"Not me, and not Ruby either," she added. "I cornered her earlier to give her a sisterly talk on the sis-code, and what _not_ to tell Daddy…" Yang's eyes flashed red for a moment. "But she says she didn't and wouldn't. I believe her."

He did, too. Ruby couldn't lie to save her life. "Who told him, then?"

"Uncle Qrow, I'm guessing. He's the only one I can think of." She sighed and ran a hand over her face. "Now I get to face twenty questions, including some pretty embarrassing ones." She eyed him through her fingers. "If dad asks, we haven't had sex."

"We haven't anyway," Jaune pointed out, blushing.

"I know. Just making it clear."

"Is your dad protective or something…?"

"Eh…" Yang dragged the sound on, not quite answering or meeting his eyes. "Well… eh… it's… hm, how to put it?"

"He's going to kill me, isn't he?"

"He probably won't."

"Probably…?"

"Dad's a total softie," Yang laughed, ignoring the worrying thing she'd just said. "He'll love you, trust me. Just so long as your love for me is pure and you don't do _anything_ to upset me. And if Qrow hasn't poisoned him against you." Yang eyed him. "Actually, he might have it in for you because you've got blonde hair and blue eyes."

Jaune blinked. "What?"

"He has this weird theory about people like that scoring with their whole team. Considering your teammates include Ruby, he might be on edge. I wouldn't worry about it."

"Isn't your father a fully trained huntsman?"

"Like I said, I wouldn't worry about it."

He wasn't sure Yang understood what warranted worry and what didn't, especially when they were talking about a professional huntsman, i.e. the exact kind of person who had trained all their lives to kill people like him, or Grimm like him.

Still, Yang and he were in a relationship. If he wanted to take that seriously he needed to go through the motions and that meant meeting the family. Gods, he'd have to think about introducing her to his as well, otherwise she might think he was ashamed of her or something. That wasn't a conversation he relished.

"Alright, well, at least you're giving me time to mentally prepare," he said, noticing quickly that Yang wasn't quite meeting his eyes. "Yang? Yang, when is your father coming here?"

"He's already on the way. He'll be here this afternoon."

Jaune's eyebrow twitched.

"And _when_ did you know he was coming?"

"Yesterday," she admitted awkwardly. "I did try to tell you," she said. "That was why I was roaming the corridors. I was trying to find the right thing to say. But then I saw you talking with Pyrrha and it looked important, so I figured I'd hold off."

Ugh, great, and now he had limited time to prepare. That was even assuming he knew what to do in front of her father, which obviously, he didn't.

" **Just make a good impression,"** Remy said. **"How hard can it be?"**

" _You realise you've damned me with that comment, right?"_

" **Oops?"**

/-/

Cinder cornered him the moment they got back to Beacon. It was while Yang went off with Ruby to plan their father's arrival – essentially cleaning their rooms in case he looked and, in Ruby's case, hiding her porn. Pyrrha and Weiss had left for the cafeteria for food and strategy, while Nora had slipped off with Sun, who had come by – as he always did – to try and talk with Blake.

With so much going on, it was understandable no one noticed the slender arm slip around his throat from behind and drag him away. Not that they'd have done anything if they did, since they apparently now considered Cinder something of a heroine for saving him.

She dragged him away from the cafeteria and into Port's classroom, which, due to the festival, was empty. He wondered if she'd done that on purpose, since all the fake Grimm busts and imagery of people slaying them made him nervous.

If he'd expected Cinder to be happy he'd done all her work for him, she was not. In truth, he hadn't expected her to be. He knew her better than that.

"So," she began. "I see you've been busy, little brother."

"Oh? Whatever do you mean?"

"Playing dumb?"

"Is it really playing when it's me?"

"No, it's not." Cinder's smirk grew. "Now stop dancing around the subject. I'm not going to attack you."

Jaune let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. "You're not angry?"

"I'm surprised, confused and a few other things like that, but no, I'm not angry. Perhaps a little miffed that you didn't tell me earlier, and that you apparently asked General Ironwood and Ozpin to talk to me without warning me." Her eyes narrowed. "You _do_ realise I nearly killed them on several occasions."

"Oops?"

"Idiot," she whispered. "Never mind. What matters is that they're considering me for the position of the Fall Maiden, and I understand I have you to thank for that. What I want to know is just _why_ you decided to go through so much effort for this. You never agreed with mine or Salem's plans in the past."

"I had a change of heart."

"I very much doubt that."

"It's a gift?" he tried.

"And the occasion?"

"Mother's day."

"It's not mother's day," Cinder said. "And I'm not your mother."

"Sister's day?"

"Does not exist. And it's not my birthday, before you suggest it – nor is it Valentines, though I'd raise an eyebrow at you giving me the soul of a dead woman for Valentine's Day regardless. Or maybe I wouldn't," she mused, hand on her chin. "It does seem like a gift a _real_ Prince of the Grimm ought to give…"

"Um…?"

"Regardless, I would have the truth. You've shown no interest in our goals before. What changed?"

Jaune let out a breath through gritted teeth. He'd always been bad at lying in general, but lying to Cinder was an effort in futility. There was no one who knew him better. "I don't want Beacon to get in trouble," he finally said. "You have a plan for it, I can tell." He ignored her raised eyebrow. "I don't know what it is, but I can guess it would be bad. But you want the power of the maiden, so if I give it to you, that plan won't be necessary."

Cinder sighed. "Is that why you instructed Ozpin not to let me make the decision immediately?"

"What?"

"Ozpin," she said. "I tried to tell him that I accepted his offer, but he mentioned that you demanded he give the candidate time to think and consider and not to let her rush into something they might regret."

Jaune cringed under her narrowed eyes. Trust Ozpin to take his request for Pyrrha literally and give it to Cinder, too. It spoke well of the man, though at a time not exactly convenient. Couldn't Ozpin have been a manipulative bastard just this once?

"I didn't mean that for you…"

"Then for whom?" Cinder asked. Her eyes narrowed. "Ah, this _other_ maiden candidate. The headmaster mentioned there was another, no doubt hoping it would alleviate any stress I might feel at being forced into the role. You know who it is, don't you?"

"No."

"Jaune, I can tell when you're lying."

Damn it. Cinder always said there was something he did when he lied, but she refused to tell him what it was, simply saying _`Well, if I told you, I wouldn't be able to catch you lying, would I?`_ His Big Sis could be mean like that.

"You're not going to tell me who it is. I see." Cinder hummed. "She must be someone close to you otherwise you wouldn't have gone through so much effort. And she must be female." Her brows drew down and she scowled, no doubt realising how little `female` narrowed down the list of possible people. It ruled out Ren. That was it.

"What would you do to her if I told you?" he asked. When Cinder didn't respond, he continued. "See? That's why I can't tell you. You promised me you wouldn't hurt my friends and I'm holding you to that. I'm giving you the maiden, Cinder. Just… just leave it be. You win. There's no need to hurt anyone."

"And if this other candidate tries to take it from me?"

"She won't. I've already spoken to her about it and convinced her to say no. She messaged Ozpin to refuse. I was there when she did it."

Cinder's brows rose. She looked quite impressed by his thoroughness, or perhaps just how devious he was being about the whole thing. He wasn't sure it was a good thing to be praised for, but she did eventually nod, agreeing, if silently, to leave the matter be.

"Very well, I'll play along for now. If you've convinced her as you say you have there should be no need for me to interfere."

"Thank you…"

"I feel it should be the other way around, with me thanking you," she said, chuckling. "I don't say it often but… I… I am…" Her brows drew down and her lips into a thin line. She struggled with the word, forcing it out slowly. "I am proud of you," she finally managed, seemingly unused to the word. "You've done well, Jaune."

"Should I be concerned about how hard that was for you?" he had to ask.

"Put yourselves in my shoes and ask that question; I have to deal with Tyrian and Watts most of the time, and your sisters when they're not around."

"Okay, fair point."

He mumbled a silent apology to Tyrian there, but, well… Tyrian! An awesome Uncle he may have been, but you wouldn't trust him with a spoon. It would be embedded in the heart of a toddler the moment you looked away. It was a long-running theory among his sisters that Tyrian was the reason mom's hair had gone white.

"Now that you have, or will have the power of the maiden, there's no need to do anything against Beacon. You can be loyal to the school-"

"I'm not loyal to the school," Cinder interrupted. "I'm loyal to your mother."

"Yes, but you're just here for the maiden and you're going to get it without even trying," he pressed. "That means there's no reason for you to do anything else. You can just wait for it patiently." And peacefully, he refrained from adding.

Because in the end, that was the real worry, that Cinder had some kind of plan – and when did she not? – to harm Beacon and claim the maiden by force. Considering she had no idea where it was being kept, it was the only solution he'd been able to come up with.

"There's no need for another breach and no need for anything else like it. No sabotage at the CCT, no working with terrorists and no one getting hurt."

"That is an entirely optimistic view at best. There are plans already in motion. Not all of them can be stopped."

"But you could join our side," he insisted. "If Ozpin is going to make you the maiden, you could fight for Beacon, at least for now."

"And what of the White Fang?" she asked. "What of Torchwick?"

"Big Sis, I know you. You don't care about them." He smiled and she made no move to protest against it. "Just betray them. They served their purposes, but people only stay allied as long as it serves both parties. Isn't that what you always told me?"

"It is…"

"And the White Fang no longer serve your purpose," he pointed out. "They're going to try and hurt Beacon, which is bad since Beacon is going to give you the Fall Maiden's powers."

"That's true. It's not as simple as you put it, but it's true."

"You'll join us, then?"

Cinder sighed. It was a long and suffering sigh. "Against my better judgment…"

"YES!" cheered Jaune, jumping in the air.

"Don't act so childish," Cinder snapped, not nearly as amused. "I'll fight alongside Beacon, but it's a temporary measure, and if all works out then there won't be any fighting at all. I will… I will attempt to deal with Adam."

"And Torchwick?"

"Torchwick is a coward. He'll be over the moon for the chance of this not happening. The real problem is Adam, and that's a problem you should leave to me," she said when he opened his mouth. "Adam does not trust any human, let alone what he considers a sub-human like you. Words will not change his mind."

Jaune as afraid to ask what would, but judging from Cinder's cruel expression he already knew. He told himself it was none of his business, and that if Adam really was a murderer and leader of a dangerous terrorist organisation, then it wasn't anything to be worried about.

All that mattered was that he had Cinder on board. He'd actually got her working with Beacon, even if only temporarily and only for her to get what she wanted.

"You win this time, little brother. We'll try things your way – but I do mean _try_. If this doesn't work…"

"It'll work," he promised.

"Hm. We shall see."

"You know, since I helped you get the maiden and since that was what mom wanted you to do, is there any chance we can play the whole thing about me running away as an elaborate plan the two of us cooked up?"

"Don't push your luck."

"Aw..."

/-/

Nora slapped the crop in her hand against the whiteboard behind her. On it was a picture of a familiar faunus with black hair and yellow eyes. "This," Nora shouted. "Is our enemy. This is our target. This is Blake Belladonna, the focus of this strategy session."

"She's not really my enemy-OW!" Sun winced when the crop whipped down onto his hand. It didn't hurt much thanks to aura but he still cradled the hand against his chest. "What the hell was that for!?"

"Silence in class. No one interrupts Nora's lessons."

"Now you're talking about yourself in the third person?"

"Nora thinks you're being a loud and terrible student."

"Yeah? Well Sun thinks this pointless," the faunus stood and marched toward the door. As he reached for the handle, Nora called out, mimicking his voice.

"Yeah? Well Nora thinks Sun is single and has never so much as had a chance with Blakey."

Sun came back and sat down.

"That's the better. Now, this is our enemy and our target in one. What is your goal?"

Sun rolled his eyes. "To make her like me?"

"WRONG!" Nora yelled. The crop struck down again, though this time on the wooden desk. "There is no `making` her like you. Blake is her own person and has her own thoughts, opinions and personality. Don't think like you'll be able to _make_ her do anything. If you try, she'll resist. If I don't punish you first," Nora added with a little giggle.

"I-I didn't mean it like that," Sun protested, more afraid of Nora than what she'd implied. "I don't want to force her into anything."

Nora laughed. "I know that, silly. I wouldn't be teaching you how to do better with her if I thought you'd try something like that."

"Aren't you just using me because you're hoping it'll make her stop looking at the guy you like?"

"Such accusations," Nora chided, waving the crop threateningly. "But even if they were true, and they're not, I'd still not try it if I thought you would actually be bad for Blake. She may be my rival in love but she's also my partner, so don't mess this up, abs-boy."

"I'm trying not to…"

"I know. Well, the point still remains that you shouldn't think like you're making Blake do anything, even if it's liking you. Instead of thinking what you want her to do, you need to start thinking what she might want _you_ to do."

"Hop on a ship to Vacuo and leave her alone?" Sun groaned.

"Okay, maybe more like what she'd like in a prospective boyfriend."

"Don't people always say you shouldn't change yourself for someone?"

Nora rolled her eyes. "In that case, give up. If she doesn't like you and you're not willing to change, then it'll never work. I'm not saying you should become a different person; you should just tone some things down and do some other things differently."

"Like what?"

"Well, how about trying to talk to her?"

"I do," he said. "Whenever I see her I try to talk to her."

"Well, if that was bumping into her it would be fine, but `whenever you see her` basically means whenever you have hunted her down, doesn't it?"

Sun's cheeks heated up. They also confirmed his guilt.

"That's my point," Nora said, poking his nose with the crop. "Blake's not stupid, silly. She knows when you `just happen to be in the area`, you've been looking for her. It doesn't feel natural and that instantly makes her feel weird. And not in a good way," she added. "It's why you come across as a stalker instead of a normal person."

Sun sighed, though for once he didn't protest against it. "Then what do I do?"

"Try talking to her not as someone who fancies her. I mean _actually_ talking to her like a normal person. What do you normally talk to her about?"

"Nothing, basically," Sun said, shrugging. "I ask what she's up to and she gives some lame excuse. I take it because what else am I supposed to do? If I call her out she'll just admit she's lying to get rid of me and then we'll both feel bad."

Nora nodded, eyes closed and arms crossed. "Hm, I see."

"It's like yesterday; I went up to her and Ruby when they were obviously worried about something, and I asked if they needed any help. It almost went well until I… uh…"

Nora's eyebrow rose. "You…?"

"I, uh… when I admitted I'd climbed up to her window." Sun cringed when he saw Nora's expression, "And yeah, I know that's a bad thing now. I'm not an idiot."

"Oh, goodie. I guess that means I won't have to kill you for maybe seeing me getting changed." Even so, she didn't quite put down her weapon. "Okay, I think I'm seeing your problem here. You went up to Blake and asked her what she was doing and if you could join in, right?"

"Yeah."

"And is that what you always do?"

"Pretty much."

"Ugh, I see I have my work cut out for me. Okay, lesson one – small talk. The next time you want to talk with Blake, how about talking to her about some topic not related to what she's doing. If you come up and ask what she's up to, you're being nosey. Try asking her about the tournament instead, or her books – actually no, not her books – but maybe school or homework, or even me!"

"You?"

"Anything," Nora said. "Anything that is a normal conversation you can actually talk about, as opposed to being a desperate attempt to spend time with her."

Sun winced. "Is that what it looks like?"

"Well, that or that you're a hunter stalking your prey across the savannahs of Beacon."

He winced again.

"It's not that there's anything wrong with you," Nora said, suddenly a little gentler. "You seem nice enough and you have amazing abs."

"Um-"

"And that counts for a lot, you know? But if all your conversations with Blake are basically you asking if you can spend time with her, then she's not going to be impressed. I bet you didn't do that to make friends in Haven."

"No, I just talked to Neptune about how we were nervous to try and become huntsmen," he said. "We both agreed to hook up and watch out for one another in initiation, and we kinda stuck together after that." Sun blinked, suddenly realising the obvious. "My God, I'm an idiot!"

"Yep."

"Okay, so I need to be more casual with her and talk about things we have in common. Any ideas?"

Nora pointed to her hair.

"Hair?"

"Ears."

"Blake likes ears?" Sun was just planning how many piercings and where when he noticed Nora's suffering expression, and the catlike motion she was making. "Oh, being faunus. I get it. Yeah, I guess that could work."

"Blake's all about equality and not hating someone for their species. That's why she joined a faunus terrorist group."

Sun blinked. "Isn't that backwards?"

"I didn't say Blake made sense. Anyway, talking to her normally will be a good step. If you want Blake to stop avoiding you, then becoming a friend will help."

"Don't girls always say friends shouldn't date friends?"

"Sun." Nora placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled sympathetically. "That's the excuse we give when we're turning a friend down."

"Oh…"

"Yeah. Now, if we _liked_ that friend, that rule would be thrown out the window faster than you can blink. You've got looks going for you – and abs – so you just need to work on getting close to Blake, showing her that she can trust you, and then letting her make the final decision." Nora's crop waved before his face. "And respecting it. I may be helping you, but Blakey is my partner. Tread wrong and no one will find your body."

"I understand." Sun nodded, and actually looked a little more confident, even revitalised. "I'll go find her right away and-" he trailed off, noticing Nora's expression. "Or maybe I'll wait until tomorrow when we're sat near one another in the stands and chat with her there. Less stalking that way."

"Good call."

"Thank you, Nora," Sun said, moving over to take her hands. "I… I don't know what to say. I'll totally do my best for her, and even if she says no I'll respect it and be grateful to you. Even if it doesn't work out, I'd just like to have her as a friend, you know."

"I know," Nora said, nodding.

"Uh, my eyes are up here."

"Your eyes aren't your best feature."

"I thought you were into that Ren guy."

"I am, but that doesn't mean I don't have eyes. You could wash laundry on those abs."

Nora paused.

"Can-"

"No," Sun said.

"Meanie…" Nora sighed and tore her eyes to his, standing with a laugh. "I'm glad I could help, and I think Blake would be okay with this, if only because you acting normal around her will be a relief. Anyway, you can keep this. I don't need it anymore."

Sun looked down to the crop in his hands. "What am I supposed to-" He looked up. Nora was gone. "With this…" he finished, trailing off. "Great. Now what?"

"Where is my weapon!?" the loud and very angry voice of Miss Goodwitch bellowed from the corridor outside.

Sun paled.

/-/

Despite spending the last twenty minutes or so telling her boyfriend to remain calm, Yang was anything but. Ruby wasn't either, and she didn't even have a boyfriend to introduce. Dad had that effect on them. You could never tell whether he was there to be awesome or to humiliate them, but lately it had been more of the latter. The worst was when her school friends had – rather unanimously – decided her dad was a `dish` and needed to be healed (sexually, if possible) of his grief.

She'd never been able to look at her friends the same way again, nor had she invited them to stay over since. They were probably just joking but, well, she wasn't taking the risk. It was bad enough he and Qrow were considered the hottest teachers in Signal. If she had to see one more graffiti love heart in a bathroom stall with her Uncle or Dad and a random girl whose name she didn't recognise, she'd snap.

But yeah, she'd never introduced a guy to him before. There was probably a whole procedure for that, and the help articles she'd read online hadn't actually done much of the helping. Most of those assumed the father couldn't – quite literally – stand up and rip your boyfriend limb from limb.

They also assumed said father was reasonable and not protective, and Taiyang had basically come all the way from Patch to Vale the moment he'd heard she had a boyfriend. That didn't bode well.

"Is he here?" Jaune asked, stood next to her watching several people arrive at the docks of Vale.

"No."

"What does he look like?"

"A tanned version of you," Ruby said. "And you'll know he's here because Yang will panic."

Ah, good old Ruby telling blatant lies. She wasn't afraid of nothing, not even her dad – oh Gods, there he was – PANIC!

"Yang, Ruby!" the tall figure called, holding his muscled arms high.

Yang's panic wasn't that she didn't love him, because she totally did, so much as a complete brain death of all the things she'd planned to say. All she could think was that Uncle Qrow was stood next to her dad, which meant that bastard had _totally_ sold her down the river! That son of a bitch.

"Dad!" Ruby yelled, leaping forward and into his arms. He scooped her up easily and spun her around, earning more than his fair share of stares from single women nearby. Good looking, friendly, fit and now showing he was a good parent. Yeah, she could see several women hover around longer than they had to.

"How's my little girl?" Taiyang crooned, rubbing his nose against Ruby's.

"D-Dad! Stop being so embarrassing."

"Embarrassing? But I love my little sweetheart."

"Daaaad!"

"And where's my dragon?" the man called, turning to her. His eyes slid over Jaune, definitely seeing him but choosing to pass him up for a moment as he spotted her. His smile grew. "There she is. Come give your dad a hug."

"I think I'd rather not have my spine snapped," she quipped. "You lookin' good, old man."

"Old man? Since when?" Taiyang ignored Qrow's snort. "Well if you won't give me a hug, I'm sure there's someone else who'll be eager for one."

There was? Yang felt a little confusion seep into her, before her father whistled and a grey shape hopped out from behind. Her eyes lit up, as did Ruby's, still in her father's arms.

"Zwei!" they yelled in unison.

The corgi heard his name and looked to Ruby first, seeing her incapacitated (and out of reach) before he turned his attention to Yang. The little ball of fluff's eyes lit up and he scampered forward, skidding on the spot for a moment before he reached peak acceleration and hurtled across the concrete floor of the docks.

Yang laughed, momentarily forgetting the prospect of boyfriend introductions to hurry forward and kneel down to scoop up the little pup she hadn't seen for so long. She knelt with her hands cupped before her, ready for him to leap in for a cuddle like he always did.

She was therefore a little surprised when he slipped between her hands and ran under her legs. The corgi growled and leapt into the air behind her, quickly doing his best impression of a surface-to-air missile made of fur and teeth.

He latched onto her boyfriend's face a second later.

"ARGHHHHHH!"

Yep, this was going to go swimmingly. She could just tell.

* * *

 **Oh, Jaune. Well, it's a chapter of ups and downs for you here. On the one part you've got Cinder on side, albeit she's already sort of set an invasion in motion. On the other, Qrow is being his usual helpful self. One can only wonder what Taiyang has been told.**

 **Nora and Sun. Will it be a thing? No, but hey, he does have great abs. There's no denying that.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 19** **th** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	63. Chapter 63

**Busy week over here with plenty of work and deadlines to try and meet. Sigh. It's a question I get all the time on how I always manage to meet my crazy update schedule, but I suppose it's just because my work has deadlines like this all the time anyway. I'm just used to it.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 63**

* * *

Teeth marks notwithstanding, Jaune didn't think the meeting with Yang's father was going too badly. Then again, maybe it was because he was comparing it to how the same might happen in reverse with his parents, compared to which even a wild animal gnawing on your face might be considered a not-so-bad outcome.

"So, you're Jaune Arc, huh?" Yang's father, Taiyang, said. He looked Jaune up and down with a cautious eye, though not necessarily an angry one. The man's hair and eyes were a similar shade to his own, creating an odd sense of duality. Were it not for the tanned skin colour, they might have been father and son. "I've heard a little bit about you from Qrow. Not so much from my own daughter, though."

Yang laughed nervously.

After the meeting at the docks and the subsequent prying of a corgi off his face, the party had retired to a small diner in Vale, one that just so happened to be the same place he'd met Yang all those months ago when asking directions to Beacon. They'd chosen a seat inside for privacy, or as Yang mumbled under her breath so that they couldn't make a break for it.

The five of them sat around the table, Qrow looking irritated and Ruby like the most awkward third-wheel ever, as Taiyang Xiao-Long gave Jaune Salem Arc the third degree.

"We've not been together all that long, sir."

"None of that `sir` nonsense; it makes me feel old. As for not being together long, I doubt you just fell into a relationship. Shouldn't my daughter tell me when she's seeing someone?"

"No," Yang muttered.

"I shouldn't have to find out from Qrow," Taiyang went on. "I mean, I'm her father and it's her uncle that knows she's dating before I do? How is that fair? She should be coming to me for advice. I should be the one to stand in the background and watch my little girl become a woman."

"Oh my god, _Dad!"_ Yang howled. "Please. Can you not be embarrassing for, like, one second? And the only reason I'd come for you for advice was if I wanted to score my entire team. Which I don't," she added quickly. "Things are complicated enough between those three without me jumping in."

"You _have_ used protection, right?"

Yang's forehead hit the table.

A month or two back he hadn't even known what protection was, other than the concept of having a lot of Grimm between you and the enemy. He was lucky Weiss and Ruby had explained it, since he had a feeling the other answer wouldn't have endeared him to Yang's father. "We've not gone that far. But, uh, I'm sure that if we do we'll wear protection."

"Unless you want children," Taiyang prodded.

Jaune nodded. "Unless we want children."

"H-Hey, isn't this a little too far ahead?" Yang whined. "Can we not talk about this?"

"It's never too early to plan for the future, Yang," Taiyang said, arms crossed and shaking his head. "I've told you about this time and time again in Signal. You can't just rush into things without thinking about it or you'll end up losing an arm or something. You need to be more tactical. You need to think ahead and have a strategy, not to mention a contingency for when that goes wrong."

None of what he'd said was necessarily wrong, yet the colour in Yang's face drained, becoming whiter and whiter, and then slightly greener as he went on. She also slumped in her chair, slipping down as if she wanted to hide under the tablecloth.

"And that's why you need to plan for these things," Taiyang finished.

"I was just planning on _not_ getting pregnant as a teenager," Yang grumbled. "Isn't that enough?"

"No. What's your contingency plan if you do get pregnant?"

"It's a little late at that point, isn't it? I guess I'd give birth."

"And how would you support it? I'll help, but I can only do so much and Qrow isn't a good influence on a baby."

"Hey!"

"Oh, sod off, you. I trusted you to babysit Yang and look what happened to her."

"Hey!" Yang cried this time.

"If she has a baby, I'd support them both," Jaune said, hoping to defuse the argument and save his girlfriend some embarrassment. Apparently, he hadn't, for her face whipped to his with wide eyes and an open mouth.

"Hm, that's good," Taiyang said. "Do you have any income, though?"

"I have a few million lien."

He wasn't sure why Yang and Ruby croaked, nor why Taiyang looked so utterly shocked for a moment, almost falling out of his chair. Jaune also didn't know what to make of Qrow's grumbling that it was probably gained none too legally.

Well, that was true but still – couldn't he at least have the benefit of the doubt?

"Jaune!" Yang yelped.

"What? I'm just saying if we have children I'm not going to leave you with them. Isn't that a good thing?"

"We're not having children!"

"Not now, sure, but it's just a contingency plan, right?"

Taiyang nodded. "That's correct. I'm glad to see you're different from _her_."

"Dad, don't encourage him," Yang snapped. "Gods, this is why I didn't want this meeting to happen." She turned to him, eyes wide. "Jaune, just… just ignore this conversation ever happened. Let's not talk about children until we've at least… at least…" Her eyes trailed away. "You know…"

"Banged?" Jaune offered, trying to be helpful.

Yang whined through her teeth. "Not in front of my dad!"

"Well obviously, that would be pretty rude. I'm not like my mom."

Yang's face hit the table once more. She groaned into it while Ruby reached over and rubbed her back, offering what sympathy she could. Jaune wondered if he should be doing the same, but Taiyang cornered him with a quick question about what his intentions were with Yang.

He answered easily and honestly enough, earning the occasional squawk from Yang when he said something that embarrassed her. All in all, he thought he was doing pretty well, and Taiyang's expression had actually started to thaw from granite-faced-murder dad to giving-you-a-chance-but-still-ready-to-tear-you-limb-from-limb dad.

Now, if only the mutt below the table would stop trying to bite his ankles. Wasn't Ruby supposed to keep a hold on the stupid thing?

" **Grimm may ignore animals but that doesn't mean the same is true in reverse,"** Remy said. **"Animals trained by huntsmen can be even worse. It wouldn't surprise me if it had its aura unlocked."**

" _I don't care whether it does or not. It has teeth!"_

Tiny, razor-sharp teeth that were more like needles than incisors, but which were painful nonetheless and buried in his shin. He tried kicking his foot to dislodge it but all he managed to do was shake it under the table and slam his knee into the metal frame holding the thing up. His eyes watered.

Alright, that was it. The tablecloth reached down to the floor and it wasn't like it wasn't big enough. With a quick flicker of concentration, he sent a tentacle twisting down his left leg and out the bottom of his trousers. It wrapped around the furry beast and dragged it away from his leg.

Ah, blessed relief.

"I'll be staying in Beacon until the tournament is over – got to watch my baby girls fight, after all. You're on Ruby's team, right?"

"Yes, with Weiss Schnee and Pyrrha Nikos."

"Hm, I recognise those names. At least one of my daughters sees fit to write home and fill me in on her life."

"I wrote about my team," Yang protested, glaring at Ruby for having upstaged her. "I've told you all about Ren, Nora and Blake."

"You've told me your team is one quiet boy and two girls frantically lusting after him trapped in a constant battle of wits you feel can only end with the `Highlander` approach."

"That's all there is to tell!"

"Regardless, I'd like a chance to spend some time with your boyfriend and get to know him better."

"No way!" Yang cried.

"Sure," Jaune replied.

Yang's foot stamped on his – or at least she thought it was his foot. He winced as his tentacle was pinned to the floor. Sweat beaded on his brow and he met Yang's glare nervously.

"You don't know what you're agreeing to," she whispered, not realising just what she'd stomped on.

"It's not like I can say no, is it?"

"No," Taiyang said, easily listening in. "Besides, it's not like I'm going to do anything to him. I just want to get to know the boy who's dating my little girl. What, do you think I'm going to be horrible to him or something?"

"Yes."

"Yes." Ruby and Yang shared a quick look and nodded. Even so, seeing that she was out of options, Yang groaned and sat back, removing her foot from his tentacle. "Fine, but you'd better not do anything bad to him."

"Would I ever?" Taiyang asked. "Heck, he might even enjoy it. I can show him pictures of-"

"NO! Be bad, be horrible, but do not – _under any circumstances_ – bring out the baby pictures."

Jaune was so distracted watching the two argue that he forgot what was happening beneath the table. When Yang stomped on his tentacle, it had frozen up instinctively, going soft and limp. Now that he had it back it was fine, but it wasn't until sharp needle-like teeth sunk into it that he recalled the original reason for its presence in the first place.

Taiyang, Qrow, Ruby and Yang stared at him when he yelped.

"Jaune?" Ruby asked.

"N-Nothing. I-It's fine." He laughed awkwardly, all the while flailing his tentacle under the table, corgi attached to the end and shaking vigorously. "I just bumped my knee on the table." There was a bang from under it for emphasis, though it was less his knee striking the wood and more the horrible monster Ruby and Yang called a pet. And yes, it had aura, since it didn't let go of him even when he tried to slap it against the wood.

Yang, assuming he was being his usual self, turned back to her father. "Okay fine, you can come and watch the tournament, and I'll introduce you to my team, but there are rules."

"I'm your father. You can't lay down rules with me."

"Can and will!"

There was a growl to Jaune's right and he looked over the edge of the table. His eyes grew wide as he saw the backend of a small, grey corgi reverse out from under the cloth, dragging something in its teeth. The black tentacle twitched wildly.

"Stop it," he hissed downward.

Zwei looked up, growled louder, and started to drag his tentacle further out, no doubt hoping to expose him.

Jaune dragged him back under with a growl of his own. While outwardly calm to anyone watching, his tentacle windmilled under the table, flinging the dog left, right, up and down in an attempt to make it let go.

"What do you say, Jaune?"

"Yes!" Jaune howled, finally getting rid of the thing. It bounced away with a startled yelp, hitting Ruby's legs. He watched the girl reach down to snatch the dog up and hold it in her lap, the beast growling the whole time. It also gave him a chance to notice her wide eyes, and the horrified expression on Yang's face.

Yang croaked weakly.

"Wait, what did I just agree to?"

"You agreed to let dad sleep in our dorm," Ruby whispered, betrayed.

"Only until Ozpin can set me up with a room," Taiyang said. "It'll probably just be for the night."

"Oh."

Oh…

The corgi seemed to grin viciously at him.

Son of a bitch…

/-/

Two restaurants over and not nearly enough alcohol down, Cinder sat before Adam Taurus, looking somehow _more_ murderous without his mask. She wished she could be anywhere else than here, even trapped in that snot Ruby's room while they forced her to take part in a video game tournament. Hell, she'd have rather been in one of that fat idiot Port's lessons. It would have been preferable to this.

"You are seeking to call off the attack," Adam said, less a question and more of a statement; a dangerous statement, a statement that spoke of swords and anger and her having to hide a body in a hurry.

"I'm doing nothing of the sort," she lied. "I'm simply rescheduling it. Timing is important in matters such as these and something has happened to make our previous appointment… unfeasible."

"My men are prepared," Adam said. "We've been collecting Grimm for months. The longer we wait, the more risk you are asking my people to shoulder."

Cinder huffed. Honestly, did it look like she cared? Did it look like she had an iota of interest within her body? What she _wanted_ was to go back to Beacon, hide in her room and sup of the bottle of wine she'd smuggled in earlier until she could enter a drunken trance and convince herself her plans hadn't all been rendered obsolete by her idiot brother.

Instead, she was dealing with Angsty McEdgelord, who seemed to be under the curious misconception that he could intimidate her with his brooding glares.

She'd changed the diapers of eldritch abominations, thank you very much. She'd forced a six-year-old tentacle monster to have a bath when he didn't want to. She'd played hide and seek with a ten-year-old in the middle of the Grimmlands.

Adam Taurus could frown all he wanted, but to her it was a childish pout.

"I'm sure your brave warriors can appreciate the value of not running in to die where patience would serve them better." Not that she was even sure on that given the White Fang's current record. They must have all been lemming faunus. "Regardless, the scheduled attack no longer serves our purposes. I wanted to make you aware ahead of time so you could make whatever changes you need to."

"And when will our new attack be?" he asked dangerously.

"When I find a time better suited to it," she replied, not really bothering to tell him she'd be long gone by that point. He could do whatever he wanted after she'd gotten the maiden, though given his track record that would be to get himself and his people killed.

Oh well, she'd survive the crushing guilt. It would be hard, but she'd manage.

"And is your colleague, Hentacle, okay with this?"

Cinder smiled. Jaune would be thrilled with it. "He will manage. He understands the importance of good timing, hence why I have his co-operation in this affair. He will be most displeased if you were to try and ignore me on this matter."

Adam's eyes narrowed. "I don't like this."

"Neither do I, but it's a sacrifice we shall both have to make if we want the attack to succeed." Cinder rose before Adam could find a reason to stop her. She had a bottle of wine with her name on it. "I will be in contact. Don't draw any attention to yourself."

"Cinder!" Adam called, halting her. "The White Fang are not peons to be thrown away in your games. We've looked after ourselves for years and can do so here. We chose to work with you because our interests aligned, but if yours have wavered, then we might have to part ways."

"Is that a threat, Adam?"

"No. It's a promise."

Hm, how droll, if a little cliché. The animal was a fan of the movies, it appeared. "My will hasn't faltered, Adam. I've simply discovered a more opportune moment to strike." She regarded him with a stern expression. "Do not test me on this. You would not like the consequences."

Adam watched her leave. His hands on the table clenched into fists.

/-/

"Why does _that_ have to be here?" Blake hissed.

"Because it's _this_ or my dad," Yang replied, not in the mood as she stroked Zwei, curled up in her lap. "Trust me, we got the better end of the bargain."

Blake's lips peeled back but she didn't argue. What she _did_ do was pile some of her books around her bed, constructing an impromptu – if flimsy – defence between her and the adorable corgi. "It stays away from me or it gets thrown out of the window."

"And you complain when people compare you to a cat, Yang drawled.

"Because that's racist!"

"If the hat fits…" Yang rolled her eyes. Seriously, she'd met dog faunus that didn't chase cats and she doubted every bull faunus in the world turned into psychopaths if they were surrounded with the colour red.

She wasn't even sure faunus _had_ any instincts like their animal counterparts. Blake was just weird.

"You seem in an unusually foul mood," Ren noted.

"Nothing unusual about it, bucko. My dad is in the same room as my boyfriend giving him the third degree. I've also got to rely on Ruby to cover for me and not let any embarrassing stories get out." And that was bad because Ruby would sell her up the river if it was a choice between Yang's stories being revealed or her own. Ruby was great and all, but surprisingly quick to throw Yang under the bus when it came to it.

"How bad can it really be?"

Yang stared at Ren.

"Admittedly, I have no experience," Ren allowed.

"Yeah, exactly."

"But I'm sure you haven't either."

"I'm one for one on terrible experiences," she said. "That's a hundred per cent record. It'll do." Yang idly petted Zwei and leaned back on her bed, sighing. It wasn't that she didn't trust her dad or Jaune together, but that she… well, didn't trust them together.

Oh sure, they were both awesome – but Jaune was empty-headed and blunt, while her father was practically a battering ram himself when it came to subtlety. _And I never did get a chance to corner Qrow about what he told Dad. The asshole snuck away the first chance he got._ Yang made a mental note to hunt him down later and remind him just why what passed between uncle and niece, stayed between uncle and niece.

"It's the second rounds tomorrow and there's a chance we'll be fighting," Ren said. "I'm sure you'll forget all about it then." And if not, she could distract herself pounding an unfortunate SOAB into submission. "Will you be okay to fight still?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. You and me, right?"

"Yes."

"Keep Renny safe," Nora said. "He's squishy and sensitive, so if anyone comes at him with violence in mind, you'll need to break their legs."

Yang laughed. "Got it."

"Nora, I can look after myself…"

"Oh Ren, you're adorable." Nora patted his head, turned to Yang and mouthed `break their legs` theatrically. Yang made a show of winking back, earning a suffering sigh from their team leader. Blake didn't join in the fun, too busy crouching behind her book fort with her bow peeking over the top, eyes searching for the corgi.

"What if your dog needs to relieve itself?" Ren asked.

"He's house trained," Yang said.

There was a flush from the bathroom, followed by the door being nudged open and Zwei stepping back out. He trotted past Blake's fort, ignoring her hissing, to clamber back onto Yang's bed and curl into a little ball.

Nora and Ren stared at him.

"Well, it's not the strangest thing I've ever seen," Ren said.

"Not even this week," Nora giggled.

Blake hissed and made clawing gestures in the air.

"Well done on setting your people back a thousand years or more," Yang sighed. "Alright, let's get some sleep. I'd like to be well-rested for when I need to kill my dad tomorrow morning."

"I'm sure nothing will happen."

She appreciated the effort, she really did. Sadly, Ren just didn't know her father like she knew him. The sooner the tournament came around the better. Right now, she wouldn't have said no to a spontaneous White Fang attack.

/-/

Ruby sighed as she finished explaining to Weiss and Pyrrha why her dad was going to be bunking with them tonight. It was all nonsense, of course. He could have gotten a hotel and she was fairly sure the headmaster would have been able to get a room for him, even if it was late evening by the time they reached Beacon. Heck, Jaune could have bought her dad a house in Vale just to get him out of their room.

And wasn't _that_ a weird thing to realise. She'd known Jaune was easy with his money, having bought her that comic – which she still loved – but to learn he was easily as rich as Weiss? Well, that was a thing.

She was just glad Yang had offered to take Zwei. It was bad enough their father without having to wrench her beloved pet off Jaune's face. Oh she knew _why_ he went for Jaune. Zwei was trained well – too well – and it looked like he knew _exactly_ what Jaune was. They'd have to keep him away unless they wanted a battle of the ages in their dorm room.

 _Still, I can't help but think we got the raw end of the deal,_ she thought, watching her father inspect their dorm.

He was a guest and not even vaguely related or known by Weiss or Pyrrha, yet both – like her – stood by awkwardly, wishing they'd spent a little more time cleaning up, or at least _known_ he was coming. Ruby cringed when her dad's eyes roved over her laundry basket, which was true to form completely overflowing.

She'd _meant_ to take it to be washed earlier, but something had come up, like `something` had every day for the last week and a half. It wasn't laziness, totally not. Just things. Huntress things. All very important and stuff.

"Our room is normally cleaner than this," Weiss blatantly lied, showing that she felt as awkward as Ruby did. "Unfortunately, the Vytal Festival has us too busy to keep on top of things."

"Y-Yeah," Ruby agreed, smiling widely. "Really busy."

"What? No, it doesn't-"

Pyrrha silenced Jaune with a well-placed elbow to the gut.

"Hm, that's fine." Taiyang smiled. "Goodness knows our team was no better when we were here." To Ruby's utter mortification he moved over and started rummaging through her laundry, folding clothes into neat piles so it fit better. "You really do need to keep on top of this though, Ruby. Yang and I aren't going to be able to do it for you forever."

She didn't think it was possible to feel any more humiliated than she did then and there. "I know…"

"Ha. You always were messy, just like your mother."

"Daaad."

 _I take it back. I want Zwei here. Jaune and Yang are dating – they can sleep together in their room with dad. I'll take Zwei._ The only thing that stopped her suggesting it was the knowledge Yang would never accept.

"It was too late to ask Ozpin for a room, so it'll only be for the one night," Taiyang said to her teammates. "Thanks for putting up with me; I know it can't be easy."

"It's fine." Weiss tried to play it off like it wasn't the weirdest thing in the world to have a teammate's father sleep in your room.

"I have no problems with it," Pyrrha said, too polite to ever speak the truth.

Jaune cringed and mumbled something under his breath. He, at least, knew what to really feel, and deserved all the indignation for the fact he'd accepted her father's request before she and Yang had a chance to talk him out of it.

"You can stay in my bed," Jaune offered, knowing it was the only thing to do. "I'll sleep on the floor for the night. I have a sleeping bag around here somewhere. Weiss, can I borrow one of your pillows-" He was cut off by a white shape impacting his face. "Thanks," he mumbled into it.

Ruby and Pyrrha chipped in with some of their own stuff, quickly constructing a rather comfortable looking bed for him to sleep on. Since they might be called on for camping at any time, every team had spare supplies like sleeping bags and spare blankets. Before long, Jaune looked comfier on the floor than he had in his bed, practically festooned in pillows.

"Ha, this reminds me of our time in Beacon," Taiyang reminisced. "We'd have sleepovers with our friends too, and occasionally one of us would bring a girl back." He paused. "Well, I would. Qrow never did. He wasn't very good with the ladies."

"He wasn't?" Ruby asked. "Uncle Qrow always told us he had lots of girlfriends." And other stories about barmaids in distant lands he'd met.

Taiyang seemed to find the idea hilarious. "Oh, that Qrow," he laughed. "Well, far be it for me to tarnish his reputation in front of his nieces. Let's just say there's a reason I dated _both_ of my teammates, and a reason Qrow is a bachelor to this day."

And then, to her horror, her father started to tell them stories about his time as a student. He'd always been good at that, painting pictures about huntsman life that excited her. Professor Port could have learned a few things.

On the other hand, she just wished it wasn't about how he'd gotten with her mom. There were some things a person didn't need to know.

"Ha, and there was the time one of my friends dared Raven to make out with Summer in truth or dare. We didn't think she'd do it and Summer's face was so red, but if there's one thing about Raven, it's that she never backs down. You should have seen how much tongue she used!"

Ruby smashed her face into her pillow.

 _Kill me now._

/-/

The second round of the tournament came around without too much issue, if you didn't count an early morning greeting by Zwei via the medium of teeth to be an issue. Luckily, Taiyang snatched the corgi out of the air and hugged him to his chest, laughing the whole time.

"He doesn't seem to like you much. Not an animal person?"

"I have a pet back home, or more of a companion, but no, some animals don't like me much." It appeared to be dogs mostly, since a few cats had turned their noses up at him but not outright moved to claw his eyes out.

Mannie would have had something to say about the way Zwei was growling at him.

Luckily, the tournament itself saved him from having to spend any more time with the dog, since Taiyang couldn't enter the student stands with them and had to go sit with Qrow instead. The whole team breathed a sigh of relief once he was gone.

Ruby and Yang's dad was nice, but sheesh.

"I warned you," Yang said. "You've only yourself to blame."

"He's nice," Jaune defended. "Just…"

"A little too much? Dad's always been like that. Qrow said he had this `presence` which made him stand out in Beacon. Overly friendly, overly nice, overly enthusiastic and just able to get on with everyone he came across."

"He certainly seems to have a large personality," Pyrrha said.

"Hm. That's the issue, really. His personality is so big it squashes everyone else in the room. You should see how much other fathers glare at him whenever it was teacher-parent conference day. He made them look small in front of their wives."

It was an odd way to put it, but Jaune wasn't sure he disagreed. There was just something `big` about the man, or maybe he was, like Yang said, just that gregarious. Either way, he hadn't actually made any move to threaten or beat him up for being Yang's boyfriend, so in his books Taiyang was great.

 _It's better than if Tyrian came to meet Yang,_ he thought, shuddering at the idea.

"He doesn't seem to dislike me though," Jaune said, smiling at Yang.

Slowly, she smiled back. "No, he doesn't. I'm a little surprised."

"He can probably tell how blunt Jaune is," Weiss said, rolling her eyes. "He can hardly lie to save his life and not even an angry father can ignore that. The chances of him cheating on or mistreating you are less than zero. He's probably just bemused at how `nice` Jaune is."

It always amazed him how Weiss could say something that _sounded_ like a compliment, and yet somehow was also an insult at the same time. He decided to take it as the former and ignore the latter. Besides, he totally could lie. He'd been doing it quite well for almost half a year now.

The rest of the students from the four schools filed into their section of the stands, taking their seats and listening as the ceremony began for the day. While he and the others had assumed the tournament would be just fights, there was actually a lot more to it in terms of speeches, sponsorship, cultural displays and more. That was probably necessary since the fights themselves rarely lasted more than ten minutes. The whole thing could have been done in a day without the extra bits to break it up.

It eventually moved onto the roulette wheel however, with the crowd leaning forward eagerly and Jaune doing the same.

The wheel clicked to a stop on Team RYBN.

"Not Pyrrha, not Pyrrha, not Pyrrha," Yang, Ren, Nora and Blake chanted.

"You know, just to hear the end of that I wouldn't mind if it _was_ me," Pyrrha groused. Unfortunately for her, and fortunately for Team RYBN, it was not. They ended up against a team from Atlas that he hadn't heard of before.

"Sweet! Easy win," Yang laughed.

"We shouldn't underestimate them," Ren said, standing. He nodded to the group. "If you'll excuse us, we need to get changed."

"See ya," Yang laughed, stooping to kiss Jaune's cheek as she passed by. "Make sure to cheer for us."

Port and Oobleck began a rundown of the team's stats, techniques and their past performances, quickly entrancing the crowd as footage from their previous fights was revealed. For all that Port liked to talk, he was good at keeping the crowd distracted from what was essentially a ten minute wait, he and Oobleck going through what they thought the odds were for either team, and then working the crowd up by pointing out things they'd have to `watch out for`, including Yang's fiery temper and Ren's as of yet unknown Semblance.

He idly wondered what they'd said about _him_ before, since he'd been in the changing rooms and unable to hear it. More than likely, they'd just focused on Pyrrha, since that was really all you needed to say when looking at their team's odds. Pyrrha Nikos and three distractions; the ultimate combination.

Once the two teams came back out and met in the arena, the roulette began to turn again, selecting what terrain they'd have to fight on. It settled on an combination of half mountainous terrain, half desert, and Port happily warbled about the treacherous footing of both and how it might influence the fight.

"Yang will be fine," Ruby laughed, confident in her sister's ability to handle herself no matter what she came up against.

"I'm sure she will be," Weiss noted. "Both she and Ren are light on their feet, so the sand shouldn't be a problem. The only concern is where their opponents have a Semblance to take advantage of it, but seeing as it's a team from Atlas, I'm not so sure."

"I don't think Semblances were regional," Jaune pointed out.

"They're not, but if you had a Semblance that relied on a certain kind of terrain, I doubt you'd choose to study at a school with none of it. Not when Shade Academy is literally _surrounded_ by desert."

"Fair point…"

Something tickled the back of his mind as he watched the two teams prepare for the opening signal. It was an odd sensation like water rushing over him, except thick and viscous. He looked around, wondering if someone was staring at him, but even Cinder was focused on the match, leaning back in her seat with a bored expression. Yang's father in the main stands was cheering on his daughter, as was Qrow, albeit with less volume.

"Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, noticing his sudden stiffness.

"Sorry, I thought I heard something."

They accepted the excuse easily enough and all turned their attention back to the fight. It had started now, with Yang and Ren throwing a number of probing attacks towards their opponents. Though the crowd yelled with excitement, he knew that both teams were trying to get a feel for the other, neither expanding too much energy so early on.

The same feeling from before tickled his mind again, except somehow louder, more tactile – and also heavier. It hit suddenly and he drew in a quick breath.

" **Jaune…"** Remy warned, recognising it.

He stood quickly, whispering to Ruby and Pyrrha that he needed to do something. Ruby looked worried but was too engrossed in the fight, while Pyrrha offered to come with him. He shook his head. "I won't be long. I just need to… this is important."

Once he was free from them, he made his way over to Cinder, trying as hard as he could not to break into a sprint, pushing other students out of the way. His face was red and his breath came out in sharp gasps.

Neo saw him approach and tapped Cinder's shoulder, pointing him out. Cinder cocked her head, unsure for a moment but clearly concerned at just how flustered he looked. She signalled for Emerald to scoot to the side, leaving a chair for him free. He didn't take it.

"Whatever is the matter now?" she asked, looking him up and down.

"You said you'd work with Beacon," he hissed, voice low and eyes glancing about nervously. No one was close enough to hear over the roar of the crowd. "You said you'd not do anything and just accept Ozpin giving you the maiden's powers!"

"I did."

"Then why!?"

Cinder shared a glance with Mercury and Emerald, who both shrugged, nonplussed. It slowly dawned on him that she didn't know what he was talking about, and that possibility frightened him even more. "Why _what_?" she asked. "What are you talking about?"

"There are Grimm on Amity Colosseum."

"What!?" Cinder's eyes widened. She didn't know. She had no idea.

"Grimm," he repeated, swallowing. His head spun. "I can sense them. Hundreds of them."

And they were angry.

Very angry.

* * *

 **Uh-oh. Things are never easy.**

 **It looks like not everyone is on board with the `let's cancel the invasion` plan. So, is it time for Cinder Fall to play the Hero of Beacon? We'll see.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 26** **th** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	64. Chapter 64

**I just want to throw a quick warning here, that is in no way about White Sheep. This Saturday is an update weekend for "A Hunter or Something", but due to some rather important work College Fool has, that cannot be avoided, College Fool won't have time to look over what I've done or make changes and suggestions. Since it's CF's story and not mine, I can't just publish it when CF isn't happy with it.**

 **As such, there may or may not be a tiny update for it this Saturday – like 1000-1500 words max. But what there** _ **will**_ **be is a full update for Relic of the Future, my newest fic. It'll just be switching around the dates to cover for CF's busy timescale, which means HOS will be delayed until the 5** **th** **May, while Relic will be this Saturday, 28** **th** **March.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 64**

* * *

Cinder wasn't unused to anger, but this time it felt so much worse. Her blood boiled and she wanted nothing more than to take hold of the bastard responsible for this and rip him into little pieces. And she knew just who to blame, of course.

"Adam," she hissed. "I'll _destroy_ him."

"The White Fang? I thought you said you'd call them off."

"I did, but it seems the fool refused to accept it," she explained, standing. When Mercury, Neo and Emerald made to do the same, she shook her head. "Stay here. We can't have our entire team vanishing when we might be called up for the next fight. If that happens, Mercury and Emerald should fight it."

"What about you?" Emerald asked.

"I will go and deal with this new problem, along with Jaune." Cinder glanced to him at that, earning a nod in agreement. If there were Grimm to deal with, he would be useful to have along. "Good. I think it's time we cut ties with dear Adam. Permanently."

The two of them slipped from the bleachers and into the tunnels connecting the stands to the amenities and tunnels of Amity Colosseum. They'd been heaving with life and activity but now, with the matches on, they were all but abandoned.

Cinder waved a hand for Jaune to take the lead. "You can sense where they are. Take me there."

Jaune did so, leading her to the left. "This really isn't your doing, is it?" he asked.

"I wouldn't waste my time making life harder for myself, not when you've so easily laid everything I want before me. I tried to convince Adam the attack had merely been rescheduled, but it seems he saw through me. I must be losing my touch." Or Adam had simply been too bloodthirsty to wait, a possibility given how pointlessly angry the fool was. "It matters little. Adam's forces aren't large enough to attack on their own; they _need_ the Grimm. If we can shut those down, either killing them or with you ordering them away, then he will have to call the assault off."

"And what do we do with Adam?"

"We kill him."

"Can't we just arrest him?"

It was just like him to try and take the easy route, though in this case it wasn't an option. "Adam knows my identity, and that I work with your Grimm form." She refused to call it Hentacle. "That information would come out in interrogation, and the moment suspicion falls on me, it would fall on you by association."

"I-I see…"

Cinder sighed. "If you're feeling squeamish you can leave the final blow to me. You deal with the Grimm. Adam is mine."

"Alright. Take a left here – into the restricted section."

Cinder opened the door, ignoring the sign warning them against it, and slipped inside with Jaune. The new corridor was brightly lit, though far less organised than the pedestrian ones – with lockers, crates and cleaning equipment stacked haphazardly against the walls. Again, thanks to the fights taking place in the main ring, most of the employees would either be spectating or working on various aspects of them.

Still, that didn't explain how Adam had managed to smuggle Grimm into the Colosseum under their noses, or how he'd managed it with so many. "You said _hundreds_ of Grimm, right? Are you sure on that number?"

"That's what it feels like."

"How accurate is this feeling?"

"Absolutely," he replied, and the certainty in his voice convinced her. Whatever skills Salem might have given her, she could not _feel_ the Grimm in the same way Jaune and his siblings did.

 _How could Adam have hidden so many Grimm here, though? It doesn't make sense._ Vale might have been naïve when it came to security, but Grimm were neither small nor subtle, and neither were faunus in Grimm masks moving huge shipping containers of growling, snarling monsters. Amity Colosseum was also hundreds of metres up in the air, making the feat even more of a logistical nightmare.

Not even she could have managed it, so Adam having done so raised a lot of questions. _Although in the end, it doesn't matter. The `how` isn't the issue we have to deal with._

"Avoid transforming if you can help it," she whispered. "Our combat is bound to draw attention and there might be security cameras about. We can explain away our presence by saying you felt the Grimm and we decided it was our duty to intervene, but we can't do that if you transform."

"I can still order the Grimm in this form, but it might be hard to explain that if someone sees it…"

"Leave that to me. I have a plan."

Thankfully, Jaune accepted her words without demanding an explanation, which was fortunate given that her plan was just to kill any witnesses. He didn't need to know that and hopefully it wouldn't be an issue. Salem would have her head if a hair on his was harmed, however. Bad enough she'd gotten him involved with terrorists, but the last thing they needed was Ironwood discovering his true identity.

"How far is it?" she asked.

"Deeper. It's two floors below, down in the basement area."

The engineering and storage compartments below the crust of what formed the floor of Amity. Much of the workings of the flying arena were stored beneath ground – though the term itself was a little off given what it was. Perhaps the `hull` of Amity Colosseum would be a better term.

"We need to hurry. They're getting more aggravated. Something is stirring them up."

"Or someone," Cinder whispered. "Lead on. It's time we finished this."

/-/

In Ruby's defence, it was her sister down there kicking butt. That was why she'd completely failed to notice Jaune slipping away until she turned, eager to point out some cool move Yang had just done, and found no one beside her.

Where was he? Yang would be hurt if she knew he'd bailed on her fight. And if Yang was hurt, that meant _he'd_ be hurt, because her sister had a forgive and forget mentality that only applied _after_ she'd taken out her annoyance in a spar.

"He left ten or so minutes ago," Pyrrha said. "He didn't say what for, only that it couldn't wait. Maybe he went to the bathroom."

"Maybe…" Ruby bit her lip. When she looked around, she couldn't help but notice that Cinder was also missing. It wasn't hard to imagine they were together, though she wasn't sure why.

But Cinder had once said she knew Jaune's mother, and if that mother was who – or what – Ruby thought she was, then… well… that was something not so easily explained. Ruby tried to ignore it, to accept it as being nothing, but she wasn't quite able to.

"I'll go see if I can find him."

Pyrrha looked surprise. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"I'll be okay on my own."

Everyone else was too engrossed in the fight to pay much attention to her, and Ruby whispered a silent apology to Yang for skipping out as she left the stands. Maybe this was nothing and maybe she'd look stupid later for it, but there was something in her gut telling her otherwise. Part of it might have been paranoia, but another part – as much as she didn't like to admit it – was probably because she knew what Jaune was.

 _Not that I'm judging him by it,_ she quickly thought, even though she not only totally was, but totally should. _I'm just… I'm giving Jaune a chance to prove me wrong. Yeah, that's it. It's not that I don't trust him; it's that I trust him to prove my doubts wrong._

But didn't having those doubts mean she didn't trust him?

"Ugh, this is complicated. Come on, Jaune, would it have killed you to just sit there?" She was going to be pretty embarrassed if he _had_ just gone for a toilet break. "Maybe I should check the toilets just in case."

There were loads of them in Amity, obviously, but she tracked down the closest ones and found no queue outside, which meant Jaune wouldn't have gone for any further away. She paused outside the men's side, wondering how to go about this.

"Jaune?" she called. "Hey Jaune, are you in there?"

There was no answer, not even the flushing of a toilet or running of a tap. She figured most people would hold it in with the fights on, but when you had to go, you had to go. Frustrated, she stomped her foot.

"Jaune!? Jaune, please – are you there? Answer me!"

Maybe she should call his scroll? No. If she did, she'd have to have a reason as to `why`, and `I'm suspicious about you` probably wouldn't be a good reason. Nervously, she looked left and right, before she took a deep breath.

"No one has to know," she whispered, inching a foot into the men's side of the toilets. "No one has to find out."

Ruby peeked her head around the edge of the tiled wall, hoping against all hope that she wouldn't come face-to-face (or worse) with a row of men using the urinals. To her relief, it was empty, and she stepped inside more fully with a long exhale.

The men's toilets weren't that much different from the women's, except for the inclusion of the urinal, which Ruby had always thought looked ridiculously unhygienic – not to mention embarrassing. When she'd told Yang that once, her older sister had told her about `archaic rules` men had around those, with a strict order that involved not selecting one next to someone already in use, and _never_ looking.

It sounded weird. Why didn't they just have more stalls like girls did? Sure, men _could_ stand and do it, but it wasn't like they _had_ to, right? Why bother when sitting worked just as well and didn't carry the same risk of embarrassment?

"I'm getting distracted," she realised, shaking such thoughts away. She stepped past the urinal on tip-toes, eyes wide for any spillage. She also ignored the odd machine on the wall selling mints and various-shaped balloons, to reach the stalls themselves. Tentatively, she knocked a hand on each, leaping back when they opened and peeking once it was clear no one was inside each.

Once all five were open and revealed empty, Ruby sighed and planted her hands on her hips. "Where is he?"

"Where's who?" a bored voice asked.

Ruby yelped, spinning around to find herself caught by a silver-haired teen, one of Cinder's teammates, and worse, in the men's toilets. Mercury was leaning on the wall that hid the entrance from view, blocking anyone outside from seeing in. His arms were crossed and he had a raised eyebrow.

"So," he drawled. "What are you doing in here?"

Mortification spread through Ruby, congregating in her cheeks. Her eyes were wide and flicked left and right, looking for inspiration in the tiled walls. She realised one had a crudely drawn penis on it, but funnily enough, that didn't help her any. "M-Me?" she stammered. "I, uh, well, I… What are _you_ doing here?" she demanded, going on the attack.

"I'm a man," he said. "And this is the men's toilets. I think that should be self-explanatory."

Oh yeah, now that she thought about it, that sounded like a fairly good excuse. "W-Well, I'm looking for a man," she said.

Mercury's brows rose even higher. "Aren't you, like, fifteen?"

It took Ruby a second to realise what he meant. When she did, she gasped so hard she choked. "Not like that! I didn't mean it like that!"

"Then how did you mean it?"

"I'm looking for Jaune!"

"In the men's toilets?"

"Anywhere," she whined, face so red she could feel it burning up. "I'm just… ugh, can we forget about this? I just need to find Jaune and get back to the stands."

"Why?" Mercury asked, pushing himself off the wall a little. "Just go back yourself and wait for him. He won't be too long."

Ruby's hands, which had been covering her face, lowered. "You know where he is," she realised.

Mercury didn't deny it, not that he could, but the way he shrugged and looked up towards the ceiling made it clear co-operation wasn't on his mind. "Eh, not like I have any idea now, but I knew when he left, sure. It's none of your business, though. He'll be back in a bit. Just wait for him."

"What is he doing?"

"That's his business."

"He's with your team leader, isn't he?" she asked. "What are they doing?"

"That would be _her_ business, or theirs. You should just leave them be." Mercury sighed. "It's not like they're getting up to anything frisky if _that's_ your concern. Come on, I'll take you back to the stands."

Normally, she might have accepted that, but there was something about the fact he'd found her, and the fact he apparently didn't need the bathroom, that set off her warnings. "If this is nothing, then why are you following me? There's something going on here. I know Jaune and he wouldn't just leave like that during Yang's match."

Mercury laughed. "You don't know him as well as you think."

He knew. Mercury knew. It was confirmation she hadn't expected, but it meant all of Cinder's team knew the truth of Jaune, which meant they were aware of what he was and maybe who his mother was. Ruby had no idea what to do with the information. She couldn't go to anyone about it, obviously, but for some reason the idea of a team who willingly knew – and kept his secret – didn't calm her down any, especially not when one of them had her cornered in a men's bathroom.

"I should go," Ruby said, trying to brush past him.

He cut her off with a side-step. "Back to the stands?"

"Sure."

"Mind if I accompany you?"

"Don't you need the toilet? That's why you came here after all." Ruby smiled, hoping he couldn't see her sudden panic. "I'll wait for you."

"I can hold it in," he offered. "I'll walk you back."

"People will talk."

"I have a girlfriend already."

"Then people will _really_ talk."

"Velvet isn't like that."

Ruby's eyes narrowed. "You're awfully determined to escort me back to the stands."

"You're awfully determined not to be," he countered.

The two stared at one another; a battle of wills across a white-tiled toilet, a urinal to the left, stalls to the right, and three sinks sitting ominously in the background. Ruby felt a bead of sweat run down her brow.

/-/

Cinder's patience was already near its limit as Jaune led her deeper into the bowels of Amity Colosseum. Only the fact none of this was his fault stopped her snapping at him, and even then that would not have saved anyone else.

"How much longer is this going to take? Our absence won't go unnoticed."

"I'm taking us there as fast as I can. It's really deep in here."

"How could the White Fang get so many Grimm so far into Amity? This is impossible."

"I know what I'm sensing," Jaune said, lifting his head as though to sniff the air. His eyes narrowed. "We're close. They're on this floor."

Cinder breathed a sigh of relief, eager to get the whole mess over with and hunt down Adam in her own time. This was all a risk she didn't need. She needed to be on best behaviour for Ozpin, and being caught red-handed down here would work against that. At least if it was red-handed stopping Grimm from attacking innocents, she would have a viable excuse, but still – it was all too much risk at a time when she didn't want any.

"Hey Cinder, what is it you actually want the maiden's power for?"

She wasn't sure if he was bored or not, but the question was innocuous enough, so she answered. "Isn't it obvious? I want the maiden's power because it's mine. I earned it when I attacked the Fall Maiden."

"Yeah, but why attack her in the first place? Did you _need_ the power?"

"Need and want do not always go hand in hand. Why did you want to leave the safety of your home and come out here, risking your life to join Beacon?"

"Because it was my dream," he said. "Because I wanted to make friends."

"And my reasons are no different. I wanted that power, and so I attacked the maiden. Friendship may be considered more innocent, but we're both just acting on our desires." Hers just happened to be more logical, and not quite so puerile. "Besides, your mother also has a vested interest in controlling the maidens."

"So, mom _is_ involved in this."

"Of course. I would not have risked drawing attention to myself without her permission."

"What does she want the maidens for?"

"That is a question best asked to your mother," Cinder replied. "Suffice to say, the maidens are weapons against us, so while it could be self-defence, I cannot provide you with the full story. My task is just to become the Fall Maiden. Nothing more. Well, and to look after your hide."

"And this was worth arranging an attack on Beacon?"

"To me, yes."

"Why?" he asked, voice pained. "Why do that much and go so far?"

"Why not? I don't care for anyone in Beacon and there is no one here who I hold dear to me. You attacked the White Fang numerous times despite having no affiliation to or against them – and you did this to support your companions in their objectives. I do the same here, except that I support your mother."

"But… But it's wrong. The White Fang are terrorists, so fighting them is different to arranging an attack on innocent people."

Cinder rolled her eyes, disgusted. "When will you realise that _innocence_ is not so easily defined? Those people up there would happily kill you if they knew what you were, and they'd do so without bothering to know you."

"They're not _my_ enemies." he insisted.

"No, but _you_ are theirs. You may be willing to stand there with a smile while they try to kill you, but I am not. This conversation bores me," she snapped. "Goodness knows you won't change your opinion, even if they tried to kill you, so why should I bother listening to yours? How close are we?"

"They're in here," Jaune said gruffly, still annoyed but at least focused on the task at hand. He tapped his hand on a metallic door to a storage room of some kind. Calling it a door was perhaps less than accurate, since it was more like a large roll-up warehouse storage bay. Amity needed storage rooms the size of warehouses for all the dust it needed to run.

"Inside here?"

"Yes."

"And you can still sense well over a hundred?"

"Easily," he replied. "Maybe even two hundred."

Madness. Cinder spared a glance behind her, checking for any witnesses, and when she found none summoned her twin swords. She dug them into the thin metal, piercing through and then wrenching the blades down to cut a small opening.

"After you," she said, stepping back. "The Grimm won't attack you."

They wouldn't her, either, but that was only if she invoked the power of her own parasite, which was the only thing that made her – in a sense – part-Grimm. That would take a few seconds, however, and such time wasn't always possible. Jaune could do it passively, being part-Grimm by birth, and thus recognised by any he came across.

He nodded and slipped under the opening, not even bothering to draw his weapon as he straightened up inside.

"Well," she demanded. "Do you see anything?"

"Lots of containers…"

"I _meant_ , do you see any Grimm?"

"No."

Cinder scowled and ducked into the opening, standing tall in the dimly lit room beyond. Much like she'd expected, it was a warehouse-like interior, with numerous crates stacked tall. This one didn't appear to be dust, for the snowflake symbol was missing. It might have instead been supplies, food or just tools and material for repair and maintenance.

"The original plan was for the White Fang to use stolen Bullheads to transport Grimm onto both Amity and Beacon," she explained, moving forward with Jaune beside her. "At the same time, we would cause a diversion in the main ring, both to keep attention on us while they approached, and also to add to the negativity, driving the Grimm into a fury."

"You'll be pleased to know that I didn't really expect all that many innocents to die from it," she added, rolling her eyes when his lit up. "Don't get excited, I didn't decide that for their sake, but for simple convenience. Our main goal was Beacon, so having Ozpin and the other huntsmen distracted protecting the civilians would help us move about freely. The attack on Amity was little more than a diversion to draw attention away from Beacon, allowing me to strike and claim the Fall Maiden's powers for myself."

"What does that mean for us here?" Jaune asked.

"It's too late for Adam to change all his plans, especially after all the training and preparation his people will have gone through, so I expect his objectives will be much the same. Obviously, I couldn't convince him to support us just so that I could have the Fall Maiden. I had to make it sound like it was about him, or that he'd get something he wanted."

"And what was that?"

"The fall of Beacon."

"What!?" Jaune spun on her, eyes wide. "Cinder!"

"I've told you before I have no loyalty to Beacon, certainly not when they're training people to kill us. Regardless, Adam wants a victory for the White Fang; something so large and obvious that no one can ignore it. Beacon was to be it, and so our plans coincided."

"But that's not necessary anymore," she said, shaking her head. "I will soon have what I want, so Adam can go drown for all I care. Still, the point I was trying to raise is that the plans never called for Grimm to be smuggled _into_ Amity. I thought it too difficult, and not at all effective. What use would Grimm released down here be in causing panic? Vale could simply seal the tunnels and lock them here to deal with at their leisure."

It didn't add up and that was the issue. Adam's ability to get the Grimm here, his decision to – and the fact that it was utterly against the plan she'd so carefully crafted for him. But that didn't change the fact that it had to be dealt with – preferably before it incriminated her.

"Are they in all these containers?" she asked, looking at them all. There was easily over two hundred, so it was possible – though if so, the Grimm were very quiet.

"No. They're a little further in."

Jaune led them through several aisles between the crates, eventually coming to one stacked a little haphazardly on the floor. They were curious due to the snowflake symbol, which had been absent from any other.

"This is it," he said.

"You mean this is one of them, right? You said hundreds of Grimm."

"I… I still sense that many."

Jaune and Cinder shared a moment of silence, before, as one, they moved to the container and took hold of the steel handles on the front, twisting them aside to unlock it, and then dragging back to wrench the thing open with a mighty groan.

The noise alerted the contents – which poured out in a cacophony of shrieks, flutters and black feathers. Nevermore. They poured out and into the warehouse, crashing into other containers, the floor, or any storage racks as they tried to fly about. There were hundreds of them easily, and they'd been packed into the container, but they were each of them tiny. The Nevermore were juveniles at best and roughly the size of an average bird.

"Damn birds," Cinder said, swatting one aside when it flew too close to her face. She ignored Jaune's rebuke, and the way he held his arms out, instantly becoming a scarecrow for about fifty of the blasted things. "This is all of them? These are the Grimm you sensed?"

"I think so. It's kind of hard to get a specific read when I'm like this," Jaune said, voice muffled by feathers as the Nevermore landed on every part of his body they could. Some squawked angrily at one another, jealously fighting for a chance to perch on his shoulder.

Something was wrong here, Cinder realised. There _were_ hundreds of Grimm, and slipped into Amity like Jaune had feared, but it was a wasted effort. Even ignoring the low chance these things could make their way up top, they were just too small to be any real threat.

Really, they would only serve as a distraction at best, irritating people as they made their way to the evacuation points. But who would Adam want to distract, and why?

The answer struck her a moment later.

Right as an explosion rocked the colosseum.

/-/

Ruby flinched when a distant roar cut through their standoff, an explosion of some kind, though it sounded like it was distant and muted. The ground shook, threatening to spill her over. An alarm started to angrily blare throughout the stadium.

"What the hell's going on?" Mercury asked, turning for a second.

That was her chance. Ruby zipped under his arm and away, ignoring his panicked cry for her to wait. He tried to give chase but didn't have a chance with her Semblance and she blurred down the corridor, away from the bathroom and back towards the stands.

En route, she stopped as a display screen caught her attention, a news report that had before been focused on the tournament matches. Now, it was pointed at a column of smoke that seemed to billow up from the stadium itself, thankfully not in the crowds, but off to the side.

Worse, a second plume of smoke rose from Beacon.

Had Jaune…?

No, surely not. She wouldn't believe it.

Ruby's eyes watered.

She couldn't believe it.

" _Warning; this is a Level-4 alert,"_ a mechanised voice called over the speakers. _"All civilians are advised to make their way to designated locations for immediate evacuation. All huntsmen are instructed to escort and protect civilians. I repeat, this is a Level-4 alert. This is not a drill. All civilians are-"_

Her team. She had to find her team. Ruby stumbled away, wide-eyed and breathing heavily as panic coursed through her. There had to be a reasonable explanation for this.

Her scroll buzzed.

" _Ruby,"_ Weiss snapped. _"Where are you!?"_

"I'm in the tunnels. I saw what's going on – I'm looking for Jaune."

" _He's not with you!?"_

"N-No, he's with Cinder."

Weiss cursed on the other end of the line, and Ruby heard her passing the message on and talking hurriedly with someone else. _"Okay look, we're going to head back to Beacon – it's under attack from the White Fang and a huge army of Grimm. You need to find Jaune and make sure he's okay, and then get him back to Beacon with you."_

Ruby nodded, even as she bit her lip. The White Fang were attacking Beacon? Wasn't it funny how Hentacle had always helped the White Fang in the past?

Funny, except that she wasn't laughing.

"O-Okay, I'll try my best…"

The call ended and Ruby paused, flicking open her scroll and using the team tracker to locate Jaune's. He was in Amity still, but much deeper than her – in the bowels of the colosseum itself. It was somewhere he had no right being and that made her heart ache.

"Please prove me wrong, Jaune," she whispered, charging for the nearest access door. "Don't make me fight you."

Either way, she had to know the truth.

/-/

Adam chuckled as he landed on the gardens outside the school of Beacon, the bullheads flying around above and behind as yet more White Fang landed, and even more carried containers deeper into Beacon, disgorging their deadly cargo.

He should thank Cinder for her strategy, and for being so efficient that it could continue even if she didn't want it to. Delay the attack, indeed. As if he would. An attack during the Vytal Festival that struck down Beacon – the whole world would know of this. The White Fang's name would be whispered in fear and awe. If the people of Remnant could not rely on huntsmen to protect them, then who could they turn to?

"Sir," one of his men said. "What are your orders?"

"Spread out and secure the main school building. Kill anyone you come across."

The faunus smiled savagely and hefted his cleaver, leading his brethren on with a whoop of pure joy. This day had been so long in the making that the excitement had reached a fever-pitch. Adam turned away with a dark laugh, looking toward Amity Colosseum so far away. Bullheads and other transports were hurrying there to protect the civilians, but while the huntsmen were away, the White Fang would play.

And Cinder, their once ally, now working with them. Well, he'd see how far that lasted once her latest plans were ruined. Would she side with Beacon still, or would she default onto their side, throwing her lot in with them now that he'd struck the first blow? Only time would tell.

"There's still time for you, Cinder. But it's running out. Make your decision wisely."

* * *

 **So, a few people rightfully pointed out last chapter how unrealistic it was to suggest `hundreds of Grimm` could be smuggled into Amity, and I tip my hat to you. Well done for noticing the hint. It was all a trap for Jaune and Cinder, with Adam trusting Cinder would keep her ace close to her sleeve in case anything went wrong, and also that she would respond full-force to what she saw as a threat to her plan. Lo and behold, he's not as dumb as he looks! Or acts, in the case of Canon.**

 **Anyway, this chapter is a teensy bit short than my usual ones, though only by about 600 words or so. It's not really any issue causing that, but rather the chapter reached a natural point for an ending, and any extra bits I wrote just felt like they were better saved for being** _ **in**_ **next chapter.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 3** **rd** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	65. Chapter 65

**Ugh, busy week is busy week. I'm really snowed under at work and with other things. Why can't I just win the lottery so I can retire and write fanfiction all day? That would be a nice dream. Alas, the 9-5 takes its toll.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 65**

* * *

"What's the plan?" Yang roared over the sounds of the Bullhead's engines. Their ride was currently making its way to Beacon, streaking across the treetops with the doors open, blasting wind inside. It was filled to capacity and more, normally fit for twelve and yet carrying sixteen or so of them. As such, it hung low, not that the pilots cared. The more brought to Beacon the better.

"Early reports show White Fang and Grimm," said pilot said, her voice augmented by the speakers that patched into her flight helmet. "They're not working together obviously, but the White Fang are avoiding the Grimm and directing them towards other students and staff. Their goal seems to be wanton destruction rather than any clear objective."

Beside Yang, Blake's hands clenched into fists. "Adam…"

"What was that?" Yang asked.

"It's… It's nothing."

 _Didn't sound like nothing,_ she thought, but refrained from pushing further. They had bigger problems to contend with than team secrets. Through the door, she watched Beacon approach, the tall spires she'd become used to. One was rocked by an explosion and a cloud of smoke billowed above. Tracer fire lanced up into the sky and the sound of gunfire and explosions could be heard even over the Bullhead.

Knowing Beacon was under attack was one thing; seeing it was another. The bile that rose up in her throat threatened to overwhelm her and her eyes flickered between lilac and red. They'd pay for this. She'd make sure of it.

"We need to secure the academy building itself," Weiss shouted. "The dorms and the training rings can wait, no matter how much that hurts. The man building, the tower and the supply rooms are the main objectives. If any of those fall, we'll be in trouble."

"And the injured Ren said. We'll need to keep an eye out for them and secure the infirmary as quickly as we can."

"Forget the infirmary," the pilot called. "Get any injured back to us and we'll ship them to Vale."

"Alright, injured first, then we secure the man buildings and _only_ after all of that do we go after the White Fang." Ren looked to Blake as he said it. "Are we all in agreement?"

"Sure thing," Nora said.

"Aye," Yang agreed.

Blake's silence held for a minute. Ren kept her gaze, however, until she finally allowed her eyes to drift shut. "I agree."

"Good. There will be time for justice later, but we need to make sure Beacon stays standing after this is all said and done." The normally quiet man sighed and ran a hand through his hair. This was stressing them all out, but soon they'd hit Beacon and such emotions could be taken out on the Grimm. It was at least a small blessing that Ruby was still on Amity looking for Jaune. They'd be safer there.

"We're coming in hot," the pilot yelled. "Get ready to disembark!"

The vehicle swooped down low past the trees that surrounded Beacon and onto the school's grounds itself. It was a mad melee of activity, with pockets of students fighting against Grimm and terrorists alike, while more ran in the background, joining fights or feasting on White Fang that had gotten too close.

Yang was the first to hit the ground, hurling herself out with an angry cry. Ren, Blake and Nora landed quickly behind her, followed by Weiss and Pyrrha – and then more students, both from Beacon and transfers from other schools. In the distance, yet more Bullheads roared towards their location.

"Alright, let's go!" Yang yelled, charging forward.

"We should follow them," Weiss said to Pyrrha, the two left behind. "Jaune and Ruby will be fine. Have a little faith in them."

"I do," Pyrrha said.

"Then what's the problem? What has you so distracted?"

Pyrrha tore her eyes away from the tower of Beacon. From Ozpin. From duty. From destiny. From the promise of a way to end this once and for all, and to protect Beacon and everyone in it that she held dear. Pyrrha drew a long breath and let it go.

"I need to find Ozpin."

/-/

A distraction; this was all a distraction. Cinder slammed her fist into a nearby container and screamed her displeasure. It buckled under the force of her maiden-empowered blow, flying back to crash into several others. That bastard, Adam, had played them. He'd played her. He'd laid this not as a means to victory over Amity, but rather to keep her and Hentacle busy while he launched his attack. He must have known Hentacle would sense the Grimm, and that she would be too cautious to ignore such a threat.

It was all to keep her busy.

That might have meant so little to Adam, not realising her intentions, but if he put Beacon under threat and she wasn't there to have the maiden transferred to her? Why, Ozpin might spirit Amber away once more – or she might be killed in the crossfire, robbing her of the power that was rightfully hers.

"Damn it!" she roared. "I'll kill that filthy beast when I get hold of him!"

"Beacon is under attack," Jaune said, reading a message on his scroll. "Why? I thought you said you'd called it off!"

"I did, but it seems not everyone agreed. We need to return to Beacon and halt the attack."

"That might be a problem," Jaune noted, looking towards the entrance they'd come through. It had been sealed off by a large set of blast doors; steel, several layers thick that had come down the moment the alarm was raised. Ostensibly, it was to prevent the dust from being caught up in whatever was going on, exploding in the bowels of Amity Colosseum and sending it – and tens of thousands of civilians on board – crashing down to Remnant. At the moment, it served the purpose of locking them away.

Cinder summoned the power of the maiden immediately, fighting as she often did with the overwhelming power. She gave it a direction, an intent, and held one hand out towards the bulkhead.

The steel warped and strained under her assault, scorching in places and melting in small areas. Despite that, it mostly remained in one piece, albeit badly damaged. Worse, there would be at least ten more of those to work through, not on this door but on every staircase they wanted to take back up to the surface.

Adam had well and truly thought of everything… or perhaps the fool was just lucky. Either way, an escape seemed all but impossible and the general access panels for the doors were on the other side. While there had been one on their side the blast doors had closed over it.

"What's going on?" Jaune asked. "If Adam has hijacked your plan then you know what's happening up there, right?"

"The White Fang were to cause a distraction on Amity, supported by myself via the CCT which we infected with a virus. This would cause chaos and panic, forcing the majority of the huntsman on defence to see to the protection and evacuation of the civilians. While this was happening, the real attack would begin on Beacon – led by Adam and his White Fang, spearheaded with captured Grimm that would be released among the populace."

"The virus on the CCT was to provide two distinct benefits," she continued. "One, it would prevent news of this from reaching other kingdoms, and thus prevent any support being provided, and two, it would cause disarray in the communications, hopefully giving the White Fang more time to attack Beacon while a distress call could not be made."

"But you haven't activated the CCT's virus," Jaune said.

"No, but it matters little. Even if the other kingdoms will know what is happening here, it won't solve our immediate problem. We're trapped here with no way of influencing the battle."

"What about Emerald and Mercury? Could they come here and let us out?"

"That would take too much time. They're better off aiding in the defence of Beacon where they can actually be useful. And speaking of useful, help me break through these blasted doors. You might as well transform now. The time for subtlety has passed."

Jaune nodded, quickly transforming beside her into his albino form. The Nevermore which had clung to him began to caw and flap their wings excitedly, but he ignored it with the patience of one used to such over-enthusiasm.

"I need to get back to Beacon before the maiden is moved," Cinder said.

"You'll still fight on our side, right?"

"Yes, of course. Adam knows my identity, so killing him is all but necessary at this point. I'll have the best chance of that working with Ozpin." For now, anyway. There was also the fact that Adam needed to die for this insult, and for betraying her. "Unless you have a solution to our current problem, however, I don't see that we'll be reaching Beacon any time soon."

She threw another blast of fire at the doors for emphasis, and though the metal ran hot and began to drip in some locations, it wasn't enough to destroy it. These doors had been created to withstand dust explosions and were several feet thick. In time, she could work her way through, but time was the issue.

"Help me destroy the door," she commanded.

"It's not going to work. Even if we break through that one, there are more."

Cinder dropped her hands and scowled. "Then do you have something else in mind?"

"Perhaps." Jaune strode away from the exit and Cinder followed, curious and a little hopeful as well. He led them to the container they'd found the Nevermore in, but rather than use that, he placed a hand on it and pushed it aside. With his Grimm-enhanced strength it slid across the room. He moved to a heavier one, instead. "Stand back. I need room for this."

She did so and watched as he pushed the container that must have weight a tonne or more. His muscles bulged, and his tentacles sprung forth, adding to the side of the container like hands of their own. It grated and screeched as it moved but move it did. He pushed it to the back wall, which was brick and stone rather than metal. He repeated it until there were fix or six against it, all next to one another and pressed against the wall. A thin sheen of sweat covered his skin.

When he turned to the next and wrapped his tentacles about it, he looked to her. "Ready?"

"I might be if you told me what it is I'm supposed to be doing."

"Fire," he replied – and in that instant she understood. Jaune shifted his body, using his tentacles to _lift and throw_ the final container. It sailed toward the others, sure to crash into them. As it did, Cinder reached deep inside herself and ignited the power she'd taken. A searing ball of flame struck the container, melting and burning through the side and into the interior. It happened in a flash, not a moment before it struck the others.

The explosion rocked the warehouse, devastating the back wall and expelling brick and stone outward, down into the forests below. The difference in wind pressure from their altitude caused an immediate imbalance and the air was sucked out of the room as the pressure sought to stabilise. Cinder's feet slid across the floor and she fought for purchase.

"I've got you," Jaune called, wrapping a tentacle around her stomach and another around a fixed metal pillar. The limb was firm and hard and he rolled it and her up, drawing her back against him with several coils.

"A little more warning would have been appreciated," Cinder snarled, shielding her eyes against his chest, if only to stop the whistling wind biting at them. Squawks and rustles of feathers echoed as the Nevermore were sucked out. "What's next? We're miles above the ground and not even you could survive a fall like this!"

"Do you trust me?" Jaune yelled over the roaring wind.

"Against my better judgment, yes."

"I trust you, too," he returned, looking deep into her eyes. "Please don't let any of my friends die. Look after them for me."

"What are you-?" Cinder cut off with a gasp as his tentacle unravelled suddenly. She wasn't prepared for it, nor for the little heave he gave at the end, tossing her into the air. The wind caught her immediately, hurtling her out into the open air with a scream.

She was overwhelmed by a murder of juvenile Nevermore a second later.

/-/

Jaune watched the murder congregate into a huge swathe of black wings, bundling Cinder up between them and hurrying her away in the direction of Beacon. His eyes shone red the whole time, imparting his orders onto the Grimm. It was the best he could do and only one of them could have made the journey. Despite wanting nothing more than to get back to Beacon and help, it was Cinder who could end this.

With a sigh, he turned around to face the doors to the warehouse, which he'd heard shift and open as he threw Cinder out.

There, stood in the entrance, was a familiar figure in red. Ruby watched him with wide silver eyes, which soon glinted – not with power, but with tears. "I… I can't believe it," she whispered. "I thought. But I thought you were on our side. Why? WHY!?"

He couldn't do anything in his Grimm form other than remain silent, but if he could slip by her and escape, he could-

"Why, Jaune!?" Ruby demanded, scythe flashing forward. "Why would you do this!?"

Jaune stilled. He considered not answering, feigning ignorance, confusion or anything else, but the look in her eyes made it clear she wouldn't be fooled. More than that, he was in the exact same clothing he had been less than an hour before. There would be no fooling her here, nor getting out of the situation. Not that he could have, anyway. It looked like she'd known for a while.

"You knew, then," he said simply, not even bothering to alter his voice.

"I knew, but I kept it a secret. I thought… I thought that maybe you were different. I thought we were friends."

"We _are_ friends, Ruby."

"How can you say that?" she cried. "How can you say that when Beacon is under attack? Look at what's happening – and you just helped Cinder escape. Is she in on this, too? She has to be. I saw the Nevermore, Jaune. I saw you work with the White Fang in the past!"

"I did," he admitted.

Ruby's frame shook. "You… You're a Grimm."

"Half-Grimm."

"Eh?"

"I'm half-Grimm," he explained, neither drawing a weapon nor making an aggressive step towards her. "I'm half-human, too, so it's not like I don't think the same way you do. I'm not mindless like the teachers tell you. I can think for myself, I can plan on my own decisions, I can _dream_ and I can imagine a better life. I get to make my own choices and I don't hate humanity." He revealed both his hands and held them up before him. "I'm not your enemy."

"Then… Then why did you work with Torchwick?"

"I had to protect my identity. He knew who I was from the first time we met – and that was an accident. I didn't mean to attack you. After that, I didn't really have a choice, but I did my best not to hurt any of you. I never harmed you."

"That… that's true," she allowed, and for a fraction of a second her muscles relaxed. It didn't last, however. "But you still worked with the White Fang, and you left the stands right before the attack happened. And Cinder, and the Nevermore… you can control the Grimm. Why is all of this happening if you're on our side?"

Jaune winced. "It's complicated."

Ruby cocked her rifle. "Uncomplicate it."

He wanted nothing more than to do so, but that would take time – more time than either of them had. There would be questions and a need for answers, not to mention the fact they still needed to make their way back up topside.

"There isn't time to explain, Ruby. I need you to trust me."

"Trust you? I _did_ trust you. I kept your secret, but… but I thought I was doing it because I knew you wouldn't hurt anyone."

"I don't _want_ to hurt anyone," he said, stepping forward. Ruby hopped back, keeping the distance between them, and as the two moved, he pushed her closer and closer to the exit. "I came to Beacon because I wanted to be a normal person, a normal human. Yes, there was a plan to attack Beacon, but I was never a part of it. I even convinced Cinder to hold off on it. This isn't us, Ruby. It's the White Fang."

"The White Fang you and Cinder helped…"

"Yes, I'll admit it – this is our fault." Cinder's more than this, but he was still complicit. "But we're trying to fix this. We're trying to make it better. We came down here to _stop_ the Nevermore, or what we thought were more Grimm. Cinder is on her way to Beacon to save it."

Ruby shook her head. There were tears in her eyes. "How am I supposed to believe that?"

How, indeed. Ruby was human, fully human, and while that had never mattered before, this was the first time she'd ever faced him in his Grimm form and known who it was. With all the evidence against him, trust would be difficult. No one could hear her scream down here and all it would take for me to keep his secret would be to kill her.

In a moment where Ruby's eyes closed to shake away the tears, he surged forward. His tentacle hit Crescent Rose on the haft, directly between her hands. It flew away as she gasped, and she shrieked when his limbs wrapped around her torso.

But she froze when her body was drawn against his chest, and when his hands slowly wrapped around her. The tentacles retreated, hovering out of the way.

"You're my teammate, Ruby. You're my friend. I know you might not be able to trust me, but I trust you implicitly. Your hands are free. You could kill me right now, or at least attack me and escape. I can't catch you with your speed." He rested his chin atop her head. "If you ran back, you could report me. I might be able to escape but I'll never have a chance to come back again, to be human again. You could do all of that and I wouldn't be able to stop you." Jaune paused to let out a long sigh, feeling every one of his seventeen years. "It's your call, Ruby. It's your decision to make."

The girl in his arms had gone sack, and although she didn't wrap her arms around him or return the hug, she didn't fight her way out of it, either. He chose to take that as a good sign. It wouldn't last, however. Blind faith could only take you so far.

"On the other hand, if you help me, I'll fight on the side of Beacon. I'll return there, and I can order the Grimm to leave, to depart back into the Emerald Forest. That would leave just Adam and the White Fang to deal with. They can't stand up against me, not with you at my back. We can go back and save everyone. Pyrrha, Weiss, even Yang. They need our help."

"Or you could summon more Grimm," she whispered against my chest.

"Or I could do that," he allowed. "I could be the worst calamity for Beacon right now, but… I'd just like you to ask yourself; how bad could I have been already, if I wanted to?"

Ruby didn't answer, lost in thought.

"I could have waited until everyone was asleep and summoned an army of Grimm into the school. I could have sabotaged all the rocket lockers, sending your weapons away. I could have poisoned the infirmary, the food, or just set off a bomb. There are so many ways I could have done this better if destroying Beacon was what I wanted."

And maybe listing those things wasn't the best way to go about it, but Ruby was nodding and that was a good sign. She didn't look up to meet his eyes and instead spoke into his chest. "Why come to Beacon, then?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

The silence said it wasn't.

"I came to Beacon because I wanted to be a huntsman." When she didn't respond, he squeezed her a little tighter. "Trust me, Ruby," he whispered into her hair.

"I… Jaune… I…" Ruby's body trembled. The decision was too big for her, he knew, but she was the only one who could make it. Her training, her upbringing, everything she had ever known and loved in life – the role of a huntress, her mother, her father – _all_ told her that the only choice was to kill the Grimm. They all told her Grimm could not be trusted.

And yet here he was, telling her otherwise and pleading with her to make the decision that might doom her friends and everyone she knew, if she chose wrong. It wasn't fair; he knew that. But he couldn't change what it was. He could only try to make things better.

"I beg you, Ruby. Let me help. Let me fix this."

Ruby's eyes closed.

She made her decision.

/-/

Blake ducked under an attack from a man in a White Fang mask, kicked back up and disarmed him with her heel, before wrapping the ribbon of Gambol Shroud around his neck and drawing him into the path of a Beowolf trying to kill her from behind. She didn't see his death, but she felt and heard it, both in the screams and the slackening of her weapon. It wasn't a kind fate. Then again, neither was bringing Grimm to attack innocent people. Her brothers and sisters of old had chosen to start this. All she could do was finish it.

The Grimm itself didn't have much time to savour its victory before Nora pulverised its skull with a swing of her mighty hammer. Her partner carved a path through the Grimm, cutting them a route directly to the courtyard outside the academy proper. The fountain was chipped on the edge where a Grimm had fallen and now spilled its water out onto the floor. There were other teams there, one of which Blake recognised as Team CFVY.

"Nice to see you could join us, first years," the leader of said team laughed.

"Well," Yang quipped, "we couldn't let you hog all the fun."

"Rude. Anyway, the situation is about what you can see. Vel, behind you." There was a cry as the rabbit faunus spun on her heel and slew an Ursa. "We've got some civilians who were visiting the academy inside. Yatsuhashi is protecting the entrance to that room and the Grimm can't get through to it if we hold the main entrance here."

"Do you have any injured?" Weiss asked.

"A few cuts and bruises on the civilians but nothing more. One or two of our lot took it hard, though. Some of these White Fang are really strong."

"Have you seen one with red hair and bull horns wielding a red sword?" Blake interrupted, drawing all attention to her. Ren and Yang shot her concerned looks, but Blake shook her head and quickly explained. "He's the leader here and the one in charge of the attack, I'm sure of it. If we take him out, the White Fang will lose what little order they have."

"You're sure?" Yang asked.

"Absolutely. Adam would be the strongest one here. There's no one who can lead the White Fang like he can."

"And if you cut the head of the snake…" Ren mused. "It's worth a shot, especially if we outnumber him. Coco, have you seen anyone like that?"

"I haven't, but one of the guys that's been hurt said it was done by a terrorist in the cafeteria. Apparently, he was the strongest person he'd ever faced. That was all I got before he passed out from blood loss."

The four members of Team RYBN shared a long look. It could have been anyone and strong didn't necessarily mean Adam, but then again this was Beacon. If a student here was getting beaten that handily by a terrorist? Well, that bared looking into. It had to be him.

"The cafeteria, you say? Why would anyone go there? There's no reason to attack it."

True, there was no real benefit to holding it as the cafeteria was outside the main academy building. Apart from its proximity to all parts of Beacon, it was a wasted effort on the White Fang's part. It didn't make any tactical sense.

And yet, maybe that was the point. Anyone who went out of their way to cause that kind of damage would attract attention. Adam might just have been making himself obvious so that someone would notice him.

So that _she_ would notice him.

Blake's stomach twisted. "It's him," she said. "It's definitely him."

Ren nodded. "This Adam. Can we take him?"

"I… I don't know. He's stronger than me, certainly." And yet, despite that, she would have gone charging in at any other moment. She wasn't sure why she wasn't now, but somehow, she felt calm, unnaturally so. Ren's eyes focused on her were somehow the cause. "If it were the four of us, we might be able to take him. No, I'm sure we could. But it would be a close fight."

"How close?"

"I don't know."

"I see." Ren looked away, and just like that the strange calm that had overwhelmed her vanished. Blake gasped and slumped, surprised at the sudden rush of anger she felt. She had to find Adam, had to stop him. Nora's hand on her shoulder prevented her.

"Nora, what are-?"

"Sh." Nora held a finger to her lips. "Let Ren think."

"This man is the leader of the White Fang," Ren said out loud. "He's strong enough to command them, and even to fight a huntsman-in-training on an equal level. If he is so influential within the White Fang, then it raises the question of why he has not been caught already. Because he is strong? Perhaps. It would be reckless of us to challenge him."

Blake's heart beat faster. "But we-"

"But we have little other option," Ren finished. "So long as he remains, there is a chance the White Fang will continue to rally. And, if he's the leader, he may have worse plans for Beacon in store. Dangerous or not, killing or capturing him is our best chance." He looked to Coco. "Can you hold things here?"

"Heh. Sure thing. Go tear this guy a new one for us."

The relief she felt was crushing, and yet strangely it was followed by its own fear. She knew she had to face him but wanted nothing of it. Still, this was her responsibility. "Thank you," she said to her team, grateful that she wouldn't be doing it alone.

"Tell us about him," Ren instructed.

"Adam is skilled with a single blade but also has a shotgun in his sheathe. His Semblance allows him to store power into an attack that he can shoot out. If he sheathes his blade or it starts to glow, put distance between you and him. He's vicious and won't hesitate to kill you if he gets the chance. This won't be a fight to first blood or low aura."

"He sounds tough," Yang said.

"He is."

"Any idea on how we'll fight him?"

"I have an idea," Ren said, smiling uncharacteristically. It wasn't a confident or happy smile, but rather a reckless one. The fact his eyes affixed on her didn't do much for Blake's own confidence, let alone her good mood. She had a feeling she wasn't going to like whatever plan he had.

"Y-Yeah?"

"We give him exactly what he wants."

Huh, she was right. She didn't like it.

/-/

Travel by Nevermore was not what many would have expected it to be. None of the juvenile Grimm were strong enough for Cinder to ride, and her clothing wouldn't have held if they tried to carry her using their claws, even hundreds of them. She'd have torn them and plummeted to her death, naked as well for the added humiliation. The Grimm knew that, however, and their orders were to get her to Beacon however they needed to.

That led to a rather uncomfortable transition. Cinder was bundled in among hundreds of Nevermore, practically suffocated by feathers as they used the weight of their own bodies to propel her along. It was like an army of ants joined together to raft a river, except that they formed a strange facsimile of a tunnel that she was thrown around inside of. A tunnel that consisted of sharp beaks, sharper claws and feathers that felt like they were tipped with steel.

"Jauuunnneee!" she screamed, partly in anger, partly in pain.

Really, this was what she got for throwing that stupid word around. Trust. Who had any use for it? About the only saving grace was that she was indeed en route to Beacon, which she'd glimpsed through a rare hole in the tidal wave of Nevermore.

It was the sound of gunfire which gave it away, however. Cinder supposed she should be grateful none of it was aimed at the Nevermore, which would have made for a nasty surprise, but it at least alerted her to her rude landing a few seconds before it happened.

The Nevermore had no real way of slowing her descent or themselves and simply parted around her, spilling her onto the soft grass, which wasn't quite so soft when you were moving at extreme speeds and didn't have any time to prepare. She hit it hard with her shoulder, rolled and cartwheeled aimlessly across the ground and crashed through a bush, before she came to a gentle halt at the base of a tree, slamming into it like a missile.

Mud, feathers, blood and leaves – along with myriad scrapes and cuts and her ruined clothing torn by claws. No one would look at her and doubt that she'd been busy, though most would assume she'd wrestled with a Beowolf. Cinder scowled, paused, cringed and then spat out four or five black feathers. They fluttered in the air before her tauntingly.

"Never again. The next time he asks if I trust him, I'll stab him in the throat."

But she'd reached Beacon and that was what mattered. Limping out of the bush and ignoring the aches and pains of her landing – and the hundred or so Nevermore now sat on the branches staring at her – Cinder assessed the situation. The school still stood but there were Grimm everywhere and students trying to deal with them. Of the adult huntsmen none could be seen, too busy with the colosseum. Several masked figures fought here and there and more lay dead on the floor. Of Adam, there was no sign.

 _No news is good news. The last thing I need is him recognising me here._ In an ideal world, she could leave his apprehension to the students, but there was a chance those idealistic fools would take him alive so that `justice` could be served. That would be bad if he decided to fold and incriminate her, so killing him was a priority.

That said, becoming the Fall Maiden was a bigger priority, and there was always the chance she could go and kill him after that. She could use the excuse of being new to her powers to mask the killing as an accident. No one would really care. Still, that meant she had to find Ozpin and quickly. Surely this would count as incentive enough for him to accept her decision and speed along the transfer process.

The main building of the academy stood still, surrounded by students who fought against the Grimm and White Fang both. They were holding their own and even driving them back in places. _Then again, such was my intent,_ she thought, watching it all. In truth, there had been no way to secure the White Fang an actual victory, but in the same way Amity was to be a distraction for them, they were to be one for her. She hadn't given thought to helping them be victorious, only in how to convince them they could be.

"Cinder!" It wasn't Mercury or Emerald who called her name, but rather the white-haired Schnee. It took a moment for her to recall she was on their side, but when she did she nodded and hurried over, sliding one of her blades into the neck of a Beowolf as she passed by.

"You're all alive," she noted. "Where is my team?"

"They went to take some injured back to the Bullheads and guard them. I think they wanted to wait for you to arrive."

A fair assumption and a simple enough plan on their part, since they didn't realise she would be taking an alternate route to Beacon. Neither had she, to be fair. "Fine. Do you know where Ozpin is? I need to see him. He has something of mine that can turn the tide of this battle."

"He does? Well, we could certainly do with that. He's in the main building – on his way to his office, I think. Pyrrha's with him."

"Nikos?" Cinder's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"I don't know. She said something about a responsibility – about becoming something and an offer she could no longer refuse. I think – huh, Cinder?"

There was no response from her, nor would there be. Cinder dashed across the space between Weiss and the main doors, cutting aside any Grimm or faunus who dared stand in her path. Nikos, the Invincible Girl, one of the strongest of their year and the one she'd been pitted against in the first rounds. Jaune and his warnings, his mysterious mentions of a second candidate and that he'd convinced them otherwise. It all made sense. It all made terrifying, aggravating, murderous sense.

Cinder's eyes flared to life as she hurtled into the building and toward the central elevator. The power was hers and hers alone. No one would take it. Not Amber, not Ozpin, and certainly not Pyrrha Nikos.

She would make sure of it.

* * *

 **Uh-oh. Wow, this week has been another hectic one for me. Each June is when my work has the big show we have to go to, where I have to do speeches all day, work 6-10pm and also** _ **sleep there**_ **to look after the equipment. We're in the prep phase for that at the moment, which means I have to do the work I need done** _ **now**_ **, and also the work I won't be able to do then.**

 **It doesn't leave me with much free time for writing, sadly. It also means – though I'm not certain yet – that come June, I may need to have a week of no updates to do this sodding event. I just don't know yet, but I will sooner. I'm going to try and write all my fics in advance, so I may not miss any, but it may be that I get** _ **some**_ **done, but some not, and as such one or two fics may have no update that week.**

 **We'll see, and it's not until the third week of June, so it's a while away. I just wanted to give some warning.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 10** **th** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	66. Chapter 66

**Looks like it's Thursday**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 66**

* * *

"I… I don't have a choice."

Ruby's eyes squinted shut as she said it, stifling her pain and anger against his chest. It would have been so much easier if he'd attacked her or threatened her, but Jaune had hugged her instead, complicating what was already a situation far too difficult to understand.

But in the end, when it came to trust, she just had no idea. How could she just decide here and now whether she trusted him with the lives of everyone in Beacon? That wasn't fair. With her life, sure, but not everyone else's. She didn't have the right to make that decision.

"Ruby…"

"I can't trust you just like that, but I don't have a choice," she repeated. "If I don't, I won't be able to save them. So… So I'll give you a chance," she said. Her eyes met his, and again they burned with pain – this time the searing silver eyes she'd more than noticed before. They affected him, too, for he winced. Even so, they kept staring into one another's eyes, the both of them ignoring the pain. "Prove that I can trust you," she whispered. "Prove that I'm not wrong, please."

It wasn't what either of them wanted, but Jaune nodded and released her. "I will. I'll prove it." He turned away, toward the hole in the wall. "I'll prove it by saving Beacon, but we need to get there first." He glanced back to her. "Do you have your scythe?"

Crescent Rose deployed. She wouldn't have confronted him without it, no matter how bad that sounded. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Cut me."

Ruby blinked. "What?"

"Cut me, my arm. Make me bleed."

It only took her a second to realise what he meant – and to be fair it had been a long time since she'd fought him in his Grimm form. He normally used his tentacles, but once or twice he'd shown that he could summon Grimm with his blood. She hesitated at that, wondering if she was signing her own death here and now, before she dismissed it.

She'd already said she was willing to risk her life here. Whether he summoned Grimm or not he could kill her. She reached out with her scythe and laid the blade against his forearm. She looked to him, waiting for his permission.

He nodded. "Go on. I've lowered my aura."

Ruby pulled the haft back, slicing a deep wound into his pure white flesh. His blood bubbled. It was red, just like hers. Somehow she'd expected black, though she remembered that when Pyrrha cut the tentacles, those had bled purple.

Jaune waved his hand before him and cast a large amount of blood onto the ground, whispering something under his breath and holding a hand out. The viscous fluid grew and coalesced, quickly becoming larger than the puddle actually was and continuing to stretch. Ruby backed up a little, holding her weapon before her nervously.

Jaune noticed. "It's fine. It won't hurt you, I promise. _I_ won't hurt you," he added. "Trus-" He cut off, realising he couldn't ask that of her. "I've not hurt you before," he said instead. "I'm not about to start now."

The Grimm that formed spread its wings wide, revealing a Nevermore some six metres from wing to wing – far smaller than the one they'd seen briefly in initiation, but still sizeable in its own right. Its beady eyes locked onto her and glowed, but a sharp cough from Jaune drew it away. The Nevermore regarded him, cocked its head to the side, and then – to her surprise – bowed its head low.

"I'm the Prince of the Grimm," Jaune explained, "So they follow my orders."

"The Prince…?"

"You didn't know?" he looked back, surprised.

"I knew you could order them, but I thought that was because they came from you." Like they were a part of him or something, or just specific to him. "I didn't realise… a prince, really? Does that mean you're the future ruler of the Grimm?"

"Me and my sisters," he admitted. "And only if mom died, but she's immortal, so… yeah, it doesn't mean much."

Ruby shook her head. "But couldn't you stop the Grimm ever attacking humans again? You could end all of this!"

"I… I want to…" Jaune stood still, eyes closed. "Why do you think I'm here, Ruby? Why do you think I came to Beacon and learned to be like a normal person? I _want_ to end all of the fighting, but it's not that simple. Can you stop your side killing ours?"

"We only fight in self-defence!"

"That's nonsense and you know it," he said calmly.

Ruby winced.

"Humans go out of their way to kill Grimm just as much as Grimm do in return. I'll admit we're not perfect and my mom isn't either, but you can't lay the blame entirely on us. It's humans who feel threatened because they're not at the top of the food chain. It's humans who try and claim land for nothing more than its resources, killing any animal or Grimm that gets in the way. You don't see the Grimm causing deforestation or pushing animals into extinction."

"No, but that doesn't mean we're responsible for everything," she argued. "Grimm hunt by negativity and that can't be an accident. They're literally hunting us down and killing us, and not even for food!"

"I…" Jaune sighed. "You're not wrong. It's more complicated than that, but now isn't the time for it. Later," he said. "I promise. For now, we need to get back to Beacon and help everyone." He stepped by the Nevermore's beak and climbed onto its back, holding his hand out. "Come on. He'll carry us to Beacon."

"He will? You're sure?"

"Trust me."

Ugh, she really hated that phrase right about now. Ruby looked back to the exit with a longing expression, remembered that all the fighting was at Beacon, and stepped toward the deadly Grimm with a heavy sigh. Its razor-sharp beak clicked in obvious aggravation when she came near. "I'm not pleased about this either," she grumbled to it. She accepted Jaune's hand and was swung up onto the bird's back, positioned in front of Jaune with one of his hands about her waist. She wasn't sure she liked having her back to him.

"Hold on tight. This might be a bit of a rough ride."

"What do you me-aaaaahhhhh!" Ruby screamed and clamped down hard on Jaune's legs as the Nevermore took off. Taking off was a rough term, however. She'd expected it to flap its wings and sore gracefully out, but the thing just _tossed_ itself out the hole, her on its back. Ruby continued to scream as they fell through the air. If it weren't for the arm around her waist, she'd have fallen.

And then, with a mighty flap of its wings, the Nevermore caught a current – and suddenly the direction was reversed, with them ascending so quickly that Ruby's body pushed down, all the momentum reversing and leaving her feeling horribly airsick.

"Yeah," Jaune said glumly. "I had that reaction, too. You should try flying all the way from the Grimmlands to Vale. To Beacon!" he called, pointing. The Nevermore screeched angrily and banked to the side, turning entirely vertical for a moment and then flipping to the other side.

It was too much for the poor girl.

/-/

She'd never wanted this.

Pyrrha reflected on that fact as she was bundled into the machine by Ozpin, the glass closing in front of her as he hurried to a bunch of controls and began to work on them. Her eyes fell to the side, to the original Fall Maiden – or the previous, at least – locked in her tube, comatose. She was like that because of the power within her, the self-same power she, too, was now about to inherit.

She really hadn't wanted this.

Beacon was supposed to be her chance to be anything _but_ special. It was to be her chance for normality, for making friends, for discovering her true self, for leaving behind the glamour and the expectations of Mistral.

And it had been. It had been all of that and more, giving her not just a team she deeply cared for, but friends she cherished and someone she even liked – not that Jaune ever realised. Not that she would step between him and Yang. Either way, Beacon had taken her expectations and surpassed them.

" _You're trying to help and always trying to do what other people want from you."_

Pyrrha smiled. Jaune had said that, and in a way he'd been right. That was how she'd been, back when she felt she had to _earn_ friendship, back before Jaune, Ruby and Weiss taught her otherwise. You couldn't buy something like that, neither with lien nor favours.

" _Instead of forcing yourself to do what you think is right, how about letting yourself do what you actually want."_

She didn't want this, the power of the maiden, but she _did_ want to protect everything she'd come to love, and not for them, not for selfless or altruistic reasons. She wanted the power to protect them so that she could keep them. That was the only reason she was here. It was the only reason she'd offered herself to Ozpin. She wasn't doing this for them, for Ozpin, or for anyone. She was doing it for herself and because she wanted the power.

"Are you ready, Miss Nikos?"

Her eyes hardened. "I am."

"This may be uncomfortable, but-"

"With all due respect, sir, there isn't time. Just start it."

Ozpin regarded her with something akin to respect, before he nodded and pulled a lever. The machine whirred to life and hummed ominously, but there was no pai- Pyrrha screamed. Ah, _there_ was the pain.

It was like needles under her skin, digging deep inside her very body, and through gritted teeth and clenched eyes she realised it was digging into her aura instead, her very soul. Something wet ran from her mouth and she gasped, expelling a little blood where she'd bitten her tongue. Light flashed before her eyes, bright and colourful, like explosions of lightning and the birth of a star.

And then she felt it. Slowly, at first, but soon with increased speed, _something_ seemed to seep into her, and that really was the only way she could think to describe it. It was invasive and yet not, foreign and yet familiar, cold and yet burning like lava. The constant contradictions hurt her brain until she realised with incredible finality that the answer was much simpler.

It wasn't her, but it was becoming a part of her. It was Pyrrha and yet not Pyrrha, but soon – with a little luck – it would become her. _No, it will become a part of me,_ she hissed. _I won't change who I am or what I'm like. I'm me. I'm Pyrrha Nikos, proud member of Team WJRP. Nothing will change that. Not the White Fang, not Ozpin, and certainly not you, Amber._

A moment later, the pressure seemed to give, pulling out of her before it _slammed_ back into her body with the force of a catapult. It sent her back crashing into the pod and the breath rushing from her lungs, but the second it did, it ended. The light faded. Her nerve endings stopped screaming. Pyrrha Nikos fell back against the pod with sweat covering her body and panted harshly.

"Am I…?" She looked down at one hand, opening and closing it. "I'm Pyrrha," she said, testing the word. It didn't feel unfamiliar, or strange. She breathed a sigh of relief. As a test, she thought of something only she would know, like her crush on Jaune or the fact that she'd totally noticed Ruby reading those naughty comics but hadn't called her out.

That particular memory brought a rueful chuckle.

"I'm still me."

A hand slammed on the glass. Ozpin looked worried, very worried. "Miss Nikos," he called, voice muted by the thick pane. "Miss Nikos, can you hear me!?"

"I can hear you," she returned.

"Thank goodness. Are you okay? Are you still…"

"I'm still me. I… I think it worked."

He breathed his own sigh of relief. "That is good to hear, Miss Nikos. I feared the worst for a moment." He tapped the release on the canister, which started to hiss as it opened. "You should have the power of the maiden now, but it may still be difficult to use. You shouldn't-" Ozpin broke off with a gasp.

Pyrrha's eyes fixed on the black arrow that had sprouted through his left shoulder, splattering her with blood. She looked beyond, shocked, to the figure in black that stood at the end of the underground facility, eyes glowing gold.

Cinder Fall's breasts rose and fell with ragged breaths. It was obvious she'd sprinted all the way here, and even more obvious that it was she who had attacked the headmaster. Even so, her eyes were fixed on Pyrrha's.

"You have – hah – something – hah – that belongs to me…"

/-/

Blake swallowed as she stepped into the cafeteria alone, glass crunching underfoot. The normally loud and chaotic dining hall had been reduced to a macabre shell of its former glory, with upturned tables riddled with bullet holes and unconscious bodies – or at least she desperately hoped they were unconscious – littered here and there. She gripped Gambol Shroud tighter, seeking comfort in the reminder she was armed and dangerous. Not that it would mean much against the person she could see stood before her.

"So, you came. I knew you would, Blake. You couldn't resist the urge."

"Adam…"

"Is that all you have to say to me, my dear?" He turned to regard her more fully. His red hair and black outfit the same as what he'd worn in the past. Nothing about him looked to have changed at all. He flicked his sword to the side and not even she could convince herself it was cherry soda that dripped from the tip. "It's been so long since you betrayed me and yet all you can do is whisper my name and stare at me?"

She struggled to find the words.

"But then, what should I have expected?" He took a slow step towards her. "You always were soft. And I, like a sentimental fool, tried to accommodate that, when I should have stamped it out long before. I saw your kindness as a boon, a blessing, something we should fight to protect. Instead, it turned out to be the seeds of cowardice."

"N-No." She shook her head and staggered back a little.

"Yes, Blake. Cowardice. You stood with me when we made the White Fang into what it is today, into something _better_ than what your parents ever achieved. You weren't dragged along or misled; you knew exactly what it was we wanted and you _embraced_ it. Don't tell me you didn't. You and I celebrated it together."

They had, and looking back she'd been such a fool – but that was no excuse and she wouldn't dare consider it one. Blake shook her head and brought Gambol Shroud up. "I made a mistake back then," she admitted. "I accept that now. I'm trying to fix it."

"No, Blake. You're trying to forget it ever happened. You're running away." He reached out to touch her cheek. She had no idea how or when he'd crossed the distance between them, but he was suddenly in front of her. She flinched, expecting a harsh slap, but his hand caressed her cheek instead. "But I'm here to change that now. I'm here to make everything right."

"A-Adam…"

"And I'll start by showing you just why you can't keep running away from your problems. I'll start by destroying this fake life you've created and drawing back the veil you've so willingly allowed to be placed over your eyes."

Blake gasped. "No!"

"Yes," he hissed.

"The girl said no." Yang stated firmly, crashing down on him from above. Adam barely had the time to widen his eyes before her fist struck him and launched him back. He crashed into and through a wooden table, spilling food and drink everywhere. "Not sure how it works in the White Fang, but here at Beacon no means no," Yang said, cracking her knuckles. "Unless it's Nora doing the asking," she added.

Adam growled as he stood up. "How dare-"

"Yeah, unless it's me," Nora chirped, appearing behind him. Adam again had no time to react before a hammer struck him. In truth, he had reacted – and his instinct was to flood his legs with aura, which was the only reason the blow didn't achieve what Nora so commonly boasted of. Even so, while the impact didn't shatter both his legs, it did send him hurtling up into the air, up over the tables and to the other end of the cafeteria.

Mid-flight, Adam rolled his body into a ball and prepared for a better landing, only to curse as a withering hail of bullets struck him. Many he deflected with his sword but it was impossible to block all. Holes were torn in his outfit as Ren's barrage hit, taking advantage of the fact Adam couldn't dodge while airborne.

When he eventually crashed down, he ducked behind cover, kicking up a table to block any further shorts – or at least to make aiming harder, since Ren's bullets slammed into and through the wood with ease.

"You cut that a little close, didn't you?" Blake hissed.

Yang rolled her eyes. "You're the one who let him walk right up and cup your cheek."

"I-I was caught off-guard."

"Some guard if he could do that right in front of your eyes." Yang shook her head. "Whatever, we got the ambush off at least."

They had, and now Adam was trapped between the three parties with every exit cut off and his only method of retreat to break through one of them. Blake knew he could, likely with ease, but Ren banked on the fact he wouldn't. To run with his tail tucked between his legs would be bad for the White Fang's image, but more than that Ren had planned on Adam refusing to run. At least until he had what he'd come for. Her.

Blake really wasn't sure what she was supposed to think about her team's willingness to use her as bait for her psychopathic terrorist ex-boyfriend.

"Adam Taurus, surrender," Ren called.

"Hmph. Do you really think I would?"

"No," Ren admitted, "But I considered it polite to make the offer."

"Honestly, it would have been really awkward if you had," Nora said. "We don't actually have any handcuffs, cells or any way of restraining you."

Ren sighed. "Thank you, Nora…"

"Just saying…"

"Enough," Adam roared. "If this is your team, Blake, then I shall cut them down one by one. I'll show you what happens to those who aid traitors!"

"You're outnumbered four to one, Adam. Give it up."

"Am I? I think you'll find the numbers aren't quite as skewed as you believe."

It was the only warning they received but it was enough for Blake to gasp and push Yang aside, right as a metallic whip slammed down on the spot her teammate had occupied a moment before. Yang recovered quickly and rolled away, turning to face the new combatant. It was a woman this time, bare-legged and wearing a horned mask that might have resembled a demon, or perhaps, if one looked closely, a chameleon.

Blake groaned. "Not you, too, Ilia…"

"You shouldn't have left us, Blake. Please… just come back to us."

Yang scoffed. "Old friend of yours?"

"It's complicated," Blake hissed back.

"You used to see things the way I did, Blake. The way Adam did. Now look at you – you're standing alongside humans like some kind of coward!"

"Back down, Ilia," Blake ordered, eyes hard. "You don't want to do this."

"I… I don't _want_ to hurt you, Blake." Ilia removed her mask, revealing a face she hadn't seen for some time. There were tears in her eyes, but also determination. "I never wanted to hurt you. I… I…" She trailed off.

Yang looked between Blake and Ilia, and quickly realised what was going on. "Seriously?"

Blake flushed.

"We're about to have a fight to the death with your psycho ex-boyfriend and now also your psycho ex-girlfriend?"

"I said it was complicated."

"Sheesh, why do you even read that smut of yours if your life is like this?"

"Enough chatter," Adam said, swinging his sword before him. "Ilia, kill them, but leave Blake alive. Perhaps there is still hope for her." Adam rushed forward to engage her, knowing Ilia couldn't do the same and fight seriously. She charged Yang instead, pushing her support aside.

Blake gasped as his sword crashed into hers, driving her back through sheer force alone. He twisted hers aside and drove his pommel into her gut, almost cutting her a head shorter in the first pass. She was kept on the back foot as he swung again, and quickly cried out for her team for help.

"Nora, help Blake!" Ren called. "I'll help Yang."

"Aye-aye, team leader."

"You've gotten weaker, Blake, relying on fools like this. Look at you, you're even wearing a bell like some kind of domesticated housecat."

"Isn't that what you're doing with Ilia?" she gritted out. "And the bell is complicated."

"I'm simply evening the odds, calling in some favours since my trusted associate decided to go back on our agreement. Or perhaps she hasn't," he added, causing Blake to narrow her eyes. "Only time will tell."

She was about to ask what he meant before Nora crashed down, forcing him back as her hammer dug into the tiled floor and caused it to erupt. Blake shot her partner a grateful nod, the two standing side by side.

"You ready for this, partner?" Nora asked.

Blake nodded. The two charged in.

/-/

"There, there," Jaune said, patting her back as he helped her off the Nevermore. Ruby didn't have the presence of mind to feel suspicious or wonder if it was safe to be so vulnerable around him. She was too busy groaning. "At least you threw up over the forest. I'm sure no one was hit with the spray."

"S-Shut up," she cried. "N-Never again. Never."

"It wasn't _that_ bad, was it?"

"NEVER!"

She struggled out of his grip and wiped her mouth clean. No one had ever seen her air sick before, but this wasn't the same. That horrible Nevermore was _nothing_ like a Bullhead. It was evil incarnate. Placing Crescent Rose down to lean on, Ruby took in several deep breaths and looked ahead, past the trees in the clearing they'd landed in toward Beacon. She could hear combat.

"It would raise a few eyebrows to land right in Beacon," Jaune said. "We'll have to go the rest of the way on foot."

Ruby eyed him. "I think you'll raise a few eyebrows already like that."

Jaune nodded and quickly transformed back into his normal form, the colour in his skin returning along with the gold in his hair. Seeing it in front of her eyes made the comparison between Jaune and Hentacle easy, but that was only because she now knew it. It was actually very hard to see they were one and the same without that.

It made her shiver a little, the idea that Grimm could be walking among them and they'd never know. His physical disguise was so perfect that she couldn't help but wonder if it went further, if his words were just pretty lies designed to mislead, and if even now she wasn't falling for them. She also realised he was watching her, and that his expression was forlorn.

But was it? Was it really, or was that just an act?

Either way, it left her feeling uncomfortably ashamed and she broke eye contact. "What now?" she asked. "What are we supposed to do, just go fight?"

"The White Fang are the real threat," Jaune said. "Most of the people here should be able to deal with the terrorists, so I was thinking we could go deal with the Grimm. I can order them to leave, but I have to be close enough to actually talk to them."

"You can't order them with your mind?"

"I can, sort of, but it's still communication. I can't just send out a blanket message all over Beacon. I have. It's hard to explain. Just watch, I'll show you." Jaune jogged away and Ruby followed, activating her Semblance to keep up with him. They weren't far from Beacon at all – only fifty metres or so from the treeline. Everyone was too distracted to notice a single Nevermore. When they cleared the trees they found themselves somewhere by the southern end of the academy. There were Grimm everywhere.

Ruby readied her weapon but Jaune placed a hand over hers, pushing Crescent Rose down, even as several Beowolves noticed and loped over in their direction. They didn't charge in like they wanted to fight, and it was more of a quick run – like Zwei might toward something that had caught his interest.

 _If Jaune wanted to hurt me, this would be the perfect time,_ she realised. Whether he'd planned it or not, he had her completely surrounded by Grimm – not so much that she couldn't deal with them, but if she had to fight them _and_ him, then she'd almost certainly lose. The panic only got worse when the Beowolves noticed her and began to snarl.

Jaune raised one hand. The Beowolves – every single one of them – froze. It was honestly impressive, and a little frightening.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

The Beowolf in the lead rumbled lowly in its throat. It didn't speak, nor make a wolf-like attempt with snarls, barks and howls. It just rumbled for a while and then went still. Jaune nodded, however, as though he'd received a message.

"Return to the Emerald Forest," he called in a loud and clear voice. His voice, and yet somehow more commanding. "Do not attack anyone unless it is in self-defence. If anyone wearing a white mask bars your path, you may kill them." He snapped his hand to the right, towards the treeline. "Go."

The response was immediate. The Beowolves howled and yipped, and to Ruby's ears it was an almost canine sound, far removed from the angry roars and bellows she was used to. They rushed by her, some so close she could have touched them, and quickly vanished into the trees. In less than a minute's time, the two of them were alone.

For the first time, Ruby dared to hope. "You can do that to all Grimm?"

"So long as one of my family doesn't counter my orders, sure. The ones that tried to abduct me in Forever Fall were directly ordered by my mom, so they wouldn't put me down when I asked." He rubbed his head awkwardly. "But none of these Grimm are here because they want to be."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I asked them how they got here."

Ruby was curious despite herself. "What did they say?"

"They said they were trapped in dark metal boxes with no sunlight and no fresh air," Jaune said. There was a hint of raw anger to his tone. "They said people would shout at them and poke them with sharp metal sticks to make them angry, and that they were carried somewhere, shocked with electricity, and then released here."

"The White Fang…"

"To us, yes. To them, it was just humans."

Ruby shuffled awkwardly, understanding the message. There was no distinction between factions to the Grimm, so all they knew was that they'd been effectively tortured into a rage and set loose. Little wonder they were causing so much havoc.

She felt sorry for them.

Not sorry enough not to kill them if they tried to hurt anyone, but sympathetic in the way one might for a wild animal that had to be put down. They were monsters, sure, but there was no denying it was the White Fang who started this. It was funny how she'd never felt sorry for Grimm before, though. _Then again, we were always taught they were nothing more than mindless monsters that hated humans._

Ruby wasn't sure if those lessons were wrong per se, but there was a niggling part of her that now wondered if that wasn't entirely incorrect, either. It was people seeing the faunus as less than human that brought the White Fang down on them.

An explosion rocked the school ahead, somewhere from the main building. Smoke began to pour from the main tower, spiralling up into the sky. "We need to help the others," Ruby barked. She made to move ahead but froze, not quite willing to let Jaune out of her sight just yet.

Luckily, he nodded. "We should head for the biggest group of Grimm we can find. I'll dismiss them and you deal with the White Fang. Okay?"

Ruby nodded. It was time to kick butt.

/-/

Yang buckled under the faunus' assault and fell back. If it wasn't for Ren noticing and stepping in, she might have lost some strands of hair. As it was, she staggered back, caught herself on a table and dashed back in. They couldn't afford to let up the pressure.

"You're a real pain in the ass, aren't you?" Yang quipped, ducking under the girl's whip and throwing a punch towards her face. The faunus brought her forearms up in time to block it and skidded back. "You realise Blake doesn't want to go back, right? She doesn't want anything to do with you anymore."

"Shut up, human!" She spat the word like an insult. "You must have changed her mind. Blake always saw things out way, up until _this_ happened. She _wanted_ this, and then she gets to suddenly decide she doesn't and leave us all behind? That's not fair!"

"People change their minds all the time," Yang argued. "It's called having free will. You should respect Blake's."

"Then what about mine? Does mine not matter?" Ilia managed to slip a kick past Yang's guard, which caught her in the thigh. She staggered back and twisted, dodging the steel whip by less than an inch. Yang snapped a hand out and caught it before it could come back and two entered a quick tug-of-war.

On the other end of the cafeteria, Blake cried out in pain. Yang's eyes snapped over, scowling as she realised Adam was more than handling her and Nora.

Ren's plan had started out so well, but worked on the idea that it would be four on one, or at least four on one and a bunch of White Fang grunts they could quickly take out. The new addition was anything but weak, however, and was holding them off.

Not winning, but delaying them.

Adam was the real threat.

"Ren, go help them."

Ren hesitated, a few paces behind and catching his breath. "You sure?"

"Not really, but they can't beat the broody bastard on their own. I can at least go even with this one." Probably. It would be a tough fight, but it would be closer than Nora and Blake trying to take on Adam alone. Ren nodded.

"Alright. Good luck."

When he was gone, Ilia spoke again. "Adam won't fall to them, you know. He's far stronger than you can imagine."

"Not strong enough to respect Blake's wishes. If he was really strong, he'd be able to get over himself."

Ilia growled. "They were lovers. Blake loved him and he loved her. They-" Her face twisted with what Yang accurately identified as jealousy and bitter sadness. "They did everything together. And then Blake left, without so much as a word. That's not fair."

Yang let go of the whip as electricity raced down it. She ducked as it swiped left to right, whistling overhead. "People change their minds," she said, rushing forward and under, catching the faunus in the stomach and forcing her to de-activate her weapon.

"It's not always that simple." Ilia slammed a hand down onto Yang's shoulder, jarring her muscles. She broke free and kicked away. "This isn't just any girl leaving a guy. You can't just start a terrorist movement and leave. Blake was a part of that. She supported us. She can't just back out now, call us evil, and pretend it never happened. It doesn't work like that!"

"Maybe it doesn't," Yang admitted. "But the only way this is going to end is with bloodshed. You sure you can handle that?"

"If it's yours, sure."

"And what if it's not?" Yang asked, wincing as she blocked another kick. She caught the faunus' leg, started to swing her around, but was forced to let go and dodge when the whip cracked down. Ilia landed in a stumble nearby and Yang closed the distance, their hands locking together, faces close. "What if it's not just us that get hurt," she repeated in a hiss. "You think Blake is going to sit by and let Adam kill us? She's going to fight, you know that. What if _she_ gets killed?"

"She won't. Adam promised me she wouldn't be."

Yang cocked an eyebrow. "And you trust him?"

"More than I trust you humans!"

"More than you trust Blake?"

Ilia froze.

"Look, I can tell you like her, and I can tell you're not stupid. You attacked me and Ren because you can't bring yourself to fight her." The faunus' lack of an answer was confirmation enough. "Well look now, she's fighting for her life against Adam. You know damn well she isn't going to go back to him, and especially not if he hurts one of us. What do you think he'll do when that happens? You think he'll be happy to hear that?"

"S-She'll change her mind."

"I think we both know Blake enough to say she's stubborn as mud," Yang laughed. "She won't change her mind over something like this. No chance."

That seemed to anger Ilia, whose skin turned a vibrant red as she attacked, lashing out with reckless blows that pushed Yang back. She got her own hits in return, however, taking advantage of the openings Ilia left open in her fury. One drove the wind from the faunus as Yang's fist impacted her stomach, curling up and into her diaphragm.

As she buckled, Yang leaned close to whisper in her ear, "If you love her as much as you seem to, you should want what's best for Blake. Not what _you_ want for yourself."

"W-What would you know?" Ilia spat, fighting for breath.

"Before a few months ago, not much. But I have a boyfriend now and that's taught me a few things. I learned that sometimes you need to compromise and that not everything is easy. I also learned that there will be other people who like your boyfriend, or girlfriend if you want, and that you can't hold that against them." Yang sighed, thinking of Ruby. "Thing is, I'd have been happy if he went with them, even if that meant I had to be on my own. That's the difference between me and Adam – he's not willing to accept that Blake can make her own decisions. Don't make the same mistake."

Ilia panted. "You…"

"I'm saying this to help you," Yang quipped. "Think of it as free relationship advice. It's not too late to cut ties with them. Blake's still single."

Ilia's face flushed with colour.

"I won't betray the White Fang."

"Then don't, but accept that Blake doesn't share your point of view. You can either let that go or you can confront her, but do it in person – and without a weapon." Yang nodded to the whip, and then to the ruined cafeteria. "And don't drag innocents into it."

Ilia frowned, but did lower her weapon. "Is this a fight or relationship counselling?"

"Eh, why can't it be both?"

"I know what you're doing. You're trying to distract me so our fight doesn't go anywhere – to give your team more time to fight Adam."

Yang didn't deny it. It was pretty much dead on. While she was confident she could beat the girl, there was still a chance she might not be able to, and that would lead to the others having to fight three on two against Adam, which would certainly end badly. The risk was too great. Even if she beat Ilia, it might leave her too injured to fight Adam and that would make her a liability.

Tactical fighting wasn't normally her thing, but with her team's survival on the line? Yeah, she'd sacrifice her ego for it. She wasn't normally so chatty either, but the whole point was to distract the other girl. "You're not exactly trying your hardest either," Yang pointed out. "That whip has some decent range on it. You could have hit Blake a few times while we fought."

"My fight isn't with her."

"It doesn't sound like it's with me, either. Who _is_ your fight with?"

"Make no mistake, I hate you humans. I hate the way you treat us, the way you act, the way you pretend the suffering of the faunus isn't any of your-"

"Yeah, I'm going to have to cut you off there. You don't know shit about _any of us_ ," she said. "So yeah, while I'm sure there _are_ plenty of people who are like that, it's pretty hypocritical of you to go around spouting that it's our fault. I hate the way you're treating us right now, invading Beacon and attacking innocent people just because someone else gave you a hard time. Doesn't that make you just as bad as the people you're saying are in the wrong?"

"You don't understand."

"Damn right I don't."

"My parents were killed!"

"Hey, mine too," Yang interrupted again. "Or my mom, anyway. Ren and Nora are orphans, too. You think you've got the monopoly on that?"

"I'm not here to have my beliefs questioned!"

"No, you're here to kill innocent people and hurt Blake."

"She hurt us!"

"And now you're going to hurt her, and much worse," Yang said. "Go you. So mature. Tch, I really thought we might be able to talk this out, but you're starting to get on my nerves now. I don't really care if we don't see eye to eye, but it pisses me off when someone is being an idiot on purpose, not to mention a hypocrite."

"YANG!"

The warning came almost too late. Yang threw herself aside in time to dodge the attack from behind, Adam spearing past her torso and toward the floor. As she fell, her eyes tracked his movement, realising that he must have broken off from the others and tried to score an instant kill on her, turning the odds in his favour.

He sliced again toward her but this time she got Ember Celica in the way and blocked it, even if she was knocked several feet back.

"A-Adam, I had it under control," Ilia said.

"Under control would be the girl dead," he hissed. "This is taking too long." He sheathed his weapon and activated his Semblance, the red glow that Blake had warned them of.

"Get out of the way!" Blake screamed.

Yang scurried to do so. She was almost too late. Adam released his attack with a furious cry, sending a red beam through the space behind her, carving through the ground and striking the pillar behind. The building, which was already badly damaged, buckled under the loss of its support pillar and started to crumble. More weight was put on the others, and with all the damage done by Grimm and White Fang, those too faltered.

He was going to bring the entire building down on their heads. A second shot of his Semblance sealed it - destroying another pillar and making everything collapse with an almighty groan and the cracking of brick. Yang dove for cover, as did the rest of them as the roof came crashing in. Dust and smoke exploded outwards, covering the entire area.

"Y-Yang-" Blake coughed. "Are you okay?"

Was she? Yang checked herself over and staggered up, pushing some loose brick off her. A quick check of her aura showed it as holding, but low, very low. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure about that?" Ilia whispered.

Yang spun instantly, but the whip coiled around her neck quicker. Dust crackled and she screamed as electricity arced down it, driving her to her knees. Her team cried out in shock. The dust soon settled and swept away, revealing the scene.

Adam was a little to the side and unhurt, as was everyone else, able to protect themselves with aura. Blake, Ren and Nora were to one side but Yang had been cut off and now knelt with the metal whip wrapped around her neck, Ilia behind. She'd been caught. Shit.

"Good work," Adam said, rushing over. "Well, Blake. It looks like we have something you want, and you have something _we_ want."

"Don't hurt her, Adam," Blake begged. Her eyes flicked to Ilia's. "Please, Ilia. She's my friend. Don't hurt her – I beg you."

Yang heard Ilia's breath catch.

"A-A trade," the chameleon faunus called. "You for her safety. You'll come back with us – and you'll be kept safe. We just want a chance to change your mind. We won't hurt you, I promise."

"Like we'd-" Yang was cut off as the whip tightened.

"Yang!" Ren gasped, hand outstretched.

"I accept, I accept!" Blake howled, ignoring Yang's pointed head shakes. The faunus had her head low, hands balled into fists. "It's fine," she said, this time to them. "If my going with them will stop Beacon being invaded and save Yang, then it's a price I'm willing to pay." Her eyes locked above Yang's head. "But promise me you'll release her, Ilia. Promise me."

"I swear it." There was no hint of a lie in Ilia's voice. "I won't go back on my word."

"Alright." Blake looked to her team and sighed. Ren and Nora were on edge, waiting for a moment where they could strike. Nora's joviality was gone, replaced with an eerie intensity that was actually quite frightening. "Here, can you keep hold of Gambol Shroud for me?"

Ren accepted it solemnly. "I'll give it back to you," he promised.

Behind Yang, Adam scoffed. Ilia seemed less certain, though Yang would have preferred it if that wasn't shown by a reflexive tightening of the whip. With Blake disarmed, she moved slowly across the wreckage of the cafeteria, holding her hands up before her.

Maybe she was a clone, or had one prepared – or Ren had a plan or _something_. But as she came close and met Yang's gaze, the worry there said otherwise. Blake didn't have a plan. She was surrendering so that nothing bad would happen to Yang, so that her team wouldn't be hurt. Damn it. Damn it all to hell! Yang tried to move but couldn't. The current ran through the whip still and it sparked whenever she pushed against it.

When Blake stepped past her, Yang tensed.

But nothing happened.

"I'm here," Blake whispered. "You win, Adam. Just let her go."

The whip about her neck loosened and began to uncoil, but stopped when Adam reached over, sealing a hand over Ilia's wrist. "Wait," he whispered. His eyes flicked to Blake's. "We've no guarantee you won't try to escape again, Blake. You've done it once. You can't be trusted."

"Adam, she said she'd come with us," Ilia insisted.

"And you believe her?"

"Yes."

"You fool. We came here to send a message to all of Remnant and we've achieved that by bringing Beacon to its knees, and during the Vytal Festival no less. No one will be able to ignore this. But there were _two messages_ we wanted to send today, Blake." Adam smiled cruelly. "The White Fang doesn't look fondly on those who betray it, and neither do I." His hand fell to his sword.

"You're going to kill me?" Blake asked, oddly calm.

"Did I say that?"

Adam's eyes flicked to Yang, still on her knees.

"Adam, no!" Blake gasped, lunging for him, grappling with his arms. "You promised!"

" _I_ didn't promise anything," Adam hissed back. He elbowed her in the face and knocked her back, then stepped toward Yang. "Other than to make you regret abandoning us! There's always a price to pay, Blake. But it's not always you that gets to pay it."

"A-Adam, what are you doing?" Ilia asked nervously.

"Teaching Blake a lesson."

The sword swept up a second later, poised over Yang's head. Fear shot through Yang's body, the reality of what was about to happen crashing down before the sword had even moved. He was going to kill her. She was going to be executed. Somewhere in the back of her mind she heard Ren and Nora scream and start to move but it was too slow. They were too slow. Blake was too slow as she scrambled forward, wide-eyed.

Ironically, the only one who wasn't was the one who had put her in the situation. The noose around her neck tightened, choking her, but only because Ilia snapped it to the side, sending her tumbling to the side the moment Adam's blade fell.

It wasn't enough to save her. Yang screamed as something bit into her and a spray of blood flew high into the air. Blake screamed louder, and… Ruby? As Yang fell, she tumbled to the side, a burning pain in her arm and her face pressed flat against the floor. She could see Ruby in the distance, staring towards her, and beside her, Jaune.

Except that his eyes were red. Why were they red?

Yang didn't know, nor did she find an answer. Darkness crashed into her like a truck and she slumped down, eyes closed.

/-/

"YANG!" Ruby screamed, high-pitched and in a voice mixed with shock, horror and mind-numbing terror. She surged forwards, not that Jaune noticed. His eyes remained fixed on Yang, pale and cold on the floor. She didn't move. She didn't greet him with a smile and a sparkle in her beautiful lilac eyes. She didn't tease or wrap an arm around his shoulders.

She didn't do any of that, on account of the fact her arm had been sheared off above the elbow, and that she was even now bleeding out onto the floor. He couldn't see anything else. He couldn't _perceive_ of anything else.

Until a voice cut into his world.

"Do you see, Blake? This is what befalls traitors. It's not just they who suffer."

Jaune's eyes lifted just a little, above hair of spun gold pooled out on the floor, tinted red in places, above a pallid face unmoving, up to a sword that dripped with blood.

 _Thump-Thump_

His head pulsed, almost like a distant heartbeat.

There was a man. Jaune didn't know who, nor did he care, but he held the sword and he stepped past a struggling Blake, ignoring her frantic cries and attempts to stop him. He stepped past another girl, too, who stood with shock, staring down at Yang with a face filled with regret. He stepped past them all and to Yang, stood over her, and raised his sword up in two hands, point down, to be driven into her body.

 _Thump-Thump_

Why…?

How…?

Ren and Nora were running, but seemed to be doing so in slow motion.

Ruby was on her way, but like them would never make it.

Blake cried out something.

Jaune didn't – couldn't – hear it.

 _Thump-Thump_

The only one he could hear, odd as it sounded, was the man with the sword.

"And _she_ will pay the price!"

Something snapped. He wasn't sure what, but it shattered like glass. A roar slipped from his lips – a bestial sound. Louder than a Beowolf, deeper than an Ursa, it was an inhuman sound that no human or faunus throat could emulate. It was loud enough even to freeze the man stood before him, whose head shot up in shock.

And in the distance, it was echoed, as a mountain splintered into pieces.

* * *

 **Well, someone fucked up.**

 **Okay, let me address something super quick, since I know you'll most likely be thinking it and some will be annoyed. Yes, some of the events of canon are going similar to canon here and yes, Yang has just lost her arm. This will be my first foray into Season 4 and beyond, which I'll honestly say I hated. I don't want to go into why, nor is this an invitation to "change my mind", so please don't send me any long PM's explaining why I'm wrong, or even short ones asking me to go into detail.**

 **I'm only saying this to make it clear that things will change, which it might not look like anything will given this chapter - but I'm just assuring worried parties otherwise. I can't go into too much detail without entering spoiler territory, but I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you're frustrated because Cinder's gone to fight Pyrrha and Yang has lost her arm and you're thinking "Ugh, this is just going to be a re-write of canon" then rest assured that it won't be.**

 **The only thing really going the same is Yang's arm – and** _ **that**_ **is going to be a major plot point, as opposed to starring as a minor form of angst for a few episodes before Yang gets a robotic arm, shrugs her shoulders and forgets it ever happened, soon relegating it to nothing more than a cosmetic, as inconsequential as Ruby's new outfit.**

 **So yeah, I can definitely understand if people feel frustrated here because it feels like nothing has diverted from canon, but it diverts now. This chapter is sort of a "oh look, it's all going the same, BUT shit is about to hit the fan…" chapter.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 17** **th** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	67. Chapter 67

**NOTICE:**

 **Due to real world shenanigans that are greatly taking up College Fool's available time – real world career stuff, not bad, just time-consuming and important – A Hunter or Something will be going on a** _ **short hiatus**_ **.**

 **How short, I cannot say, but short. And I mean genuinely short - not the "six years hiatus" or "eternal hiatus" most fanfiction mean when they enter it. I would expect a month at most – which would mean two missed updates – but it might be less or even a little bit more. I'll keep people updated. Since HOS is College Fool's story, with me only as the writer, it can't be done on my own.**

 **That said, Relic will have its chapter this Saturday and all following Saturdays until College Fool is back on track and has some free time. As to when that will be, I will no doubt either announce it in Relic when it's decided, or people will get an alert the normal way.**

 **Tl;dr – No Hunter or Something chapter this Saturday. Relic of the Future instead.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 67**

* * *

Ruby yelped as the ground shook. It wasn't Jaune's roar which was the cause, but it felt like it was. All of Beacon trembled and that saved Yang's life, for the man about to stab her had to check his thrust and regain his footing. Far away toward the south, Ruby thought she heard Jaune's roar echoed by another – and that she could see a dark shape approaching at incredible speed.

But such thoughts were ignored as something blurred past her. Jaune's hair washed itself white, seeming to grow a little as he surged in. His eyes didn't so much change from blue to red as _explode_ with crimson light. Four black tentacles burst from his back and tore toward the terrorist, two of them churning through solid rock to enclose him from below.

He dodged, but that did little for Jaune's fury and he chased after the man, howling like a mad animal.

It didn't do much for his disguise.

"Ruby, what the hell's happening?" Blake demanded eyes wide as she watched Jaune tear into Adam. "Is that-?"

"That's Jaune," Ruby said miserably.

"That's Hentacle," Ren noted.

"Y-Yep."

The man's eyes narrowed. " _Jaune_ is Hentacle."

Ruby winced. "It's complicated."

"I can imagine. Is he on our side?"

Ruby turned to look in his direction, watching as Jaune lashed out with his _bare hands_ at the man who'd hurt Yang. Even when the faunus slashed those hands with his sword, he seemed to strike solid aura instead of flesh. The blade bounced off and Jaune kept coming, screaming like a banshee the entire time.

"I'm fairly sure he's not on _their_ side," Ruby offered.

"Good enough, I suppose. I want a proper explanation later."

"You're not the only one," Ruby grumbled. Her head perked up and she pointed to someone who was subtly trying to sneak away, "Hey, what about her?"

Ilia froze like a faunus in the headlights.

"She's not on our side," Nora said, slamming her hammer down. The normally boisterous girl snarled quietly. "She hurt Yang. I think it's time to break some legs."

"I-I didn't expect Adam to do that," the girl said, easily hearing them. "I promise you, I didn't intend that. Blake, you have to believe me."

"If you're here with the White Fang, then I have to stop you." She stood, and though she didn't have her weapon – Ren did – she fell into a confident fighting stance. Whether Blake could or couldn't fight unarmed didn't really matter, since Ruby, Ren and Nora all levelled their weapons at the vastly outnumbered girl. Blake sighed. "I'm sorry, Ilia. I'm not sure what to believe anymore."

"You can believe I'm going to break some legs," Nora cheered.

"Yes. I think I can believe that."

Ilia took one look at the four of them and made the right choice, or one of them, anyway. She didn't surrender, but instead made a run for it.

Nora gave chase, ignoring Ren's warnings.

"Damn it," he cursed. "Blake, Ruby, stay here and guard Yang from the White Fang and any Grimm - from Jaune, too, if you have to. I'll help Nora."

Ruby nodded and watched him go, turning back to the fight between Adam and Jaune with a wince. She hoped Blake wouldn't ask but that was too much of a hope to be true, and Blake sighed audibly. "How are we supposed to protect Yang from him if he comes for us?"

Yeah…

That was the real question, wasn't it?

/-/

Not enough. There wasn't enough. Jaune slammed into the faunus in front of him and slashed down with his claws. He didn't have claws, a part of him noted, but the aura coalesced around his fingers that protected him from harm also protected his fingers from anything they impacted – in this case, a solid piece of rubble. Normally, that would have been enough for him to bounce off unharmed, but such was his aura, and his momentum, that his hands tore through the stone and rock with ease, kicking up a cloud of dust.

He didn't have claws. He had a sword.

But he couldn't use it; he couldn't bring himself to draw it. That would mean stopping, taking his hands away from his prey, letting up. It would mean that a moment existed in which the man before him lived and he was not trying desperately to rectify that fault in the world. Such was unacceptable.

"So, the wild beast shows itself at last," Adam snarled, parrying Jaune's hand and grunting at the effort required.

"RARGHHHH!"

Two tentacles speared down from above, puncturing several inches into the ground as Adam dodged. Jaune used them as levers to hurl himself forward, heedless of the sharp blade that cut in towards his chest. It cut his shirt but bounced off his hardened skin. More than that, it bounced off two armoured plates that had fused over his chest.

"What the-?"

The prey hesitated. Jaune gripped it by its shoulders and bit down towards its face. It didn't work perfectly, his jaw not opening wide enough to swallow and bite off the bastard's head. His teeth slammed into the faunus' mask instead, cracking it and dazing him slightly. The weight behind it carried through in a ferocious head-butt, however, knocking Adam back several paces.

It wasn't the first time he'd felt such rage, but it _was_ different.

The burning hatred was there, as was the desire to rip and tear for the sake of the joy such would bring him, but it was muted, concealed, buried under something far worse. This… This _thing_ had done something unforgiveable. It would die for that. No `he was going to kill it`, but the simple fact that it _would_ die. It was already dead. Reality just hadn't had a chance to catch up with it yet.

"I suppose this shows Cinder's allegiance in the end," Adam growled, staggering a little. "Once I'm done here with you and your friends, I'll kill her as well."

A snarl ripped from Jaune's lips and he'd crossed the distance between them in a second. The first tentacle missed, as did his hand aiming for Adam's throat. The second tentacle hit him in the ribs, however, and when the crimson sword came arching in for his neck, Jaune caught it in his free hand. A little blood flowed from his skin and Adam tore the sword free the moment it got stuck, but Jaune had the presence of mind – or just the mindless rage – to _squeeze_ before it did. A sound not unlike grating metal echoed, and when Adam finally brought his sword back to him it was impossible to miss the odd angle to the end of it, or the odd finger-like marks that marred the steel.

"Tch." Adam pressed it to the ground and leaned one foot down. It didn't fix the problem but it did straighten the kink a little.

Feet pattered up behind him. Jaune looked back in sudden fury, ready to leap back and tear to pieces whosoever dared to approach his wounded mate, but his attention only lasted long enough to note it was his mate's pack. He snorted once at them, knowing they would stand over her. That was good. It meant he could leave to erase the threat.

"You may be strong, but you're still nothing more than a wild animal," Adam said. "Strength and endurance matter little compared to skill and strategy. The White Fang is proof of that ideal, fighting against those who wield power and influence unimaginable."

Why was the thing talking? Why wasn't it dying? Jaune charged in with a roar to rectify that. He swung hard and wide, herding Adam into place with his claws before his tentacles burst from the ground, having dug underneath. Red flashed and two were severed immediately, spewing blood over the concrete.

Said blood bubbled instantly and grew into three Beowolves, each of which charged the faunus with reckless abandon. Adam frowned and cut them down with ease. Through the mist of their evaporation, Jaune's eyes glowed. He lunged in again and was knocked back again. This time he lost his remaining tentacles.

"More," he snarled.

There was a sound – a voice – that seemed to agree with him. His severed tentacles began to sting painfully, but true enough they regenerated, not growing new ends but rather forming them from black slime that seemed to ooze from his own skin. He inspected them for a moment and breathed his pleasure, before his eyes focused once more on his prey.

It resisted him. He _hated_ it. Though a part of him wanted to savour the hunt and the fight, such heady pursuits were outweighed with an emotion more foreign and altogether more overpowering. It was a sickening sensation in his stomach that surged to the fore whenever he saw a hint of golden hair behind him. This had to end quickly. It had to end now. There was no time to savour the experience. Other things were more important.

Adam had to die _now_. They all did.

Jaune saw a dark shape approach; he smiled a feral smile, knowing just how to go about that.

/-/

Cinder paused to catch her breath. Dealing with Ozpin had been bad enough, though thankfully he'd been surprised by her first arrow and significantly weaker for it, but now she had to fight Jaune's irritating teammate, and someone who had gone and stolen _half_ of her powers.

"Why!?" Pyrrha cried, hurling both arms forward. Cinder was forced to roll to the side as a vast part of the metal wall behind her tore free and tried to crush her. "Why are you doing this? We trusted you. Jaune trusted you!"

"Jaune knew, you fool," Cinder hissed back. The fact earned a moment of shock from the girl, which gave Cinder the time she needed to close the distance and kick her back. Pyrrha slammed over Ozpin's desk and lost control of her Semblance.

Cinder panted a little more. This was so much harder than it needed to be. Even though Pyrrha seemed unable or unknowing on how to use her maiden powers, the sheer boost in aura and strength was enough to make her problematic, and the girl still was one of the best, if not the best, student in Beacon. It was a frustrating combination.

"Jaune knew who I was and what I wanted, you stupid girl. He is my brother. He always knew what I was after and helped me to get it."

"No. I refuse to believe it!"

"Believe what you will. Had you simply listened to him we wouldn't be in this situation. I'd have taken the powers for myself, and would have even helped to protect Beacon here. But no, you had to stick your head where it didn't belong." Cinder waved a hand and sent Pyrrha scurrying for cover. Ozpin's desk exploded in a gout of flame. "You shouldn't touch that which doesn't belong to you, girl. You might get burned."

Cinder paused and sighed.

"Great, and now I'm making puns. I've spent too much time in this stupid school."

A javelin shot out from the rubble and would have pierced her throat had she not stepped aside and caught it with one hand. That proved a mistake a second later as Nikos used her Semblance to propel it further away, almost out of the window, where she might have dropped to her death. Luckily, she had the sense of mind to let go before that happened, even if she had to land clumsily.

Pyrrha surged from the rubble she hid behind and rushed forward, calling her javelin back from behind. Cinder gave it a moment to note its trajectory before summoning a bow and shooting backwards, knocking it off course. She rolled to the left, landed on one knee and fired two more shots at Pyrrha, one aimed for each knee. Pyrrha blocked one with her shield but the other hit, bouncing off aura but still causing a sudden impact to her leg. The girl stumbled a little and missed catching her javelin when it came back.

This had never been necessary, at least as far as Cinder could tell. If the brat had just trusted in Jaune, none of this would have happened. If Adam hadn't been such a fool, they wouldn't be here. Ozpin would be alive too, if he'd just been a little more patient. All her plans up in smoke and because people couldn't bloody _wait_ for anything!

And now, she was going to have to kill this girl. While not a terrible thing, it was a waste of effort on her part and a waste of the girl's life. Regrettable, but that was all. Cinder summed her twin swords and stalked towards the girl.

The tower shook before she made it half way. It wasn't a little thing either, but something more akin to a quake, tossing Pyrrha back into the rubble and forcing Cinder to fall to hands and knees to avoid being thrown around herself. Wide-eyed, she stared out of the window to see what had caused it.

Right in time to see two gargantuan, black wings flap, one clipping the tower again and causing dust and plaster to rain from the ceiling. Cinder gaped at the giant, Grimm dragon that had settled down in the Beacon grounds.

Pyrrha did, too. "W-What is _that_!?"

Cinder knew.

She knew exactly what it was.

/-/

Jaune's snarl took on a victorious edge as the huge shape landed on the gardens behind Adam, shaking the faunus from his feet and sending the entirety of Beacon into uproar. Bullets, rockets and more peppered off its gargantuan body. It cared not for them, shaking its wings to loosen its muscles as its eyes pierced down directly into his. The mighty Grimm dragon waited for its orders, ignorant of the huntsman and huntresses who tried futilely to harm it.

Adam recovered and dashed to the left, trying to keep both him and the dragon in his view at once. While he kept his blade angled between them, the panic on his face said he knew full well how little it would do against so great a monster.

"Not even prepared to fight your own battles?" Adam taunted. It was a wild claim and one designed to evoke anger and rage, to make Jaune ignore the easy option and continue to fight one on one, where Adam would have the advantage. It might have worked, too, if not for one thing.

Right now, Jaune couldn't _think_ like a human. He couldn't reason with emotions such as pride, honour or even vengeance. All that mattered was killing the person in front of him, and it mattered not how he died.

Jaune raised a single hand. "Kill him."

The dragon howled a mixture of fury and pleasure, pushing its snout low to the ground and surging forward, forcing its neck under one of Beacon's arches, shattering it at the same time, as it rushed towards the terrorist leader. Adam cursed and leapt back, hesitated for a second as he tried to figure out how to fight something so great, and then fled.

Jaune wanted to give chase, he really did. Wanted to rip and tear so badly, and yet could not. He couldn't leave the area because it would mean leaving his mate behind and that might place her in peril. That was impossible. It just couldn't happen. Not that it couldn't afford to, but that it simple could not happen. His feet would never allow him to move away from her, even if his mind wanted to.

But Adam could not be allowed to live, either.

"Kill him," he ordered. "Find any who wear the same mask and kill them all. Slay every single one of them. Any who wear the mask of the White Fang must die!"

The dragon didn't pause to acknowledge its orders. It lumbered forward after Adam, hissing like a wild cat, except several hundred times its size. It piled through the pillars around Beacon, heedless of the damage it caused. Its eyes remained locked onto Adam and drool seeped from between its giant teeth.

Jaune paid it no more attention. He turned instead to where his mate lay, stalking forwards with red eyes and a furious snarl.

/-/

"He's coming," Blake whispered.

"I know; I can see him."

"We still have no plan."

"I know!"

"He looks angry."

"Damn it, Blake, I know!" Ruby snapped, patience having long since committed suicide. "I can see and I'm aware, and I yes, I _did_ just see that huge dragon, thank you. I also know my sister is bleeding out in front of me!" The last came out as a panicked shriek, and one loud enough to startle even Blake, who fell back a little. Maybe it wasn't her fault but Ruby's brain wasn't exactly working properly right now. Jaune was Hentacle, Beacon was under attack and Yang – who had always seemed so invincible – was bleeding on the floor, one arm down.

Compared to all of that, said Grimm monster walking their way meant rather little. She barely had the presence of mind to slap Gambol Shroud away when Blake tried to raise it, earning a panicked look from the girl.

"Don't pull a weapon on him. Do you _want_ him to kill us?"

Apparently, it was too late. Jaune paused a good ten metres or so away and the tentacles, which had been held behind him lazily, twitched in clear agitation. He growled at the two of them, and though his eyes were fixed on Yang's body, Ruby knew it was her and Blake he growled at.

Oddly enough, she also knew it wasn't an angry growl. Maybe it was being with Zwei recently, or the fact it was Jaune, or just that everything was insane, so why shouldn't she be too, but something about the tone and posture made it seem somehow a little less… murderous. It was more like the kind of growl a dog gave to warn you off something. It was a `don't test me` kind of growl.

"She didn't mean it, Jaune," Ruby said. "We're protecting Yang. We need to protect Yang."

At the word `Yang` Jaune's growl stopped, focus switching entirely to the girl on the floor. He moved forward and crouched low, barely paying attention to them in the slightest as he paused maybe half a metre from Yang and reached out a hand. Ruby had just seen said hand tear through rock with ease, and yet the way it brushed across Yang's pale cheek was clearly gentle.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Blake hissed.

Ruby didn't have it in her to say she had no idea at all. Instead, she focused on Jaune's face and took a deep breath. "Jaune, Yang needs your help. She needs medical treatment, but we're not going to get that if you look like you do now. You need to go back to your human form."

He either didn't hear her or didn't care. He breathed out softly, the sound almost a snake-like hiss. He leaned close, as if he were trying to _nuzzle_ Yang's face with his own. At any other time it might have been cute, Grimm or not, but now was not that time. Ruby caught his face with both hands, earning a yelp from Blake. The tentacles twitched and moved for her, but Ruby was quicker, tearing his face up to meet hers.

She stared deep into his eyes, her own not an inch or two away. "Jaune!" she yelled, just to make sure he focused on her.

The moment red eyes met silver, the world seemed to implode. She'd never really considered the word before, but it felt right here. It was like an explosion that went off between them, except that instead of exploding outwards, it funnelled in and backwards-exploded in her head. Her eyes burned and she felt a headache come on instantly.

The reaction was more pronounced by far for Jaune, who fell back with a gasp – his tentacles spasming wildly and falling limp behind him. He stared up at the sky in shock, practically comatose or maybe even unconscious.

"Jaune?"

He groaned. "R-Ruby?"

It worked. Yes! She cheered a little, though it didn't last long. "Jaune, we need you to go back into human form. Yang needs help and you're the best person to get her to a medical team on time. She can't wait any longer!"

Understanding came to his eyes, which quickly turned blue, as did his hair blonde and his skin a more natural colour. She wasn't sure if he remembered anything from his rage or not, but if he did, he didn't comment, instead kneeling and placing both hands under Yang's body. Blake had him pause while she removed her bow, using it to tie a knot on Yang's arm to limit the bleeding.

As she did, her eyes met Jaune's. "You better have an explanation for this," she hissed, apparently much more confident now that Hentacle wasn't to be seen.

"I-I will," he promised. "Later. Yang's more important." That alone seemed to comfort Blake, who finally let her teammate go and stood. "I'll handle Yang," he said. "The Grimm won't attack you anymore and Kevin should deal with Adam. You should get to safety as soon as you can."

"We will," Ruby said. "Now go, quick. Get Yang some help."

Jaune was gone a moment later. His natural stamina allowed him to sprint on, even while they were exhausted and low on aura. Ruby watched him, wondering for a moment whether it was safe to trust her sister with him, before she dismissed such doubts entirely. Even if she still couldn't quite trust Jaune yet, there was no doubting the look in his eyes when he'd seen Yang. Not just the look in his human eyes, but also his Grimm ones. In both forms, the sight of Yang hurt had driven him to varying shades of despair and rage.

She didn't think he could fake that.

"Come on," Ruby said. "We should try and find the others. I'll catch up with Weiss – you go to your team."

Blake didn't move.

"Blake?"

"Did Jaune call it _Kevin_?"

/-/

Adam ducked and dived as the dragon gave chase. He twisted in and around pieces of architecture, all of which failed to delay it for even a second. He put Grimm between him and it, and when that failed he put his own people between them. The dragon crushed those underfoot with ease, or swallowed them, those that failed to notice the huge maw that came crashing along the ground, scooping up anything unfortunate enough to get in its path.

This was madness. Adam was no stranger to Grimm and had killed many in his time. He had considered himself above them, enough so as to no longer feel fear. This was a moment to reassess that, though not a moment to panic. Such would only bring death.

It was large, and though nothing was invincible, its size still made slaying the beast an all but impossible task. It would take co-ordination with plenty of others and probably some high-ordnance weapons or explosives, neither of which he had to hand. Just _how_ something like this had gotten to Vale, he didn't know. Was this the trump card that Cinder had kept so close to her breast? That treacherous bitch!

And to think this interruption had come at the worst time, interfering with his long-awaited reunion with his love. His anger boiled over at the thought of her and almost cost him. It was only instincts and the faint heat of hot breath on his skin that had him rolling back as the jaw slammed down on where he'd stood.

His blade flicked out and scored a blow on its nose – for all the good that did. It exhaled sharply and the force of it blasted him back. Rather than fight it, he took advantage of the momentum and rolled to his feet, running once more while the beast struggled to dig its teeth out of the stone pavement and the rock beneath.

The best way to evade it would be to break its line of sight, and the easiest method for that would be the school building. Adam's grin grew as he imagined it crashing through Beacon Academy in pursuit of him. There was no way it would find him in the twisting turns and wreckage, and whether or not the Grimm technically destroyed the school, the benefit would still fall on the White Fang. Better still would be the look on Hentacle's face when he realised he'd been tricked; when he realised _he_ was responsible for destroying Beacon.

The thought gave Adam the energy to continue, to run through the gardens and cut his way past two Beowolves that dared to try and stop him. Up ahead, the sound of gunfire and voices punctuated his arrival at the academy building. There were several people outside, none of them his men, and all of them fighting back any Grimm that dared approach. Even to his eyes, that number seemed unusually low. There was no way the students had killed so many, yet there was a tenth of the Grimm he'd brought here.

"You there," an imperious voice demanded. "White Fang, surrender at once!"

It was a Schnee, the youngest daughter if his eyes didn't deceive him. Adam felt an immediate rush of anger, along with temptation, but quashed down on both. Now wasn't the time to exact his vengeance. He might as well let the dragon do that for him.

"Out of the way, Schnee, or I'll cut you down myself." He stalked forward, making it clear his destination lay beyond her. To his frustration, she pirouetted back and bared her rapier, blocking his path.

"I won't let you pass. Beacon is closed to the likes of you."

"The likes of me, hm. Do you mean faunus?"

The Schnee's eyes narrowed. "I mean terrorists."

Oh, he was sure she did, just as much as she saw every faunus as _being_ a terrorist, no doubt. Adam growled and took a combat stance, but that faltered when he heard the tell-tale crack of claws digging into pavement behind, moving closer at an insane speed, or insane for something so large, anyway.

The sound also caught the huntresses and huntsmen outside the academy by surprise, as did the rapidly approaching shape. Adam took advantage of that moment to blur past the Schnee toward the academy. He heard her cry out and dodged the fireball that might have caught his back. His eyes glinted in victorious glee as he reached the academy building, only for a wall of ice to cut upwards before the door, blocking his path.

"Blasted Schnee," he growled, sheathing his sword and activating his Semblance. Red light flashed and he drew it in one swift movement to tear the structure down and anyone who dared stand in his way.

Or rather, he _tried_ to draw the sword. It caught halfway.

It was a little thing, a simple snag on the sheathe that he hadn't noticed as he forced the blade in, but now – on the draw, when he needed a much more controlled and subtle motion – the warped metal where Hentacle had gripped it caused the blade to snag. All the energy he'd built up suddenly had nowhere to go, and no means of holding itself back. It built up in his sheathe and exploded, destroying both his sword and sheathe in one motion and _hurling_ him back. The blast was strong enough to knock the ice wall down, and several people off their feet, the Schnee included.

But it was also enough time for the dragon to lumber forwards and roar at the sight of him – an almost gleeful roar that spoke of death and the pleasure behind it. The thing _recognised_ him now. It _wanted_ him.

There was no time to think. Hentacle was on Beacon's side, and if his eyes hadn't deceived him from before the boy transformed into the monster, he was a part of the Schnee's team. Adam lunged for the girl, who was understandably distracted and horrified at the sight of the dragon, as was everyone else. His arm looped around her neck, drawing her close even as he gripped her wrist and twisted, forcing her to drop the rapier.

"Back off!" he roared, drawing all attention – the dragon's included – to him. "I have a hostage and I'll kill her – happily, in fact. Your master would be upset if I did. He wouldn't like that."

"W-What in dust's name are you doing!?" the Schnee hissed. She didn't sound offended or upset. She sounded _terrified_ , and not at the thought of him holding her hostage. It probably had more to do with the way the dragon leered at the two of them, mouth watering and eyes flashing with deadly intent. "It's going to kill us!"

"Shut up, Schnee."

"You can't negotiate with a Grimm!"

"I _said_ shut up!"

He choked her a little for good measure, cutting off her diatribe as she fought for breath. The other students around were too terrified to do anything, frozen to the spot and caught between a hostage situation and a real-life dragon. Adam backed away, dragging the Schnee with him, toward the front entrance of the school. Escape was still possible as long as he got inside.

"Stay here and I won't kill her," he shouted, and if the Schnee's frightened tremors were anything to go by, she knew full well how bad her situation was.

The dragon padded forward.

"STAY!" he roared, choking the girl a little more. Her fingers scrabbled uselessly at his arm, already too weak to break free. "I'll kill her. Don't test me, beast. Tell your master I will, for he'll kill you himself if he finds out you put her in harm's way."

Adam was less than three metres away from the main building when a red blur appeared at the edge of the plaza, zipping past the dragon's clawed feet as if it didn't care for the danger and stopped further to the right. It manifested into a panicked girl with wide eyes.

"Everyone, we need to-" The girl froze, eyes wide. "W-Weiss? Let her go!"

"Not until that monster comes here and deals with me," Adam snarled. "You can go tell him yourself that-"

The girl in his arms shrieked in fear.

"WEISS, NO!" The girl in red screamed.

Adam faltered and looked back to the left, to the point he'd taken his attention off – if only for a second. He barely had the time to register that the world had grown dark, dark indeed, before the giant teeth, each as tall as him, clamped down on both him _and_ his hostage.

/-/

"WEISS!" Ruby screamed, voice a mix of horror, grief and pain. "NO!"

The Grimm Dragon reared up once more, pleased with its meal. There was naught but a splatter of blood that remained, and yet the monster looked like it was about to toss its head back and swallow the remainder of her friend and teammate.

In a moment of desperation, Ruby grasped onto the only straw available.

"KEVIN!"

Before her eyes… the dragon flinched. It was barely an instant, but the whole thing stopped – froze – and then its head tilted down in her direction, almost like it had heard her, almost as if her words had _meant_ something to it.

Had it recognised the name?

Wait, didn't Oobleck once say the bigger Grimm could develop intelligence?

Was this Grimm actually capable of thought?

It was a long shot, but `sentient` didn't necessarily mean `smart`, and the dragon had seen her with Jaune earlier. She doubted it would have reacted this way to any normal person, but it was possible – highly unlikely, but possible – that it might believe her someone of importance.

"B-Bad Dragon!" Ruby yelled, trying for the kind of tone she'd use on Zwei and failing miserably because of the fear and the tears that ran down her face. She tried again regardless. "Bad, Kevin. Bad! What would your master say? He told you to kill the White Fang and _only_ those wearing their masks!"

The Dragon, Kevin, trembled a little. It was a ridiculous and surreal scene, not least of all because it was a flipping Grimm Dragon, but also because it was being scolded by a fifteen year old girl. It looked to the left, back to where Jaune was, and she realised it was an attempt to either pretend it hadn't heard or to see if Jaune would order different to her. It was like Zwei hearing `no` from her Dad, then cheekily looking to her or Yang, seeing if they'd say yes.

"No!" she snapped, stomping a foot down. "Bad! He told you only those with masks. You know what he said. Give her back to me right now!"

An odd warbling sound came from the between the beast's teeth.

Ruby was having none of it.

"Spit my teammate out! NOW!"

Hindsight was twenty-twenty as they said, and to be fair Ruby was distracted and on the cusp of a mental breakdown, but even she realised the error in those instructions after a second's thought. A second that was too long to take them back. The dragon let out an unmistakeable whine and pursed its lips, before it _spat_ Weiss' body out with the force of a missile. The spit-clad and soaked heiress bounced once on the pavement like a Ping-Pong ball, before she hurtled straight toward Ruby's face.

`Give her back to me` and `spit her out` had been her instructions. Ruby just wished Kevin hadn't taken them so literally. Ruby had a moment to yelp before the Weiss-shaped missile hit her in the chest, knocking her off her feet and sending them both skittering back into the other huntresses. Ruby hit Velvet's legs, whipping the faunus off her feet and even bowling over Coco. They only came to a stop when the unrelenting force of the dragon-to-air missile hit the immovable object that was Yatsuhashi.

Ruby had the misfortune to be stuck in the middle and thus ended up flat against his knees with stars dancing before her eyes. Through it, she only just had the presence of mind to notice Kevin lumber away in search of more White Fang, before she realised the slobber-covered girl in her lap was hacking and coughing.

"Weiss! You're alive?"

Weiss didn't answer with words. She rolled over, drenched so much in dragon-spit that her dress had turned see-through in places, and vomited loudly onto the floor. Come to think of it, the _front_ of Weiss' outfit had turned partially see-through, but the back was dyed a horrifying red colour. There was also a mask, cracked and bloody, stuck in her collar. It didn't take a lot of imagination to figure out what had happened to Adam Taurus. Weiss must have been just in front of him, spared impalement by mere inches.

"I-I-I'm alive?" Weiss gasped once she'd finished losing her stomach. She shook uncontrollably. "I… I… I was eaten by a dragon. A dragon just ate me. An actual dragon just ate me."

Ruby giggled – relief mixing with fading horror and leaving her with a vague sense of hysteria.

"How am I alive?"

"Maybe you tasted too bitter for him. Yang always did say you were a sourpuss."

She wasn't entirely prepared for Weiss' spittle-covered hand catching her in the head for that pun, but she didn't really care either. Yang would live, Weiss would live, and everything was going to work its way out. As Weiss struggled to wipe the horrifying saliva off her body, Ruby looked around the main square and frowned.

"Wasn't Pyrrha with you?"

/-/

It was done.

Cinder lowered her bow, allowing the arrow nocked to dematerialise as she caught her breath. The Nikos girl had put up more of a struggle than she'd ever expected, thanks in no small part to the Fall Maiden's powers, but also her own tenacity. Had it been any other situation Cinder might have complimented her, but this was war, and in war it was considered poor form.

Instead, she stepped forward, dropping the bow and summoning a sword in its place. One arrow had pierced through the girl's heel, pinning her in place, and her aura was all but spent. Cinder's was low, too, though not low enough that she couldn't affect an escape. It would be needed, what with Ozpin slain and Beacon now under attack.

"You'll never win," Pyrrha said. It was petty defiance and little more – not to mention a little wild of an accusation considering their positions. She'd very much already won. "You might kill me, but the others will find you. Jaune will find you."

"Didn't I already tell you Jaune knows all about me?"

"Y-You're lying. He wouldn't accept this."

True and false at the same time, though she supposed the girl wasn't to blame; she didn't know the full story. The headmaster's office was now little more than a ruin, though the school itself was in far better condition than she'd originally planned. It looked like Jaune's gambit had dealt with Adam and the White Fang. Good for him, though she'd be a little frustrated to not kill Adam herself.

But first, she had to deal with her little thief here.

" _Don't hurt any of my friends, Cinder,"_ Jaune's voice whispered. _"Promise me."_

Cinder gritted her teeth.

Not now, Jaune. Not when she was this close.

"I know Jaune better than you do, girl. I raised him. I was there when he spoke his first word, when he walked for the first time – when he finally figured out how to use the toilet properly." Cinder regretted the last one instantly, not for the memories but for how unimpressive it sounded. "Jaune and I are more than you could ever hope to be."

Pyrrha spat at her through gritted teeth. "That's not true. We're teammates."

"And we, my dear, are family. He is my adopted brother, and if his mother has her way, we'll be more than that in time." Oh dear, and she'd be going back to that too, wouldn't she? It really would have been better if she'd had an excuse to stay in Beacon longer. "No matter," she said, out loud. "It's time to deal with you."

Cinder brought her sword back, preparing for the final blow.

Pyrrha's eyes gently closed.

The sword swung down.

Pyrrha whispered something under her breath.

The blade tickled her neck, but did not cut through it.

"What did you just say?" Cinder demanded. Pyrrha's left eye cracked open. When she realised she wasn't dead, her right eye joined it. Cinder ignored both and gripped the girl by her chin, tugging her face upwards. "I asked you what you just said," she hissed. "What did you say!?"

"I-I was just saying goodbye," Pyrrha whispered, confused.

"And after that; you said something more."

Given the situation, the girl didn't blush. She gritted her teeth instead and glared away, defiant in the face of death. "I said `I love you, Jaune`," she growled. "Can I not even say goodbye? I love him. I've always loved him."

Cinder's brow twitched. "He's part-Grimm."

"I don't care."

" _He is Hentacle_."

Pyrrha looked confused, though only for a second. She narrowed her eyes and glared at Cinder. "I don't care. I love him."

Flustered, Cinder tried her final gambit. "B-But he already has a girlfriend!"

This time, Pyrrha did manage to look at least a little awkward.

"I still love him…" she whispered.

Cinder recoiled. She stumbled back, away from Pyrrha. Her eyes snapped to the left, where a large Nevermore had landed, summoned on the cusp of her victory to affect her escape. She glared at it, not missing for a second how it had tilted its head toward the wounded girl.

"You heard that," Cinder accused. "Didn't you?"

The Nevermore cocked its head at her, neither denying nor agreeing. It couldn't speak anyway, but the spark in its eye said it could perceive, and there were other Nevermore flying about the tower, smaller, but no less aware. What they knew, Salem would soon know as well, the information passed on as it always was.

There was only one word that came to mind.

"Fuck."

Cinder stomped back to the downed girl and brought her weapon back up before her. The girl faced her defiantly, though as the blade swung down her eyes closed in anticipation of the killing blow. She therefore didn't see Cinder reverse it at the last second, though she surely felt the pommel strike the side of her head. Or she would have if she didn't fall unconscious almost immediately. Cinder caught her with one arm under her neck when she fell forward.

The Nevermore `cawed`, pleased with her decision.

"I doubt you'll thank me for this, girl," Cinder growled, hauling the unconscious body over to the Nevermore. "I certainly won't thank you – even if we're able to extract that power from you. Just know that you brought this on yourself." She pushed the girl up and over the Nevermore's back, climbing on herself. "If you hadn't said you loved him, this wouldn't be necessary."

Pyrrha didn't answer, and as Cinder kicked her heels into the Nevermore's sides, it spread its wings and began to flap. She held on, knowing all too well how gruesome a flight it could be, especially one so far. But if the stupid brat wanted to claim Jaune as her love, she would have to pay the price.

It was time for Pyrrha Nikos to meet the parents.

* * *

 **Welp – that's a few changes. There's more to come next chapter in the "wrap-up" of the invasion, including Ilia's fate and the rest of the White Fang, and Jaune finally having the long-awaited "talk" with his teammates and friends.**

 **As for Pyrrha? Well, I didn't kill her but have I doomed her to a fate worse than death?**

 **Only time will tell…**

* * *

 **When I first made this story I intended it to be my first to go beyond Season 3, and it should have done that ages ago but for the earlier event with the dance arc dragging twenty chapters, etc. There was a part of me that got so frustrated by that, that I wanted to just end it here and quit the story, but in the end I decided to stick to my guns.**

 **It's recovery work in a lot of ways, but the focus of this story has always been of Jaune Salem Arc fighting against his name and what he is, and that wouldn't ever reach a good conclusion if he didn't at some point have to FACE his issues head on.**

 **Facing Cinder at the Fall of Beacon could have done it to small degree, but I felt the only** _ **real way**_ **would be to face reality, and to interact with Salem. Hence, the story needs to continue and it needs a few arcs after Beacon. That said, I'll be endeavouring to go my own way with a lot of it, and to avoid some of the pitfalls canon went through in the late seasons. Similarly, I won't let it drag on endlessly like the dance arc did.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 24** **th** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	68. Chapter 68

**Notice:**

 **I mentioned before that come June I might have to take some time off writing due to a big exhibition at work, which will have me working from 6am to 9pm each night and sleeping in a hotel. I now have the specific dates. There will be no updates from Monday 4** **th** **June to Friday 8** **th** **of June. This will affect three fics – Forged Destiny, Service with a Smile and White Sheep. My weekend fics will be unaffected. The weekday ones will have no updates that week. Rather than miss a rotation, SWS will simply appear the following week.**

 **This is just to let you all know.**

 **Oh, and well noticed by some that Kevin the Grimm Dragon was actually mention in chapter two of this story, and specifically as a "Dragon". Though some aspects of this fic got lost around the middle, the dragon scene was planned all the way back then. ;)**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 68**

* * *

Ilia wasn't sure how the attack had gone wrong quite so quickly.

Oh, she was aware that some of the White Fang in Vale weren't exactly well-trained, having neither the experience nor the drive that their brothers and sisters in Menagerie had, but Adam had prepared for that, and whatever she thought about him as a person, he was a good leader. The plan he'd drafted with was surprisingly detailed and well-orchestrated, even if he never explained how he'd come up with some aspects or planned it quite so well. He'd only mumbled something about a woman and autumn for some reason.

Either way, it should have worked. It was a good plan. Sure, no plan survived contact with the enemy and all that, but it shouldn't have deviated quite this much.

"Rargh!" Ilia growled, cutting through a Beowolf with her whip. She twisted to the left to dodge another and was forced back as a hammer rushed in for her face. She flipped away and landed in a crouch. As her opponent settled down, Ilia's eye twitched. "Why are the Grimm ignoring you?" she hissed. "Why are they only going after me?"

"You know, I'm not sure," the girl, Nora, said with a shrug of her shoulders. "It's convenient, though."

"Maybe for you…"

A shadow cast on Ilia from behind but it was the fetid stench of hot breath that alerted her to the Ursa first. She dove to the side as its claws came crashing down, slashed the throat of a Beowolf, ducked a hammer and darted for the cover of what looked like an auditorium.

"You can't run away from me," the girl behind her howled.

Ilia wasn't so sure. In fact, she intended to give it a damn good shot. The invasion was screwed anyway, with any chance of getting Blake back all but sunk. Adam was gods knew where, though she suspected it involved a dragon and a stomach, while the rest of their forces were pretty much scattered. Ilia might have been loyal to the cause, but she drew the line at dying for it pointlessly. That wouldn't help the White Fang any.

It turned out her earlier approximation had been accurate, for it was a large, open assembly hall she'd run into. Her eyes scanned it quickly, noticing the stage and the doors behind it which she ran to. Halfway across, the door behind her slammed open, heralding the arrival of her pursuer. She was fast, not to mention tenacious. Wasn't it enough to have her run away with her tail tucked between her legs? Apparently not.

Ilia had just reached the door ahead – and freedom – when it opened.

"Nora?" the black-haired figure on the other end called. He saw her. "Wait, you're-"

It was all he had time to say before Ilia collided with him, bowling the two of them over. She drove her knees and elbows everywhere in the hopes it would give her an easy out, but Blake's teammate wasn't a huntsman for nothing and managed to catch her ankle when she tried to run. Ilia landed hard and kicked him off, scrabbling to her feet with him in hot pursuit.

"I'm fleeing, damn it. Leave me alone!"

"Wait," he called, oddly alarmed, "Not that way!"

Ilia ignored him and pushed through the back door, out into the open air once more – and right into someone waiting for her. Or some _thing_ , rather. Ilia bounced off its chin and fell onto her ass. When she looked up to see what it was, her eyes face went white.

Literally white, thanks to her unique physiology. Her chameleon heritage turned her skin the colour of paper.

"Oh," she mused.

"Uh-Oh," Blake's teammate echoed, catching up.

"Renny, you caught her!" Nora cheered, barrelling through. "Nice – oh… um, good dragon. Who's a good boy? Or girl, I can't tell."

"Nora, I don't think that's a good idea."

Ilia didn't think so either, though she wasn't sure how those two even had the breath to talk with, seeing as hers was coming out a little on the hyperventilated side. Was that blood on the dragon's teeth? That certainly looked like blood, and my, what big teeth those were. All the better to rip her in two, she could imagine it responding.

How had their plan gone this badly again?

The dragon snorted once, blowing out a great gust of hot air that pinned Ilia's hair to her scalp and caused the clothing of the two with her to flap angrily. Her entire body began to shake as its attention focused solely on her, its eyes seeming to light up.

"Stop!" a familiar voice cried out, filled with panic. Blake? "The mask," Blake yelled. "It's after the White Fang! It wants the mask!"

Her mask…? It sounded ridiculous, but right now she'd have torn off her clothing if she thought it would save her life. She brought a hand up but froze as its jaws parted, revealing just how many serrated teeth it had. Ilia whimpered, unable to move in the slightest.

Luckily, someone else was. The boy on Blake's team pushed her down and snatched the mask off her face. Against all odds, the dragon's attention _did_ move – switching from her to him as it roared in anger and lunged forward.

"REN!" Blake cried.

Ren dove out of the way, somehow not frozen in panic like her or the ginger-haired one. The dragon gave chase but he was quick on his feet and darted back behind the auditorium, luring it away. "I'll be fine," he called. "I'll lead it away."

"Are you insane?" Blake howled, finally reaching Ilia and the other girl.

"Trust me!"

Ilia wasn't sure how he could say that when he was being chased by the largest Grimm she'd ever seen. The ginger-haired girl didn't seem too bothered though, and placed a hand on Blake's shoulder to stop her giving chase.

"Ren will be fine," she said.

"Against _that_ thing?"

"He isn't going to fight it, silly. He'll use his Semblance once it's away from Beacon."

Blake relaxed, presumably knowing more about this Ren's Semblance than Ilia did. Whatever it was, it must have been something that helped him hide, since she doubted anyone could actually _fight_ that thing. The fact that it was here and no longer chasing Adam probably meant her leader had become her ex-leader. Frankly, she was just glad to be alive.

Blake's attention turned onto her and that quickly changed. Ilia wilted. "Ilia. Do you still intend to fight?"

Surrounded, exhausted, on her knees and after having just stared death in the face, surrender felt like the only real option. Adam had convinced her that attacking Beacon would be easy. How the hell were they supposed to know Beacon had a freaking _dragon_ on its side?

"Well, Ilia?" Blake asked.

"You can resist if you want to," Blake's teammate offered. Her hammer showed itself once more. "Go on. I dare you."

"I surrender, I surrender!"

"Aww…"

/-/

Ren liked to think himself a calm individual, and that was even before his Semblance got involved. While it could dull his emotions and bring calm at the worst of times, his general state of being _before_ that was also calm, so it didn't often feel like too much of an emotional shift. He was calm when the Grimm attacked. He was calm when Nora walked out of the shower naked a week ago. He was even calm after _months_ of Yang snoring like an angle grinder in the bed next to his.

But being chased by a Grimm Dragon through the Emerald Forest? Well, he felt he had an excuse for not feeling quite so calm this time.

He'd slipped the mask onto his face to free up a hand and keep the dragon on his tail, and on his tail it certainly was for he could hear trees being knocked down behind him as he ran through the forest, cutting down any plants in his way with his weapons. Jaune might have summoned the thing and could probably control it to some degree – and Ren definitely wanted an explanation there – but the thing was still a danger to Beacon, if only because of its size and strength.

The White Fang were in full flight with their leader dead and the Grimm were being driven back. With that in mind, having this thing lumbering around trying to kill the routed faunus was going to cause more trouble than good. Not to mention Jaune would be hard pressed to explain it away. Someone had to deal with the dragon, and since killing it would be hard to impossible, the only real option was to lure it away.

As for why he'd opted to play the bait? Well, that was because as long as he kept running, there really wasn't any risk. His Semblance would render him all but invisible to it. As much as he hated to play the hero, it was better him than Nora or anyone else he might feel guilty about later.

"You're persistent," he panted, glancing back. "I'll give you that." His eyes turned ahead as he tried to mentally reproduce a map in his head. Was this far enough away? Could he ditch it here? Probably not. The spires of Beacon were still within sight, and it would just fly back. Perhaps the ruins where they'd first found the relics during initiation would be a good choice. The way back to Beacon would be obscured by the cliff-face they'd been thrown off.

The journey was not an easy one. Huntsmen were bred for fast bursts of action rather than endurance – or he was, at any rate. He could move at speeds to rival Ruby, but marathons weren't his thing. This was about ten times worse since he couldn't run slower than a sprint without being eaten alive. His face and clothes were covered in sweat and his breath came out in sharp blasts.

He'd used his Semblance a few times, too. Just enough to duck out of its sight for a second or two or to make it pause, but he turned it off before it got confused and turned back – resuming the chase once he'd put a little more distance between them. Low on stamina and now low on aura, Ren staggered into the clearing he could recall from so long ago. There were no Grimm to be seen, likely because they'd all been drawn to Beacon.

Weirdly enough, there were several cargo containers present. He ignored them, hearing the dragon coming from behind. Was this far enough? It had to be. A quick glance back revealed that Beacon was out of sight and he'd have to rely on that. He literally couldn't run any further.

Crawling to one of the containers, Ren slumped down and pushed his back against it, sat out in the open. No one could miss him, and yet when the dragon tore into the clearing, it paused. Its great head swept over the area, eyes passing over Ren more than once as it looked back and forth. An almost petulant whine came from its lips, before its head shot up, looking further ahead. It barked a roar and charged on, bypassing Ren entirely and carrying on in a straight line, no doubt assuming he hadn't stopped.

The plan had worked. Thank goodness. Ren's grasp of consciousness faded as exhaustion set in. He only just had the presence of mind to surround himself with his Semblance as he had when Nora and he camped in the wilderness. It would keep him safe from the Grimm, and really, what other threat was out here?

He'd just catch a nap… for an hour or two. Nora would hold the fort. Then, after that, he could get his explanations from Jaune. Ren slipped down the container and hit the grass, passed out from exhaustion.

Had he remained awake, he might have noticed several figures enter the clearing and look around nervously. "Is it gone?" one asked.

"Well it's not here, is it? It'd be killing us if it was."

"Man, don't even joke about that. I heard it coming and thought we were done for."

"Silence," a gruffer figure growled. "The invasion's a bust and Adam is dead. We need to get out of here before we're next. Gather up what you can and get the Bullheads working. We'll slip out while everyone is still confused."

"Hey, what about this one?" one of the men asked, nudging Ren with one foot. "He's not in uniform."

Ren grumbled but didn't awake. "Nora, please, I'm tired." he groaned, turning over.

"He's got a mask and the damn monster was trying to kill him. We're not leaving a brother out here to die alone. Load him on and let's go. He can get some first aid once we get back home."

"Yes, sir."

/-/

As the sun dawned over Beacon, it dawned over a school that had been through hell. Bodies littered the academy, many of them White Fang, but far too many also of students, some from Beacon, and others from Haven, Shade and Atlas. There were civilians, too, those who had come to visit family and been caught in the crossfire. It could have been worse, but it could also have been much better. Already the media was having a field day, whipping up hate for the White Fang, faunus and generally playing the blame game.

Normally, Ozpin would have been there to mediate on that, but, well…

He had died, too.

With school cancelled, at least for the short term, and the city trying desperately to recover itself, Jaune sat in the Emerald Forest and waited for the moment he'd been dreading for so long. There was a Beowolf nuzzling his hand and laid beside him. It had sensed his panic and come to try and alleviate it, but had fallen asleep under his gentle petting. He sat on a rock next to it, stroking its head like one might a large dog.

It was that surreal scene his friends found him in, the lot of them pausing briefly to take in the strangeness before they continued. The Beowolf shifted, but sensing his calm didn't stir. Ruby paused a few metres away and cocked her head to the side.

"You know, I don't think I'm ever going to get used to that."

"I guess this is proof if anyone still needed it," Blake agreed. "Though seeing him transform in front of my own eyes doesn't leave much in the way of doubt."

Jaune didn't miss how none of them came as close to him as they normally would. They were nervous, anxious, and perhaps uncertain whether they could trust him anymore. It hurt, but he could understand it. The Grimm had just ravaged Beacon Academy, and here he was, the man they'd caught time and time again fighting alongside the White Fang.

Still, he looked up to meet Ruby's eyes. "Is Yang alright?"

"She's going to live," Ruby said, and he relaxed a little at that. "Dad took her back home to recover. The hospitals in Vale are all filled to the brim and Beacon's is kind of in ruins, so he thought Patch would be the best bet. There's a smaller hospital there."

"Good." He noticed one other missing. "Where's Weiss?"

"Her sister said she had to have a meeting with her dad," Ruby explained. "He came all the way from Atlas to check up on her. She said she'd meet up with me afterwards."

"Does she know…?"

"About you? Not yet. I thought you should be the one to tell her. You're her partner, after all."

Yeah, he probably should. She deserved to know. As too, did the people before him, he supposed. Nora, Blake, Ruby, Sun and Ilia – though he wasn't sure why the last two was here. He looked at them pointedly until Blake noticed.

"Ilia surrendered to us. Most of the White Fang have been taken to prison cells, but I figured we'd need what she knew."

Jaune wasn't sure what she meant by that, but her subtle nod to the blonde beside her prompted him. "And Sun?"

Blake sighed. "He followed me."

"I resent that!"

"It's close enough, but no, there was another reason we brought him, and it's why I decided to keep Ilia out of trouble." Blake explained. She nudged Sun with one arm. "Tell him what you saw."

The monkey faunus nodded and stepped forward. "Right, so during the invasion I was fighting off some White Fang when they suddenly started to run away. I wasn't sure why at first, but it didn't take a genius to figure it out when that dragon was romping around."

"Kevin," Jaune nodded.

"What?"

"His name is Kevin."

"It has a name?"

"He's not an `it`," Jaune said, frowning. "He's my sister's pet."

It looked like Sun had no idea how to respond to that one, though Blake saved him the effort with a meaningful cough and another elbow to the ribs. "Uh, yeah, right. So, I saw your teammate – the Ren guy – being chased by the dragon, and since I knew he wasn't a baddie, I figured I'd try and give him a hand."

"To try and get into Blake's good books," Jaune said nodding.

"Yea- No, what? No! Because I'm a nice guy!" Sun flushed. "A-Anyway, the point is I tried to keep up but they were too fast, and by the time I finally found them, it was to see your teammate being loaded into one of the White Fang bullheads."

"They took him prisoner?"

"It didn't look like it was a prisoner, man. I tried to catch their attention but I was too late. They took off to the east."

"That's why I couldn't find him," Nora growled. She looked furious, though there was no missing the relief in her eyes, too. She'd been searching for Ren for hours now, and the longer she went without finding him, the more everyone had started to worry. As bad as this was, it was proof he wasn't dead.

It was a relief, but one muted with worry. At this point, several hours having passed by, Ren could be anywhere on Remnant. That was bad.

"But why would the White Fang believe Ren was one of them?" Ruby asked.

"He had Ilia's mask," Blake said.

"But still!"

"And then there's that time we infiltrated the White Fang recruitment," Nora said. "We said he was a sloth faunus, remember? And that his eyes were his feature."

Blake pinched the bridge of her nose. "And since that was recruitment for _this_ invasion, it makes sense the same people would be here. They probably recognised him." Blake looked to Ilia. "This is why I thought it best to keep Ilia free. She knows more about the White Fang's operations than i currently do. Where would they have taken him? Please tell me you have a base in Vale."

The chameleon girl, who had been silent to this moment, wilted even further. "Um, no."

"Where?" Nora demanded.

"Menagerie."

Blake covered her face with one hand, while Nora kicked the dirt angrily, muttering something about no wonder her scroll wouldn't reach his.

Jaune stood. "Well, I said I'd explain everything once we were all here, but since Ren isn't, I guess we can hold off until he's bac-" He was cut off by the handle of Ruby's scythe pushing him back down onto the rock.

"Sit," Ruby said sternly. "Talk."

He winced. "Wouldn't you rather we wait for Weiss?"

"We'll fill her in," Nora said, arms crossed.

"What about those two?" he tried as a last ditch effort, pointing to Sun and Ilia.

"Ilia saw you transform and Sun can probably figure it out from you saying that dragon was a pet," Blake said snidely.

"Or the fact he's cuddling a Beowolf," Sun pointed out.

"You're not getting out of this, Jaune," Ruby said. "You promised us an explanation and we're here to receive it."

He had, and he did owe it to them. It was just that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find the right way to explain. He'd been running through scenarios all morning to no avail, and every hour without a solution only brought more stress and fear. Would they hate him for this? Would they cast him out?

Honestly, he wouldn't blame them if they did.

"What do you want to know?" he asked.

"Everything."

"Everything is too much. I'll answer any questions you have."

"Who are you?" Blake asked.

"I'm Jaune Arc."

"I mean who are you, really?"

"I really am Jaune Arc," he said. "Or rather I'm Jaune Salem Arc, but I doubt the middle name means anything to you." He could see that it didn't, but they still exchanged glances to see if anyone recognised it.

"Alright," Blake said, trying a different tack. " _What_ are you?"

A better question. Jaune winced. "I'm a person. I'm half-human and half…"

"Grimm?" Ruby offered.

His silence was telling.

"How the hell does that work?" Sun asked. "Don't tell me someone actually decided to, you know, _do it_ with a Beowolf or something. I've heard about fetishists, but that's a little out there." His eyes widened as he stared at the Beowolf beside Jaune. "Is that your dad!?"

"NO! It's not like that! My Mom is… well, she's a humanoid Grimm, I suppose you'd say. Dad is totally human, though. I'm half and half."

"You said your mother worked in real estate," Ruby pointed out.

"Actually, I only said she owned a lot of land. You were the ones to say real estate." It was semantics at its best and they knew it, glaring at him, unimpressed. "And she _does_ own a lot of land. Just, well, it's ninety-five per cent of Remnant."

"Ninety-five per cent?" Blake worked the number over in her head. "Isn't that the statistic given to how much land is lost to the Grimm?"

"Y-Yeah. My Mom kind of owns it."

Blake's eyes narrowed. "Who is your mother?"

"Juniper Salem Arc." The name meant nothing and he could see the follow-up question coming. He beat them to it, eyes closing with a sigh. "Queen of the Grimm."

They exploded into questions. Jaune caught none of them and could barely keep up with the voices, even as they grew into desperate shouts, each rattling off their own accusations. He sat through it, head dipped toward the ground as he waited for them to calm down and process what he'd just told them.

" **You could still run,"** Remy pointed out.

He could, but he didn't. He didn't want to run away anymore.

"Let me get this straight," Blake said, fighting for sanity. "Your mother is the ruler of all the Grimm? I wasn't even aware the Grimm _had_ leaders. I doubt anyone is."

"Ozpin is, or was," he said. "He told me."

"Why didn't he tell anyone else?"

"I don't know. The point is, I'm the Prince of the Grimm – but I didn't want to be. I wanted to be a huntsman and a normal person. That's why I came to Beacon and hid what and who I am. That's why I'm here."

"Are we expected to believe that?"

"It's true!"

"Blake, Jaune did help us in Beacon," Ruby whispered.

"I know, but… but he hid what he was for so long. He also helped the White Fang and Roman, remember? We already know he's a master of disguise. There's no reason he couldn't be playing us even now."

"Would he need to?" Sun asked. "Last I remember he was strong enough to kick all our asses anyway."

The realisation hit them hard and Blake and Ilia took a step back, suddenly wary of being alone with him in the Emerald Forest, where he would have access to so many Grimm. Jaune held both hands up, empty-handed, showing his intent for peace.

"I only worked with Roman because he knew the truth of who I am. He blackmailed me and threatened to reveal me. I… I wanted to stay in Beacon. I wanted to stay on my team." He went on to explain all the times he'd worked with the White Fang, not to mention how he'd done his best not to hurt them, even going so far as to let them escape each and every time.

"This is… This is insane." Blake rubbed her forehead to fight off a headache. "It sounds like something out of a bad romance story. It's Aladdin but instead of being a pauper, he's a Grimm. I just don't know how we're expected to trust you to be on our side considering what you are."

"Isn't that a little rich coming from you?" Nora asked.

Blake flinched. "N-Nora?"

"Look, I'm not sure either," Nora sighed. "But I trusted you when you told us you used to be in the White Fang. I trusted you and I was proved right, because you'd changed. This is a little different, I know. Being in the White Fang is a choice, while being a Grimm isn't, and everything we know _says_ they're evil. But Jauney has been our friend for a long time. I don't want to imagine that was all a lie."

"It wasn't," he promised.

"And him and Ren are bros."

"We are. I even wanted to hook him up with one of my sisters!"

"I changed my mind. He's a traitor."

Ruby giggled, relaxing a little now that Nora had broken the ominous atmosphere. "I don't know what to think either, but I want to at least give Jaune a chance to prove he's on our side. If we tell anyone, we'll lose that forever. I don't want to regret making the wrong choice. And…" She trailed of. "And I think this is a decision _everyone_ should make. It's not fair for me to make a decision that affects Yang – and Weiss isn't here, nor is Ren."

"And Pyrrha," Jaune said.

Everyone stiffened. It was as though he'd taken the mood and brutally murdered it.

"What?"

"Jaune," Blake hissed, looking toward Ruby with some worry. The younger girl looked devastated. "Didn't you hear the official results? They found Pyrrha's blood on top of the tower. She… Pyrrha is…"

"She's dead," Ruby whimpered.

Jaune blinked.

He then took out his scroll, opened the messages section and looked down at it.

He then looked back up.

"She doesn't _look_ dead."

Ruby froze. "Eh?"

Jaune turned the scroll around and held it out, and despite their earlier fear of being near him, they all crowded in to see. In the image, which was attached to a text he'd received that morning, Pyrrha sat in a large, stone seat at a stone table, a plate of food sat before her. She was smiling nervously – _very nervously_ – which might have had something to do with the eldritch abomination that was his mother stood next to her, one arm around Pyrrha's shoulder and the other holding her scroll out for a selfie.

Beneath it was the caption; "Red-headed grandbabies!"

It had been sent to both him and his father.

"P-Pyrrha!?" Ruby tore the scroll from his hands and stared at it, trying to figure out if it was faked or not. When she couldn't deny it, her head tore up to meet his, eyes filled with tears. "Where is she?"

"The Grimmlands."

"Why?"

"I made Cinder promise not to hurt any of you."

"She looks horrified," Blake noted.

"Big Sis is very literal with her promises. I might have forgotten to include emotional harm in the promise."

"We need to save her." Ruby decided.

Jaune nodded. "I know."

"We need to save Ren, too," Nora said.

"I know."

"What about Beacon?" Sun asked.

"What about it?" Nora laughed. "It's shut down for months while it repairs and Miss Goodwitch becomes the new headmistress. It's not like we'll be skipping class or anything. We can go to Menagerie and save Ren."

"We need to save Pyrrha first," Ruby growled.

"Ren!"

"Pyrrha!"

"REN!"

"Stop, stop, stop." Blake strode between the two and pushed them apart. "Nora, you can't go to Menagerie – and the others _certainly_ can't."

"What? Why not?"

"Because it's a place for faunus only, and the White Fang have a large garrison there. You'd all stand out."

"But Renny…"

"Is absolutely safe so long as they believe him a part of the White Fang," Blake reasoned. "He might even be able to book his way onto a ship and sail out himself. It's not like he's being kept a prisoner there or anything. Ren isn't an idiot, Nora. I'm sure he's fine."

Nora brightened up a little. "That's true, but what if he gets in trouble later?"

"We could go," Sun offered. He pointed to himself, Blake and Ilia. "We're all faunus."

Blake sighed. "No, Sun, that's the worst idea I've ever-"

"That's perfect!" Nora crowed. "Ruby, Jaune – these three will go to Menagerie and we'll go save Pyrrha, okay?"

"What? Nora, no, I didn't-"

"Sounds good," Ruby said. "Jaune?"

"It's not a bad plan, but I think we should go to the Grimmlands as a full group. I'm not sure how we'll get Pyrrha out, but it won't be easy."

"What do you suggest?"

The fact they were asking his opinion caused him to smile a little more. Maybe it wasn't full trust yet, but they were giving him a chance and that mattered. He wouldn't mess it up. "Mom always had my Uncle tell me about all of her contacts and stuff so I'd know how to rule one day. The headmaster of the school in Mistral is on her side."

"The headmaster of Haven?" Ruby asked, alarmed.

"Yeah. If we go to him and show him who I am, he'll help us get transport to the Grimmlands. If we go do that, Blake and her party can rescue Ren and meet us in Mistral before we go to face my Mom. Menagerie is close to Mistral, right?"

"It is," Blake said. She then frowned. "But I still haven't agreed to even go there!"

"Great! Once you get back, you should be able to call us since we'll be in Mistral. We can arrange to meet up and rescue Pyrrha."

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Nope." Nora slapped a hand on Blake's shoulder and smiled. She then gave Jaune and Ruby a thumbs up. "I like the plan, except for one thing. Can we trust her?"

Ilia quailed under the sudden attention.

"I… I won't betray Blake," she murmured. "I'll make amends, I promise."

"Blake and I can keep an eye on her," Sun said with a little sigh. "If this Ren guy really is held by the White Fang, having a high ranking one with us will help. Besides, I feel an unexplainable kinship with her."

Ilia scowled at him. "We're nothing alike. You stalked my Blake!"

A bead of sweat ran down the side of Ruby's face. "Yeah, I think I can see the similarity…" She sighed and looked to Jaune, and after a moment's hesitation stepped over to place a hand on his shoulder. He looked up, surprised. "I believe you," she said. "For what it's worth."

"Ruby…"

"I think everyone else will, too, but they need time to see it. You have to remember I was with you and saw you fight to protect Beacon. They only saw the end of it. They need time." _And you need to continue to prove yourself,_ she didn't say. She didn't have to. He knew.

Jaune nodded, fighting back his relieved tears. He understood more than they realised. If it took time, he was prepared to give them time. He just hoped he'd be able to prove to them how committed he was. Saving Ren and Pyrrha would be a good first step. From there? Well, they'd take it how it came.

"I'm just worried about Yang," Ruby said. "If we're heading off like this and she wakes up to see us gone, don't you think she'll be hurt? And her arm…"

"Yang will be okay, Ruby."

"You think so?"

"I know she'll be okay." He smiled confidently at her. "I made sure of it."

/-/

"Hey!"

Yang mumbled. Everything was dark. She felt exhausted, nauseous, and also confused. The last thing she could remember was a flash of red, with little before or after it. Beacon, an attack, red, red, more red, and then – searing agony. Her eyes clenched shut, even if they were already closed.

"Hey, you're awake. Hey!"

Ruby? No, it wasn't quite the same voice. Where was she? She was alive, that much was obvious, but not much else came to mind. She was on a bed of some kind with soft linen under and above her. It felt oddly familiar, and not like her bed at Beacon – even more familiar, somehow. There was a fresh scent of pinewood and snow.

Home? Was she at home? Had everything just been a nightmare.

"Hey, listen. Wake up!"

There was that annoying voice again, high-pitched and insistent, chirping away. It was clearer now, clear enough to make out the words. She probably should wake up, shouldn't she? It was pointless to try and figure out where she was otherwise.

One eye cracked open. It was late evening and thankfully not too bright. The illumination from the window was enough to see by without blinding her, and true to her earlier thoughts she _was_ back home. This was her room back in Patch. She could hear snuffling outside the door, the tell-tale sound of Zwei trying to sniff at the bottom of her door for a way in. Down below, under the floorboards, she could hear her old man humming an off-key tune.

Everything was normal, except for the fact she was in Patch at all. Hadn't she been in Beacon just a moment ago? She scanned her surroundings for an answer and spotted the dresser next to her, covered in bright cards wishing her well and a fast recovery. One was bright red and smelled of roses. She knew it was Ruby's right away. Another was covered in so much glitter it had spilled out onto her dresser and the carpet, making it sparkle.

Nora. No questions there.

"Ugh, what happened to me?" she wondered, raising a hand to cup her face.

It didn't reach.

It wasn't that she'd not moved it, but even when she had, there was no hand on her skin. Yang started to tremble, reality slowly dawning. Almost against her will, her eyes trailed down. Her arm. Her right arm… it was…

Yang trembled some more. She bit her lip to cut off a scream, and whined through the pain as she bit so hard blood ran down her chin. She wouldn't scream. She wouldn't cry. She wouldn't ball her eyes out and break down. It… It was going to be okay. Everything would be okay.

She'd just… she'd just lost her arm…

That was…

That was fine…

Right…?

"Hey, don't cry."

The voice again. Yang looked around frantically, but the room was empty. It wasn't even like there were many places someone could hide, what with her bed being pushed up against the window. She always liked to watch the stars as she fell asleep. The only conceivable spot for a person would be beside her bed, but there was no one.

"W-Who's there?" she asked. Yang hated the fact her voice trembled. "H-Hello?"

"Hello."

Behind her! Yang spun in the bed, wincing as she slammed her stump down and sent a jolt of pain up through it. She could have sworn the voice came from behind – right between and behind her ears. But there was no one, just a blank wall.

"No one…" She groaned. "Am I losing my mind?"

"I don't think so," the voice replied. "I'd know."

She hadn't imagined that – not a chance. Yang tore the sheet atop her away and tried to climb out of bed, only for her legs to be too weak. Outside the door, Zwei started to become even more agitated, running back and forth with his nose pressed to the bottom of the door, casting a shadow through the crack of light visible there.

"Who are you?" Yang hissed. "Where are you? Why can't I see you?"

"Do you want to see me?"

Yang gasped for breath. "Yes."

"Okay. Look down at your arm."

Yang did so. Her fingers opened and closed.

"Not that one, silly," the voice giggled – and this time, somehow, it wasn't behind and between her ears but audibly separate. It was down at her side, by her wounded arm. Tentatively, hesitantly, Yang raised the stump up and turned it over, so that she could see the severed end.

There, poking out from it, was a black carapaced insect with sharp mandibles, six legs and bright red eyes. It clicked them at her.

"Hey there, partner," it chirped. "Nice to meet'cha!"

Yang screamed.

* * *

 **Oh my. Well, that's a thing.**

 **So yes, my own take on V4 and V5, though obviously set for a comedy story. Ren has become our damsel in distress, trapped in Menagerie, whereas we have the Blake Appreciation Society set to go and rescue him. Will Sun and Ilia work through their differences and similarities? Will Blake survive it? And can the others manage a rescue of Pyrrha from the Queen of the Grimm herself?**

 **Just so you know, we're not "done" with Jaune's reveal as Hentacle. If it's not obvious, this isn't them all saying "It's fine and we trust you", it's them saying "We have bigger things to worry about, but we're watching you". They _are_ suspicious, and Weiss, Ren and Yang aren't even aware of it yet. I know some people were worried I'd brush it under the rug or have them just be all "It's fine" like they did when Blake finally rejoins them in S5, despite all the trouble, etc. But no, don't worry, I won't.**

 **Right now, Nora isn't sure, Blake doesn't trust him and Ruby is trusting him out of hope and friendship. No matter how I looked at it, I couldn't see any of them making an absolute decision now. They've known him too long and the secret is too big to process in a single moment. They're going to be dealing with this as they go.**

* * *

 **Also, a lot of people have asked. This is very much not meant as the "halfway" point in this story, so please don't fear there might be another 60 chapters left. Once this story is done - and that won't be anytime soon, but once it is done - the one to be replaced in favour of this one WILL be Professor Arc's continuation.**

 **V4 and 5 didn't really give me the "direction" I was hoping for, but it gives enough for me to make up my own story line from.**

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 **Next Chapter: 31** **st** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	69. Chapter 69

**Here we are. Just a reminder that due to my work next week, there won't be a chapter on the Thursday. Things will resume as normal from the week after.**

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 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 69 (Giggity)**

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Emerald was not having a good day.

In fact, she'd had something of a bad week, or maybe a bad year – a bad life, one might even say. Most of that she could lay firmly at Cinder's feet, even if there was a part of her brain that still automatically cried out in defence of the woman she had genuinely loved and adored. Fat lot of good that did her now. Cinder had left, abandoned her, and with another woman no less (though Emerald doubted Pyrrha Nikos had followed Cinder by choice). The moment that happened and the attack went south, Emerald knew she needed a way out.

The White Fang wasn't an option, partly because they were faunus supremacists, but mostly because they were pretty much doomed to be captured, as inept as they were. Reaching Cinder in the Grimmlands wasn't going to happen and her little brother, Jaune, was nowhere to be seen. Mercury, she'd last seen fighting alongside his girlfriend at the entrance to Beacon and there was a chance he didn't even realise how screwed he was, physically and figuratively. She considered saving him and tossed the idea away just as quickly. He could be a useful distraction while she legged it.

As to where, well, there weren't many options and all of them were bad. The best bet for now was just to run and reach Vale, and from there she could consider flight to a different Kingdom or, if she could stomach it, prostrating herself in front of Roman.

He was a bastard for sure, but he had an amazing ability to survive and avoid capture, and her Semblance could at least be useful to him. With that in mind, Emerald had fled. There hadn't been any real aim or direction to it since she could loop around the Emerald Forest either way, but she'd decided to run in the _opposite_ direction to the huge dragon killing pretty much everything in its path. Cinder had been capable of keeping the Grimm off them, but with her gone she would be open game once more. Best not to risk it.

Unfortunately, that had led to complications. Emerald's retreat had been cut off by a number of Bullheads landing on the edge of Beacon. They weren't commercial ones but clearly military and marked with the symbol of Atlas. Reinforcements from Amity no doubt, and likely because Atlas had finished securing and evacuating the civilians. Really, the White Fang couldn't do anything right.

Still, they could stop her – and they'd definitely find it suspicious if she tried to sneak past and retreat into the forests. Emerald pressed her back to a tree and wracked her mind for a solution. None came, which meant she'd default to what had always worked – her Semblance. She'd picked a weakness in the Atlas line, a Bullhead guarded by just two soldiers, and made her way towards it. As she did, she wrapped her Semblance around the two – fighting past the sudden pain in her skull – and weaved an illusion around her, portraying the one person she was absolutely certain they would not dare challenge.

"Miss Schnee," the two gasped. "Miss Schnee, are you alright? Your sister has been looking everywhere for you."

"I'm fine," Emerald said. Though her voice was her own, they heard one better fitting Weiss Schnee's tone and accent. Her head pounded from using her Semblance on two people at once, but she struggled through it. "I just need to make my way back to Vale. Can you take me?"

"Vale, ma'am? Whatever for?"

"One of my teammates is still there and is injured. I need to ensure her safety at the hospital." Considering what had happened, the hospital would be filled with people, which would make evading these two easy. Emerald tried for her bossiest tone. "I am personally demanding you transport me there. This is a matter of grave importance."

To her relief, they saluted. "That will be no problem, ma'am. We received instructions to look for you either way."

They had? How convenient! Emerald smiled and stepped into the Bullhead when one opened the door. Keeping her Semblance active for the flight would be taxing, especially on two people, but to her delight the Bullhead was a much fancier one than normal and the man that led her on brought her to her own room. "Please, Miss Schnee, rest here and recover. We will handle the transport and alert you when we reach our destination."

"I appreciate that. Please knock before entering, however." She could use a quick nap and it wouldn't do for anyone to walk in and find she wasn't who she was supposed to be.

"Of course, ma'am."

Emerald hid her smile and stepped in, locking the door behind her and sitting down on the soft bed. It looked like the Schnee name brought with it all sorts of benefits. Once she reached Vale, she could slip away and find Roman, and from there she'd be safe and sound.

"Heh," she whispered, laying down and closing her eyes. "That wasn't so hard."

Outside the door, the soldier brought out his communications device and signed on to a specific channel. "Specialist Schnee?"

" _I hope this is important, soldier."_

"We have recovered the target, ma'am. Your sister is safely in our care."

" _Weiss is-?"_ The ice faded from the Specialist's tone, though only for a moment. _"Excellent work, soldier. You have my gratitude. Is she injured?"_

"No, ma'am, though she's requested transport to the Vale hospital to see to a teammate. What are your orders, ma'am?"

" _Is Weiss there right now?"_

"She is in a private bunk resting, ma'am. I felt she could use it after what has happened, though I will wake her if it is your desire."

" _No. That won't be necessary. Soldier, I want you to ignore my sister's request, at least for now. Beacon is no longer safe and the headmaster, Ozpin, has fallen."_ She paused to allow the man to control his shock. _"As such, it is of great importance that my sister be exfiltrated to Atlas. Am I understood?"_

"Yes, ma'am." He saluted. "How should I inform Miss Schnee?"

" _You need not, soldier. I will take responsibility for this directly and deal with my sister. She may not forgive me, but I pray she will understand my reasons. Take off now, soldier. Do not wait."_

"As you command, Specialist Schnee." The soldier ended the call and slipped away from the private bunk, toward the pilot. Weiss Schnee might not be pleased to find she'd been tricked, but orders were orders.

At least he wouldn't have to be the one to explain it to her.

That was over a day and a half ago and, as it turned out, was when Emerald's week had taken a turn for catastrophic into shit-hitting-the-fan territory, though she hadn't realised it until much later – when she'd woken up, found her door locked from the outside and discovered that the view outside her window really wasn't the Vale it was supposed to be.

Had she miscalculated?

There was a knock on the door. "Weiss. It's me, Winter. I believe we should have words."

Yep. She'd miscalculated.

Emerald barely had the time to throw her Semblance at the woman when the door opened – and there was a brief moment where Winter Schnee's eyes narrowed, a mere instance where she'd perceived darker skin and hair the wrong colour, before she shook her head and dispelled such thoughts, faced once more with her younger sister looking up at her guiltily.

Most people were willing to write off things like that. The brain was a wonderful organ that could do so much, but it could be deceived easily. Like many others who had seen something wrong for a moment, Winter dismissed it as a flicker of light, imagination or maybe a strange sense of déjà vu. Emerald breathed a sigh of relief, even if it was short lived. It had been bad enough when she'd been on the run in Vale, but now she was on the run in Atlas, masquerading as the heiress to the SDC, and probably surrounded by an army. Out of the frying pan and into the inferno. This was Mercury's fault, somehow.

Either way, she was in too deep now. She'd pretended to be Weiss to get on the Bullhead, and now she was in Atlas she couldn't very well _stop_ pretending to be Weiss, at least not here. The first chance she got to flee she'd take, but that opportunity wasn't now, with Winter flipping Schnee, Specialist and all around dangerous huntress, in front of her.

Somehow, Emerald's complete panic had been mistaken for intentional silence by the very deadly woman.

"Weiss, I realise you must be angry at me," Winter began. "I just want to assure you this was not totally my idea. Were it my choice, I'd have allowed you more time in Vale, but your father." Winter paused. "Our father," she amended, "was en route, and I thought it better if I explained things, rather than he."

"O-Okay." Luckily for Emerald, Weiss may well have stuttered in the situation. Winter accepted it as shock, though naturally for Emerald it was the fact her heart was racing at a thousand beats per minute.

"Beacon has fallen and Vale has been attacked by the White Fang. The threat of that alone is too great to ignore, even before the potential risks. Although Beacon did nominally survive, it will be out of commission for some time. Father, in his infinite wisdom, does not want to see your education stall in such a way." Winter's face twisted, and Emerald had the feeling Jacques Schnee's concern was more for the SDC's reputation than Weiss' safety. "As such, he believes it best you returned to Atlas, at least for the time being."

Okay, so she wasn't being arrested and her cover was still good. That was fine. Sort of. What would Weiss say in this situation, though? Emerald had spent some time around the girl, but couldn't claim to know her that well.

"What of my team?"

"Your team is… I… I will strive to gather information on them, Weiss. Regrettably, I don't know enough at the moment."

"I see..."

Emerald's body trembled a little, though again she was fortunate in that Winter assumed it concern for her teammates. She had to calm down. She had to consider her options. No Cinder and no Mercury meant no help here, but being in Atlas wasn't necessarily a bust, as long as she could get away before anyone started to look for Emerald Sustrai, teammate of Cinder Fall – terrorist - and currently missing from Vale.

If Winter Schnee wanted to take her back to the Schnee mansion, or palace or whatever they lived in, then surely that was fine. She'd be surrounded by people loyal to the face and name she currently wore. She could use her Semblance on a servant and use them to escape. The problem, of course, was getting there in one piece, since putting her Semblance on more than one person was hard enough already, and if Emerald was hearing things right, there were _quite a few_ people gathered outside.

Fortunately, Winter made the decision for her.

Unfortunately, it was by grabbing her wrist and dragging her out of the room. "We should leave, Weiss. We don't want to remain and allow the media to get a view of this. I have a car ready to take us home. Once there… well, we'll handle things as they come."

"W-Wait, Winter-" Emerald's eyes bulged out of her head as she was dragged out in front of three Atlas soldiers – two of which had been the ones to bring her here. Their mouths fell open as they saw her. They knew. She didn't have the control, power or time to use her Semblance on them. One raised a hand to accuse her, point out the obvious, or just ask what the hell was going on.

Winter fixed him with a fierce glare. "What is it, soldier?"

"U-Um, ma'am, that girl-"

" _That girl_ is my sister, private. You would do well to remember that."

The man turned bodily to stare at Emerald. Emerald stared back, wincing and knowing it was not only too late to use her Semblance on him, but that with four people in the room she'd likely knock herself out and reveal the truth to Winter, too.

The soldier hesitated. "B-But that's not… we brought Miss Schnee on the Bullhead…"

"And you will be suitably rewarded in time," Winter sighed impatiently. "I will speak to your superior officer and compliment your service, but there is precious little I can do now." Winter stood a little taller and glared the man down. "Is that enough, private?"

The soldier trembled. He looked like he wanted to say something so very badly, but his fellows were all looking away, mouths firmly shut, and a part of him realised that any chances of a promotion, reward or anything would fly out of the window if he said anything more. He looked to Emerald once more, saw a girl who was _clearly_ not Weiss Schnee, and then to Winter, who had hold of the girl's arm and clearly seemed to _see_ her as Weiss Schnee. The man slumped.

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am."

"Good. Then, if it's not too much hassle, Weiss and I shall be off." Winter stormed away, dragging Emerald behind her.

The three soldiers stood in the now empty Bullhead, not quite sure what to say or do and all still vaguely afraid Winter Schnee would come back and kill them, either for wasting her time or for bringing back someone that almost certainly wasn't the right person.

"I-I mean, should we do something?" one of them asked.

"Wouldn't that be as good as admitting we made a mistake?"

"The Specialist seemed happy enough with whom we brought back. That's a mission success, right? Technically, I mean." Even to him, the excuse felt weak. "Sort of." They stood still, beads of sweat running down their faces.

"Should we report this to General Ironwood; maybe suggest Specialist Schnee be booked in for a mental evaluation?"

"Sure, if you're brave enough to explain this to Ironwood."

No answer. In the distance they heard a car door shut and Winter drive whoever-the-hell-that-was away.

"So, we just pretend this never happened, right?"

"Now you're talking my language."

/-/

"Nora, no."

"Why not? It's a perfect disguise." Nora stomped one foot down, arms crossed and horribly fake dog ears on her head standing at attention. Go back a few months and that might have been a gross affront against her, but now Blake sighed and gently reached up to take the silly things off her partner's head.

Nora was just worried for Ren, and in that regard Blake couldn't fault her. If anything, it made her appreciate her partner more. Well, her concern, anyway, less so her constant effort to change their mind and join their party.

"I convinced the White Fang I was a faunus once," Nora complained. "I can do it again."

"The White Fang in Menagerie are nowhere near as useless as the ones here in Vale. Ren at least has a genuine advantage, both in his unique eye colour and his Semblance. If anyone got suspicious, he could calm them down immediately. You, on the other hand, stand out too much."

"But I want to help Ren…"

"I know." Blake took hold of Nora's hands and gripped them tight. "But trust in your partner a little, okay?" She smiled, showing more confidence than she had for a while. "I know Menagerie like the back of my hand. I won't let anything happen to him. And as for why you can't go with me…" Blake allowed her eyes to shift a little to the left, over Nora's shoulder and towards Ruby and Jaune, who stood a little to the side. "Someone really has to go with them."

"In case Jaune does something," Nora sighed. "I know, I know. Ruby wouldn't be able to stop him on her own and would be captured."

Trust didn't come so easily, not in so short a time and after so big a revelation. Jaune hadn't hurt them yet, and had shown a desire to help - and Blake _wanted_ to trust him, she really did - but he was leading them to the Grimmlands. What was to say that wasn't a trap? Why _would_ he act out when they were doing exactly what he wanted them to do? Blake would have liked to keep an eye on him herself, but she didn't have a choice. Ren needed her help.

Nora understood that. And as much as she wanted to go and assure Ren's safety, she wasn't callous enough to do so at the expense of Ruby's. Honestly, their argument now – if one could call it that – wasn't new. Ever since the teams had been decided, Nora had been trying to change them. Blake handled it with patience, explaining why it was best Nora stay with Jaune and Ruby, and promising time and time again that she'd see Ren safe.

Things really were better this way. Ruby needed someone to watch her back, and someone who was strong enough to hold her own. That was Nora for sure. Ren needed subtle assistance, and three faunus – one of which was still technically known as being in the White Fang – could provide that. Nora drew too much attention and would lose her cool the moment she thought Ren was in danger. Obviously, they couldn't leave Ruby with only Ilia or Sun to rely on, either. Sun would follow Blake wherever she went, and Ilia couldn't be trusted to stay loyal unless she was close. Simply put, it was either the three of them go rescue Ren, or Nora go alone.

The latter just wasn't an option. Nora understood that, Blake felt. She wasn't dumb. It was just that she wanted to be there to help her childhood friend. But even she knew when to give in.

"Alright," Nora said, pouting. "But this is a big thing, Blakey. You're my partner, but Ren is the father of my children." Blake blinked owlishly. "My future children."

"Ah."

"So you need to make sure he's safe and sound!" Nora went on. "And I don't want to hear about you seducing him, either. I'm trusting you with his body here."

Blake groaned. "Nora, I don't-"

"And I'm trusting you to seduce Blake," Nora said over her partner's shoulder. "Seduce her so that she won't have time to do so to Renny."

Blake groaned even harder.

"It will be a great sacrifice, but I shall do my best." Sun quipped.

"She was talking to me," Ilia snapped.

"No way. I'm her student in marital arts."

"You mean martial arts."

"I really don't."

"Was that entirely necessary?" Blake asked, fixing her partner with a deadpan gaze.

"Necessary? No. Fun? yes." Nora giggled and patted her shoulder. "Good luck, Blakey. I trust you."

Blake nodded back solemnly.

It was hard to watch them go. It was even harder to watch, knowing they were going to save Ren and know that she couldn't. Nora sighed, but was grateful for the hand that fell on her shoulder, even if it wasn't a member of her team.

"They'll rescue him," Ruby said.

"Yeah, I know. Blake is my partner. I trust her."

"You just want to be there, too." Ruby said. Nora nodded. "Well, I know how that feels. Half of my team has been kidnapped."

"I don't think it's a kidnapping if Weiss' father comes to collect her," Jaune pointed out awkwardly.

"She still went unwillingly," Ruby growled. "That's a kidnapping in my book. Well, I guess we'll just have to swing by Atlas after we save Ren and Pyrrha and rescue her too," she decided. "We're already breaking into Menagerie and the Grimmlands. How hard can the SDC be?"

"Weiss can look after herself," Jaune chuckled. "She's strong, Ruby. She won't let this hold her back."

"Then it'll be a race. We'll rescue her before she can rescue herself."

"But after Ren and Pyrrha," Nora said.

"Yeah, of course. We'll have to race Blake, then. We'll save Pyrrha before they can save Ren."

"And then we can be there to save both of them," Nora finished, grinning. "I can save both Pyrrha _and_ my Renny, and be the true hero. Yeah!" Nora gave Ruby a high-five (high for Ruby, anyway) and threw an arm around both her and Jaune's shoulders. "What are we waiting for? Mistral, Grimmlands and then Menagerie." Nora dragged Jaune's face closer. "Ooh, ooh, can we fly to Menagerie on the back of a Grimm dragon?"

Ruby sighed. "Nora, I don't think that's how it works-"

"I'll have to ask mom, but I'm sure Kevin would be up for it."

"Yeah!"

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Well, I guess this is it," she said. "Mistral, and then the Grimmlands. We're going to get our teammates back."

"Hell yeah," Nora cheered. "Team Nora is a go!"

Ruby and Jaune shared a look. "Team Nora?"

"Yeah, Team NJR." Nora faced their incredulous expressions with a grin. "It's a silent J."

"Oh, of course. I guess I should have known…"

"Well, we can call ourselves Team Hentai if you want-"

"No, no, no," Ruby assured, red-faced and eyes firmly not on Jaune. "Team Nora is nice. I like it."

/-/

Despite a full night's sleep, she didn't feel very calm.

Pyrrha felt she could be excused for that.

Maybe it had something to do with the cold, stone room she slept in, the purple sky outside, the Grimm-blasted landscape or the Nevermore which occasionally settled on the windowsill to glare at her. Or maybe it had something to do with the frankly _giant_ Beowolf sat with its maw resting on her, pinning her to the tiles. Who could even say? The world had turned itself upside down already, so she felt she could be forgiven for fraying a little at the edges.

Or, you know, it could have something to do with the woman who had attacked Beacon and nearly killed her standing by the door, arms crossed as she leaned on the frame. "Mannie seems to like you," she said. "I suppose he smells his master on you."

"His – uf – master?" Pyrrha grunted as she moved the murderous beast's jaw, requiring both hands to do it. She refused to dignify the petulant whine it gave her once she freed herself. It wasn't cute. It just wasn't, and no amount of sorrowful looks, cuddling or whining would convince her otherwise. It whined again, face pressed flat to the tiles.

Pyrrha's eye twitched.

It rolled over, presenting its belly to the ceiling. Its tongue lolled out.

"Don't read into this," Pyrrha growled, scratching its stomach. The beast's hind leg kicked.

"Mannie belongs to Jaune," Cinder said, not at all confused to see one of the most ferocious creatures on Remnant acting like a house pet. "He's intelligent, at least for a Grimm, and can no doubt either smell or sense Jaune on you. You'd do well to keep him around, since not all Grimm will be so accommodating."

"What are you doing here?" Pyrrha asked, trying to glare and look like an actual threat, regardless of the Beowolf trying to drag her into a wrestling game. "Have you come to kill me? Have you come to finish off where you started?"

"No. I came for a much more pressing matter." Cinder stepped further into the room and revealed a bundle from behind her back. She tossed it at Pyrrha, hitting her in the face. Mannie seemed curious enough to give her a moment to inspect it, even if he didn't let her off her knees or out of his embrace.

It was a formal dress, blood-red in colour and split down the thigh. "I don't understand."

"You've been invited to dinner. Wear that."

"Invited-?" Pyrrha's eyes widened. "Will… will that _thing_ from last night be there?"

"That _thing_ would be your beloved's mother," Cinder drawled. "If I were you, I wouldn't speak so ill of that which I wished to call my future mother in law. She is also, if I may remind you, the only person currently keeping hordes of Grimm from killing you."

Pyrrha winced, conceding the point. To be fair, she'd only met the woman known as Salem briefly, but even that had been enough of an introduction to make an impression. The thing was, it wasn't quite the impression she'd expected.

Kidnapped and taken to the Grimmlands, check.

Dragged before the Queen of all evil, check.

Locked away in a room in a dark tower, check.

Monstrous beast set to guard and keep her in place, check. Well, sort of.

So far, it had run down the list of stereotypical movie way to be killed fairly accurately. The only thing missing was torture and an evil monologue. When she'd been thrown before a woman she could only call a monster, with veins of molten lava across a white face and eyes the colour of blood, Pyrrha had prepared herself for death, and perhaps for worse.

It had been the worse. It had been so much worse.

And after a quick clean up and the donning of her dress, Pyrrha Nikos swallowed and walked back into the hall once more, giant Beowolf at her heel – and reaching up to her waist on all fours – and Cinder Fall beside her.

Salem, the dread queen of the Grimm, sat on a throne before her. She rose, took a step forward, and then – as Pyrrha clenched her eyes – continued the horrific assault from the previous night. It came in the form of a high-pitched squeal and bright, crimson eyes.

"Perfect!" Salem gushed. "It's perfect. Oh, the red brings out your hair – and your eyes, so bright and green, like little emeralds. And your skin." Salem's hand caressed her cheek. Pyrrha felt she should have shivered, but she swallowed instead, the blood rushing to her face and turning her cheeks a bright shade of pink. "So soft and smooth. She's perfect. Absolutely perfect. Where's Nicky? I need Nicky. Oh, I just have to send him a picture."

The most deadly being on Remnant gripped Pyrrha's shoulders before she could stop her and dragged her against her, the two stood side by side, Pyrrha nestled in the crook of Salem's arm. "Cinder, take a picture, and see it sent to my darling Nicky-poo."

Pyrrha flushed even further. "I-I, excuse me, but-"

A scroll flashed as the picture was taken.

"Excuse me," Pyrrha tried again valiantly. "Not to be rude, but-"

"Put the caption `Jaune's future wife` on the picture," Salem instructed. She paused and glanced to Pyrrha. "Oh sweetie, I ignored you, I'm sorry. Did you have something you wanted to say?"

Pyrrha didn't. Or, well, she did, but her face was currently bright red and the channel between her brain and her mouth didn't appear to be working properly. All that came out was a muffled "Bweh".

"Hm, perhaps you're hungry. You didn't eat much last night." She hadn't, perhaps somewhat understandable since she'd been terrified that she'd be killed at any moment. "Tyrian, Watts," Salem shouted. "Bring out some food for our guest."

Two men came out of a back room with some plates heaped with meat. Pyrrha's heart skipped a beat at the thought of what it might be, before her senses kicked back in and told her it was beef and lamb, included with steamed vegetables, mint sauce and pretty much the normal kind of food you'd find served in Atlas or Vale.

She didn't _feel_ very safe eating it, or sitting at a table hewn from solid rock beside the Queen of the Grimm and next to Cinder Fall, terrorist and wanted criminal, and the fact she had a Beowolf wrapped around her feet up to her knees didn't help either, but she was hungry - starving, even – and couldn't quite resist heaping her plate with food.

"That's quite a lot, my dear." Salem's eyes sparkled. "Are you eating for two? Is it three?"

"E-Excuse me…?"

"Are you pregnant, dear?" Salem asked, far more bluntly, as if she thought Pyrrha had somehow misunderstood the suggestion. "Is there a bun in the oven? Are you `in the family way`? Is there-"

"N-No!" Pyrrha cried, cheeks aflame. "No, I'm not!"

"You and Jaune haven't…?" Salem made an odd motion with one finger, and when Pyrrha didn't grasp it, went on to push the finger repeatedly through a hole made between the finger and thumb of her other hand.

Pyrrha whined in abject mortification. It was probably answer enough.

"Oh dear, well, my son always has been a little slow with these things. No matter. I'm sure you'll be able to ensnare him when he comes by." Salem leaned forward conspirationally. "I'll even help."

"H-Help?"

"With advice, my dear," the monster before her quickly said. "He _is_ my son. If you need help in _those_ aspects, I'm sure Cinder would be willing to assist."

The dark-haired woman beside Pyrrha choked on her drink and nearly died right there.

"In fact, maybe that wouldn't be a bad idea. My son might be too much for a virgin. You can double-team him. It's more efficient that way anyway; two pregnancies at once and more grandbabies to go around."

Cinder Fall slammed a fist on the table, head bowed as she tried to regain control of her breathing. Pyrrha ignored her, and the odd, crazed-looked man sat opposite who seemed to be chanting "Go on, choke" over and over.

This… This had to be some kind of ruse. They were trying to break down her defences, make her relax, or maybe just to lure her in. Pyrrha took a deep breath and steadied herself. She cast out the images of herself, Cinder and Jaune entangled in white sheets, and then cast them out again when it didn't work the first time.

"I… I won't fall for it," she said firmly.

Salem regarded her softly. "Hm?"

"Whatever your plan is, whatever your scheme, I won't fall for it."

"Is that so, my dear?"

Pyrrha held her ground. She was a huntress, not a damsel in distress. "It is."

"Well, that certainly is a shame. And here I was going to take us through these." Salem hefted up a thick, green-covered book. A large man with a beard pushed a trolley up to the table, revealing it stacked up at least four levels high with similar ones, all labelled in exquisite detail.

Despite herself, Pyrrha couldn't quite contain her curiosity and looked a little closer at one of the labels. Coral Arc, it read, age 6-8. Below that was another, "Sapphire Arc – age 1-3". Pyrrha's eyes shot to the one in Salem's hand. The name on the cover was familiar, as it ought to be.

"Is that…?"

"It is," Salem said, smiling. "But if you're not interested…"

"I-I didn't say that. I only said I wouldn't be a part of your plans." Pyrrha's ears went red as she tried to defend her frankly indefensible position. "B-But you can still _tell_ me said plan. And show me what's in there."

"Well, I suppose I can…"

Cinder Fall sighed in disgust as the two leaned over one of the albums, no doubt _filled_ to the brim with pictures of her little brother in varying ages. Salem and Nicholas kept their albums in meticulous detail, though one might have called it too much detail. By the time their children were sixteen, it was really too old to be forcing them for pictures every few weeks. Not so for Salem Arc, however.

The Fall Maiden's powers were still in the girl… or half of it at least. Cinder looked to Watts. "How long until you can find what machine Ozpin tried to use and replicate it?"

"It will take time. Atlas is keeping rather quiet about it. You'll just have to be patient."

It wasn't what she wanted to hear and Cinder cursed under her breath. Patience was not her strong suit, not here, when she was so close. If only the brat hadn't revealed her feelings for Jaune, they wouldn't be here. Pyrrha could be dying atop a tower and Cinder could be learning to use her new power. She glared balefully at the girl, throwing imaginary daggers into her back.

"Oh my," Pyrrha gasped.

"Oh, I know. Cinder was so adorable as a little girl."

Cinder's entire body twitched. "Erk!"

"She used to dress up as a Grimm and run around growling like a Beowolf. You should see the pictures where I used to bath her and Jaune together when they were both little. She used to make him call her the pirate queen. She was so adorable! They're in here somewhere. Let me find them." Pages began to turn rapidly.

"I-I must attend to some business," Cinder said, surging to her feet. She didn't want for a response from anyone, especially not from the sarcastically smiling Watts. It wasn't retreat if she planned to strike again later, and that was what she told herself as she hurried from the dining chamber.

"Oh, they're so sweet!" Pyrrha crooned.

Cinder's measured retreat turned into a full blown rout.

/-/

Despite a full night's sleep, she didn't feel very calm.

Yang felt she could be excused for that.

She also felt her throat could be excused for feeling a little hoarse as she screamed – and for her screaming _louder_ when she heard her father's footsteps hammering towards her and saw the … the _thing_ dart back _into her own fucking skin_! Yang stared at it a second longer, and then began to scream once more, louder and harder.

The door slammed open. Taiyang was armed with a skillet and looked ready to use it to deadly effect. His eyes scanned for threats. His teeth were bared. "Yang! Baby, what's wrong?"

Zwei barrelled into the room and onto her bed. He sniffed around her, smelled something but couldn't quite find it, and proceeded to run laps around her trying to locate the alien scent on his beloved master. His pace continued to increase before he tripped on her quilt, flipped off the bed and became entangled in it. The corgi started to growl furiously, trying to fight his way out.

Yang, meanwhile, continued to scream.

"Yang!" Taiyang yelled over it.

"D-Dad?" Yang's vision cleared. She thrust her severed arm forward with a gasp. "Cut it off! Cut it off!"

The skillet fell. "Yang, sweetie, I know. It's... it's something we'll work through together-"

"No, no, no. CUT. IT. OFF!"

"Yang, it's _already_ been cut off."

He didn't understand. Why didn't he understand? Maybe she wasn't being obvious enough, though really, Yang wasn't sure how her father wasn't grasping what she felt were pretty fucking clear instructions. Her arm had been possessed by some red-eyed murder-insect. It had to go. Knife, saw or just pulling until it tore free. Yep, it had to go, preferably before the monster possessing her spread-

" **I'm not actually in your arm anymore,"** the voice said, this time seeming to echo in her head once more.

"W-Where are you?" she hissed, looking around.

"Yang, I'm right here," Taiyang said. He gripped her cheeks and forced her eyes to meet his. "I'm right here, sweetheart. I'm here."

" **I'm in your chest,"** the voice said.

Yang gripped her father's hand with her only good one and stared him in the eye. "Dad…"

"Yes, Firecracker?"

"Cut my tits off."

Her dad didn't, annoyingly. He was as flaky as ever and seemed to think _she_ was the one who was insane. To her complete frustration, he'd tied her one good hand to the bed – so she couldn't hurt herself, apparently – and gone off to contact the doctor. He seemed to think the trauma of her lost arm had damaged her psyche or something. Personally, Yang felt her mind was working fairly well. It was her throat that was too hoarse to scream, which was a shame since the _thing_ had once again revealed itself, this time poking out of her shoulder and leaning a claw on her cheek.

" **I'm thinking we didn't get off on the right foot. Or claw, I guess."**

"W-What the _fuck_ are you?" Yang wheezed. Her throat was too hoarse to shout anymore, or scream, despite how much nightmare fuel the thing was providing. Oh Gods above, it had come right out of her freaking skin!

" **I'm a part of you."**

"I-I'm part Grimm…"

" **What? No, no, no. I'm fully Grimm and you're fully human. I just live inside of you."**

"I've been possessed by a Grimm…"

" **It's more accurate to say we share the same body. Really, I was practically born from you."**

Yang's eyes widened. "I gave birth to a Grimm…"

" **Look, Jaune put me inside of you."**

"My boyfriend got me pregnant. With a Grimm."

" **You're not pregnant!"**

"My boyfriend and I had a Grimm baby. I- YOW!" Yang tried to rub her cheek but ended up batting her stump against it. "You bit me!"

" **And you're not listening! Look, I'm here to help you. I'm on your side."**

"How am I supposed to believe that?"

" **Well, we kind of live together now. It would be pretty stupid for me to get you killed when I only live as a part of you. Here, let me help with that binding."** There was an odd sensation in her severed arm and Yang's eyes widened as black mist seemed to seep from her skin, forming over the stump and slowly building. Yang yelped and tried to shimmy away to no avail. Before her eyes, an arm of purest black had formed.

She closed her eyes and waited for it to kill her.

" **Um, a little help here?"**

Her eyes cracked open. The arm, for what it was, hadn't really moved.

" **I'm only an arm from the elbow down,"** the voice explained, the head of the creature now absent from her shoulder. **"I can't actually reach above you unless you move your shoulder and upper arm for me."**

Tentatively, Yang tried to move her arm – and while she found she couldn't control the forearm and hand that had sprouted from her, she could still move everything above it. If she kept the arm _away_ from her, it wouldn't be able to bend backwards and actually reach her.

But then, how long could she do that?

"You said _Jaune_ put you in me?"

" **Yep. While you were unconscious."**

"That son of a bitch." She was going to have _words_ with him, boyfriend or not.

" **Technically, he's my father."**

"Grbl…"

" **Can I call you-"**

"No! Absolutely not!"

" **Aw…"**

Yang's sanity was already half shot but she figured she still trusted Jaune enough to give this a go, even if she wanted to punch him for doing _something_ to her while she was out. She raised her arm up and over her head, cringing as the solid black limb came close to her throat and face. Rather than strike her, however, it reached beyond and touched the binding her father had strapped to her wrist. The hand's fingers seemed to morph together and become a single entity, not quite a blade but somewhat stronger. It tugged at the cloth until it snapped.

Free, Yang sat up and brought her good hand around, catching her _new arm_ by the wrist and shaking it like one might the throat of someone. "Right, you," she growled. "I want answers."

" **E-Erk, M-Mom, please…"**

"I'm not your mother!" Yang shrieked. "A-And you're not a part of me. What are you? How did Jaune put you in me? _Why_ did Jaune put you in me? What's going on, where am I and what happened to Beacon? Answer my questions!"

" **W-Which one?"** the arm gasped.

"ALL OF THEM!" She shook the hand for good measure, imagining it as the head of the creature. "I demand answers and-" Hurried footsteps from outside the room echoed through the hall. Someone was coming. Yang froze and stared down at her arm – black, covered in bone plates and generally something she _really_ shouldn't have. "Hide," she hissed.

It shot back into her the second she released it, and in no time at all it was gone. There was a faint sense of nausea at knowing it was inside of her, but no pain, no discomfort and no discernible marks left behind. Oh yeah, she was going to get some answers from Jaune on this one.

The door slammed open. Qrow appeared. "Yang," he gasped, relieved. "What the hell, where's your old man? Where's Ruby?"

Yang's eyes narrowed. "Thanks for asking about my health."

"Shit." Qrow moved in and sat down on her bed. "Sorry, Firecracker. I lost myself for a moment there. Still, I know about your health. Who do you think carried you back here?" He winked at her and Yang's temper faded.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "Dad is… Dad is trying to find a psychiatrist."

Qrow raised an eyebrow.

"Don't ask. Ruby is… wait, why are you looking for Ruby?"

"No reason." Qrow's poker face was, as usual, terrible. "I just need to talk to her about some things. About what happened to Beacon, Ozpin, and how on an unrelated note, we tracked the person responsible for it all to Mistral. I need to talk to her about that. Where is she?"

"I don't-"

" **She's gone to Mistral with Jaune and your team,"** the Grimm-thing helpfully provided. **"I was awake at the time, so I heard it all."**

Yang dutifully relayed the message, without the information on how she knew.

"W-What? But I didn't even mention-" Qrow shook his head. "Okay, well, I guess that's convenient. Sort of." He scratched his head. "I guess I'll go find and keep an eye on her. Don't want her to get in trouble."

"And you'll bring her back?"

"Yeah… sure…"

Yang's eyes narrowed. "Uncle Qrow…"

"You focus on getting better, Firecracker." He wrapped an arm around her, drew her close and kissed the top of her head affectionately. "You're a strong girl, so I doubt this'll keep you down. Just keep your eyes on the future and remember that everyone is here to help."

"Yeah, except you, Ruby and literally everyone else," Yang yelled sarcastically as Qrow fled.

It was just like them all to say one thing but then leave her on her own, stuck in her bedroom, missing an arm and with no one to rely on.

" **I'm here…"** the voice inside her said. The Grimm parasite, baby, thing, popped out of her shoulder and spread its claws hopefully. **"Hug?"**

Yang stared at it.

Yes. Jaune was going to need some _very good answers_ for this.

/-/

Despite a full night's sleep, he… well, he did feel rather calm.

Ren was fairly sure Yang would have called him an idiot for that, seeing as how his situation was about as dire as could be. He stood on the sidewalk of a street in Menagerie, under the baking sun and wondering what he was supposed to do, how he was supposed to do it and just how he'd managed to convince those faunus earlier that he was, in fact, a sloth faunus.

His Semblance had helped, oddly enough. They seemed to think his ability to stay calm was a manifested faunus trait, and that the `calmness even in the face of obvious danger` was just him taking being a lazy sloth to an extreme. Ren wasn't sure if he should feel insulted about that or not, but he'd made up an excuse about visiting his family and they'd bought it, effectively letting him go without so much as a question.

 _And why not?_ _Menagerie is firmly under the control of the White Fang._ It was obvious in the way faunus walked about with their masks on display, but hanging from their necks instead of being worn normally. Ren had his, or rather the one he'd stolen from the chameleon girl, and he kept hold of it, hoping to use it as a means to ward off suspicion. Even if someone thought him oddly lacking in faunus features, they might see the mask and be convinced.

"Hiding in plain sight. I doubt they had this in mind when the saying was conceived." Ren sighed and moved down a rather empty street, taking in what information he could. Menagerie was more developed than he'd been led to believe, though nowhere near the level of one of the major cities. The architecture was not dissimilar to Mistral, though somewhat more haphazard, rushed, one might say, as if the city had been built suddenly and with no regard to intricate planning. Considering Menagerie's founding, that may well have been the case.

Ren supposed he should find a means to boost a signal through to Vale and contact his team, if only to assure them he was safe. From there, he could decide how to escape Menagerie, which judging from the relative freedom he had, would be as simple as climbing on a boat and riding off.

"I'll need some lien for that, and to find out where the shipping lanes go. It wouldn't do to end up in Vacuo. Atlas might not be bad, if I can get enough lien for an intercontinental flight back to Vale. Either way, the first order of business is contacting them." He checked his scroll, and while it was still in service he wasn't surprised to see no messages. With Beacon having been attacked, it made sense the CCT would be offline. He scanned the horizon for one in Menagerie and frowned when he saw nothing. It didn't mean there wasn't one, but the buildings were too tall around him to see very far. He'd need to get a lay of the land, and possibly somewhere to spend the night.

 _I can work in an inn if needs be. I can cook, wash dishes or clean. Hm, this is all going to be a delay, but if I can assure Nora I'm fine I'll have all the time in the world to get out of here._ Ren continued to plan as he made his way down the path. He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice someone step out from the next street until they were nothing more than a shadow filling his vision.

They collided. The figure fell first, easily, hinting at little to no training. Ren's instincts kicked in and he reached out to catch her, even if the food was a loss, a bag splitting open on the dirt path and spilling fruit everywhere.

"I apologise," he said hurriedly. "I wasn't aware of my surroundings. Please, let me help you."

"Oh no, it's fine," the woman replied, stepping out of his grip with a tinkling laugh. "It's a hot day and I barged out onto the street without a care in the world." She knelt to pick up some of her food and Ren did the same, collecting it in his hands. The woman chuckled again. "My, what a gentleman you are. I should have you know I'm a happily married woman."

Ren chuckled himself, recognising a teasing tone when he heard it. Hard not to when Yang was your partner. Gods, he wondered how she was doing. It was a shock to realise how much the lack of an answer as to her safety bothered him. Just another thing he needed the CCT for. Perhaps he could ask this woman for directions.

"I really am sorry for bumping into you. Here." He helped to stack the food in the bag, which she held tightly so that it wouldn't split once more. For the first time he looked up into her eyes. "I hope everything is-"

Amber eyes, black hair and feline ears. The face, the jawline, the nose. It was all the same.

"Blake?"

But no, it wasn't. The moment the name of his teammate slipped past his lips he recognised his mistake. The similarities were there, but there were differences, too. Minute, but there. It was like seeing Blake from a distance and then realising it was someone else once you were close. Ren bowed his head and stepped back.

"My apologies. I mistook you for someone else. I'll just-"

The fruit hit the floor _again_. The woman didn't seem to care. Her eyes had lit up and her lips had spread into a wide smile. Her hand had caught the sleeve of his left arm, her other had his hand in hers entirely. She looked excited, thrilled, or perhaps just relieved.

"You said Blake," the woman whispered. "You called me Blake, didn't you?"

Ren had felt calm, but a tickling sensation in the back of his head told him he wasn't feeling quite so calm now. It might have had something to do with the deceptively tight grip on his hand, or the hungry look in the woman's eyes.

Either way, he had a feeling he might have been safer sticking with the White Fang.

* * *

 **Oh my.**

 **So, Emerald's fate revealed – and it's just as unfortunate as Pyrrha's. Mercury's will be next chapter, and I've not forgotten Roman and Neo, but I'm spreading them out. Meanwhile, Yang deals with the joy of motherhood and Ren has found a mother of his own, sort of. I'm sure there's no way Menagerie can go badly for Blake here. No way at all.**

 **And yes, I am trying to recapture some of the more cracky humour of early White Sheep, back before it took a dive into the overly serious dance arc.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 14** **th** **June (Two Weeks)**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	70. Chapter 70

**This is a little later than usual because I was at** _ **another**_ **awards ceremony today. It feels like June is the month for so many. Anyway, this was a smaller one (less than a hundred and fifty people) and I didn't even realise I was doing it because one of the sales team signed me up without telling me. Basically, it's run by a client, and sometimes the people who work in sales are** _ **so**_ **flipping desperate to please them.**

 **Client asks "Oh, could the Editor come and do a speech and hand some awards out? That would be great if he could."**

 **And rather than ask me, they just go "Oh, I need more sales from you in the future. Uh, yeah, of course he can! He'd love to."**

 **And then I find out about it later – or, in this case, two days before the event – and have to make a speech up on the spot. Fun, fun, fun. I always tell the person responsible off, but it always happens, and at the end of the day, if they can sell, I'll keep them. It really wasn't worth my time, though. Stuck there for three hours or so, which is why this is being released a little later in the day.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 70**

* * *

If things had been awkward back at Beacon, they were doubly so now. Jaune walked with his two companions, neither of which seemed to go a minute or more without looking in his direction, and there hadn't been any meaningful conversation for what felt like hours. It wouldn't have been so bad if they were complete strangers, but they weren't. It was Ruby and Nora. That was what made the awkward silence feel even more… well, awkward.

 _Should I ask about Mistral? No, would that sound too much like whining? Maybe we could talk about Beacon, but that fell, and they're probably worried about Ren and Yang._ And Pyrrha and Weiss, too, but the first two were more immediate for them.

" _About Yang..."_

" **I told you it will be fine. The piece of us you placed in her will keep your girlfriend safe."**

" _Do you think she's angry?"_

Remy didn't respond to that, which was probably answer enough. In hindsight, it was a pretty stupid question. Yeah, Yang was going to be angry. It was more a question of in what way, that he'd lied about being Hentacle, that he'd left her behind, or that he'd put a Grimm inside of her.

His eyes trailed to Ruby again. He'd have liked to wait until Yang woke up, but he knew Ruby's insistence they leave had been pointed toward him. She didn't want him around an injured Yang. Even if she trusted him a little, it was too much for her to trust him with her family. He'd agreed just to keep the peace, even if he'd wanted to stay and explain himself to his girlfriend.

 _I can't even blame her. Ruby is already placing her life in my hands. How can I expect her to trust me with her family's, as well?_

"What's this guy we're going to see like?" Nora asked suddenly, breaking the silence. Jaune was more relieved for that than he dared admit.

"His name is Leo, or at least that's all I remember. He's the headmaster of Haven Academy."

"And he's a traitor?" Ruby asked. She sounded offended at the very idea.

"I'm not sure. I got the impression he wasn't so much loyal to Mom as just afraid of her." It wasn't like he'd ever met the man, but he'd been present in plenty of Salem's meetings with Uncle Watts and Hazel. "He wouldn't dare do anything to hurt us, or me anyway, and if we tell him we want to go to the Grimmlands, I bet he'll give us a Bullhead easily." If only to get them away and save his own skin. Uncle Watts hadn't given him the _best_ impression of the guy.

" **That's putting it lightly. How much of a coward do you have to be to run a school of anti-Grimm warriors, and still be afraid?"**

"And then once we have a Bullhead, we can go to the Grimmlands." Ruby didn't sound as enthused about that as she had earlier. "What are the chances of your… your mom," she stumbled over the word, "giving Pyrrha back to us?"

"Honestly, I've no idea."

"Would she try and turn Pyrrha against us?" Nora asked.

"She might… but I can't imagine that working."

"Does she have mind control?"

"No."

"Would you know if she didn't? What if she already mind-controlled you into thinking she didn't?"

Jaune tried to argue but paused, his eyes crossing as he tried to work his way around Nora's odd logic. Ruby sighed and trudged on while he did, and such thoughts were quickly forgotten as they hurried to catch up.

"You know, I could get us an easier ride."

Nora cheered. "Ooh, ooh, a Beowolf?"

"Sure. Or some Nevermore."

"No Grimm," Ruby said, earning a moan from Nora. "We'll get in trouble if someone sees us riding them, not to mention if we get shot down by a huntsman."

Jaune sighed morosely, realising that yet again it was because she didn't trust him to summon Grimm around them. _I guess I still have to prove I'm trustworthy, but how can I do that right now?_

They'd already crossed the ocean from one continent to the other, catching a ride on a vessel without much trouble. Even there, Ruby and Nora had taken turns to keep an eye on him, despite that his only way out would have been to jump in the ocean. While he could have summoned Grimm to help him get back to land, there were other things in the deep that might have taken a bite out of him, sharks for instance. Landing in Mistral hadn't been much better.

"I guess we'll just have to play it by ear," Ruby said. "You can get us into the Grimmlands, right? You can make it so that Grimm don't attack us."

"I can, but I can't stop them reporting our presence to mom. She'd know."

"Then we can use you as a distraction. If you told us where to find Pyrrha, or made a Grimm to guide us, then you could keep her busy while we spring Pyrrha out and get her back to wherever we land the Bullhead."

It was as good a plan as any, and he liked the aspect where there was no actually trying to fight or kill his mother, or Cinder for that matter. While she might have kidnapped Pyrrha, she really could have – and probably should have – killed her. The kidnapping had been a mercy granted for his benefit.

"That should work. My uncles and Cinder, and my sisters when they come and go, use Bullheads, so there is actually a place to land them near mom's tower. It wouldn't be too suspicious. It'll depend where Pyrrha is kept, but it should work out."

"Right. We have our plan." Ruby slammed a fist into her empty palm. "Haven first, and then we meet up with Blake and Ren, and finally we all go to the Grimmlands to rescue Pyrrha. Then it's back to Beacon and everything is normal again."

Normal except for him…

"So, what's it like being the Prince of the Grimm?" Nora asked as she slid up next to him. She didn't seem nervous, but he knew better than to think she was fully relaxed. Ruby was listening too, even as she consulted a map she'd bought when they landed in Mistral. "You must be as rich as Weiss, right? Did you have servants? Did you have, like, a thousand rooms just to yourself?"

"Not that many. And yes, we had servants. They were… special Grimm, though, made for the role. As for how it was, I guess it was lonely. I had money, but I could only ever spend it on things that could be picked up by my uncles."

"No deliveries?"

"To the Grimmlands?"

Nora laughed. "Yeah, I can see how that might be weird."

"I spent most of my time in the library reading adventure stories. My uncles used to buy me books and I loved them. I told my mom I wanted to visit a library, but she couldn't really do that. Instead, she had the Grimm attack various libraries across Remnant and run off with books." He chuckled weakly. "She basically built me a library."

"That's… kind of cute. Sort of. Couldn't you have just visited a library, though? You look like a regular human."

"I didn't always. It took me a while to get the hang of switching between my forms. When I was younger, I'd change if I got angry or sad, and then change back to human if I was happy. It was too much of a risk to take me anywhere, even if my sisters wanted to once or twice."

"Why do you all hate humans so much, anyway?"

The question was an innocent one, sort of, but Jaune noticed Ruby suddenly become a lot more interested and he was aware of just how much weight rested on the answer. He wished he had a good one, but sadly all he could say was that he didn't know.

Ruby looked upset. "You don't know?"

"Well, it's not easy," he said. "My mom and the humans were at war when we were all born – and if history is to be believed, the war has been going on for hundreds and hundreds of years, maybe even more. I have no idea who started it or why it's still going, but at least for me and my sisters it's mostly self-defence."

"Jaune, the Grimm own more than ninety-five per cent of Remnant."

"I know, I know, but I mean for my sisters, who are like me. They grew up never knowing humans or meeting any, so it's not like they ever _hated_ them, but at the same time the humans hate _us_. And maybe they're right to," he added when Ruby's mouth opened. "Maybe all the humans have good reason to, but that doesn't change the fact that we didn't technically do anything. We just grew up and tried to live our lives. Besides, I don't hate humans at all, but I'm still nervous about people knowing my secret. There are way too many people who would just kill me for it."

"I… I guess," Ruby sighed and looked away. "So, your sisters don't hate people?"

"That… depends."

"On…?" Ruby raised an eyebrow.

"On which sister it is, really. The younger ones are more like me, still making up their own minds, but some of my older sisters have met with and dealt with humans. Not always in the best of ways. But it's not all bad! In fact, one of my younger sisters even has a crush on a human."

"Really? Who?" Nora leaned forward, interested, and Jaune recalled at the last second exactly _who_ Lavender had a crush on, and what said boy meant to Nora.

"Ah, well… uh… someone." Ruby seemed to realise who he meant and hid a laugh in her sleeve. When she recovered, she looked a little calmer, both with the situation and with him.

"You don't know why the Grimm and humans are at war, then, because it happened ages and ages ago. I wonder if Salem even remembers." Ruby sighed. "I wonder if anyone does. You know, this would all be a lot easier if both sides could talk it out."

"Yeah, if we knew the Grimm _had_ a side," Nora pointed out. "Most people just assumed they were all mindless animals with no leadership. No one even knew there was someone we could talk to, let alone that she might be able to talk back." The ginger-haired girl shook her head. "Basically, the only person who could actually try and make peace with the Grimm is Ozpin."

" _Was_ Ozpin," Ruby said.

"No," Jaune corrected with a sigh. "Is. Ozpin is… well, according to my mom, he's not the kind of guy who dies easily. She should know. She's been killing him for a while."

/-/

"You're not real!"

" **I'm afraid I am."**

"Shut up!" Oscar paced around the barn, eyes wide and mouth wider. His breath came out in harsh pants. Okay, this was bad, very bad. He had a voice in his head and – well, that was it, really, but it was enough. He was hearing voices. He was going insane.

" **You're not going insane, Oscar."**

"Stop reading my mind!"

" **How can I read your mind if I don't exist?"**

Ugh. No wait, this was easily explained. "It's because you're something I'm imagining, so now I'm imagining you being able to read my mind when it's just me reading my own mind." Or something. "You're not real and I'm too old to have an imaginary friend."

" **Look in that mirror, Oscar,"** the voice urged. **"Look and see the truth."** Almost against his will his eyes tugged towards the burnished metal of an upturned feeding trough, which wasn't really a mirror but was clean enough to reflect his appearance – and that of the man beside him. **"Now, do you understand? Can you deny this?"**

"Sure can," he said, somewhat hysterical. "I already have voices in my head and now I'm hallucinating. They're both sighs of being crazy. M-Maybe I ate too much last night." He shook his head again and when the man in his reflection didn't shift, looked away. "I'll just ignore you until you go away."

" **You can't ignore me, Oscar. There are things we must do."**

"Like burn my house down and kill my parents?"

" **I've told you you're not going insane. I'm not the early onset of psychopathy and would like to suggest you** _ **don't**_ **burn your house down or kill** _ **anyone**_ **."** The voice paused. **"Or, well, maybe you** _ **can**_ **kill some people, but only the ones I say-"**

"La la la, I can't hear you!" Oscar dug his fork into the straw and flipped it over, wishing the rustling of straw hitting the barn wall was louder.

The voice in his head sighed dramatically. **"You are being incredibly stubborn right now. Do you realise that?"**

"THIS IS MY HEAD!"

" **And all I'm asking for is a little co-operation."**

"In doing what?"

" **Running away, finding some errant teenagers, training them to face off against the embodiment of the Grimm and saving the world,"** the voice listed off. There was a pregnant pause. **"Nothing too taxing, I assure you."**

"You're insane!"

" **Well, that makes a nice change from you believing that you are."**

No, Oscar was still fairly sure he was insane, too, but it at least made more sense now that he knew the voice in his head was just as coo-coo. Why him? Why did he have to go from reading some comics to having visions and voices and other crazy stuff? It wasn't fair.

" **If it makes you feel any better, I too was once in your situation. I know what it feels like, Oscar. I went through the same panic and confusion."**

"And then what? You just… gave in?"

" **Well, no. But eventually my mind was just sort of consumed and – that's not really important, anyway,"** the voice amended, laughing a little forcedly. **"What's important is that I know you don't want to live the rest of your life working as a farmhand in Mistral, and thanks to me, you won't have to."**

"Are you reading my mind again? And what was that about being consumed?"

" **A slip of the thought-tongue, I assure you."**

"Are you eating my brain?"

" **I'm sure you would suffer some issues with motor function if I was doing that."** Oscar tried to understand what he meant. **"No, Oscar, I'm not."**

Oscar sighed. The fork fell onto the floor, clattering against a bucket. "What do you want from me?"

" **I want you to find a little bird for me."**

"A bird…"

" **A man who can turn into a bird. His name is Qrow and he is an ally of mine."**

"Why can he turn into a bird?"

" **I gave him that power, so that he might spy on our enemy."**

"Why a bird?"

" **Because a human would stand out in the Grimmlands."**

"Don't Grimm kill animals?"

" **Yes."**

"Wouldn't a bird stand out just as much in the Grimmlands?"

 **"…"**

"And, I mean, it would still be a bird with human negativity and all that, so it wouldn't actually fool the Grimm at all, would it?"

 **"…"**

"Why did you let him turn into a bird again?"

" **You know, Oscar, perhaps when you've been fighting some immortal monster for what feels like millennia, you can offer some criticism. And hey, look, you'll soon be getting your chance. Doesn't that sound like fun?"**

"Yay…"

" **That's the spirit. Now, we really do need to run away and leave your family behind."**

"I really don't think I should trust a voice in my head…"

" **And we could use some lien while we're at it, so see if you can't rob them while you're at it."**

Ugh…

/-/

Weiss wasn't sure what to make of the current situation. On the one hand she was back in Atlas, forced to come by her father who had threatened to disown her unless she returned. Even then, she'd considered telling him to go ahead, but he'd then threatened to withdraw all funding for Beacon. Even though Beacon was mostly funded by Vale's Council, it also relied on `generous donations` from other people and companies, and the SDC heavily funded each of the four academies on Remnant.

With how much damage Beacon had taken, the loss of the SDC's support would be catastrophic. And so, reluctantly, she'd agreed to come back.

 _But I never said how long I'd stay,_ she thought, eyeing her father with more defiance than she ever had before. She had a team to get back to, and she was _sure_ they were doing something stupid and dangerous without her stellar leadership. Gods, she wouldn't be surprised if those two idiots hadn't decided to march off to the Grimmlands or something to avenge Pyrrha.

"It's time you stopped playing games and focused more on what is important," Jacques Schnee said. She rarely referred to him as her father, even when she'd been younger. She had been raised more by Winter than him, with the aid of several servants and nannies.

"Yes, father."

"You will take back up your singing. Reputation is important. I'll have someone provide makeup to cover that hideous scar."

"Yes, father," Weiss gritted, hands clenched on the armrests of the car they travelled in. "What about Beacon?" He shot her a glare, a dangerous one, and she quickly explained, "I mean their funding. You promised to keep it going." He relaxed once he realised she wasn't talking about going back.

"And I shall. The Academy will need much support. I already have a few charity events planned, and I will increase the family's funding. Perhaps I will ask them to name a wing after us." He laughed, and Weiss echoed it weakly, stomach rolling.

Gods, she hated this. She hated it so much.

But what could she do?

Beacon had fallen and Pyrrha was dead. If she'd turned down his offer, she could have stayed with her team – but then what? She couldn't help them in any meaningful way and Jacques would cut the support for Beacon, abandoning the school at a time when it needed the SDC most. She couldn't accept that. She couldn't put her happiness above everyone else's like that.

 _And I certainly can't leave the SDC in the hands of Whitley! He takes after his father too much._

It had long been her dream to reform the SDC into something more worthwhile, and she just couldn't do that if she got herself disowned now. It was frustrating, but it was what it was. She had to play his game for now, until she could take control.

But how long would that take? A decade? Two…?

"We are here."

The car pulled into the long, well-maintained driveway of the Schnee mansion, and the tall, imposing structure filled Weiss' window. It filled her heart too, though with a despair she'd long since forgotten. The Schnee manor had always been home before, but now, after spending so much time in Beacon, she longed for the cramped room with her teammates.

But appearances counted and she would have to play the game. Weiss allowed a butler to get the door and stepped out smoothly, dusting down her skirt. Jacques wasted no time with pleasantries and stalked past, saying something about work, his office, and her not doing anything foolish. It was just like him and Weiss scoffed silently. So far, everything was just like how she'd remembered, right down to the polite but mostly fearful looks the staff sent her.

And that was where normality seemed to take something of a… steep dive.

"Miss Schnee, I didn't realise you went out for a ride with your father," one of the maids said.

"Went out…?"

"Yes. We would have prepared a meal for you if you had."

Weiss raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. It would have been something for them to make a meal and deliver it all to Vale, she supposed. There was going above and beyond, and then there was just expecting too much.

"It's fine. Is my sister here?"

"Miss Winter came by earlier but left soon after. I thought she had spoken to you, ma'am."

"No. She hasn't. Very well, is my room prepared?"

The woman looked suddenly nervous. "B-Begging your pardon, Miss Schnee, but you instructed us not to enter without express permission, a-and we thought you were still in your room. I apologise. If you would like, I can have it cleaned and made in less than ten minutes."

"No, that's fine." Weiss' eyes narrowed. There was something going on here. "Did I give you any instructions specifically? When was this?"

"N-No, ma'am. Klein brought you your breakfast as always. You told him, or so we were informed."

"I see." Her hand fell to Myrtenaster. No need to panic yet, even if her heart was beating a little faster. She took a deep breath and let it go, the picture of calm. "I'm quite tired from the long journey and don't want to impress on any of you at the moment. I think I'll take a short nap. Can you have some refreshments brought for me later? But please, leave them outside the door."

"Of course, Miss Schnee!"

"And please jog my memory, I'm afraid it's a little muddled from this morning. Which room did I take, again? My old one?"

"Yes. On the sixth floor, Miss Schnee."

"Thank you."

Weiss didn't wait for the woman to leave and was already moving the moment she said her thanks – which seemed enough to shock many of them anyway. She'd never really been one for kindness before, disliking the staff here for their false kindness. Klein was different and she treated him so, but so many of the others despised her, she could tell. She'd responded in kind, but now she could look back and realise that had been the wrong approach.

They feared her, yes, but by acting the spoilt and uncaring brat, all she'd done was confirm those fears, painting herself out to be just as bad as they thought she was. It wasn't their fault they were nervous around her. Jacques did not always paint the kindest image of a Schnee.

As she ascended the staircase many other servants bowed and nodded to her, and some spoke.

"Miss Schnee? I hadn't realised you left."

"Miss Schnee, your sister called for you earlier and you didn't respond."

"Miss Schnee, would you like me to wash the clothes you wore yesterday?"

Weiss' pace increased. As she reached the hallway, Myrtenaster shifted, though she didn't draw it – not yet. Some things just didn't add up. If this were an imposter, then it was one able to fool all the staff here, which should have been impossible. Also, her father seemingly did not know, otherwise he would have said something.

Her back hit the wall outside her door. She looked left and right and motioned for a nearby servant to find something else to do with their time. They bowed and left quickly. Myrtenaster came free with a near-silent hiss. Her hand reached out, rapping on the door once.

"I-I'm busy," a voice responded. It was close to hers, but not quite – strained in a way that made it clear someone was trying too hard. It was the final straw, and confirmation. This was her house, her room, and this person was acting like it was theirs.

The door slammed open. Something hit her – not a weapon, but rather a familiar feeling. Before her eyes, green shifted immediately to white as she found herself facing off against a perfect clone. The clone looked to her in anger, but that soon faded, as did much of the blood to her face. Weiss had always been pale, and she knew that from looking in the mirror, but now she – or the other version of her – looked like she'd seen a ghost.

"I-I can explain," the doppelganger said.

Weiss closed the door swiftly, though she didn't take her rapier away from the fake's throat.

"Oh, I certainly hope you can, because I'm _all ears_."

Not-Weiss gulped, and mumbled under her breath. "I bet Mercury isn't having as bad a time of this as me…"

/-/

Mercury wasn't having the _best_ of times.

"You claim you had no idea what your own team leader was planning?"

"That's what I said."

"And we're supposed to believe that?" The officer slammed his hands down on the desk, and while that might not have been incredibly intimidating normally, there was Professor Oobleck in the corner, and Mercury was unarmed.

Which technically meant he was un-legged. As in, they'd taken his feet off for this and he was sat a little awkwardly as a result.

"Look, my _team leader_ ran off and left me behind. Don't you think I'd have gone with her if I knew about this? I fought alongside Beacon against the White Fang! You can ask any of the people I was with."

"Your other teammates have vanished, too," the man said, pacing around him. "Odd that your team leader apparently worked alone, and yet everyone saw reason to flee."

For fuck's sake, Emerald. Thanks for that. He'd have said the same for Neo, but no one expected her to be loyal. Bloody Torchwick and her were probably getting blitzed right now, toasting a great success since they'd come out pretty much unharmed.

"Maybe they were working with her, I don't know. All I know is that I'm still here. I didn't try and run."

He'd not have been able to, since he was with Velvet and her team for the invasion, and then surrounded by teachers once it was done. It took them a while to realise what had gone on and hunt him down, by which point he'd realised just how screwed he was. At that point, knowing no aid from Cinder was coming, Mercury decided to do what he did best.

Survive.

"Look, I don't know what her plans were, and I wasn't loyal to her." Not even a lie. "But I can tell you all sorts of things about what she did, some of which, looking back, were a little odd."

The officer, and Oobleck, leaned forward, intrigued.

"Thing is, you already think I'm guilty - which I'm not - so I want it on record I offered this willingly."

"It would go some way to absolving you of guilt," Oobleck said.

"What?" The officer turned on him. "You can't just-" Oobleck flashed something Mercury couldn't see, and the man went pale. Very pale. "O-Or you can," he said weakly. "Fine, kid. You want a plea deal. You've got a plea deal. This better be good."

"Oh, trust me, it is. I overheard a lot."

Well, it wasn't selling someone out if they abandoned you first, was it?

/-/

Blake felt an odd sense of disconnect as Menagerie showed itself on the horizon. Home, in a sense. It hadn't been that for a while, and even after she left the White Fang she'd felt reluctant to return, reluctant to admit she'd been wrong, that they'd known better.

That she, in the infinite wisdom of youth, had made a mistake.

Hard words had been exchanged, terrible words. But actions spoke louder, bit deeper, and her turning her back on them… Well, she'd run away before she could see what effect that had. Running away. She'd done that too often.

 _But no longer. I'm back, and I'm here with a purpose._

"Hold on, Ren," she whispered into the sea-salt air. "We'll get you out of there safely. I promise."

With the wind in her hair and the spray on her face, it was a peaceful moment of reflection, one of determination, of deliberation. It was—

"I don't see why you're here at all. Don't you have a team to look after? Don't tell me you abandoned them just to chase after a girl. How selfish are you?"

"Hey, my team can look after themselves, and I did talk to them about this. They told me to chase my dreams."

"You freely admit to Blake being the content of your late-night fantasies? Does your perversion know no end?"

"I didn't _say_ that!"

"You didn't deny it, either."

Ilia stood a small distance from Sun with crossed arms and a defensive posture. Her weapon was back on her waist, even if Blake wasn't entirely sure of the wisdom of that. Ilia knew her way around Menagerie and would be an asset should they need to deal with the White Fang.

Sun, on the other hand, offered little to the table other than skill and muscle, but that would be useful in its own right, especially if Ilia turned on them. He was far more relaxed about the whole affair, though when wasn't he? The monkey faunus was perched on the railing, one leg crossed, and little care given for the prospect of falling in the ocean.

Then again, they _had_ just fought off some giant ocean-Grimm, so maybe his confidence wasn't misplaced.

They were both useful and she needed them, but… well…

 _I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I wish Nora was here._

Or Ren or Yang, obviously, but at least Nora – even at her most enthusiastic – wasn't quite so aggravating. She'd once thought Nora's constant chatter around Ren annoying, but _nothing_ compared to the constant _bickering_ between Ilia and Sun.

"What do you know, anyway? You were a part of the White Fang. You still are!"

"Sure, shout that out loud why don't you. No need for subtlety."

"We're coming in to Menagerie! It's not like the White Fang has to hide here."

"No, just stupid blonds."

"What's your problem? _I'm_ not the one who attacked a school full of innocent people. In fact, I'm one of the people who saved you from being nommed by a giant dragon!"

"Blake saved me," Ilia countered.

"Or the guy we're going to save, Ren, did."

"And I'll thank him properly when I meet him."

"He's also the guy Blake went to the school dance with," Sun said in an offhand way. It wasn't, obviously, and he grinned victoriously when Ilia staggered back, eyes wide.

Blake looked down at her scroll, at a picture of her team – her, sat petulantly with Nora's arm wrapped around her shoulder, trying to read. Behind her, Yang had dragged Ren into the shot, holding two fingers up in a peace sign and refusing to let Ren go. His head was above Nora's, his face calm but his smile serene. She missed them already.

A great sigh escaped her.

Further down the ship, a young man caught her eye, or rather she caught him looking. It appeared like he might try his luck talking to her, but he took a glimpse at the drama happening behind her and wisely decided he'd find less troublesome women to talk to.

Blake sighed again, turning as the ship pulled into harbour.

"Come on, you two. It's time to find Ren. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can go back to Mistral and head to the Grimmlands." And now that she said it, she realised just how unappealing that sounded.

"Are we going to visit your parents?" Ilia asked.

"I'd rather not." She regarded them with something akin to despair. "I'd prefer not to introduce them to… my confusing life." In her credit, she tried her hardest not to say `you two`. There were some things you just didn't want your parents to know about. That you'd collected the full set of terrorist and non-terrorist stalkers probably wasn't on the list for most people. It was for her.

"Blake has parents?"

"Her mother and father run this place," Ilia said. "Which you would know if you were as close with her as you like to think you are."

 _You only know because you knew them in the past,_ Blake thought with a shake of her head. She made to whisper a quick apology to Sun, but he didn't look bothered by it. He was surprisingly thick skinned.

"Are they cat faunus, too? With black hair?"

"Yes. I don't look dissimilar to them. We parted on… difficult terms."

"You don't look like your father, though. He's a huge guy."

"He is." And how did Sun know that? "Why?"

"They're right there," Sun said, pointing.

Blake's ears flattened so hard her bow did the same. Her eyes snapped in the direction he was pointing, and her mouth went instantly dry. Her mother and father, side by side, Kali waving happily, and between them, looking like he'd seen too much, heard too much, and been subjected to far too much, stood Lie Ren himself.

Worse, her father had a firm hand on his shoulder and her mother had a hold of his arm, which she clutched between one arm and her breast, while the other waved. The look on her face said they had a lot of catching up to do, and that every little bit of it had to do with her and the young man she'd taken prisoner. Blake whimpered.

She wondered if it was too late to throw herself in the ocean and drown.

/-/

Emerald finished her story and fell to her knees, now back in her natural form and feeling all the more naked for it. In the end, she'd told Weiss everything – or everything she could, anyway. It wasn't like Weiss didn't know she was Cinder's teammate, and she wouldn't believe Emerald's innocence on the matter either. If she was innocent, then why did she run? Why not face justice in Vale? Why pretend to be someone she wasn't to escape Beacon?

The facts didn't add up and she was trapped.

"You worked with the enemy," Weiss snapped.

"O-Only at first. Cinder didn't want to attack Beacon in the end – that was the White Fang. We fought in its defence."

"Cinder killed my teammate."

"I… I didn't know she would. I don't think she even did. Our last orders were to defend Beacon and stop the White Fang. I had nothing to do with it, I swear."

Weiss crossed her arms, sat cross-legged on the end of her bed while Emerald prostrated herself before the girl. It was galling, and yet right now she had no one to rely on. Her life had always been one in which she followed others. She'd followed Cinder because Cinder took her off the streets. She'd been prepared to die for Cinder, just so long as she wasn't abandoned.

And she might not technically have been abandoned. Cinder had been forced to flee, so it wasn't like she could have taken the two of them with her. _And there's no telling where Mercury is right now._ But even so, she was now without direction, without leadership and without protection. She had nothing except for a whole load of people who would want to see her dead or in prison.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't tell everyone who you are?" Weiss snapped. "A single reason."

"B-Because they'd find out about your partner. If they interrogated me, I'd have to tell them about Jaune – about what he is."

"Threatening me isn't a good way to convince me to help you."

"N-No, but it's true."

"Gods," Weiss ran a hand down her face. "And you're saying that Jaune, my idiot partner, was Hentacle?"

"Yes."

"You are absolutely certain?"

"I felt his tentacles myself. It was when our hair got dyed the opposite colour," she explained. She went on to tell of Cardin's plan at the time, and how she'd had to step in to stop any suspicion falling onto Jaune.

"That idiot," Weiss snapped. "I have no idea what to think, but I want answers. He's my partner. He- I am his team leader. He relied on me, and I'll at least hear him out before I decide what the hell I'm supposed to do with him. Half-Grimm or not." The heiress sighed again and shook her head, but such didn't last. Her eyes fixed onto Emerald once more. "But I still have no idea what to do with you. Even if you weren't directly involved in Beacon's fall, you're still a criminal, not to mention you've impersonated me. That Semblance of yours is dangerous…"

Emerald's eyes widened. She took a wild chance. "But it can be useful, too. _I_ can be useful."

Weiss caught on quickly. "You want to serve me?"

"I… I'm not sure I have much of a choice," Emerald said, knowing some honesty would go a long way. "Cinder abandoned me and I doubt she'll ever come back. I'd have followed Jaune's orders, but he's not here. You're at least his team leader. I can do whatever you say. I can use my Semblance on your behalf. I can pretend to be you. I can do whatever you need me to."

Just so long as Weiss kept her safe. If the heiress of the SDC said she'd not been involved in the fall of Beacon, if she claimed Emerald had been with her and thus innocent, then the world would be forced to believe it.

Weiss didn't respond for the longest time. Her fingers tapped on her mattress, though Emerald dared to hope. It wasn't a rejection. Weiss was thinking about it.

"How versatile is your Semblance?"

"It was enough to help Cinder beat the Fall Maiden," Emerald said proudly. "It has limits, but it can do amazing things. I was able to sneak in here and convince almost everyone that I was you."

"Yes… and I suppose my father never realised, because he was already en route to Vale to pick me up. He and Winter barely ever talk, so it makes sense she wouldn't have told him she had me or vice versa." Weiss frowned, though it didn't feel like it was directed at her. The heiress looked… contemplative.

Emerald decided to try and seal the deal. "I could do a lot of things for you, Weiss. I could cover for you in meetings. I could let you spy on someone and they wouldn't ever realise you were there. Heck, you could probably even use me to steal money from the SDC or influence someone to do something. I can-" A hand stopped her.

"As long as I can trust you not to stab me in the back."

"I never did to Cinder," Emerald pointed out. "As long as you cover for me, I'll be loyal. I have no one else to turn to."

"True…" Weiss' smile turned vicious. "Well, then, I think we might be able to come to something of an agreement.

"Yeah?" Emerald rose, her spirits with her. Without really meaning to, she fell back into old habits. "Then what's the plan, ma'am? What are we working towards?"

Weiss uncrossed her legs and stood, moving slowly over to the balcony that overlooked the gardens, and beyond that, Atlas itself. She took a deep breath and let it go, and some invisible weight seemed to leave her.

"I think that it's time for change around here, Emerald. My father… I don't believe he's the best person to run the SDC anymore." Weiss didn't look towards her, but she did smile. "What do you think?"

Emerald, no fool, moved up to stand next to her.

"I think you could do better, ma'am."

Weiss smiled.

"My thoughts exactly. And call me Weiss."

/-/

Ruby and Nora lowered their weapons as the golem – or the strange spirit possessing it – left its rocky host, allowing the boulders to tumble to the floor. It hovered in the air before Jaune, before them, but made no move to attack.

"Tell it to go back to the Grimmlands," Ruby suggested. "Tell it not to come back here."

Jaune nodded and relayed the message. The Grimm looked to her, perhaps even recognising it was her request instead of its Prince's, but it nodded regardless and rose into the air. Whether it dissipated entirely or just became so thin she couldn't see it was unknown, but the threat was dealt with. The people of the small village would feel a lot safer.

"You know, this feels like cheating," Nora said. "And we're going to get _paid_ for this?"

"We technically did what they wanted," Ruby said. "Think of it more like an exorcism."

"Ooh, can we get some long, black coats to wear?"

Ruby ignored Nora, who quickly went over to clamber on top of the once-golem and poke at the various pieces of rock. She turned to Jaune and nodded, grateful for his help and maybe even a little relieved that he'd given it.

 _He's just like he's always been,_ a part of her whispered. Ruby tried her best to ignore it. He was, and that was the problem. Not trusting him would have been so much easier if he acted differently, but he didn't. He was just himself.

She wanted to trust him. No, she _did_ trust him, and that was the problem. She was meant to be keeping an eye on him, but she didn't think she could. What kind of watcher would she be if she just believed everything he said? She was too emotionally involved to be objective around him.

And worse, he kept giving her that look – something between a hopeful "Did I do good" and a sorrowful "Why don't you trust me" kind of thing. It broke her heart every time. He was giving her the proud version this time, like he was desperately hoping she'd praise him.

"G-Good job, Jaune."

 _Damn it, Ruby. Be strong._

"I'm glad we could sort it out without any fights," he replied. "And I get what Nora means about the money, but we kind of need it."

"Yeah, I know. Food and lodging isn't cheap, and we still need to make it to Haven." Using Jaune's not-insignificant reserves of lien was tempting, but people would probably notice that. After what Cinder had done in Beacon, Ruby wasn't sure if Jaune's family would be out looking for him or not.

Or how upset they might be to find him with them…

"Ruby, I…" Jaune broke off with a frustrated sigh, looking away. "We should… we should move on…"

"Jaune… I _do_ trust you. It's just…"

"Too much?"

"No. It's just that things are too crazy. I trust you, but that's _me_. We were friends. We _are_ friends," she quickly amended when his face fell. "Look, now isn't the time for this. We should focus on getting everyone back together first, and then we can sort this out. We're still friends. I still think of you as the friend who helped pick me up all the way back in Beacon." And even back then there had been a strange feeling when she looked him in the eye. How could she have known it was this?

"I'm glad. I feel the same. I really am on your side, Ruby. I swear."

"I…" She what? She knew? She didn't know and that was the problem. She thought she did, but did she know good enough to risk the lives of everyone she loved? What right did she have to do any of that?

Her face twisted.

"I believe you," she said, instead. "I believe you, but we need to save Pyrrha. Preferably before your family realise what you're doing and send someone out to collect you. Besides, you'll have plenty of time to show everyone you can be trusted." Ruby beamed and punched his arm gently. It wasn't her he had to convince, after all. It was everyone else. "No one will be able to deny it once we rescue Pyrrha, Ren and Weiss."

The worry in his face relaxed and a tentative smile came forth. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess you're right."

"You know I am! We have a plan and we have a mission." Ruby struck a heroic pose, if only to cheer him up. It worked, since he started laughing almost immediately. "Nothing can stop us now!"

A familiar shape burst from the bushes, covered in twigs.

"There you are," Uncle Qrow said, gasping for breath. "Do you have any idea how hard it was to find you lot?"

Ruby's face fell.

Jaune's smile died.

Nora sighed. "You were saying, fearless leader?"

"Crud…"

* * *

 **So, we're setting up in parallel to canon and skipping just as aggressively – and there will be a few more skips, too. I don't necessarily think V4 was wrong to skip, but it didn't balance the interest well across the arcs. Weiss' was boring. Blake's was boring, and honestly, Yang's was okay but slow to get off. We'll be different, and also a little faster.**

 **How will Qrow and Ozpin's goals clash with Jaune and Ruby's? Well, you can probably imagine.**

 **Apologies for no Yang or Ren this week. They'll play a bigger part next.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 21st June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	71. Chapter 71

**Imagine witty banter inserted here.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 71**

* * *

"Uncle Qrow, what are you doing here?" Ruby asked, laughing nervously and shooting Jaune a panicked, questioning look. He shook his head. He certainly hadn't done anything to draw the huntsman, and was for the most part as in the dark as Ruby. Then again, given that Qrow worked with Ozpin and what Ozpin was…

"Here to keep an eye on you, obviously." The huntsman ruffled Ruby's hair. His outfit was a little dirty in places but not quite the same as theirs. For someone who had ostensibly followed them, it looked remarkably like he hadn't. "Heard from your sister how you all slipped off to Mistral and decided I had to come along before you did something reckless."

"Yang's awake?" Ruby, Jaune and Nora asked in unison. In a show of complete sexism, Qrow smiled at the concern from the two girls and glared at him.

"Is she okay?" Ruby asked again. "She's not angry, is she? Wait, how did she know we were headed to Mistral?"

"Yang's up and about, though not feeling quite so well from what I saw. As for how, she said she heard you decide it."

"How? She was unconscious!" Ruby's entire body seemed to stiffen and she whirled on Jaune, one eyebrow raised so high it looked to have disappeared into her hairline. He tried to look innocent, failed, and quickly hid behind Nora. Luckily, Qrow didn't notice.

"Beats me," he said with a little shrug. "But since she was _right_ , I don't think there's any room to question it. I've heard some people can hear people talking at their bedside while they're in a coma. That kind of thing isn't all that well-known. But what _is_ well-known is just how dangerous Mistral is right now, especially with what happened in Vale. You three are walking right into the hornet's nest." He eyed them curiously. "And speaking of, why is it just the three of you? Wasn't there a couple of others?"

"Blakey left with Stalkers One and Two to go to Menagerie and rescue Renny from the White Fang," Nora reported, saluting. "Weiss got stolen by Atlas. We're going to take a return trip back to Atlas from the Grimmlands, once we've rescued Pyrrha."

"The Grimmlands!?" Qrow's frown grew. Ruby winced and Jaune shot Nora a pointed look, reminding her of exactly who he was and how much Qrow couldn't realise that. "I love the enthusiasm there, but you're not ready to take on the enemy yet. Good job I arrived when I did," he muttered to himself. "Else you three would be running right into the meat grinder. It's a miracle you got this far without any trouble."

"Hey, we've done okay," Ruby complained. And they had, though luck had predictably little to do with it. "And we have to save Pyrrha, Uncle Qrow. She's my partner."

"Look, Ruby, your partner. You have to let her go…"

"But-"

"I know how it feels to lose someone, Ruby. I know it more than you can ever understand. Rushing off to your deaths though, that's not the right answer. Trust me. I've been there." He smiled bitterly and ran a hand through Ruby's hair, ignorant of the indignant and annoying look on her face. Qrow walked on by. "You three follow me. If you want to do this, we'll do this properly. But first, I think we need to meet with someone."

"Who?" Ruby demanded. "Where?"

"Haven. As for who. Well, you'll see… You wouldn't believe me if I told you now." The huntsman laughed and wandered off to the edge of the clearing. Ruby looked like she was about to explode. She stamped one foot on the ground. Jaune and Nora slid over.

"She's not dead!" Ruby hissed, equal parts frustrated and defeated. "Pyrrha's not dead, but… I can't prove that to him. Can I?"

"Not if you don't want him to kick Jaune's butt," Nora said. She looked to him. "Could he take you?"

"I've no idea. I'm strong, but he's much more skilled than me. If I turned and fought him as a Grimm, I might be able to." He eyed Ruby. "But I'm not sure that's what any of us actually wants." It would be a fight to the death or at least a fight until he was forced to flee. Qrow might not surrender out of a desire to protect his niece, and it would either end with Qrow dead or Jaune having to leave the party.

"You can't fight him," Ruby decided. He didn't argue the point.

"So, what do we do? It's obvious he doesn't want us to go to the Grimmlands," Nora said. "We can't exactly argue with him, though. He'll want to know why. He might even fight us to stop us going on what he thinks is a suicide mission."

Jaune saw the indecision war in Ruby's eyes. He wanted to say they should cut away, lose him in the forests or even sneak off when they made camp, but this wasn't his Uncle and it wasn't his decision, either. "It's your call, Ruby," he said. "You're the leader here."

"Being the leader sucks. Where's Weiss when you need her?" Ruby sighed. "We're headed in the same direction," she eventually said. "We wanted to go to Haven anyway, and if Uncle Qrow wants to take us there, we might as well go with him."

"And when he tries to stop us later?" Jaune asked. Not if. When.

"We just need to keep Jaune a secret from him. That shouldn't be too hard, right? You can keep the Grimm away from us and it won't take that long to reach Haven."

"That might work for now, but what about later, when he decides we can't go save Pyrrha?" Jaune asked.

"Then we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

"Hey!" Qrow called, waving one arm. "You three coming or what? We've places to be."

Ruby hurried after him, and Nora did the same after a moment's thought. Jaune trailed a little further behind. The fact that Qrow had found them in the middle of nowhere was bad enough, even before he'd come in and basically taken over. He made it sound like an impulsive idea.

 _I don't believe that for a second._ This had `plan` written all over it, and he couldn't help but notice the cane strapped to Qrow's back. A very familiar cane, indeed.

"This is going to backfire," he mumbled.

If only Ruby would realise it.

/-/

Blake stared at the teacup in her hands. She stared straight into it, through it, down into the woodwork and deep into the centre of Remnant, where she tried to imagine herself burning in the fires that made up the core of the planet. It was preferable to what was happening before her, far more preferable.

There had been many a time, both within the White Fang and after, where she'd wondered what might happen if she ever saw her parents again. She imagined that they would be angry, that they'd sit her down and condemn her choices. After she'd abandoned the White Fang, she imagined them as pointing out how they'd been right all along, how she'd let herself be led astray and now had to come crawling back. Intellectually, she'd known they wouldn't do that. They loved her. But as well-read and analytical as she was, even she could admit that she'd never been good at judging people or making the right choices.

Adam was a fine example. Weiss was too, though only in the sense that she'd assumed Weiss an evil bitch without getting to know her. In a way, maybe she'd been the same with Nora. But none of that mattered right now, and frankly Blake would have given anything to have Ghira and Kali sat opposite her with furious expressions, lashing out at her for what she'd done and what she'd help twist their life work into.

Instead… instead… she found herself faced with her mother's sparkling smile as she sat across the table, one hand holding a cup of tea and the other pressed to her cheek as she regarded both of the faunus sat on either side of Blake, and Ren, sat trapped between her mother and father.

"Oh Blake, it's so good to have you back," Kali said. "And you've brought your harem, too. How sweet."

Her… her harem.

Oh Gods…

"W-We're not together," she whispered. She wished she could have said it with more force, but the heat creeping up her neck didn't allow it. "I'm not with _any_ of them. I'm still single." It was clear from Kali's little humming sound that she didn't believe a word Blake was saying. She looked to her father for help, only catching his eye once he'd stopped scowling down at Ren.

"What's that around your neck?" he demanded gruffly.

Her neck? Blake wasn't sure what they meant but reached up almost automatically. Her finger brushed against metal and a light, tinkling sound echoed across the living room. The bell chimed gently.

Oh, she'd forgotten about that.

"Who bought you that?"

"Re-" She realised her mistake quickly, but not quickly enough. Her lips sealed shut and her eyes grew wide. "No one," she said.

It was a futile effort. Ren's face had fallen into his hands and Ghira had somehow grown a full inch, despite being sat down. Blake's face _flushed_ with colour, which all but _confirmed_ it for her parents, despite them no doubt getting very much the wrong impression.

"It's not what you think," she gasped.

"Oh my," Kali giggled. She patted Ren's shoulder. "That's so sweet. I remember that your father bought me a collar once with my name on it. Oh, the fun we had."

Sun choked on his drink and nearly died behind her. Ilia had known Kali before and was all too aware of the things she could say, while Ren was already shaking his head and Blake was busy wishing a hole would open up and swallow her. "M-Mom," she pled. "Too much information!"

"Oh Blake, there's no need for that here. Your father and I will always be understanding of your choices and needs." Kali flashed her husband a coy smile. "He was certainly understanding of mine. Ah, to be young once more."

Sun, no doubt seeing a chance to get in with the parents and closer to her, said, "Heh, you hardly look old now, Miss Belladonna. If I didn't know better, I'd have said Blake was your sister."

"Oh my, how sweet." Kali tittered and placed a gentle hand on Ghira's forearm.

Blake had to agree. It was sweet, though only in the sense Sun had saved Ren and her from her father's attention. His eyes were now fixed on Sun, and not in a manner the young man might have liked. He swallowed. Ilia snickered. He was lucky Kali had her hand on him. It was probably the only thing keeping Ghira seated.

"S-So, how did you find Ren?" Blake asked. "He didn't get in trouble with the White Fang, did he?"

"Oh no. Your teammate and I ran into one another." Kali giggled. "He was quite the gallant young man, stopping to help pick up my shopping. It was only when he mistook me for you that I realised he knew you. Of course, he's told us all about Beacon since then. Your father and I were so pleased to hear you'd become a huntress, and to know you made such wonderful friends!"

"Y-You were?"

"We are," Ghira corrected, gruff in tone but finally softening a little now that he was looking at her. "Glad to hear you finally gave that angsty boyfriend of yours the boot. He was never good enough for you, kitten."

"Oh Ghira, no man is good enough in your eyes." Kali giggled. Ghira grunted, but didn't disagree. "Anyway, we were happy to hear you left the White Fang, especially with what happened between them and Beacon. Terrible news, that. The populace here would be furious, but, well…"

"But what?" she asked.

"They don't know." It was Ren who spoke, finally looking up. "The broadcast of what happened didn't reach here and the White Fang are keeping their involvement secret."

Damn them. It made sense, of course. The attack on Beacon was reprehensible, even to most faunus, and with Menagerie being one of their biggest recruitment pools they wouldn't want to do anything to turn people off. Menagerie was also distant enough that no one would get any news from outside of its borders. The White Fang could control everything that was known.

"Let's not talk of such things at the dinner table," Kali said, tapping her cup on the table to clear the mood. "We should be happy for now. Blake has returned, and you've found your teammate once more, safe and sound."

"I'll have to leave again," Blake warned. "I can't stay here."

"We wouldn't expect you to." Kali's kind smile calmed her down a little. "Our daughter is growing up, Ghira, and she's become so responsible!"

"Hm." Her father nodded. "You've grown up well."

Despite herself, Blake felt a little bit of pride rush through her. She couldn't quite hide her smile, even if she did aim it down at the table. There hadn't been much to feel proud of in her life, not since she joined the White Fang. But hearing that they were proud of her specifically for recognising and leaving it? It was enough. It felt like a weight lifted off her shoulders.

"You'll stay here for the duration of your stay," Kali decided. "I know you probably want to get back to Mistral, but you need a little rest, sweetie. And I think your father wants to speak to you about the White Fang once you're had a night's sleep."

The look on her father's face said it was a serious issue, though not about her once being a part of it. She had a feeling the White Fang were up to something here. Why else would they need to hide the truth from the populace? Could she stay and handle that, however? Nora and the others would be waiting for them back in Mistral.

 _Then again, they have to travel on foot a lot of the way, while we saved time getting here by ship. We should have a week or so until we're expected to meet with them._ They needed rest too, and a way to get Ren out without being spotted.

"Alright. Thanks for letting us stay here."

"It's no problem, sweetie. I've been dying to meet with your friends, anyway. So has Ghira." She giggled as her husband grunted angrily. "Oh, don't listen to him. He's only playing grumpy. He's been eager to meet your harem as well."

"T-They're not my harem…"

It was a lost cause. Blake wasn't sure if they genuinely believed it, or if the teasing wasn't their own way of getting back at her for running away and turning their civil rights group into a terrorist organisation. Either way, Sun had made himself a tempting target for Ghira and Ilia, known as a terrorist, earned her fair share of wrath, too. As dinner was brought out and her parents cornered those two, Sun digging his own grave by responding to her mother's flirty attitude with his own smiles, she slipped over to Ren, who had for the most part been completely silent.

"Are you okay?" she whispered.

"Define okay."

"Are you healthy?" she tried. "Are you in one piece?"

"Physically, yes. Emotionally, that is debatable. Your parents are… interesting, to say the least."

Blake gulped. "What did they tell you about me?"

"In the interests of maintaining any semblance of a comfort relationship between us, I shall refrain from answering that. All I'll say is that I've learned too much, both about you, your parents, and their… amorous habits." The way he said that had her wincing. "Let's just say I'm surprised you don't have as many siblings as Jaune does."

"Yeah, me too." There was a reason she'd always been so desperate to get out the house and go train with Adam. "You managed to get away from the White Fang, though. That's good. Nora was pretty worried about you."

"It's to be expected. This is the first time we've been apart in years. How is she?"

"In one piece and keeping an eye on Jaune and Ruby for us."

"Hm. That's good." Ren sighed. "Blake, you need to listen carefully to what your father says tomorrow. Things here… they're not in a good way. I know you want to get back to the others. I do, too. But the White Fang are planning something big. Something bad."

"When are they not?" Blake sighed. "Well, we have time, and you're technically team leader. I'll listen to what you say, Ren. I trust you."

For the first time, Ren smiled. "Thank you."

The mood was quickly broken.

"Oh, just _look_ at them," Kali crooned. "The smile, the softening of the eyes, it's like seeing you and I when we were younger. Oh, he already has her wrapped around his finger. We'll be grandparents in no time."

"Indeed," Ghira grated, voice like chipped granite. "Though not _too_ soon, I hope."

Ren sighed.

Sun and Ilia scowled.

Blake's face turned bright red.

"MOM!"

/-/

Yang sat on the edge of a small lake in the middle of Patch. Her hand cupped her face, massaging and pinching her temples as she tried to concentrate. It was hard enough with everything that had happened recently, but the constant splashing and laughing certainly didn't help.

"Can you stop that!?" she hissed. "I'm trying to think!"

Her arm – her other arm – froze. It was pitch black, the colour of oil, and had odd bone plates on it in places, as well as horrible red lines that looked all too much like veins. The sheer evilness of it was offset somewhat by the way it splashed in the water, though that had now stopped. It turned to face her, the fingers forming a head in the same way one might a crude finger-puppet. If it was even possible, her hand managed to look… guilty.

" **Sorry,"** it whimpered – and it was a whimper, an honest to goodness tremor in the voice, high-pitched as it was and filled with sorrow. People were fairly simple, Yang too, and she had to fight not to cringe at the sound. **"I've never seen so much water before…"**

Ugh. She had to resist. She could not feel _sorry_ for shouting at a bloody Grimm.

"J-Just stop making so much noise." Damn it, Yang. Be strong. "And didn't I tell you not to come out whenever you feel like it? You do realise we'll be in trouble if anyone sees you."

" **But there's no one around. I looked."**

Her eyebrow twitched. "And how did you look?"

" **I peeked out from your neck."**

Yang's entire body shivered. It was bad enough the thing could come out of her severed arm, but what really sucked was how she never _felt_ it. Okay, she wouldn't have _wanted_ it to be agonising each and every time, but at least something would have been nice. As it was, the damn thing could pop out without her realising it, and often did so. In its words it was being friendly or trying to help. And maybe it was. It was just that a _Grimm_ had a different idea on what _help_ really was.

"Stop sticking your head out without asking," she growled. "This is my body."

" **Yes, mom."**

"And stop calling me mom!" Gods, she was seventeen, almost eighteen. This wasn't supposed to happen for at least another seven years. Taking several deep breaths, Yang calmed herself down and returned to thinking, trying to ignore the splashing that had resumed once more. If nothing else, it was being quieter about it and no longer hummed or laughed.

Once her dad got back, and after she'd convinced him to put down the meds – and no, dad, she wasn't having a fit or going insane – she'd finally managed to wrangle the full story out of him about what happened at Beacon, or at least the full story as he knew it. Cinder had turned traitor, Pyrrha was gone, presumed dead, and Ruby had run off with Nora, Jaune and Blake to go and get `revenge` for Pyrrha's death.

Yang wasn't convinced on the latter, obviously. As much as she hated her new `guest`, it had proved convenient at times and it somehow remembered that Jaune and Ruby were working together, and there was also something about Pyrrha still being alive. Maybe it just knew these things because it had been a part of him before he'd put it inside her.

 _And there goes my sanity once more. Damn it, Jaune. You could at least have let me experience the pleasant parts of baby making first._

Not that she was its mother. No way. It was just… It was just made of a combination of genes between Jaune and her, which was _totally_ not like a baby. No way. Not at all.

" **You're doing the strange noise again…"**

"J-Just play with the water," Yang said, fighting past the keening whine she'd let out.

" **Okay!"**

It was sickeningly sweet – and it _was_ sweet, in a way – how innocent and childlike it could be. Even so, she was the only one who could hear it and she knew her father, and any sane person, would tear it out of her if they got the chance. She might have too, if not for the simple fact that they were connected now. It didn't know what would happen if it was removed, but considering it could move _all over_ her body, she had a feeling the damage would be catastrophic…

And besides, that wasn't the important issue right now. Beacon was buggered and the world had gone to shit, with her team scattered to the four corners of the map, almost literally. She was stuck in Patch, left behind like some kind of invalid. That wouldn't do.

 _But am I really fit to go after them?_

Well… maybe…

She was awake and her aura was fine. She felt a little out of it and a little sickly, but that was just all the time she'd spent on medicine and sleeping. It would wear off. The biggest issue was her missing arm, except that – from a distance – it didn't look like she _had_ a missing arm.

"Look, you…"

" **Me?"** The arm swung at her, or the wrist turned anyway. Talking to her hand felt stupid. Probably looked it, too.

"Yeah, you… Calling you that feels weird. Don't you have a name?"

" **Considering I was only born a week ago? No."**

"Huh, I guess that makes sense. Not sure if Grimm have names anyway." Her education said no, because Grimm couldn't think, but, well, everything she'd learned was kind of up in the air right now. She was basically dating a Grimm. "Would you mind if I gave you one?"

" **Really? You'll name me!?"**

It sounded so excited that Yang had to look away awkwardly. "Y-Yeah, sure." It didn't escape her that the reason it was so happy was because it considered her its mother. It would normally be her to name her child anyway, wouldn't it?

Did Grimm follow the colour naming rule?

"How about… Rebecca?"

" **Isn't that a girl's name?"**

"You're a boy!?"

" **Yeah…"** He said it in a `duh` kind of voice, but give her a break, he was a black-carapaced beetle-Grimm most of the time. It wasn't like he had anything she could judge.

"Have you been watching me get changed?"

" **Not like I can help it,"** he whined. **"And think about how I feel! I have to watch my** _ **mom**_ **go to the toilet. I'm mentally scarred. I'll never be able to** _ **not**_ **be mentally scarred."**

Yang sighed and rubbed her head. Okay, well, at least he wasn't being a perv, though she supposed that didn't fit, what with them being massively different species and all. Naming someone was hard. What would her father do? Well, nothing, probably. He'd leave it to her mom to make the decision, which didn't help at all.

Summer… Look, Summer was a great mom, no arguments, but when it came to naming, she was about as good as Ruby, which is to say she'd named their first dog Eins and their second Zwei. One and Two. Seriously. From a child she might have accepted that, but Summer had been an adult and a huntress.

Ruby was lucky to have been called Ruby, and not something like `Girl` or `Daughter`. In a loving way, of course. Summer really did love them, but she'd been an epic huntress and a loving woman, and that didn't translate into original naming skills. But maybe that was hereditary? What could you expect of a family that named their daughter `Summer`? Her parents had presumably just named her after what season she was born in, which was pretty damn lazy. Might as well call her Tuesday or something. So, dad was out and Summer was out. Yang groaned.

Was she really about to ask what _Raven_ of all people would do?

Yes, apparently. Yes, she was.

 _Okay, so Raven had me and had to name me. Wow, in hindsight it really is obvious how little she gave a shit. She didn't even give me a real name. She just slapped a bit off dad's name and left it there._ Yang's eye twitched at the realisation. Then again, this was the family that called one child Raven and the other Qrow. Not Crow. Qrow.

Seriously...

But hey, it was a naming method.

"Yin," Yang said, cringing even as she did. "Your name will be Yin."

" **Yin?"** The parasite tasted the name, considered it, relished it. **"Yin! Yin! I like it. You named me after you. It's like we're connected! That's so sweet!"**

"Y-Yeah." That was definitely what she'd done. It totally wasn't that she'd just been as half-assed as her real mother. Oh Gods, had she just _become_ Raven? No way. A-At least she wasn't abandoning her new child, right?

Though she would have if she could.

 _Oh my God, I'm the second coming of Raven…_

" **I have a name,"** Yin cheered. **"I can't wait to tell dad!"**

"Yeah, and I can't wait to get my hands on him and-" Yang froze. That was it! Perfect! "Actually, I think we _should_ tell your father. I think we should go and see him as soon as possible. After all, it's pretty irresponsible of him to leave you behind, right?"

" **What about grandpa?"**

"Grandpa?" Oh geez, dad. Yang giggled at the title, and at the thought of what his face would look like if he found out. "Um. Grandpa will be fine, okay? We need to find Ruby – your… your auntie – and then Jaune. Do you know where they are?"

" **Mistral,"** Yin dutifully replied.

"Yeah, but _where about_ in Mistral?"

" **They said… Haven, I think?"**

Haven, huh? Made sense. Getting there before them would be hard, especially given that if her father was to be believed, all flights to and out of Vale were pretty much downed. Security was at an all-time high since the attack, and the airports had been hit pretty hard, since they'd been used as emergency shelters for the people evacuated out of Amity.

No way could she walk there and have any hope of beating them to it. She needed a different means of transportation – something a damn sight faster. And, given who she'd just been thinking about for the last few minutes, she figured she might have found one.

"Hey Yin. Wanna meet your grandma?"

" **Grandma? I dunno. It's not like you let me come out and say hello to Grandpa."**

"I'm willing to make an exception for her," Yang said, grinning. "In fact, I think we might have to make an exception. She's not likely to help if we don't give her a little… incentive."

" **Mommy sounds angry…"**

"You're imagining it. And don't call me that!" Yang sighed. "Okay, I think we need to work on some ground rules before we set off. First things first, I need a jacket. Preferably one with long sleeves. A pair of gloves wouldn't hurt, either."

In fact, if she swung it the right way, it might be possible to hide her new appendage entirely. Well, she'd still look insane, since Yin kept moving her arm in odd ways, sometimes impossible ways, bending back on an elbow that didn't exist or twisting the wrist in a full three-sixty, but it would work well enough as a disguise. Better crazy than half-Grimm.

"Can you fight?" she asked.

" **Born a week ago,"** Yin repeated.

"Then I think it's time we did a little training."

" **Yay! Mother-son bonding!"**

Ugh…

/-/

The day started a nightmare and ended it. That was what Blake decided as she stomped into her bedroom, still somehow clean despite the years she'd been away, and kicked off her boots, slumping down on the mattress. Any such joy she'd felt at her parents welcoming her back, any pleasure at finding Ren safe and sound, all washed away because her mom had apparently decided she was the focal point of some trashy harem romance. Blake dropped her face into her hands and screamed silently.

What a fool she'd been, to think the greatest threat in Menagerie would be the deadly terrorists. Oh, what a fool. If hell had no fury like a woman scorned, then they'd clearly never met her mother. She'd been scorned by her own daughter for years now, which meant she was probably in for a lot worse before her mom forgave her.

Sighing in a mix of embarrassment and frustration, Blake rose and tugged off her top, stretching her muscles in the cool air as she tossed the fabric onto a nearby chair, atop the pants and shirt that already rested there. She padded on bare feet to the bathroom, stifled a yawn with one hand, opened it and stepped in.

And then stepped back out, slammed the door shut and leaned against it, eyes wide.

There was a knock on the door a full minute later. "I'm decent now," Ren said, somehow calm despite… despite… things. Blake tore the door open, fixing her eyes directly on his, ignoring his bare chest and the white towel that really only covered the important bits. His hair was dripping with water from the shower.

"What are you doing in my room!?" she hissed.

"Your room?" His brow creased. "Your mother told me to stay here."

Blake's mouth fell open. B-But her room, and Sun and Ilia had their own. Her eyes flicked away from his chest. His clothes were on the chair, under hers. Blake's hands automatically clung to her chest, hiding her breasts from view as best she could. At least she had a bra. He'd had nothing but steam and bubbles and that didn't cover- No, bad brain. No images. Nora would kill her! Her eyes finally trailed to her bed, a double bed.

Wait, since when did she have a double bed?

"MOOOM!"

/-/

Something was wrong.

Jaune knew it and so did Ruby and Nora. It was hard not to when Qrow cut through his tenth Grimm, splitting a Beowolf in two and turning to check on them. Ruby had finished off her aggressors and Nora had done the same, leaving Jaune to fend his off awkwardly. It wasn't that he couldn't kill it, only that he didn't want to. But it was leaving him no choice.

Reluctantly, he slipped past a clumsy attempt to grab him and cut the Beowolf down, turning it into smoke as it slowly fell apart on the floor.

"Not bad," Qrow said, dusting himself down. "I thought it was a little odd we'd not seen any Grimm."

Odd? He didn't know the least of it. While Qrow checked their perimeter, Ruby rushed over to grab him by the shoulder. The question was clear even before she opened her mouth, and he answered immediately, voice a whisper.

"I don't know. I'm telling them to leave!"

He had been for days now, and up until fifteen minutes ago, the Grimm had done exactly as he asked. The attack had caught them all by surprise, or at least him, Nora and Ruby. Qrow had leapt into action instantly, ironically saving their lives, but their hesitation was understandable. Not a single Grimm had dared challenge them since they'd left Vale.

This shouldn't have been possible.

"Why aren't they listening to you?" Ruby hissed.

"I-I don't know." He saw the momentary flash of suspicion in her eyes, mixed with hurt. "No, Ruby, I promise you I'm not doing anything here. I swear on everything I hold dear that I _am_ trying to make them leave us alone. Something is interfering with my ability to order them."

"Okay, I believe you." The doubt was there but she tried to rise above it. "What could make them not listen to you, though?"

"I don't know."

"Could your mother order them not to?" Nora asked. "You got kidnaped by Grimm that wouldn't listen to you back at Forever Fall, didn't you? That's why you had to turn into Hentacle and why we saw you."

"It was," he confirmed, remembering the embarrassing moment. "And yes, she could, but that only worked because she knew where I was and sent Grimm there. If she wanted these to fight us, she'd need to know _exactly_ where in Mistral we'd be, like, a week ago, and then send Grimm there. She'd need to have ordered it with enough time for the Grimm to travel all the way here." He didn't need to tell them how difficult that would be.

"She's not…" Ruby gulped. "She's not _here_ , is she?"

"I-I hope not. No, no way. If she was, she'd have faced us herself – and it would be too dangerous for her to just wander around like that. She'd send my uncles instead, and while they're safe around Grimm, they can't tell them what to do like I can."

"You three done with your little conference?" Qrow asked, ambling up. The huntsman took a swing of his flask and let out a sigh. "You three almost lost it when those Grimm attacked. Don't tell me you're going soft."

"N-No way," Ruby argued.

"Heh. Well, I guess it's pretty late. Maybe you were tired. We should set up camp here and move in the morning. Do you three have a watch rota?" Qrow's smile fell when they looked at one another awkwardly. To be fair, a watch had never been necessary given his heritage. "Seriously? Damn it, what do they even teach you in Beacon nowadays? Fine, I'll take first watch and we'll do it in two hours breaks rotating. You three can set camp, though. Consider it punishment for being so dense as to not post a sentry."

Ruby and Nora grumbled, but they all ducked their heads and hurried to comply. Jaune even caught a glum look from Ruby, blaming him for her getting in trouble. He couldn't argue much. The only reason they'd not bothered was because he could tell the Grimm not to come near. That had ended up making her look silly to her beloved uncle.

Still, setting up a camp wasn't hard. With how much huntsmen had to travel, camping kits had evolved to be fairly self-sufficient, only needing a few stakes to be driven down and then the frames erecting on their own thanks to elastic. They shuffled the coverings over them and tied them in place at the key spots, Nora filling a large pot from the nearby river and setting it to boil. Once it was clean, Qrow tossed in some soup stock and vegetables, the lazy huntsman's approach to food on the go. They had rations to go with it, of course.

"So," Qrow began, blowing on his bowl of hot soup. "What exactly was your plan in coming here?"

Ruby exchanged a nervous look with them but Jaune kept his head low and Nora gestured for her to field the question. "We were going to go visit Haven," Ruby said. "We thought we could get a Bullhead there and maybe fly it to the Grimmlands to save Pyrrha." Left out was how, or in what way.

Which was to say that `left out` was everything that made the plan sound even _remotely_ sane in the first place.

"That's it?" Qrow's eyebrows rose. "That was seriously the plan you three came up with?"

Ruby grumbled something under her breath, but didn't argue. None of them could without revealing things they weren't about to.

"You know, I really wonder what you lot took in during lessons. And I thought _I_ was a bad student. First of all, how did you expect to fly a Bullhead into Grimm-infested land without it being knocked out of the sky?"

Because he could have ordered the Grimm away.

Ruby cringed.

"Secondly, how did you think you could hope to _find_ wherever your partner is?"

Because he knew where Salem's tower was.

Ruby cringed.

"And thirdly, what makes you think she's alive in the first place?"

Because Salem wanted grandbabies.

Ruby double winced.

"Heavens above," Qrow groaned. "I'm too old for this. Alright, you three get some rest and I'll keep an eye out. We've got a busy day ahead of us."

"What will we be doing?" Ruby asked nervously.

"We'll be finding someone who _can_ come up with a plan."

Ruby looked to him and Nora. She swallowed awkwardly, and then turned back to her uncle. "We need to save Pyrrha, Uncle Qrow."

"We'll talk about this later, Ruby. Go to sleep."

/-/

Jaune awoke in the middle of the night to a familiar feeling deep inside his head. Though he was normally slow to wake up, and groggy at the best of times, his eyes snapped open and he went from being laid flat on his back to sat up in less than a second.

" _Is that?"_

" **Yes,"** Remy said nervously. **"It is."**

Jaune swallowed. It made sense. It made too much sense. Nervously, he extricated himself from his sleeping back, still in his combat clothes in case an attack occurred. He tugged on his boots, unzipped the tent and stepped out into the cold, night air.

"It's not your time yet," Qrow said. He was sat on a log by the fire, and had naturally heard and noticed the young man leave his tent. "Something wrong, kiddo?"

"I need to use the bathroom," Jaune lied.

"Heh. Don't go too far, and shout if you see or hear something. Then again, with your Semblance, I guess you don't need to worry about that." Qrow hummed. "How come you didn't sense the Grimm before? The ones that attacked us?"

"I was distracted. I, uh, I was lost in thought… about Mistral."

"Hm." Qrow didn't look convinced, but shrugged his shoulders regardless. "Go take a leak," he said. "It's close enough to two hours. You can take over the watch once you're done."

"Do you want to go rest now?" Jaune offered.

"I'll wait til you're done." Qrow waved him away to do his business, turning back to face the treeline himself, weapon resting against his chest, the butt on the soft grass. The huntsman somehow managed to look both at ease and prepared. With a nod and a nervous look back to Ruby's tent, Jaune slipped away, between the trees and out of sight. He found a soft patch nearby where no one would see or hear him, but he went further, out of range of the camp entirely and towards a familiar presence he could feel in his mind.

Or not his mind, per se. It was Remy's, the parasite sensing the presence of another and responding to it. Just as he was Remy's host, so too did some of the parasite's abilities pass onto him. Only because he was part-Grimm, of course. Had Yang been close, he might have sensed her, but this wasn't Yang. Not at all. Jaune stopped in a clearing. It was empty and yet it wasn't. He couldn't see, hear or smell anyone.

With an audible gulp, Jaune lifted his head. "I know you're there. Y-You can come out."

A soft thud echoed behind him, a figure landing on the grass. Heart in his throat, he turned, hoping against all hope that it would be a young face he found, a gentle face. It wasn't. It was neither. Out of seven, he found himself faced by one, by stern red eyes inherited straight from his father's face in all but colour, and a scowl that was all his mother's. The tall woman wore a single braid that fell over her shoulder and down between her ample breasts. On her hip was a long, thin blade. Her arms were crossed, her lips tugged down and her eyes critical.

Sapphire Arc, his eldest sister, and first child of Juniper Salem Arc, faced him. The first of many… and the true heiress to all Grimm.

"It's good to see you again, Jaune. I've heard _so much_ of what you've been up to lately."

"S-Sapphire," he gulped, laughing nervously. "What a coincidence!"

"No coincidence, brother."

"Y-Yeah? T-Then what are you doing here?"

"I should think that would be obvious." Sapphire reached out, and frowned when he took a step back, preventing her from gripping his shoulder. "And I see that it is obvious." With a sigh, she reached down for her weapon. "It's time to come home, Jaune. The war is beginning, and I will not see you dragged into it."

With not a word more, Sapphire's sword leapt out towards him.

* * *

 **Uh-oh. A challenger approaches, and Jaune has lost control of the Grimm. There will always be someone bigger than you, especially if Salem is involved. Meanwhile, Yang enjoys the early onset of motherhood and Blake goes through the pains of being an only child. The whole chapter is basically family issues.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 28** **th** **June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	72. Chapter 72

**Here we are. Here we go. Still trying to get my internet fixed.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 72**

* * *

Jaune yelped and fell back, bringing up his sword but not really having the time to deflect Sapphire's. It whistled harmlessly past his throat and pierced into a tree behind him. It hadn't been an attack designed to kill, but rather to intimidate.

"Wait, wait, wait," he called, stumbling away. "You're going straight to violence? Why don't we talk it out first?"

"Will your mind be changed by talk, little brother?" Sapphire asked, wrenching her sword free.

"Uh..."

"Exactly. You're stubborn, just like the rest of us. If you won't be convinced either way, and neither shall I, then why should either of us try?"

"I think it's more of a manners thing," Jaune said, barely blocking her follow-up. It rattled his bones and knocked him back several feet. Sapphire was the first of his sisters and for a good reason. When she'd been born, Salem was still firmly in her destroy the world phase, which meant that while Sapphire had been raised lovingly, she'd not been raised with any experience.

Salem had been a monster convinced she could never have children, while Nicholas had been a prisoner who just found out he wasn't being killed because his captor and he had just had a child together, and that child was part Grimm. They'd both tried, but neither knew what they were doing.

That wasn't to say Sapphire came out badly by any means, but she came out overly serious. She absorbed all of Nicholas' sword skills – the only thing he was any good at teaching her – and also took after her mother in terms of motivation and power. When Salem had more children, rather than become jealous or upset, Sapphire had declared herself their guardian, promising to be the best big sister possible.

Whether her younger siblings wanted it or not.

"Is that a human mannerism?" Sapphire asked, stepping into his guard, locking blades and then forcing his down. "That seems awfully pointless, but I suppose I can humour you. Would you care to come home where you'd be safe, little brother?"

Jaune gritted his teeth. "No."

Sapphire shrugged. "Okay. I guess I'll beat you unconscious and take you home, then."

"You're not exactly trying very hard to convince me!"

"You're such an idiot, Jaune…" Sapphire kicked his legs out from under him and pinned a knee to his chest, hovering over him with the tip of her sword tickling his throat. Just like that, he was beaten. "Here you are, making me the bad person yet again. In any other situation I'd be praised for loving my brother enough to risk my life rescuing him from three huntsmen, but no, you act like it's exactly where you want to be."

"This _is_ where I want to be!"

"It's where you will be killed! They are our enemies."

He stared up at her. "They're not _my_ enemies."

"Perhaps not, but you are theirs. Can you tell me the huntsman in that group would not kill you if he knew the truth? Can you tell me Ozpin would not have struck you down had he discovered your true identity?" Sapphire waited for an answer. Jaune looked away, frustrated. "I thought not." She sighed. "Jaune, it's not enough that _you_ think them your friends. What matters is what _they_ believe in turn, and what they will do."

"My friends wouldn't hurt me."

"I'll take your word for it. You know them better than I. But you also know what is coming – the war that approaches. What of everyone else involved, Jaune? What of Ozpin, Branwen, the Maidens and every other huntsman who will stand against you? Will they refrain from harming you, just because you show them the same mercy?"

They wouldn't. He knew that. How could he not? It didn't make it any easier to accept and he stared to the side. Tears burned in his eyes. A gentle hand cupped his face and turned him back. Sapphire's eyes were blue again, looking down on him with such love and sorrow that he almost choked.

"I want to protect you, Jaune. We miss you."

"Saph…"

"You know why I chose to do this. I could have attacked your group at any moment, but I held back, making my presence known but taking no action. I knew harming them would harm you. I have no intention of hurting them."

"I… I know. Thank you, Saph, but… I can't go home."

Not yet, anyway. If he went home with her, he would never escape again. Nor would Pyrrha. There was no way he could convince Sapphire to take Ruby and Nora with them, not with Ruby's eyes, which he had to assume she didn't know about yet. But she would if she met her. Sapphire wouldn't let someone like Ruby close to her siblings.

"I'm not giving you a choice, Jaune." Sapphire said sadly. "I'm sorry. I've already instilled my will on all the Grimm in Mistral. They will no longer heed your words, and once mother finds out what you've decided all the Grimm back home won't, either. You can't tread the line forever, Jaune. You need to decide whose side you're on in this war."

"I'm on both sides!"

"That's not going to be possible. Even now, your teacher plans to kill us, to kill mother. Once he learns about us, we'll be killed as well. All of us. If you continue with him, you'll only be working towards that outcome." Sapphire leaned forward so that her own neck touched the edge of her blade. She took his hand and placed it on the other side, where he could push it into her throat if he wanted to. "Can you do it?" she asked. "I will bring down my aura. Kill me now if you wish it."

Jaune tore his hand away as if it had been burned. "No!"

"I'm glad. But then what _are_ you going to do? Even if it's not by your hand, Ozpin seeks to end us. Help them and you as good as drive the knife into our hearts."

"But if I go with you, I as good as kill them!"

"Not so," Sapphire argued. "We could spare your friends. We could protect them."

"And only them. What would happen to everyone else?" Sapphire's silence was answer enough. "No deal, Saph. I'm not going to go with you, but I'm not going to let them kill you, either. I'll find my own way. I'll find my own direction."

The woman atop him let out a beleaguered sigh. She shook her head from side to side, a small, almost nostalgic smile on her face. "That's just like you," she whispered. "You always argued from the other side, always saying that there had to be more to humans, that they could be saved. That we could live together in harmony."

"We can," he replied.

"Perhaps we could have, in another time. In another place. I don't hate them, Jaune. I have no reason to. But they want to kill us. They want to kill mom, dad, and then they'll want to kill us as well. Me, you, even Amber, young as she is. They'll find us one by one, no matter where we hide, and they'll murder us without mercy. Ozpin won't stand for less. I'm not fighting this war for me, or for a belief. I'm fighting it to protect the ones I love." She reversed her sword so that she held it by the blade, pommel drawn back like a club about to strike down. "And I love you too, Jaune. Enough to bear your hatred if that is what is required to protect you."

"No!"

The pommel raced down, and even though he brought his hands up to cover his face, he knew they would be knocked aside. One or ten blows, it didn't make a difference. He couldn't outfight Sapphire. Not in a hundred years.

A gunshot echoed through the forest. Sparks flew before him as it struck the blade, diverting it just enough that the pommel struck dirt. The treeline to the left exploded, a furious figure streaking out from it with scythe deployed. Had it silver eyes and a slender frame he might have been relieved. As it was, Qrow slammed into the side of Sapphire and tore her off him. And all Jaune could feel was panic.

The two wrestled for a moment – or it looked as such. They were too close to bring either weapon to the fore, so both jabbed and grappled, kicked and head-butt one another until Qrow rolled onto his back and kicked up, launching Sapphire away. She landed gracefully and flicked her sword to the side, spitting out a little blood.

"So," Qrow said, rising slowly. "There's more than one of you. First Hentacle, now you. I see Salem's been busy."

Sapphire regarded the huntsman with cold, red eyes. Her transformation had already been in full effect, though unlike him, her hair retained the vaguest shade of gold, leaving it possibly the most platinum it could be without technically being white. There were no tentacles behind her, nor a single shred of evidence to the transformation but for her eyes. Not even the veins so specific to their mother were shown.

Such was Sapphire's control that she did not need such, though she could bring any out at will, and much, much more.

"Leave, human," she said. "This does not concern you."

"Yeah, I'm afraid I can't do that. See, he's kind of under my protection at the moment. It wouldn't reflect well on me if I let anything happen to him." Qrow stepped back a pace and glanced at him. "Kid, go back to the camp. Ruby and the other one are awake. Get out of the way and stay low. Don't run off anywhere."

Jaune bit his lip. He could follow said orders and get away – the best result for everyone – but what if Sapphire was hurt? She was his sister, and strong or not, he had no idea how good Qrow was. An ugly thought occurred to him, one that pointed out the man probably had his aura focused before him, and that a single well-placed tentacle might be enough to kill him.

No! He shook his head. Ruby would never forgive him. Never. And killing like that, even to protect Sapphire, would only prove her point. His eyes sought hers and she nodded subtly, telling him that he should follow the huntsman's instructions for now. She didn't want him hurt, after all. Right now, he was just in the way.

"O-Okay," he said, picking up Crocea Mors once more. "Be careful."

He had no idea who he meant that to.

"Tch, you're a little young to be telling me that," Qrow joked, eyes still on the threat before him. "Go back and look after Ruby. I'll catch up once I'm finished here."

Ruby! Right, that was the best shot. Maybe if he got back and explained what was going on, they could come up with a plan together. Jaune dashed out of the clearing and back in the direction of camp. All they needed was a diversion, really. If all three of them joined in with Qrow against Sapphire, it wouldn't be hard to get in the way and give his sister a chance to escape. Qrow wouldn't think it sabotage, knowing Ruby enough to believe she'd suggested they help, and no one would be hurt.

 _For now, anyway,_ he thought. _If she really has cut me off from the Grimm, we'll have to fight our way to Haven._

Even now, he was being forced to pick sides. To pick a side in a war he didn't have any interest in. No one even remembered why the war was being fought anymore! The humans just killed the Grimm because they always had, and the Grimm killed in turn. Grimm attacked human settlements. Humans sent huntsmen out to kill Grimm in the forests. More Grimm attacked villages. Huntsmen were sent to kill them in turn. Sapphire was no different, only blessed to have avoided the bloodshed until she'd reached adulthood.

He could understand her fear, and how it had turned into hate. If someone threatened Amber, he'd have hurt them too. Hell, he'd hurt someone if they threatened any of his sisters. He'd _killed_ Adam for harming Yang. He'd do it again if he had the chance.

But spending time with humans, he'd come to see their side, too. It was frighteningly similar. Sapphire would kill Qrow to protect her family, and Qrow was about to try and kill Sapphire to protect his.

It had to stop. They both had to come out of this safe and sound.

"Ruby!" Jaune yelled, bursting from the treeline and into the camp.

"Jaune!" Ruby yelled back, voice filled with relief.

"Jauney!" Nora yelled happily.

"Nephew!" Uncle Tyrian cried, waving one hand wildly, the other gripping Ruby by the collar.

Jaune took half a second to assess the scene and come up with the appropriate response. He felt Yang would have been proud of it.

"Fuck my life…"

/-/

Yang knew there were things about being a mother she'd never really understood. Raven was a shitty mother and didn't count, but she still had plenty of memories of Summer being her real mother, and one of them – or many, really – dealt with how Summer could feel the most ridiculous sense of pride whenever she or Ruby did something for the first time. Anything, really.

Ruby's first word? Summer had gushed for an entire day.

Yang's first all A report card? She'd been showered with praise and affection.

Ruby's first spar? Instant pride and photographs.

And, of course, there was the most ubiquitous example, or maybe it was the stereotypical one; that being either her or Ruby's first time on a bicycle. It was her first, of course, and then Ruby a year or two later, but she could still remember Summer running behind her, holding her shoulders as she learned to pedal. Looking back, it was an embarrassing scene, but a loving one nonetheless. It had repeated pretty much identically for Ruby later on.

Teaching your kid to ride a bike was, Yang had gathered, something of a big thing for parenthood, eclipsed only by her father often mentioning his dreams (and terror) of having to walk her down the aisle one day.

Yang had only been a mother for a week or so, but she had a feeling she'd made a _serious_ mistake in teaching Yin how to ride a bike. A motorbike, that was.

"Left! Go left!" Yang shrieked, pulling with her left arm. Her right arm – her Grimm arm – tried to imitate that, but went too far and caused the bike to swerve aggressively. "Not that much! Right! Right! Go right!"

Yang's hair whistled behind her as the bike pulled off a right-turn faster than she'd ever imagined it could, practically a right angle, except that it slid over so that her face almost touched the dirt path, more like a racer than a casual rider like she was. She screamed as it did and only just regained control, breathing a sigh of relief.

For half a second, anyway.

The front wheel struck the edge of the dirt road and they were suddenly airborne, flying perpendicular to the road and into the treeline. There was that old saying about not being able to see the wood for the trees. Yang personally thought it was pretty stupid, especially since all she could see _were_ trees. Every single one of them seemed determined to kill her.

Yang screamed again and didn't even think to try and control the bike when it landed. Luckily, she didn't have to. Her right arm tugged to the right and then the left, skidding her around one tree and making her brush up against another. A sudden right again, another – a skid and a slide. Dirt and mud kicked up as she slid under a branch and righted on the other side. Her wheel caught a gnarled tree branch and she was up in the air again, clearing the forest and arriving in a wide, grassy field with their destination in front of them, an inn off the beaten path. It had a decent-sized car park, not that Yang was in any state to admire it since they were approaching at what had to be ninety miles an hour.

They landed hard. Bumblebee buckled under her but held – even as her ass impacted the seat over and over, the bumpy path making her head ring. Up, down, up, down – hit a picnic table – up, up, up, over the three-foot tall fence and into the car park. Land, see car, scream, swerve to right, too much, airborne again, this time flipping sideways in a motorbike cartwheel.

Land on wheels somehow. Skid aggressively, do a figure eight while doing so. Three-sixty. Seven-twenty. Ten-eighty. Rubber squealing. Brakes smoking. Sudden stop. Nearly fall over front. No more movement. In parking space. Black smoke billowing behind. People looking at her like she was all four horsemen of the apocalypse in one package.

Deep breaths, she told herself.

Deep breaths…

" **That was** _ **amazing**_ **!"** Yin crowed. **"Again. Again! Let's do it again!"**

So much regret. Yang didn't so much as step off the bike as fall off, sliding sideways and slumping onto the tarmac. Oh, sweet ground. How she'd missed it. Tugging her helmet off, she reached up limply to push it onto the seat, still flat on her face and struggling to catch her breath. Okay, lessons learned. There _might_ have been a reason mom and dad started her with a bicycle. A bicycle with training wheels, and with their supervision. Live and learn.

" **Mom, why are you kissing the floor?"**

"No reason," she mumbled against the tarmac. After a second's pause she sighed and pushed herself up, Yin trying to help, but doing so a little clumsily and pushing unevenly, almost tipping her on her side. That was something they'd not yet been able to perfect. Balance and allocation of force was kind of hard when you were two separate organisms trying to work together.

At least Yin had learned to moderate his strength after crushing the first can she'd bought from a vending machine and showering Yang's face in grape soda. It still hadn't gotten to the point where she trusted him to help wash her hair, but they were working on the little things. Sometimes he'd push too hard and unbalance her, or not hard enough and do the same. She hoped it would even out with practice, but she figured they were good enough to go find Ruby. No point delaying matters any further.

"We're about to be around a lot of people, so I need you to be on your best behaviour."

" **Sure thing, mom."**

"Don't call-" She sighed. "Ugh. Never mind. Try not to talk to me either. I can't do the talking in your head thing you say Jaune can. I don't need to look like I'm insane talking to my own arm. Just stay quiet. Or if you do talk, don't expect me to answer."

" **Okay."**

Honestly, it would have been safer to have Yin back inside her and go in one-armed, but that just led to too many problems. She hadn't bothered to get used to only having one arm for the simple fact that she didn't. Besides, that kind of thing drew attention and she wasn't here for that. Not yet, anyway.

 _The people at the last village said a tribe of bandits was seen around here. Could be anyone, but if there's even a chance it's hers, I can't afford to not investigate._ Even if it wasn't Raven, they might know of her, or where she was last seen.

The door to the inn opened and Yang stepped inside, eyes on the bar that took up the main room, filled to the brim with people, most of them – or at least the ones who looked like locals – deadly silent. Silent in the way that told her they were trying not to cause trouble, not to draw attention to themselves. The reason why was obvious soon enough, for the one or two tables that _were_ loudly chatting and laughing to themselves were filled with burly men armed to the teeth. It was just like the villagers had said; find the bar and you'd find the bandits.

Or some of them, anyway, Yang thought as she made her way over to the bar and sat down. A year back she might have walked over, planted a foot on their table and demanded they take her to their leader, but she'd matured. She'd grown wiser, faced adversity, had a chil- no, not the last one. Slapping her head with her good hand, she forced the thoughts out. She could follow them once they got up to leave. No need to cause a fuss for the poor guy running this place. He looked haggard enough as it was as he wandered over to her.

"W-Would you like a drink, miss…?"

"Strawberry sunrise. If you can make it."

"I can." He reached for a glass and was about to ask for lien, but his eyes caught her outfit, her brown coat and the obvious signs of muscle in her arm. "Are you…" he swallowed. "With them…?"

"I'm not." Flashing a smile, she pulled out some lien and pushed it across the counter. The man slumped with obvious relief. "I take it they've been causing trouble around here."

"Came a few nights back. There was nothing we could do."

"They kill anyone…?"

"Hurt a few, but I managed to convince them not to kill."

Yang was impressed. "How?"

"I offered them free drink, food and room," the innkeeper said, and it was obvious he'd not come out well from the exchange. His business might well be ruined, though she could only hope those he'd saved stuck by him and helped him recover. "Between them killing everyone and taking the money, or sparing everyone, taking the money _and_ getting free drink out of it, they went with the obvious choice."

The village had surrendered, then. Made sense. Not everyone could fight like a huntress and sometimes it was wiser to bow down.

" **Why would humans kill other humans?** " Yin asked. **"What's the point?"**

"No point," Yang murmured as the innkeeper went to make her drink. "Just bastards."

" **Grimm don't kill other Grimm. Not on purpose, anyway."**

Yang shrugged and sipped her drink when it came. Yin had a point, much as it sucked to admit it. Maybe it was cynical of her, but that was the thing about being an intelligent species. Sooner or later, someone would be smart enough to realise someone else had a load of stuff they wanted, and that they could take it from them and have it for themselves.

Still, the little Grimm wasn't wrong. Some humans could be as bad, if not worse, than most Grimm. The bastard that took her arm was one such example, though thankfully he'd been killed, and by a Grimm no less. Justice in the strangest of places.

The stool beside her rattled as a man sat down, slamming an empty beer glass down on the counter. He was a rough sort, easily ten years older than her, and covered in tattoos. "Another beer." He glanced at her drink and snorted. "Strawberry Sunrise? Ha. That's a woman's drink. Oi, barman. Better make it two beers."

Yang sipped her cocktail before she answered. "I like the taste of it, and in case you didn't notice, I _am_ a woman."

"Oh, I noticed," he said, looking her up and down. "You're not from around here. Sightseeing?"

"Looking for something," she corrected.

"Yeah? Well I can show you something." The two drinks came and he pushed one over to her and raised an eyebrow. Yang took it and clicked the glass against his. "Bottoms up," he said, tipping the pint glass back.

Yang wasn't much of one for beer. Drinks were fine but she liked cocktails because of their taste, the after buzz just being a bonus. All beer tasted the same and made her feel fat and stodgy, so she only took a single swig before she put it down.

"Ah, that's better," the man said, wiping a hand over his mouth. "Thirsty work being out here."

"I notice you didn't pay for that…"

"The barkeeper and us have an… understanding." He smiled in what he clearly thought was a roguish manner. Yang merely took another sip and didn't bother responding. He was a bandit, then. Good of him to confirm it for her. Yang felt an arm snake around to rest on the back of her shoulder. "No reason why that can't extend to you as well," he quipped. His hand drifted lower, down her back and towards her rear end.

Yang's entire body shifted – though not by choice. Her right arm shot across her to catch his wrist and slammed it forward, so that his skin caught the edge of the bar with a mighty crack.

" **Only dad is allowed to touch mom like that!"** Yin growled.

"Heh. Good work, Yin."

"W-What the hell?" the bandit growled, unable to hear the voice. "You better let me go or-" He broke off, eyes growing wide. His face was on the bar, dragged down along with his arm, and that left his nose flush against her arm – able to see past the end of her jacket's sleeve and her biker gloves. It might have been the pitch black skin that frightened him, or it might have been the large, red eye that glared balefully back at him.

Hard to tell really…

Yang gripped his collar with her good hand before he could scream and run away. She pinned him down on the counter and leaned forward so that she could whisper directly into his ear. "You know, I think I _will_ take you up on the offer of sightseeing. As soon as you've paid your tab, you can take me to see your leader. How does that sound?"

The man was frightened. That much was clear. "Y-You don't know who you're messing with."

"And you, my man, don't know _what_ you're messing with." Yang pulled out her best manic smile, hoping it made her look as inhuman as possible. She flashed her Semblance too, just because. Her irises flickered to blood red. The bandit's face paled rapidly.

"A-Alright. I'll do whatever you say. Just don't kill me."

Huh. Whoever said diplomacy was hard? Yang grinned and let him up, though Yin didn't release him and she made no effort to command him to. The little parasite had a good grip, and she didn't fail to notice the tiny tendrils, like miniature tentacles, slipping from her wrist to encircle the bandit's. Judging from how badly he was shaking, he didn't miss it either.

Maybe being a young mother wasn't that bad after all.

" **Can I drive us to the bandit's camp?"**

Or not.

/-/

"Uncle Tyrian, no!"

"Uncle Tyrian, yes!" Tyrian replied, laughing manically.

"T-This is your uncle?" Ruby rasped.

"Hmmm? This is the girl? The girl my Queen speaks of?" Tyrian dragged Ruby close and looked her up and down. He recoiled with a howl. "Silver eyes! Silver eyes! Killer and murderer, accursed monsters who should have died long ago." He tossed Ruby bodily aside and she slammed into one of the tents, getting tangled in the fabric as it collapsed on her. "You, young prince, would associate with one so wretched?"

"I would."

"Then I only have one thing to say," Tyrian replied, drawing his blades and turning to Jaune with a wide grin. "Something your mother asked me to pass along. A question most burning."

He covered the distance between them in a second, blades flashing. Jaune brought his shield up to defend but was knocked back when Tyrian leapt and placed both feet onto it, latching one hand on the top so that he was balanced on the shield and forcing Jaune to bear his weight. The madman's face was pushed into his own.

"Are you a virgin?"

"Y-YES!" Jaune roared, pushing the older man off. He sagged once the weight was gone. "Damn it, yes, I'm still a virgin. For crying out loud, tell mom to stop asking me that!"

"You've been surrounded by women for months."

"I'm dating one of them!"

"But is she pregnant?"

"I… well… It's complicated."

Ruby, still tangled in the tent, somehow heard and gasped. Her attempts to escape doubled in intensity. Nora whistled appreciatively and went over to help, still holding her hammer toward Tyrian, but content to use the distraction for what it was and not start the fight early.

"I see," Tyrian said, even though he obviously didn't. "Your mother will be disappointed, Jaune, but I won't be. I understand. No matter your preferences, I, the greatest uncle on Remnant, shall support you. But I'm afraid your mother, my Queen, has given me a missive. One that I must complete."

"Wasn't it just to ask as to the status of any grandchildren?"

"That was the priority objective, yes, but there was a secondary – to bring you back home where you will be safe."

It was good to see his mom's priorities hadn't changed any. So, Sapphire was both the first attempt and also a distraction. It was just like her not to take any chances, and even if Tyrian wouldn't want to actually hurt him, he was a powerful combatant. Ruby and Nora were back on their feet and ready. They hurried over and took a position on either side of him, though Ruby's face said she was burning to ask him what he'd meant about Yang.

"Oh, dear oh dear," Tyrian said. "This puts me in quite the predicament. You see, I was told not to harm any potential wives accompanying the young heir. Fighting three on one is hard if I can't kill you both."

"Wife? Hey, I'm not-" Ruby's hand clamped down over Nora's mouth before she could spout any loyalty to Ren, or worse, get into another together but not together-together monologue.

"We're potential wives," Ruby said straight after.

Tyrian looked unconvinced. "Are _you_ virgins?"

"Yes. We're… uh… saving ourselves for Jaune." Lie or not, Jaune felt his cheeks heat up, and by the time Tyrian looked back to him, he was bright red. That was all the confirmation his uncle needed and the man cackled happily.

"Oh, she will be pleased – yes, she will! But I must separate you for now. Worry not, fair maidens, for you shall be reunited in time. After the war. When everyone is safe. When the petty Kingdoms are crushed and all bow down to the _once and future Queen_ of Remnant."

Tyrian clicked his fingers together and several Ursa and Beowolves approached from the treeline, surrounding them. Jaune, Ruby and Nora backed into a smaller circle, their shoulders touching. The Grimm weren't the real problem, numerous as they were. It was Tyrian that was the issue.

"You're huntresses, so you'll be fine against Grimm," Tyrian said. "Or you should be." He cackled happily. "Come on, Jaune. It's been so long since we sparred. Let's see how much you've improved. Oh, I can't wait to see it!" Tyrian shucked off his coat, revealing his long, scorpion's tail from the get-go. It was a terrible mirror of their first fight against the Deathstalker, except now without most of their heavy hitters, and with Qrow busy fighting Sapphire, as evidenced by the sounds of clashing steel in the distance.

"Deal with the Grimm," Jaune whispered. "I'll keep him busy."

"You sure you can take him?" Nora asked.

"I'm sure I _can't_. But I might be able to prolong the fight until the two of you finish up and come rescue me." He was a better swordsman than he'd been before, but that didn't mean much. Worse, if he transformed then he'd run the risk of Qrow coming back and seeing him. That would be as good as a loss right there, since he'd be forced to flee with Sapphire and accept sanctuary back home.

"We'll come help as soon as we can," Ruby promised. "Try not to get kidnapped for once." She flashed him a cheeky grin. "It's supposed to be the prince rescuing the princess. Not your army of future wives coming to save you."

Nora laughed. "I like it more this way. Go on then, _husband_. Try not to get knocked around or I'll leave you for Renny."

Jaune nodded and faced Tyrian. He flourished his sword before him and strode forward, past the Grimm that moved in to encircle and trap Ruby and Nora. Tyrian seemed pleased at the display and made a bow of his own, a rare sign of respect and courtesy from the normally insane faunus.

"I've improved a lot, Uncle. You better take this seriously or you might get hurt."

"Hee Hee! I hope so! Show me how much you've grown."

/-/

Ironwood stormed out of the meeting room with a fierce glower. Several members of staff, all with the distinctive snowflake emblem, bowed as he passed but he ignored them all. He took the staircase down three at a time, one hand on the banister, gripping it so tightly he feared he might tear it from the staircase itself. To his frustration, he was barred from escaping the Schnee mansion, and by a young girl he could not with any good conscience brush aside. She stood at the bottom, arms beside her, rapier on one hip and looking intently toward him.

"Miss Schnee," he greeted, hiding his anger. It was not directed at her. "I would like to apologise for what happened at Beacon. You have my condolences."

"Thank you, General, but Beacon did not fall. My friends survived, for the most part…"

"You still have my sympathies. I know from your sister how much staying there meant to you. I cannot necessarily say I approve of the way your father dragged you back." Not that there was much he could do about it, it being a family issue and thus none of his business. He had enough problems with the Schnee family as it was.

"You seem frustrated, General. Were you in a meeting with my father?"

"I was. I apologise for any unsightly display."

"Not at all. My father is not the easiest person to get along with."

That was the truth and then some, but Ironwood eyed the girl with some level of suspicion. The Schnee family always stuck together, or at least provided a united front. Not even Winter would speak out against her father, despite how obvious it was she hated him. He wasn't sure why the youngest daughter did so now.

"We have our differences," he said cautiously. "Normally, they are differences of opinion. Nothing more."

"Father is angry about the dust blockade, I take it."

Ironwood grunted his assent.

"I suppose that makes sense. From an economic standpoint the SDC stands to lose much from it. Profit outlooks are to be slashed by seventy per cent for the third and fourth quarter."

"I understand that, but the situation is a fragile one," Ironwood said. "It is-"

"Regrettable, but necessary," Weiss said.

Ironwood cut off immediately.

"It's not what anyone wants, but given the situation and the fact that SDC dust was used to attack Beacon, it's imperative the leaks in information be found and dealt with. Our shipments could not have been targeted so effectively unless there were spies involved. Until those are found, profit cannot be more important than security."

"Those are my thoughts exactly," Ironwood said, still suspicious, but also a little more relaxed. "Your father does not agree."

"Jacques is an excellent businessman," Weiss returned. "But he does not handle change well. He only sees the bottom line, with no attention paid to anything else."

"It is a failing," Ironwood said.

"It is." Weiss agreed.

General James Ironwood inspected the girl, no, the woman in front of him with a keener eye. The tone in her voice was familiar, and reminded him of Willow Schnee, back when she'd been a fierce political opponent and powerful woman. Back before Jacques changed her. Ruined her. Weiss Schnee might have been young, but she hid her emotions well and Ironwood was not so far removed from the political scene that he did not pick up on the little nuances.

"I'm glad to see we are in agreement, Miss Schnee. It is a relief to see that not all in the SDC are so short-sighted."

"I could not agree more, General. For what it matters, you have _my_ support. Both in this action, and in your efforts against those who attacked Beacon. If I were able to, I would offer my support in a more tangible fashion, but alas, I am somewhat limited at the moment."

"That is a shame."

"It is," Weiss said meaningfully. "It is a definite shame. Still, I'm not above offering what little help I can." Weiss drew out a card and pushed it toward Ironwood. He took it and noticed that along with her number, a small data disk had been taped to the hardened paper. "Father hopes to defeat your proposal for a trade embargo on dust in the next session of the council. He's been entertaining several important figures to influence them. You might find the contents of that intriguing."

Ironwood smiled and pocketed the disc. "I'm sure I will. I have to say, Miss Schnee, this has been a pleasant conversation."

"Call me Weiss. I'm not a fan of being compared to my father."

"Weiss it is, then," he returned. "Your sister speaks often of you. I'm glad to see all the stories are true." Ironwood shook her hand. "That said, I really must return now. If you have need of me, you can always reach me through Winter. I would be… appreciative… if we could continue this conversation another time. You've given me much to think on."

Weiss smiled politely and curtsied. "As would I, General. I won't delay you any longer. Have a good day."

The General nodded and departed. As he did, he tapped his pocket and smiled curiously. Jacques might have been a bust, as expected, but it was a surprise – a pleasant one – to run into Winter's sister on the exit.

She was rough at the game, at politics, but she held promise. More than Jacques did, anyway.

Perhaps _that_ was something to think more on…

/-/

Weiss smiled and slipped away as Ironwood left. She ducked into a hallway and toward her chamber, and was met by Emerald half-way.

"Did father dismiss you?" Weiss asked.

"He slapped me in the face," Emerald growled. "Or you, I suppose, since I had him see what I wanted. I managed to keep the illusion up through it. He's a real piece of work."

"He is," Weiss agreed.

"Still, there's no way he'll believe you met with Ironwood after this. Not when his own eyes tell him you were right there with him, being knocked around like that. Even if the maids tell on you, he'll just assume they're lying." Emerald huffed and crossed her arms. "I take it the meeting went well?"

"Well enough, I think. I might be able to count on Ironwood's support. More than before at the very least."

"That's a powerful friend to have."

"I know. That's why I want him. That he's connected to Winter helps. He's trustworthy. He wants whats best for Atlas, and the world." Weiss held a hand out. "Did you get father to sign what I wanted him to?"

"Sure did." Emerald held out a sheet of paper. "He thought it was an order for a ball gown for that gala thing coming up. It's harder to change small print like that. Had to distract him by calling him out on the Atlas issue. That's what got me slapped." Emerald rolled her eyes, as unaffected by the assault as anyone with aura would be. "Worked, though. He was so angry he didn't go through it in detail. It's official, then?"

"It is now," Weiss replied, reading through and grinning. "You're now officially my retainer, which means you get a salary, insurance and a room of your own. It will be connected to mine, naturally."

"Naturally," Emerald parroted. "At least this makes things official. What are my responsibilities?"

"Assistant, companion and bodyguard. You work in my benefit and mine alone."

"No different to what we've already got, then."

"No, but at least you're paid for it now."

"Heh." Emerald grinned. "There is that. This pays better than working for Cinder ever did. Feels more satisfying, too. I can't wait to see the look on that bastard's face."

"Which? Father or Whitley?"

"Either," Emerald groused. "Both. That little twat couldn't take his eyes off my breasts the other day. You're telling me _he's_ going to be next in line to take over?"

"Not if I have anything to say about it, Emerald. Father hasn't disowned me yet, and won't so long as I – or we – don't anger him. On the other hand, the same rules go for Whitley." Weiss opened up her wardrobe and inspected the beautiful dress she'd ordered only a few nights ago. "The charity ball is coming up, and I think it's time for us to be noticed."

"You mean it's time for _Whitley_ to be noticed."

"And for us to steal the show," Weiss added demurely. "Whitley always wants to be the centre of attention. He should be grateful we're going to help him."

"Yeah," Emerald laughed. "Real grateful. You know, you're as vicious as Cinder was sometimes."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

* * *

 **Oh Weiss, is this Game of Thrones all of a sudden? Is it the Red (or White) Wedding?**

 **Yin and Yang continue to steal the show while Jaune meets up with Sapphire and gets thrown back into a fight against Tyrian. And hey, that one line from Tyrian in the show** _ **finally**_ **makes sense. This might be the only circumstance once can think of where what he says comes across as cute and not creepy. Go me.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 5** **th** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	73. Chapter 73

**Good news today as the European Parliament decides to vote against Article 13, which means no shakeup of Fanfiction. Yay! It could have been a real problem for this site because it has adverts on it, which means Article 13 could argue it profited from copyrighted material.**

 **Hopefully, it will be amended before it comes back, which seems likely since trying to reintroduce it in its current form would just see it being voted back out again.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 73**

* * *

Pyrrha shivered in the cool night air and huddled closer to the large hound at her side. A part of her brain reminded her it wasn't a dog but she ignored it, not wanting to deal with what was her crazy life right now. Mannie was, whatever his heritage, a lovely thing that spent almost every night snuggling up to her.

Did it make her a traitor that she appreciated that? Did it make her a freak?

"Huff," Mannie grunted, pushing his snout against her hand. She patted him quickly, realising he'd sensed her discomfort.

"It's okay, I'm fine. I was just thinking."

A voice piped up from behind her. "Whatever about, my dear?"

Pyrrha flinched at the woman's voice – Salem, she reminded herself. Jaune's mother, her treacherous brain added. It had been a few weeks now and she was still nervous around the woman who could so easily kill her. She wasn't sure anyone could have blamed her for that.

Salem noticed her fear and the way she slid behind Mannie. "Fear not," she said. "I granted you permission to roam the halls at will. You have done nothing to displease me."

"You'll forgive me if I'm not convinced," Pyrrha said a little defiantly. "You're a Grimm. You've been killed humanity since time began."

"Hmph. Is that what they tell you?"

Pyrrha remained silent.

"Time began a long time ago, girl, and I can assure you I was not _born_ commanding the Grimm, let alone waging war on humanity. It may be as far back as your pathetic history recalls, but my memory extends further. Much further."

Intellectually, Pyrrha knew Salem was probably right. It _was_ a little far-fetched to assume everything had been like this instantly. There had to be a starting point somewhere, either the Grimm appearing or humanity doing so. She assumed it was the Grimm, because seriously, how could humans have even managed to band together and form settlements if Grimm were everywhere? It didn't make sense, whereas the Grimm appearing and destroying settlements until the four Kingdoms were founded did.

"It doesn't really change anything," Pyrrha said. "You still attack and kill us. The Grimm still rule over ninety-five per cent of Remnant. People are being slaughtered all the time."

"And I have granted you the final five per cent for quite some time," Salem drawled. She rolled her eyes and crossed both arms beneath her large breasts. "Do you believe I could not wipe out your paltry Kingdoms if I wished it? Do you think the destruction of Vale is beyond me? Or Vacuo?" she added. "Vacuo, for crying out loud. Its walls barely even stand."

"I-"

"It would not be difficult to throw Grimm at it until one side gives. When was the last time a concerted attack fell on Vale?"

"A few weeks ago," Pyrrha said pointedly.

"Orchestrated by the White Fang," Salem said dismissively. "I had no hand in it."

"Mountain Glenn, then," Pyrrha challenged.

"Ah, Mountain Glenn. Yes, I remember that." Salem tilted her head toward the ceiling and smiled whimsically. "The first expansion out of Vale in goodness knows how long. Reports were brought of it to me. I allowed it to be completed. I waited for it to be filled with people. I even gave it a few years, just to let people build up their hopes and dreams. Do you know what happened when I finally decided to attack it?"

"You destroyed it."

"No, I did not."

Pyrrha hesitated. "What?"

"It's hard to destroy something that has already been destroyed. By the time I felt the time was right, I learned that some idiot had decided to experiment on my Grimm and caused the fall of that foolish settlement on his own. Vale and Atlas sealed the tunnels, condemning the people to death." Salem huffed, almost annoyed. "I did not get the chance to destroy Mountain Glenn, because you irritating humans did it on your own."

"I… well, I…"

"And before that as well, the faunus wars, Menagerie, the civil war in Atlas, the Great War." Salem rattled each off with a wave of the hand. "Even the attack on Beacon that resulted in your being here. None of those were my responsibility, let alone orchestrated by me or mine, though one could argue the latter had Cinder's involvement. But even so, the White Fang were not created by her or I. Their existence falls on you humans. Those were all _your_ little wars, your little conflicts."

"I haven't made an effort to actually remove you all from Remnant for decades. I never get a chance. Every time I feel like it, your kind goes and implodes before I can so much as look in your direction. I've been raising _children_ for the last quarter of a century and you're still stuck in your kingdoms, hiding behind your walls, whining about how the Grimm are hunting you to near extinction. They're not, by the way. When was the last time the Nevermore in the Emerald Forest flew up and attacked Beacon, hm? When was the last time the Beowolves scaled the cliffs or the Goliaths charged the gates of Vale?"

"That's not fair-"

"All the while you've been brewing your own little petty dramas. Racism, terrorists, criminal organisations, proxy wars and mining expeditions. If it's not about pride or egotism, it's about dust and lien." Salem rolled her eyes and stepped past Pyrrha, though she paused as she did to snort in barely concealed amusement.

"The reason I have not bothered to attack the Kingdoms is because I do not need to, even if I was given the chance. All I ever needed was put you all in close proximity; lock you into small areas where humans would brush up against other humans. And to wait. You'd think by granting you all a common enemy, I'd have at least saved you _that_ drama. Alas, humans will be humans."

Salem leaned down to place a hand on Pyrrha's shoulder, and to whisper in her ear.

"You kill one another far more effectively than I could ever hope to."

/-/

Weiss stared at the ceiling contemplatively until Emerald left for her own room, at which point she let out a long sigh and collapsed back on her bed, arms splayed on either side of her. The mattress and quilts were soft and expensive. The room was over-large and yet minimalist, with enough open space to make it completely inefficient, especially after she'd gotten used to her dorm in Beacon, shared with three other people.

Another sigh escaped her, taking her mask away with it and exposing the nervousness that lay beneath the surface. She might have put up a confident front for Emerald, and even Ironwood, but the truth was anything but and she wanted nothing more than to crawl under her sheets and stay there until everything sorted itself out.

Except that nothing was going to sort itself out if she didn't do it first. Her father had become even more ornery, a feat she'd thought impossible, and he'd torn her away from Beacon and her team without so much as a care for her opinion. Now he wanted her to take up singing again, a valuable tool that would help him show her off like some sort of prized songbird.

And despite her rebellion, she wanted nothing more to surrender to that and sulk. She wanted to rant, rage and throw stuff about, all the while howling about how unfair it all was. She wanted to do that, but at the same time she lacked the energy and just wanted to sleep for a whole month.

"Like that'll fix anything," she grumbled, rolling over.

She was a team leader. She was a decision-maker. That meant she had responsibility now, something she'd never realised back before, when she'd been an arrogant fool trying to impose her will on the team. Even now, they were out there doing goodness knows what, though she could imagine whatever it was, it was dangerous. Ruby and Jaune were idiots like that. They were out there probably mucking things up in their own way, specifically _because_ she wasn't there to direct them.

And so, there was no time to sulk, to get angry, to sit back, do nothing and hope for someone or something to save her.

Taking over the SDC? A means to an end, if she could pull it off. She'd have considered just running away if she thought it were even remotely possible. What was she supposed to do, sneak off at night, walk to a Bullhead and tell the pilot to take her away? As if anyone would just do that, let alone fail to notice her leaving when it was obvious she was a flight risk.

Her father was callous, but he wasn't an idiot. If she wanted to beat him, it would be at his own game.

 _For that I need Emerald… or her skills._

And wasn't _that_ the kicker. Her recruiting a known villain into her employ. Even Ruby would raise an eyebrow at that, not that Weiss would blame her. But what was she supposed to do? Emerald was up the creek without a paddle and desperate enough to do something foolish if Weiss hadn't offered her an out. The cornered rat was dangerous, better the devil you knew, keep your enemies close – and loads of other little sayings that proved the right thing to do was take Emerald on.

Better an ally than an enemy, right?

Sort of…

Maybe…

But Weiss still sulked at being compared to someone like Cinder Fall. She scowled and rolled over, burying herself in her blankets. If Emerald wanted to kill her in the night, she'd have unprecedented access and opportunity, but that was the thing about trust, wasn't it? The only way she could know for sure Emerald wouldn't backstab her was to give her the chance.

"I bet Ruby and Jaune don't have to put up with stuff like this. I bet they're having the time of their lives." Weiss huffed. "So unfair…"

/-/

Jaune didn't so much as crash into the tree as the tree behind it, after entering and exiting the first tree in an explosion of sawdust followed by a cracking screech as gravity took hold and tore the now decapitated trunk to the ground. His back struck the bark of the second and, momentum drained enough, he bounced off it like a Ping-Pong ball, crashing through a bush that might have generously been called a shrub, and more realistically a tangled mess of thorns and sharp bits with the occasional leaf.

" **This isn't going so well,"** Remy pointed out. Helpfully.

"You think I don't realise that!?"

"Oh Jauneee~" Tyrian called out, skipping forward with a manic grin. "Are we playing hide and seek, young master? I _love_ hide and seek! Okay, I'll count to ten."

Jaune bolted for cover.

"One, two, skip a few, ten!" Tyrian crashed into him, both blades locking on his. Jaune tried to push back and managed it through sheer strength alone, only to go very still when something wrapped around his ankle.

"Don't-"

Uncle Tyrian did, the bastard. He tore Jaune off his feet with his tail and sent him sailing through the air. One of the tents broke his fall. Ruby's toolkit inside then broke his back, or at least felt like it. With a groan, he dragged himself out of the wreckage and glared at his opponent.

"You cheated!"

Tyrian, _Tyrian of all people_ , rolled his eyes, acting for all the world like Jaune was the one being an idiot. "You should transform if you wish to face me," he said. "You can't beat me as you are."

"I'll give it my best shot."

"It won't be enough," Tyrian said with a shake of his head. "If you choose to fight as a human, you will lose as a human. I'm older than you. No matter the training you've undertaken, young master, I have been through more."

" **He's not wrong,"** Remy warned. **"You're needlessly handicapping yourself if you fight him on his terms. He's going to wipe the floor with us."**

" _I know, but I can't transform."_

" **Jaune…"**

" _It's not my ego,"_ he argued. _"Don't you see? If I transform here and Qrow comes back, I'll be screwed. Uncle Tyrian wants me to turn because win or lose, it'll mean I have to go back to the Grimmlands. It's a trick."_

Remy remained silent, perhaps realising what Jaune had. Uncle Tyrian was insane, but insane didn't mean idiot, and the old man was anything but. If Qrow weren't here he could transform and probably hold his own, but then again if Qrow wasn't here, he'd be fighting against Sapphire – and that would be a loss.

His best bet was just to soak up what damage he could and buy time. Ruby and Nora would be done with the Grimm soon enough.

Tyrian crashed into him again and all such thoughts were washed away. They were a whirling mess of steel, sparks flying whenever he managed to catch his uncle's weapons on his shield, and the loud staccato of gunfire pounding into said shield, rocking it so much that his arm almost went numb. He barely had the presence of mind to roll away from the tail. It didn't try to stab and poison him thankfully, but Uncle Tyrian could use it to restrain, trip or even choke him out.

"You're above these humans," Tyrian ranted as they fought. "You waste your time with them. Your very presence is a gift they don't deserve."

"T-They're my friends," he gritted out, struggling to contain the fury of his uncle.

"And is not the redhead your friend?" Tyrian asked, leaning forward. "The one that resides even now in your room?"

Pyrrha…

Jaune broke free by twisting his shield to the side, using his sword at the same time to push Tyrian off him. He staggered but remained standing.

"She is alive, of course," Tyrian said. "Very shy and quiet, but alive. I could take you to her. We could go and see her even now. All you need to do is leave your friends behind. I'm sure she would like to see you again."

"I'm sure she would, but I'm not leaving Ruby and Nora." An idea occurred to him. "Unless you want to bring me and them to mom?"

Tyrian giggled and shook his head. Well, it was worth a shot.

"Can you pass a message onto her, then?" he asked.

"If I win, you can pass it on yourself, but very well, since it is a request from my favourite nephew and because I am your favourite uncle, I will do as you request. What is the message?"

"Tell her… Tell her I'm on my way. Tell her I'm coming to save her."

"Oooh, I'll tell her," Tyrian laughed. "I like it when her face goes red. That'll make her explode. But if you want me to pass the message on, you'll still need to defeat me," he warned. "Otherwise, I'll be gift-wrapping you up for her." Tyrian paused to consider that. "I think that would make her explode, too, especially if I tie your hands behind your back."

"Um..."

"Oh, nothing, young master," Tyrian giggled. "Just try to beat me, though I doubt you'll be able to on your own."

"Yeah, I know." Jaune grinned. "Luckily, I managed to keep you talking long enough."

"Long enough for…?"

"Long enough for us to finish off the Grimm," Ruby yelled, landing behind and to the left of Tyrian, with Nora following suit off to the other side. The three of them trapped him in a wide triangle. "Surrender and we'll go easy on you."

Tyrian rolled his eyes again. "That's cute and all, but you realise I can beat you even three on one."

Ruby and Nora suddenly looked nervous. They glanced at Jaune for confirmation.

He tried not to wince.

"It's an even fight," he called, hoping to hell they believed him. It _was_ even, but only in the sense that the three of them could maybe match Tyrian when they had him pushed. If he managed to knock one of them aside, even for a few seconds, he would have the edge over the other two and might be able to take one down.

But it was still a damn sight better than him against Tyrian.

In the distance, a tree exploded into dust and started to topple. It was followed by another, and then a third – with a cloud of dust kicked up and gunshots interspaced with the devastation. They all paused to listen, none moving for a long moment.

"Heh heh," Tyrian giggled. "Looks like the big, bad huntsman is having problems."

"Hey!" Ruby yelled. "My Uncle won't go down that easily!"

Tyrian readied himself with a wide, confident grin. The four combatants stared one another down for a long moment, each preparing for the moment to strike. Tyrian's foot shifted, Jaune's weapon came up.

And a feminine scream rent the air.

"TYRIAAAN!"

/-/

Qrow winced and kicked off the tree he'd been knocked into. A sword pierced through it a second later, propelled by a woman with inhumanly white skin and crimson eyes. Her face passed close to his as her momentum carried her forward. Their eyes met for a moment, an infinite moment in which her calm features met his firm scowl. They passed. He ducked away and brought his scythe back up before him. She swiftly drew her blade from the tree trunk and whipped it to the side.

"You are skilled," she said. He detected a faint hint of surprise, but the Grimm was otherwise emotionless, revealing little in the way of any interest.

"Not every day a Grimm compliments you."

"Not every day a _human_ stands up to me, and I'll thank you not to refer to me as an animal."

"Oh? Then what am I supposed to refer to you as?"

"You may call me Sapphire."

"Nice name. You pick it yourself?"

"Tch."

He brought his scythe around in time to block the sudden thrust aimed for his heart. Her free hand came up, aiming for his face, but he thwacked that aside with the butt of his weapon, twisting to get the blade back and into her. A black tentacle reached for his foot but he caught it and stamped down. The scythe's blade swung and sheared through it.

The Grimm, Sapphire, if that was her name, hopped back. Despite the blood pouring from the severed stump, she seemed unaffected, or at least didn't show any pain. The tentacle retracted back into her body and all of a sudden the wound was gone.

That said, it didn't come back out. He'd reduced her to only a single tentacle now, the other two already wounded in combat and removed. No telling if that was a trick, though. Qrow didn't trust enough to rely on it being an actual victory for him just yet. That was how arrogant huntsmen got themselves killed.

"Not going so well for you," he teased, hoping to rile her up. "What's the matter? I thought you were going to kill me."

"Did I ever say that?"

Qrow's eyes narrowed. "No… but it was kinda implied. You _are_ a Grimm."

"Am I? Is that what your feeble, human mind tells you?" The girl smiled, and for a second he was caught by how pretty she was – eyes and skin tone notwithstanding. He'd always had a thing for strong women, though this one looked a little young, even for him. He'd have put her at twenty-five or something.

No, he had to stop thinking of her like she was a person. Twenty-five by human appearance, but she might have been only a few days old as a Grimm. She was nothing but a monster.

"That won't work on me," Qrow said.

"Oh? Whatever do you mean?"

"You're trying to distract me," he accused. "I may have a rep as something of a playboy, but if Salem thinks I'll be distracted by a pretty face and a pair of tits, she's got another thing coming."

It was a new angle, sure, and he had to admit that if he was going to fight off against some kind of monster, it might as well be appealing to look at – unlike those spider Grimm he'd seen in Vacuo that he _still_ had nightmares about – but most Grimm were animal-like for a reason. It let them run faster, hit harder, fly or whatever else they needed. Humans might have been the dominant race, but that was because of intelligence and the use of tools. Not something a hastily made Grimm could hope to master.

So, why was said Grimm – aka, mindless monster of destruction – now staring at him with something resembling mortification and horror on her face? And why did she have her blade pointed out toward him but her other hand cast over her breasts, which she'd tilted away from him, almost shielding with her entire body?

"Y-Y-You," the Grimm gasped. Wow, it could even do feminine tones resembling embarrassment too. That was pretty advanced. "Y-You absolute _man_!" she howled. "I'm not trying to distract you! Any such distraction is your own perversion! How arrogant can you even be?"

Qrow raised an eyebrow. The Grimm was calling him a pervert? That was new.

"Stop looking at them!" she demanded. She brought her sword back, using that arm to cover her chest as well. "I-If they're so distracting, look elsewhere."

"Yeah, how about no? I'll be keeping my eyes centre-mass, thanks." Not like he was going to look away and leave himself open to an attack. Did she really think he'd be that easy?

Still, for a Grimm she was really putting on a show. He'd have to talk to Oz about this, see if the old wizard knew anything about these new infiltration-type Grimm. He could see someone more weak-willed, or just less in the know, surrendering to her or even letting her into their home. For all intents and purposes she had the human acting down to a tee.

Shame it was just an act. Shame there was nothing behind those eyes, no intelligence of personality, just a set of commands hardwired into her – like a Beowolf set to kill, except so much more complicated. Still, if he was going to fight, might as well have some fun. Right?

"Tell you what, if you strip naked I might be convinced," Qrow said offhandedly.

"W-WHAT!?"

"I'm just sayin', if you're trying to distract me you might as well go the whole hog. What use does a Grimm have for clothing anyway?"

The Grimm gaped at him. Far from her distracting him, it almost looked like it was the other way around. _Damn, she's good. I'd almost believe she was a real person._ Of course, he wouldn't be caught dead talking like that to an actual person. If Summer were still alive and heard him, she'd _kill_ him.

"Y-You are a beast," the Grimm shouted, somewhat hypocritically. "A beast of a man! I'm not taking my clothes off for you. I hardly know you! Not that knowing you would change anything, you… you… you scoundrel!"

"Scoundrel?" Qrow raised one eyebrow. "Where did Salem get your speech patterns from, badly-acted period drama?"

"ARGH!" The Grimm roared and charged him, swinging her sword wildly down for his head. Qrow barely had the time to dodge. Her speed had gone up or so it seemed, but the blow was clumsy and she over-extended. He couldn't get his scythe back around in time, but if making her angry got her to make mistakes, he was fine with it.

So he slapped her ass with his free hand.

"EEP!" She darted away, one hand clutched to her rear.

Qrow stood where he'd dodged, fingers opening and closing. "Huh, that actually felt real. Weird, I just assumed you had a Grimm-like body under there." Something resembling a Beowolf but bipedal. It wasn't like Grimm had reproductive organs, no matter what some crazy fetishists liked to suggest. Considering how simplistic most Grimm were, he'd figured her clothing was to hide the bits of her that didn't match her human face.

Looked like Salem was pulling out all the stops.

"Nice ass," he complimented.

The Grimm-woman, so calm and emotionless before, stared at him with wide eyes and crimson cheeks. Her mouth opened and closed but no words came forth. He half-expected her to throw the disguise away and go with an animalistic roar, and she did, but not quite as he expected.

"TYRIAAAN!"

Huh. Now what?

A loud curse and a crash from the side had Qrow ducking back, bringing his scythe to guard as another enemy smashed through the foliage, eyes narrowed and tail flicking angrily behind him. He was a new one, alright. Open chest, long coat, absolutely _livid_ expression, like he was ready to tear Qrow to pieces.

"My princess," he gasped, and Qrow's eyes widened at the term of address. "What is wrong? Are you hurt? Uncle Tyrian is here!"

"Uncle Tyrian…?" Qrow murmured. Since when did Grimm have family, specifically _faunus_ family.

"That _fiend_ groped me!" the Grimm said, anger mixing with embarrassment mixing with something else to create a rather eclectic cocktail of humiliated indignation. The Grimm had been so calm before, so calculating, but now she pointed at him as if he were some horrible beast that she had never before seen the like of and never again wished to see.

Worse, the kids came hurrying onto the scene at that exact moment, having apparently chased after the Tyrian guy.

"U-Uncle Qrow?" Ruby gasped, having heard everything. "You didn't!"

"Hey, hey, you on her side of what? Besides, she's just a Grimm. She isn't a real person."

So, why was Ruby shooting him such a disappointed look? And why did the orange-haired girl look so annoyed. Not to mention the blond, who looked absolutely pissed at him for some reason. He stepped between them and the enemy, but it didn't look like the fight was going anywhere now.

Which was a little weird now that he thought about it, and a little worrying. A Grimm wouldn't actually be bothered with his teasing. It wouldn't have the mental capacity. He'd assumed it all just a ruse to get him to let his guard down but, well, she still looked positively horrified, and was using her fellow – her _Uncle_ – like a shield, watching Qrow from over his shoulder with narrowed eyes.

He hadn't actually… no, no way. He wasn't like that.

"Consider yourself lucky that I don't kill you now," Tyrian said, swishing his scorpion tail above his head. "Rest assured, Sapphire's mother will hear of this."

Mother?

Wait, what?

Grimm weren't _born_.

"Wait," Qrow called, taking a step forward. "Who are you?"

"I already told you. My name is Sapphire."

A human name. He'd assumed it picked for the sake of it. "And who named you that?"

"My mother, after she gave birth to me." she replied, smiling cruelly. She cut her hand on a knife she wore on her hip and held it out, spilling blood onto the grass. Before his eyes it morphed into juvenile Nevermore, which began to caw angrily. "You'd know her as Salem."

A veritable _wave_ of Nevermore sprung up before he could move. It formed a wall between him and the two, one so impenetrable that when he shot into it, he barely cut a foot through, and then the dent he'd caused was sealed with feathers once more.

It lasted only a few seconds but when the Nevermore scattered, the two were gone.

Qrow stared at the spot the girl had occupied.

Her… mother? Salem…? There was no way she meant someone else, right? There was no way this was some terrible misunderstanding or coincidence. He'd… he'd actually. Oh fuck. This was his Semblance going on hyper-drive, wasn't it?

It was time to move. They needed to find Ozpin. Things would make sense after that. They had to! Oz would be able to explain what the hell just happened, who that was, and why he hadn't known Salem had _actual children_ going around Remnant. Children he might have just accidentally sexually assaulted. Not that any court would uphold it, but he doubted _Salem_ cared about serving him a restraining order. He'd be lucky if every Grimm across Mistral didn't come for his head.

Oh Gods, he'd groped the daughter of the Queen of the Grimm.

He'd copped a handful of tight, Grimm ass.

And Ruby was still staring at him, damning him with her eyes just like Summer would have. She wasn't angry. Just disappointed.

"Shiiit…"

/-/

Yang's motorbike came to a squealing halt. Her foot stomped down onto the ground. She removed her helmet with one hand and let her blonde locks flap in the air, even as people turned in her direction, armed and burly people surrounded by tents. She met their gaze steadily, daring any to step forward and challenge her.

With a groan, the bandit she'd kidnapped slipped off from behind her, falling to the grass and kissing it, muttering something about devils, speed and how he'd never get on a motorbike again. Heh. What a pussy.

" **Is this where grandma lives?"** Yin asked.

"It is."

" **Are we going to talk to her?"**

"Oh, yeah."

A few people dared to approach her, but they somehow recognised her and froze. The older ones held the younger ones back, hissing something into their ears, watching her not in fear, but a mixture of surprise and apprehension. _I guess I must really look like her._

They closed in behind her as she walked through the camp, cutting off her escape while maintaining a safe distance. Up ahead she could see a raised tent upon a wooden platform. It was a wild guess, but if Raven was the type to obsess over strength like Uncle Qrow said, then Yang figured she'd be up on a raised platform, lording it down over all the other mortals.

Was she nervous? A little. This would be the first time she'd ever really spoken to her mother, and even if she wanted to give the woman a black eye, there was a part of her – a foolish part – that hoped for something more. An explanation, a reason, something she could cling onto that might explain why this happened in a different light, that she hadn't been abandoned because she wasn't important enough.

And then, there she was, stood on the stage with one hand on the hilt of her weapon, helm removed, and a cocky smile on her face. It was like looking into a mirror, albeit one with signs of age and stress.

Yang hated the height difference provided by the stage. Raven was looking down on her.

"Yang," her mother greeted.

"Raven," she replied. Both addressed the other by their name, nothing more. Yang's hand clenched into a fist.

"I see that the rumours about you losing an arm were exaggerated. You must have held yourself more admirably than I expected. Well done."

Yang didn't let the praise go to her head, not when it was delivered with such a sarcastic smile, like Raven was surprised, but not impressed. Like it shouldn't have been in doubt in the first place and the fact it was meant she was a disappointment.

Well, in that case the feeling was mutual. She certainly saw Raven as one.

"I need a portal."

"That's it? No words after finally finding me?"

"Nope."

Raven laughed. "Family. Only coming around when they want something."

"I think you and I have a different definition of _family_."

"Perhaps we do. A shame. I have words for you, Yang."

"That's nice an' all, but how about we don't and say we did? I'm not really all that interested in anything you have to say."

Because _come on_ , the Queen of the Grimm was apparently a better mother than Raven was. At least she stayed with her kids. Yang wasn't asking for much, but she felt `being better than Grimm` should have at least been up Raven's alley.

"We do need to talk, Yang," Raven said, slowly descending from her stage. "I know what you want. You want me to help you reconnect with your foolish uncle and sister, to become pawns of Ozpin and his demented schemes."

"Well, the first bit's not wrong. I came to find you because-"

"You were patient, determined and strong enough to find me, to make your dream a reality. Well done, Yang. That takes strength."

"What? But I-"

"And it takes strength to march in here and demand such a favour of me. I've got to say, I'm impressed."

"You've got the wrong end of the stick entirely," Yang said, exasperated.

"To question me in front of my tribe? That takes stren-"

"You know, you seem pretty determined to call me strong at the moment," Yang interrupted casually. Raven froze. "I mean, all three examples of that are pretty out there. Strong enough to find you? You aren't exactly well hidden or hard to get to. Strong of me to march in and demand a favour? Your `bandits` would run if I'd so much as farted."

"Talking to me like that-"

"Shows strength?" Yang asked sarcastically. "At this point I'm not even sure if it's _me_ wanting something or _you_. You're certainly buttering me up enough."

"Hmph." Raven tossed her head back. "As if I would need anything from you."

 _I dunno. You could use a black eye from me._ It was tempting, very tempting, but she wouldn't put it past Raven to refuse to make a portal if she did. Or, you know, get knocked out and be incapable of it. Best to resist a temper tantrum for now.

"I'm still waiting for my portal," Yang prodded.

"And we are still talking," Raven returned. "Ozpin is not the man you think he is. And Qrow is a fool for trusting him. I would know, I trusted him once, too."

"That's nice, but-"

"Can you really go back to trusting Ozpin when he's kept so much from you?"

Okay, that was it. Yang's temper snapped and her eyes blazed red. "I don't give a _shit_ about Ozpin," she roared. "I'm not looking for Ozpin, I don't _care_ about Ozpin, and, I mean, isn't he _dead_ , anyway? What's even the point of you bringing him up?"

Raven's eyes narrowed. "He isn't dead."

"Well, how would _I_ know that!? Why would you even bring him up when it's of zero relevance to me? I don't want a portal to Ozpin. I want a portal to Ruby, or Qrow if you can't do her. I want a portal there because I need to find my sister and have words with her, then _torture_ my boyfriend for knocking me up and running away to leave me with the baby!"

Raven's mouth fell open.

"And if you tell me that shows strength, so help me I will _tear_ your eyes out of your skull!" Yang shook Raven by her shoulders. "I am not in the mood for Ozpin. I could not care _less_ about Ozpin. No man is going to do a Raven on me. Give me my portal or I will raze this tribe to the ground!"

The woman in front of her looked lost for words. Raven's eyes, already wide, dipped down to Yang's stomach. "P-Pregnant!?"

"No. I had the shortest term known to womankind." And just because Raven looked like she could barely get her thoughts straight, Yang decided to make things even worse. "Oh, and congratulations on being a grandma, by the way."

"Bwah?"

Yang didn't get much of a chance to enjoy Raven's dumbfounded expression on account of her right arm suddenly transforming into a three foot long version of Yin in parasite form, six mandibles opened up in what any sane person would have considered a threatening manner, but which Yang knew was supposed to be an invitation for a hug.

" **Grandma!"** Yin chittered.

Raven's panicked scream was music to Yang's ears.

* * *

 **So, you'll notice that volume four is concluding rather quickly – much quicker than it did in canon, anyway. That's mostly because I thought V4 was filled with a lot of filler that I'm looking to avoid. Included in that will be the Nucklelavee fight, because frankly it didn't really serve a purpose other than to provide some flashbacks and insert a fight scene into the show when there hadn't been one for a while.**

 **Had to amuse myself on the Raven conversation a bit. I did think in the episode that Raven seemed pretty damn desperate to call Yang strong. It was almost like she was craving Yang's approval or something. And even though I often point out Raven's words towards Ozpin as being interesting and intriguing, one has to admit they're a little out of place when to Yang's knowledge Ozpin is deader than a doornail.**

 **On Salem, I've had a lot of people ask, but yes, I'll be going with something different to canon as to why Salem and the Grimm exist (not that Canon has revealed all that much yet. I know they did the legend of the twin gods, but I imagine there is more to it to be revealed later. Or I certainly hope so, lol).**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 12** **th** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	74. Chapter 74

**Here we are**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 74**

* * *

"We need to hurry," Qrow said. "The village is just up ahead."

"Why? Is there some reason we're rushing?" Jaune asked. "Oh, I get it. There's some girl there you need to molest. I guess that makes sense. It's been about four hours since you last groped someone. You must be going into withdrawal."

Qrow scowled at the little brat, and then at his companions too, when they burst into muffled snickers. Et tu, Ruby? He ignored it as best he could and pushed them on. _You'd really think these brats would have forgiven me for that by now. It wasn't like I did it on purpose._

"You shouldn't touch women without their permission, Uncle Qrow," Ruby chimed.

"That _thing_ wasn't a woman!" he said, or maybe it was a yelp. Hard to tell. "It was a Grimm!"

"You make that sound better. Do you normally assault Grimm that way?"

"It is!" he protested. "And no! Look, can we just forget about what happened yesterday and get to this damn inn. It's bad enough Nevermore have been dive bombing me all day." Qrow ducked another juvenile one at that moment, wincing when it slammed into the ground so hard it killed itself. "On top of this, I don't need you three judging me. At least not out loud."

"So, we can judge you silently?" Jaune asked.

"Not like I can stop you," he grumbled. And frankly, if it kept them quiet all the better. Their pace for the last day or so was nothing short of gruelling, made so because he wanted to be far, far away from ground zero by the time Salem heard what he'd been up to, and also because he wanted to find Ozpin and get some answers out of the guy.

 _A fine time to keep the fact Salem had kids secret, especially when said kids are capable of fighting on my level._ Come to think of it, that might explain why she'd been unusually silent for the last twenty years or so.

Oh Gods, did that mean he'd groped someone ten or twenty years younger than himself? Argh! Qrow stared at his offending hand and resisted the urge to scrape it roar on the nearest tree. He was a huntsman, best uncle, all around cool guy. Creepy old man could _not_ be added to the list.

The worst part – or two worst parts, really – was that the kids he was looking after kept giving him lip and lidded glares for what he'd done, _and_ the Grimm seemed to be so pissed at him that they pretty much ignored those three. Oh, they'd put an occasional effort in and throw a swipe or two, but the Grimm's eyes never left his and it was clear who they were going for. Somehow, this was all Taiyang's fault.

To Qrow's relief, a distant plume of smoke revealed itself over the trees ahead, indicating at the approach of civilisation and, hopefully, some nice, thick walls to hide behind for the night. "Nearly there," he called to the rest of the crew. Or to Ruby and Nora, really, since Jaune didn't even seem to _notice_ the fact they'd been trekking hard for over twenty-four hours now. Bastard didn't even have the manners to sweat or pant a little.

 _I hate kids._

As they cleared the treeline and reached the surrounding plains outside the village – most settlements cutting down at least the surrounding trees to prevent Grimm sneaking up on the walls – Qrow finally let a smile come forth. It would have been just his luck lately to find the place a smouldering ruin, probably inhabited by some big kick-ass Grimm with a wanted posted with his name on it. But no, his Semblance wasn't feeling quite _that_ vicious, and the village was in one piece, lanterns and torches along the walls and visible in tall windows, and the pleasant sound of chatter and life humming from within.

"Finally," Ruby panted, falling onto her hands and knees beside him. The ginger girl looked about as bad but slammed down her hammer to lean on. "C-Can we sleep the night?" Ruby begged.

"Yeah, we'll be staying here – maybe even for two or three nights." Depended on how long it took Ozpin to find them. "Come on," he said, helping his niece up. "The sooner we get in, the sooner you can have a bath and a bed."

"Y-Yay…"

The four men guarding the gate let them in without much of a fuss, and Qrow knew the area well-enough to find the inn. It was a large building by the standard of the village, but not much compared to what you'd see in the city. The interior consisted of a wide, open area with a fire in a heart in the centre, smoke pooling up to a chimney above. There were round tables surrounding it, most filled with village folk chatting over pints of beer, food and the occasional game of cards. They paused to look at the four huntsmen as they entered, but aside from some curious glances at their bright outfits and expensive weapons, there wasn't much else. No fear, no suspicion and – thank the heavens – no one looking like a Grimm in disguise with a battle axe.

The woman behind the counter smiled as they approached, but backed away with a pinched nose when they got a little _too_ close. Qrow accepted it without complaint. They probably did smell pretty bad.

"Rooms, please. We'll be down for food later."

"How many?" she asked. "And… would you like baths with that? I think you should have the baths with it."

Qrow's eyes brow twitched. "Yes, please. Thank you. We'll take two rooms."

"Am I sleeping with Ruby and Nora?" Jaune asked.

"Absolutely not! You're with me."

"Will I be safe with you?"

 _Must. Not. Kill._ Qrow's fist turned white and shook a little before him. He didn't dignify the question with an answer, though, and accepted the brass keys from the woman, handing over some lien in return.

Seriously, this whole trip had gone nothing like he'd expected it to.

Damn it. Where the hell was Oz?

/-/

"I don't think I should trust an old man who tells me to go into the forest alone with him."

" **It's a little late to pull that card,"** Ozpin said. **"You already trusted me enough to run away from your parents."**

"Trust, trust… is that what this is? I kind of thought I'd only agreed to that to shut you up."

" **And we both know how that ended."**

Yeah, they did. Oscar scowled and stepped into the forest again, wondering not for the first time who he'd upset in a past life and just how many innocent people he must have killed. While it was cool to realise his karma was so bad he must have been some kind of epic warlord, the trade-off really wasn't worth it.

" **Also, I'll have to ask you to stop thinking about that girl you saw in the last village we went through. She wasn't even sixteen."**

"I'm not even sixteen!"

" **Yes, but it's bad enough I have to deal with your raging hormones now. The last thing I need is for you to start lusting over one of my students when we catch up with them."**

"I hate you so much."

" **I am convinced that through a great effort of will I shall be able to survive your dislike. Now, eyes on the path ahead before you walk into a tree."**

Oscar scowled and dodged the tree at the last second. He didn't thank Ozpin for the warning, though. It was his fault he was out here in the first place. His parents were probably worried sick, and if he was being honest with himself, he missed them. But whatever was wrong with him, Oscar had come to the conclusion Ozpin _was_ real in some form or another. And, if he was to believed, he had enemies. Powerful enemies.

Which meant Oscar needed powerful friends, because – according to Ozpin – the fact he was in his head wouldn't mean much if they came under attack.

Honestly, they were fortunate no Grimm bothered to attack them. It almost seemed like they were distracted for some reason, and the Beowolf he'd seen earlier had barely paid him any attention before loping off in a random direction with a snarl.

"Tell me again who we're trying to find."

" **Sigh,"** Ozpin said, and he did _say_ it, seeing as how a voice in his head couldn't actually imitate such bodily functions. That meant he was only saying it to be an asshole. **"We are looking for an agent of mine and a trusted ally, Qrow Branwen. We are also looking for any of my students from Beacon who he chose to bring along on this journey."**

"You sure he'll have any with him?"

" **He will have Miss Rose at the very least. There are… aspects around her that make her presence necessary. I also expect he will have Mr Arc, for the purpose of utilising the young man's Semblance. Anyone else is up in the air."**

"What are these _circumstances_ around the Ruby girl?"

" **Nothing you need to worry about."**

"Uh-huh. You know, when you make it sound so ominous like that, it doesn't exactly make it any easier for me to trust you."

" **And when you talk out loud to a voice in your head, it doesn't make it any easier for people to trust** _ **you**_ **, either. I've told you to simply** _ **think**_ **your responses to me."**

"We're alone out here."

" **Yes, in a forest filled potentially with bandits and Grimm – a perfect place to be walking around talking out loud like an escaped mental patient. Very well done, Oscar. Now keep moving. If we're lucky, we'll reach the meeting point sometime tomorrow."**

And then what? Oscar had to wonder. Would the voices stop? Doubtful. Either way, he was in for the long haul, and not at all looking forward to it.

/-/

Jaune slipped out of the room he shared with Ruby's uncle while the man was having his bath. He crept down the hall to Ruby and Nora's room and knocked on the door. It opened a few seconds later.

"Speak the password," Nora hissed.

"Nora, it's me. Can I come in? Are you both dressed?"

"He knows the password," Nora voiced in the tone of a movie pirate. She pulled the door open, though even then Jaune paused to make sure Ruby didn't cry out for him not to enter. She didn't, so he stepped in, and was relieved to find both girls washed and dressed once more, Ruby laid back on her bed, arms to the side.

She sat up when she saw him. "Hey-" A yawn broke through. "H-Hey Jaune. What's up?"

"Not much. I just…" He sighed and looked away. Nora and Ruby must have sensed his seriousness for the former sat down and Ruby woke herself up and sat a little taller. Jaune nodded and took a seat in the room, legs spread and arms hanging down between his knees. "We need to decide what we're going to do."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.

"I mean, we need to decide what we're going to do about your uncle."

"Is this about the groping thing? It was an accident, Jaune. I know it's bad and I'm going to give him grief over it too, but he didn't mean to."

"Not that." At least not entirely that. He had his fair share of indignant anger there, but even he could see Qrow hadn't intended it like it looked. "I mean about what Qrow wants us to do and what _we_ want to do. Let's face it, Ruby. Our goals don't exactly align. Qrow has no intention of letting us go off to rescue Pyrrha."

"B-But-"

"Jaune's right," Nora interrupted, shocking Ruby. "He wants us to stay here for two or three days. He's waiting for someone – and whoever that is, it's not Pyrrha. He's basically walked in, taken command of us."

"And that makes sense given that he's more experienced," Jaune said, hoping to calm Ruby down. She looked devastated, and maybe even a little defensive. This was her uncle, after all. "But if we're going to stay with him, he's going to lead us even further away from our initial plan."

"You don't know that," Ruby whispered. "What if we're waiting for someone who can help us?"

It was possible, he supposed, but doubtful. Nora and he shared a quick look, with Nora shaking her head, leaving him to field the question. "Qrow doesn't believe Pyrrha is alive. Even if he was waiting for someone strong, he wouldn't let us go to the Grimmlands. Hell, even if he knew she was alive, he wouldn't let us go. He'd say it was too dangerous."

"And he'd be right," Ruby pointed out.

"Maybe he is. But does that mean you want to give up on Pyrrha?"

"No, no, no," Ruby shook her head, eyes wide and afraid. "She's my partner! I'll never give up on her!"

"Then we need to split off from Qrow."

Ruby bit her lip.

"I know he's your uncle, Ruby, and I know you love him, but this isn't about that." He tried to make his voice calmer, more understanding. "This isn't about calling him an enemy or anything. I'm just saying that sooner or later, he's going to point us in a direction that _isn't_ the same place we want to go, and at that point we need to make a decision."

"But right now we're headed in the same direction," Ruby said, catching on and letting out a relieved breath of air. "So we can keep working with him now, right?"

"For now, I guess, but we're still going to lose a day or two if we wait here."

"Your mom won't hurt Pyrrha, though. Will she?"

"No…"

"Then it's okay. I… I know what you're saying and we can decide what we need to do later. But right now, we're all headed to Haven and we might as well have someone strong come along with us, right? Just in case your sisters attack again."

Jaune sighed. "Right. Just remember that we won't always be going in the same direction. Sooner or later, we'll have to make a decision."

Ruby nodded and retreated to the bathroom to think, leaving him and Nora alone. To Jaune's surprise, Nora came over to place a hand on his shoulder.

"I think she understands. It's just that she doesn't want to make that decision."

"I know, but… I'm going against _my_ uncles because it's the right choice. I don't understand why she's hesitating."

"It's different. You still have your full family. Ruby lost her mom, and now her sister is injured. It's not the same, and she doesn't want to do anything that will upset her uncle. You know how much she admires him."

"I guess…"

"Eh, for what it's worth, you're pretty much right," Nora said, grinning once more. "Eventually, we'll have to make the decision to stay or break off alone. I'll talk with Ruby on my own and see if I can help her make the right one."

Jaune nodded, but then had an unfortunate epiphany. If Ruby said no and stuck with Qrow, he wasn't sure he would be able to himself. "If it comes to it, what will you decide?" he asked.

"I'll come with you."

"That easy…?"

"Eh, I'll come with you because I know you're going to meet up with Blakey and Renny," she pointed out. He broke out into a laugh. Trust her to focus on those two. In the end, picking between him and Ruby didn't even matter. "Once we find them, I'll probably just let them decide. If they want to help you, I'll come along."

"Thanks."

He just wished Ruby could understand what he was trying to say. Qrow was a decent guy, he knew that from the training they'd been through, but his and their goals just weren't the same. He'd come in like he expected to be the leader, and Ruby gave him that without a second thought. _I'm sorry, Ruby, but I need to save Pyrrha and confront my mother. We don't even know what Qrow's goals are, let alone what he wants us to do or where._

He could give her time to decide, but only until Qrow decided to branch off. The moment that happened, she would have to make her choice.

He just hoped it would be the right one.

/-/

"I hate you, mom," Blake hissed over breakfast.

Kali simply smiled back, with the sort of expression that suggested butter wouldn't have melted in her mouth. Except that it did, since she bit down on a piece of toast and chewed away happily. Breakfast was eggs on toast with strips of bacon and some vegetables, filling in a way the ship's rations on the journey in hadn't been. Sun certainly seemed to be enjoying it, wolfing it all down as he was.

The fact she was sharing a room with Ren – the bed situation, as she called it – had been resolved admirably, mostly thanks to the two of them being determined in turn not to have a repeat of the embarrassing events of the night before. They may have shared a room with Team RYBN, but that was different. They knew what the rules were and she'd never walked in on Ren naked in the bathroom before, nor had Yang or Nora, though not for lack of trying on the latter's part.

Similarly, they'd never shared a bed before, and even though the dorm rooms were cramped, there was still enough space between beds to ensure nothing embarrassing happened. Ren, being a gentleman, had offered to take the floor, but since she had no idea how long they'd be stuck here, Blake assured him it was fine. They'd built a small wall of pillows between them and slept on either side, and thankfully neither of them appeared to be rough sleepers, so the wall held.

The rose petals scattered everywhere had made sleep a little awkward, but no more awkward than when Ruby got excited in their dorm and it ended up the same way.

"I hope you had a pleasant night's sleep, sweetheart," Kali whispered.

"Hate you so much."

She half wondered if Sun and Ilia had been forced to share a room, too, but discarded that thought on the basis that they were both fairly quiet this morning. If they'd been stuck together, she had a feeling they'd be anything but.

Idly, Blake turned to the only person _not_ trying to influence her sex lie (as non-existent as it was) and said, "You wanted to talk to me, dad?"

"After breakfast," her mountain of a father said sternly.

Blake quickly swallowed her bacon and pushed the plate away, earning a sigh from her mother and a roll of the eyes from Ghira.

"As stubborn as ever, I see. Very well." He didn't push his plate away but rested his utensils down for a moment. "The White Fang has been in something of a crisis since the attack on Beacon. There are whispers in the streets and the leadership has been unable to crack down on it. They're fractured."

Intrigued, Blake leaned forward. "Really!?"

"Hm. Though the CCT went down, Beacon was repaired soon enough for it to be operational again and the news that the White Fang were involved was sent out. It reached us only a few days ago, but the stories have spread like wildfire. Opinion is divided," he said gruffly. "There are those who see it as a victory and an example, but more who are upset at the target. It's hard to argue huntsmen are responsible for our prejudice, and even less so children. The schools have always been equal rights, and since the Grimm don't discriminate, cutting off the supply of new huntsmen is seen as a foolish move."

"I don't think Adam really cared about any of that…"

"No, and therein lies the problem for the White Fang. Adam was a respected figure here, despite the things he would get up to. Corsac and Fennec have been busy trying to write it off as a rogue action, but people are angry and distrustful. People have noticed that they've worked with Adam in the past."

Well, that was interesting. She'd expected the news to have not reached Menagerie, but since Beacon hadn't necessarily fallen and Miss Goodwitch was in charge there, it looked like the news had gotten out a lot sooner. If Adam were still alive, she could well imagine fear of him suppressing the people's opinions, but with him gone they were confident enough to speak up.

The White Fang lived and died on the public opinion it had. While most would have said it was just a terrorist organisation, it still had to draw recruits and funding from somewhere, and that was normally done by carefully controlling what they did and what message it sent. A lot of their supplies and recruits were from Menagerie, which meant they couldn't afford to have a bad rep there.

"Do you think it will be enough for the White Fang to disband?" she asked.

"I doubt that. Even should Menagerie decide to kick them out, I believe they would take what supplies they can and try to form a base elsewhere."

It was a nice dream…

"It would still mean they'd be weakened, though, right?" Sun asked. He emphasised the point by poking a fork towards Ghira, who glared down at it like it was a deadly weapon. "That's a good thing. One of the main reasons no one has crushed them yet is because they're hiding behind the civilians out here and no one wants to start the faunus wars all over again."

"You are not incorrect," Ghira grumbled. It felt like any praise for Sun had to be dragged kicking and screaming out of him.

Blake rolled her eyes and turned to the blond faunus. "It _would_ be good," she said, "But if that ever happened, then the White Fang wouldn't leave here peacefully. They'd probably retaliate with some kind of attack, maybe even bomb those who disagreed before they left – and they'd take all the supplies they could."

"They'd turn on their own people?" Ren asked, surprised.

It was Ilia who answered. "Unfortunately, I think Blake is right." Ilia let out a heavy sigh and focused her eyes on the table. "Most faunus wouldn't, but if Mr Belladonna's points are to be believed, it sounds like almost all of the _moderates_ are thinking of leaving. If only the radicals and the fanatics remain, then they might be willing to see faunus who rejected them as traitors, and thus not worthy of protection or mercy."

"Yikes, that's kind of crazy," Sun said. "And the White Fang has _factions_? I thought it was just a big group of psychos." He froze, suddenly aware of all three members of the Belladonna family, and Ilia, glaring at him. "Uh. No offence?"

Smooth, Sun. Real smooth.

"The White Fang started as a political movement," Kali explained, indicating her husband, "And even though Ghira left, it still retains a little bit of that. Its members range from those who hate humans, to those who just want to make a point or feel the humans won't listen to them. There are members of the White Fang who go on raids, and others who will never do anything worse than canvass for support money, and sympathisers who only offer healing or help with lifting and carrying weapons and ammunition."

"Though the factions have fallen into something a little more black and white at the moment," Ghira said. "It's come down to two sides – both calling themselves the _true_ White Fang, obviously. You've got what people are calling the Radicals, led by the Albain brothers and a few others behind the scenes. They're the ones that are siding with Adam's decision."

"That's the violent White Fang, then," Ilia noted. "Who is the other?"

"The other is the Tradionalist faction. They're still violent, but they want to go back to what it was before, raids on SDC, convoys and mining operations. They're espousing targeted violence, and only at people they feel deserve it. Still bad," he noted, "but better than the Radicals. They're being led by Sienna Khan."

"Sienna is going against Adam's faction?" Blake asked, surprised. That was interesting. Really interesting! Sienna was probably the most well-respected person in the White Fang, if not the most well-known.

"Looks like it. News is, she wasn't best pleased to hear he went and attacked Beacon, and she didn't approve of it at all. Said it was too far over the line and sent the wrong kind of message. She's trying to lead a purge of those affiliated with Adam."

"That sounds like a good thing," Ren said.

"It is," Blake agreed, "If it works. By their very nature, Adam's allies are good at fighting, though. It wouldn't surprise me if they tried to have Sienna killed. With her gone, the Radicals could probably sweep the opposition aside." Her eyes widened and she met her father's gaze. "That's what you wanted to talk to me about, isn't it? You want to try and throw our lot in with the Traditionalists!"

"We don't exactly like them," Ghira said, nodding to Kali, "But better them than more people like Adam. Your mother and I have decided we can't sit by and pretend this isn't happening. Menagerie can ill-afford a civil war within the ranks of the White Fang."

"But we're too visible," Kali said, "And too well known. If we tried to support them openly, the Radicals might take an ill view of it. We've already been visited by Corsac and Fennec and we had to hide your friend in the cellar. We're sure they're watching us."

They almost certainly were. Ghira was the ruler of Menagerie. His public approval could sway opinion, which meant that discrediting or winning his approval would be a key agenda for both sides. And if they discovered that Ghira was harbouring a _human_ , then that would be the perfect material with which to do so.

"They want our help," Ren said. Not that he needed to. "They've already spoken to me about it, and I want to offer what assistance we can. The White Fang will continue to be a threat otherwise."

Blake bit her lip. "I agree, and I want to help… It's just that Nora and the others are waiting for us."

"It will take them time to reach Haven, though, and more time to reach the coast. We have a week, at least, and if the fervour of these sides is anything to go by, this isn't going to last more than that. The entire city is a powder keg just waiting to go off."

So many good points, and she wasn't even sure why she was hesitating. She'd wanted nothing more than to stop the White Fang, and while going back to what it had been wasn't perfect, they'd at least done their best to ensure there were no civilian casualties. Maybe that was why she was so hesitant, because the last time she'd allowed herself to be obsessed by the White Fang, her entire team nearly got killed for it.

But if Ren was on board and Sun and Ilia were okay with it, what was she waiting for?

"Alright, I'm in. Sun, Ilia?"

"Stopping the White Fang, huh?" Sun said with a grin. "Sounds good. This Radical faction sounds a little too intense, even for me."

"I have no issue with it," Ilia added. "I actually enjoyed working under Sienna."

"Oh, I bet you did," Sun wiggled his eyebrows.

"Pig!"

"Money, actually."

"Looks like we're all agreed, then." Blake sighed and turned back to her parents. "I take it you have a plan."

"We do," Ghira replied. "Our first task will be to erode the support of the Radical faction, but we cannot do that openly until we find out what security they have on us, and disable it." He brought out a folder with a list of people within. "Here are those we've noticed paying attention to us lately. Since Ilia worked with Adam, and you did, too, for a while, we figured it might be possible for you to infiltrate their ranks and deal with them."

Blake leaned over the table along with Ren. The rest of breakfast was forgotten as they began to plan and scheme, Sun and Ilia arguing and Kali watching over it all with a patient smile. Despite the situation, Blake started to feel excitement build in her gut.

It was finally time to act.

/-/

" **Grandma!"**

"ARGHHHH!"

"Monster!"

"Watch out, she's armed!"

"Shit, shit, shit!"

Yang stood in the middle of what had fast become a whirlwind of activity. The bandits that had been watching with vague interest only a moment before were now scrambling for weapons. Some tripped over one another, crashing to the floor and crawling away with terrified eyes. For all intents and purposes, they acted like a Grimm had teleported into the middle of their camp.

Which, Yang supposed, it probably had.

"Love the enthusiasm, Yin," she called, voice raised to be heard over the carnage. "But I think we need to talk about subtlety."

" **Subtlety? What's that?"**

"It's the act of not causing riots by your very existence. That should be common sense…"

" **Common sense?"**

Yang sighed. They had a lot to work on. Yet again she had to remind herself Yin was less than a week old, and that what days he did have were probably spent with her in a coma, waking up from the trauma of her lost arm. He didn't have much experience, the poor thing.

The sound of a sword clearing a sheathe brought her back to reality. Raven had fallen flat on her ass – and that was an image Yang burned into her mind – but now she was on her feet, sword drawn and eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Yang," she hissed, "What is that…? What have you done?" Raven swallowed. "What have you become?"

"A mother, apparently," Yang drawled. "Oh, and this is Yin. Your grandson. He says hi."

" **Hi!"** Yin said dutifully.

"That… That thing-" Raven sneered. "What the hell has happened to you?"

Yang was surprised to feel a bout of anger when Yin wilted at Raven's words. Sure, she hadn't expected him to be welcomed by her mother any more than she'd expected to be welcomed herself, but somehow, it pissed her off to hear Raven act so high and mighty now.

"That _thing_ has a name, thank you very much. It's called Yin."

"Yin and Yang," Raven scoffed. "Imaginative."

"Yeah, you don't get to accuse me of that. Taiyang and Yang, anyone?" Yang waved her good arm before her, tugging Yin back in case Raven chose to attack. She wasn't sure what would happen if Yin was actually cut off at her elbow. Would he die, or would he reform inside of her? It probably depended on whether the thing currently out now was actually him, or just a projection in the shape of him. "And you can put away your weapon, _mom_ , I'm here for a portal. Nothing more."

"You have been _possessed_ by some kind of Grimm."

"Oi. Don't go making up your own conclusions."

Raven ignored her, levelling her crimson blade towards them both. "I suppose I shall have to excise it from you. I thought you were strong, Yang, but I suppose I was mistaken if you've chosen to accept _her_ aid."

"You don't have the right to judge me," Yang hissed, falling into a ready stance. "And it's not _her_ help. It's _his_. My boyfriend's."

"You're beyond help."

"And you're a piece of shit," Yang growled. Her eyes flicked to her arm. "Looks like negotiations didn't work out. You ready to try out what we practiced before?"

" **I'll make you proud, mom!"**

"Ugh." Yang's cheeks flushed. "A-Atta boy…"

Raven had seemingly had enough of their conversation and rushed in. For a second, Yang froze. The red sword was so like his, both in shape and colour, and as it arched towards her arm, towards Yin, those memories came rushing back with a sound like crashing water. She was weak, slow, and terrified. She was going to lose her arm. Again.

" **Mom!"** Yin suddenly cried. **"We can't lose here. We have to save Auntie Ruby!"**

And then she was moving – because damn it, but Yin was right. The sword rushed in, and rather than dodge, Yang swung Yin into the way of it, focusing aura down into the limb – which even though it wasn't hers, was still connected to her body. Aura and Grimm mingled and Yin gasped. Not in pain, but excitement.

Raven's sword struck with a mighty clang – and to the shock of all watching, bounced off Yin's hardened flesh.

"YA!" Yang roared, powering her fist around and into her mother's chest. The blow struck centre-mass and Ember Celica let out an angry bark, blasting the woman back. Not ready for it and sure her attack would connect, Raven was blasted off her feet and straight into the palanquin behind them. She crashed through the wooden stairs and underneath, struck a post holding it up, and was buried as the tent above tumbled down on her.

"Heh, not bad," Yang said, testing her fingers. She turned to the bandits around them. "Anyone else want some?"

"KILL HER!"

"Guess so." Yang hopped to the side as a bullet tore through the area she'd occupied – but the bandits were upon her before any more could come. She ducked under a hatchet, kicked the legs out from under a man with a spear, and then thrust Yin forward. Her black arm exploded into four thick limbs, each of which splayed out in an almost random direction, striking numerous bandits and launching them back with force reminiscent of an Ursa's kick.

She swung the limb to the left, bowling over three more, before Yin's tentacles reformed into one whip-like appendage that cracked up and down. He caught one bandit by the arm, right behind the wrist, and then used him as a flail to strike another, before the unfortunate soul was flipped up and over Yang's head to crash down on the guys behind her.

While that was happening, Yang dealt with any who dared get close. Twisting and turning, she ducked under blows and blocked others with her good arm or legs, dishing out broken noses and bones with every return blow. They'd only sparred a little, and mostly in practice, but Yang had quickly realised something terrifying about Yin.

He didn't need her approval or attention to do his work. He didn't even need her shoulder, since even if she waved him randomly, which she was doing right now; he only had to focus on _where_ he was going. If she suddenly turned left, dragging him with her, he had a moment to rethink and come up with a new shape, adapting easily because he didn't need to think about footwork, positioning or any of the things she did.

And in turn, she didn't need to worry about him. Yang only had to focus on what was an immediate threat to her, all else being his business. Rather than what she'd expected – that they'd have to work together and it would be awkward as hell – fighting actually turned out to be a damn sight easier. It wasn't one person against however many, but two people. Or one and a half, given that she only had the one arm to work with – but Yin's shape shifting made him worth more than one anyway.

"Shit, guns," Yang warned, suddenly noticing that the horde had backed away, realising they were outmatched in close combat. Six or more men and women with guns were now aiming at them.

" **I've got it!"** Yin cried. She brought him before her and grinned as he spread and expanded, somehow building more mass than Yang thought he could actually hold in her body, to form a shield three feet wide and six or so tall. The crack of gunfire echoed and she felt her aura take the hits, but there was no discomfort or impact, the shots failing to pierce the shield.

"I need eyes," she said. Before her face, a small slit formed. "Thanks." With a grin, Yang picked up the shield and charged forward, causing those firing at them to curse and try to flee. Bad choice. The second she was close enough Yang leapt into the air, the shield sucking back into her arm in a fraction of a second. She arched high and came down hard, swinging her arm – aware that Yin had transformed into something resembling a giant club.

They struck the ground hard, cracking dirt and rock and throwing the shooters from their feet.

"You know, I could get used to this."

" **We're the best team!"**

"Hell yeah."

" **Hell yeah!"** Yin echoed.

Aw, he was learning swear words already. That was so adorable.

An explosion of wood behind told them mommy dearest was back on her feet – and angry, too, judging by the bright red eyes that glowed with some unusual light. **"Something is wrong,"** Yin said, suddenly anxious. **"I-I don't like the way Grandma feels. It's different."**

"Bad different…?"

" **Dangerous different."**

As Raven strode towards her, Yang was forced to admit she could see it, too. She could feel it as well, though only because the wind had picked up in a manner that was comically unnatural. Fire seemed to burn in Raven's eyes, and, if Yang's weren't lying to her, the fire also built up _around_ the woman, flicking in the air.

"That's new," she called. "I thought your Semblance was portals."

"Time changes a woman," Raven replied with an angry scowl. "I see it's changed you. You've become a monster, Yang, or allowed one to live inside of you."

"And what, you're going to be the one to kill me? Is that how this goes?"

"If I must."

"Tch, what a load of bullshit! There's no `must` here. I just wanted a sodding portal. You're the one making this into a life or death situation. Give me what I want and it'll be the last you ever see of me. I certainly don't _want_ to see you anymore."

"And let you tell Salem of my existence?"

"Who!?"

" **Other grandma,"** Yin said. **"Queen of the Grimm."**

"Really feel like this is information I could have used before, Yin." Yang groused. Oh, and by the way, she may or may not now have been Grimm royalty herself, or at least carrying the child of one. This was getting more and more complicated as time went on.

" **Sorry."**

"I'm not on Salem's side," Yang said. "I'm just trying to catch up with Ruby before she gets herself in trouble. I literally couldn't care less about you as anything other than a dispenser of portals. Yowch!" Yang ducked back as the air superheated, burning her skin. She waved her hand, wincing at the skin that had been tinted cherry red. "Okay, that's definitely new."

 _She's actually going to try and kill me,_ Yang realised, eyes growing wide. Of all the uncharitable things she'd though about Raven, this one never crossed her mind, but it was impossible not to see the intent in the woman's red eyes, flickering with golden light as they were.

Raven was going to kill her only daughter.

"Fine," Yang spat. "I'll leave. It's pretty obvious you're not interested in helping, so I'll make my own way to Mistral."

"I'm afraid you won't, Yang," Raven said, almost softly. "I really am sorry for this, but perhaps you will survive. Give in and I'll remove this taint from you once and for all."

"Pretty sure that'll kill me."

"You will survive it… if you are strong."

" **M-Mom,"** Yin said nervously. She could feel his fear now – echoing inside of her. This wasn't Raven, or it was, but the power she was displaying was far beyond anything she'd seen or felt before. Yin wanted out, and if she were being honest with herself, so did she.

"Hold on," she whispered to him. "We're not dying here."

Yang leapt back and brought Ember Celica forth in mid-air. She twisted, flipped upside down and drew her fist back, feeding two explosive shells into her weapon with a twist of her thumb. As she landed, she thrust it down into the dusty ground and blasted at point blank range. The explosion launched her back, but also kicked up a mighty cloud of dust.

The second her feet touched the ground, Yang was running – an angry ball of fire and wind hurtling in behind her.

/-/

No Ozpin to be found.

Qrow sighed as he realised it, his eyes scanning the numerous guys in the crowd but not finding any that made him think of an aloof and mysterious wizard. Not that it would have mattered if Oz wanted to hide, but even if he did, little things would show. _Oz would approach me if he was here anyway. He must still be en route._

Qrow ran a finger over the cane attached to his hip as he drew up the flagon to his mouth and took a long drink. He followed it with a contented sigh and a muffled burp into his hand. After so long on the road, a long bath, a drink and some food were like gifts from the gods. A shame the kids weren't interested, but he supposed they were tired after the long journey. Ruby had grumbled something into her pillow when he poked his head in their room, while the other one had tiredly asked him not to slap her ass.

He'd been the bigger man and refused to rise to that, instead placing two plates of food down in the doorway with a cover over them. They'd be cold come the morning, but he had a feeling the brats wouldn't care too much. He'd even grabbed one for Jaune, who still seemed to be giving him evils for some reason.

 _It's not like I wanted to grope her, damn it. I thought she was a Grimm._

And no, no matter how that sounded, it didn't mean he groped Grimm regularly, either. The whole situation was messed up on a scale so unbelievable he could barely comprehend it. Was it his Semblance acting up? It felt like it, since there hadn't been a single ounce of bad luck since coming to the village. Maybe it had run out of juice orchestrating such a frankly bullshit situation.

It certainly looked like it might have, since Qrow noticed a pretty looking woman watching him from a few tables over. She wasn't subtle about it, not at all, and neither was she subtle about her intent, for she flashed him a coy smile and flicked some golden hair behind her. She was young, but looked pretty mature, with shoulder-length blonde hair, bright green eyes behind a silver-rimmed pair of glasses and a long, blue dress that showed off a generous portion of cleavage. She noticed him looking and placed a single elbow on the table, leaning forward just enough to bunch her breasts together and make those valleys all the more enticing. The invitation was clear.

 _Semblance, don't fail me now,_ Qrow practically begged, standing up and moving to the bar. "Ale," he called, noticing her drink. "Two."

The bartender poured it, and even managed to hand it over without somehow spilling it on him or someone else, inevitably causing a fight that would get him kicked out or lead to the girl checking him out to leave in a huff. It had happened before, his cosmically shitty luck. He tossed some lien on the counter, enough for a generous tip, and made his way carefully over to the woman's table. She noticed him coming and smiled, kicking the chair across from her back with one foot.

Qrow managed to sit down without tripping. The chair didn't break, and when she took the drink he offered and her fingers brushed against his, the world didn't end, nor did a Nevermore burst through the ceiling and dive-bomb him like the world's most aggressive air to land missile.

"Cold night," he said, instantly wishing he had a better one-liner, and that Taiyang had shared at least some of his tricks with him. To be fair, he didn't normally get this far without something going wrong. "You from these parts?"

"Not quite," the woman said. She brought the glass to her lips and took a dainty sip. Her tongue darted out to lick her lips, and there was no way that wasn't on purpose. "I'm just visiting. You might say I'm looking for something."

Qrow could recognise an invitation when he heard it. "Oh? And have you found what you're looking for?"

"I might have. It's something that caught my interest a while back. This is just me verifying it."

"Strange way of putting it."

"My sisters often tell me I'm strange." She smiled at him. "I hope that doesn't bother you."

"Not at all. I don't have the best relationship with my sister, either." Sensing the conversation going the wrong way, Qrow nodded to the book she'd laid on the table. It was open, pages upwards, which meant he couldn't see the cover. "A good read?"

Her smile grew. "Hm, I like it, but it's an acquired taste." She turned it around and pushed it towards him. Qrow took it and brought it up to take a brief look, prepared to feign interest in whatever it was.

His breath caught a line later and he spluttered wildly. He thumped a fist into his chest to try and regain his breath. Holy shit. This… well, calling it smut might have been gracious. It was the most hard-core pornography he'd ever seen written. He eyed her over the top, suddenly feeling even more out of his depth.

But shit, this wasn't exactly making anything worse, was it? Was his Semblance asleep or something? Where was the bad luck!? No, he couldn't afford to look a gift horse in the mouth. He brought out his most roguish smile and put the book down.

"You like this kind of thing?"

"I don't know," she said with a shy titter. "I've never tried it." Her finger touched the back of his hand and ran a small circle on his skin, giving him goose bumps – and something a whole lot beneath the table.

"The name's Qrow," he introduced, bringing up her hand to his lips and placing a kiss on it. Laying it on thick, perhaps, but judging by her smile, she approved. "Can I get the name of the beautiful woman before me?"

"Coral," she replied, "And it's nice to meet you, Qrow. I'm looking for my brother, but I've found myself distracted by something. Or someone." Her eyes met his with obvious intent. "Come help me search my room for him."

Well, there was no missing that invitation. Qrow rose with a wide smile, drawing the woman up beside him, who brushed her hips against his and smiled, her hair fluttering beneath his chin. It smelled of junipers. With a coy smile, she tugged him towards the stairs. No interruptions, no disaster and no Taiyang to steal the girl at the last second.

Maybe his Semblance was taking a turn towards good luck for once!

* * *

 **Or maybe not, Qrow. Maybe not. Sheesh, his Semblance really is working overtime. Well, Ozpin is catching up, Yang's attempts to reach them take a turn for the disastrous and Ruby is confronted with the fact she'll have to choose between following the Ozpin and Qrow brigade or sticking to her guns. Meanwhile, the White Fang is in shambles. Enter Blake and her harem.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 19** **th** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	75. Chapter 75

**So, I can't post links here but there is some cute fanart of Yang dealing with best-Grimm-son Yin, drawn by Mystery White Flame on Deviant Art. If you Google that, I'm sure one can find it. It's titled "Atta Boy".**

 **On the request of someone, and because I finally got around to it, the "upcoming fics" section of my profile has now been updated to reflect plans for some upcoming stories. I realise this means some old ones have vanished, but that's just a peril of what I do, really. Sometimes an idea sounds good, but that's all it's good as - an idea. When you sit down and plan a story around it, it doesn't really work all that well.**

 **Anyway, you can see four new fic drafts that will likely be coming out once others finish. I'll try to be a little more up to date in adding to it.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 75**

* * *

Weiss maintained a vacant smile as she nodded towards the audience, descending from the stage. Most applauded her honestly, though there were some women who sneered and whispered thinly veiled insults.

"Simply wonderful, Miss Schnee," an elderly gentleman gushed as she walked by. "Beautiful."

"Incredible," another said. "I'd thought I might never get a chance to hear you sing again."

"Bravo!"

"Thank you, thank you," Weiss smiled for each in turn and played the perfect doll as per her father's instructions. Bodies crowded in around her as guests complimented, cajoled and, in one case, a journalist tried to arrange an interview, only to be caught and escorted away by a security guard in a crisp teal-blue suit.

Jacques didn't trust her with the media yet _,_ she realised, watching her father watch her from across the ball. Weiss sent him a respectful nod, and though he didn't return it, he did go back to his own conversation with a wealthy investor.

 _Just play the good daughter for now,_ she thought. _It won't have to last._

Weiss was no fool, and with Emerald's help it was child's play to find out what her father planned. This charity ball – if one could call it that – was designed with multiple purposes in mind, only a few of them PR-related. While the sight of her on the stage once more was to prove to the people that _he_ had gotten his way over her, the main push involved her brother, who even now was schmoozing with several women on the other side of the hall.

She couldn't call it flirting, mostly because the women were at least twenty-five or more, and at best humouring him, at worst gold-diggers. Still, he'd been doing the rounds and played as visible as possible, both to the guests and the photographers covering the event. While interviews were off the table, the images, and the news, would feature in the coming days' newspapers.

A perfect time for a new heir to the Schnee family to be announced, or at least for her to be pushed down the ladder a little. Weiss met Emerald's eyes across the hall and nodded once. The ex-criminal returned it, downed her drink, and politely excused herself from the conversation she was involved in, slipping away.

Weiss, in turn, moved over to one of the buffet tables, where the tall and imposing figure of General Ironwood created a bubble of anti-socialness, his glower scaring off any would-be conversationalists. He greeted her with a nod when she approached.

"General," she returned, curtseying just a little. "I'm glad you could make it."

"I can't always be trapped in an office working. Sometimes, it's necessary for me to get out there, meet important people and socialise." Ironwood's grimace made it clear what he thought of that. "You have my compliments for your performance earlier. I see your time away from the scene has not diminished your voice any."

"Thank you."

"Do you intend to turn singing into a career?"

"I don't think so. My heart, and my skills, lay elsewhere."

Ironwood glanced at her from the corner of one eye and grunted in what might have been understanding. A server came by with a tray of glasses and Weiss took two, handing one to the taller man. She smiled when he frowned at the waiter, sending him scurrying away.

"You're a little out of place at an event like this, I see."

Ironwood grunted again, and regarded the empty space surrounding them. "I suppose I am. I apologise for that."

"Don't. It's why I came over."

He looked her way in some surprise, before noticing the look on her face and chuckling. His shoulders relaxed just a little. "Using me to escape your adoring fans."

"More my bootlicking sycophants."

"What would the world think if they heard the polite and ever-graceful heiress of the SDC speak like that?"

"I don't think it will matter. Father intends to see Whitley crowned heir tonight."

"Is that so?" Ironwood asked, suddenly a little sharper, eyes narrowed. "I had not heard about this."

"Few have. I think he's been waiting for me to make a mistake worthy of being disowned over. Failing that, he plans to claim that I've suffered such emotional trauma from the attack on Beacon that he does not wish to pressure me with such high expectations." Emerald had found the evidence, and the psychologists bribed to assess her as suffering from acute depression and anxiety attacks.

Ironwood frowned at Jacques over her head. "How kind of him…"

"Indeed. He's ever been a father looking after our best interests," she said sarcastically. "Winter knows as much first hand."

"I suppose she does. What about you, Miss Schnee? You will be of age soon, and capable of making your own decisions. Family ties or no, I would not turn you down should you wish to enter my service. I could see you assigned to work with your sister. After training, of course."

"A kind offer." And it was, in a sense. "But for now, I have my responsibilities to my family." Weiss pointedly did not say the Schnee family. With a sigh, she placed her empty glass down on the table. "Would you care to dance, General? I'm sure you'll be expected to dance at least once tonight, and I certainly know I am."

He regarded her with some surprise. "Would you not rather dance with someone your own age?"

"The only people my age here are sons of prominent business partners. All conveniently single and of marrying age."

"Ah." Ironwood placed his champagne flute down and held out a hand. "Then I suppose I should continue my duty and protect you from such insidious advances."

"You have my thanks, brave knight." Weiss curtseyed and placed her hand in his. "But try not to smile too much," she quipped. "I'm still holding onto the hope you'll scare anyone away before they think to approach and ask me for a dance."

Ironwood laughed and stepped alongside the girl half his age towards the dance floor. Everyone in their way parted, shocked at the sight of them together, but also intimidated by the stern man and his cold eyes.

"Somehow, Miss Schnee, I don't think that will be a problem."

/-/

Emerald glanced back out onto the dance floor and smirked when she saw Weiss dancing with Ironwood. They were drawing attention, not all of it good. Jacques was frowning at the display in that way he did, the one that suggested there would be harsh words later. He was a real piece of work. Even growing up without a parental figure, Emerald figured he was a poor example of what was expected. It was enough to make her glad she was an orphan.

A shame she couldn't be quite as pleased about her current situation, the pastel-green dress she wore being a complete pain in the ass. It was tight in uncomfortable places to better show off her curves, something which she noted more than a few men had taken a moment to admire.

"Ah, Emerald," a familiar voice crooned. She groaned, but turned immediately to face Weiss' little brother, who despite his age somehow still managed to come across as incredibly sleazy. He probably didn't mean it that way. If anything, it was the suit and the way he acted. Like a child attempting to imitate an adult, he didn't quite understand the nuances of what he said, and the mature expression and tailored suit made him look older than he was.

People judged him as if he were eighteen or so, and that worked for him. It gave him legitimacy and stature. Sadly, it also meant that when he smirked cockily and crooked one finger at her, the action looked unabashedly creepy, even if he just meant it as an arrogant gesture.

"Whitley," she greeted, stepping over cautiously. He had four people with him, three women, two older by far, one only by a few years, and a youngish man of around twenty-two or some years. _He_ gave Emerald the once up and down and, liking what he saw, smiled at her.

"That's Mr Schnee to you," Whitley corrected with a frown. It wasn't a very good one. He tried to emulate his father, but he didn't quite have the callous edge the older man did. It didn't stop him trying. "This is my sister's retainer," he explained to the others. "She works for the family, though mostly Weiss."

"Ah." The other man's interest faded as he realised she wasn't someone important. The smile fell, and though the desire was still there, it was now for nothing more than a one-night stand.

"A retainer, in this day and age?" one of the women asked. "Whatever would she need one for?"

"I've no idea," Whitley said with a sigh. "I suppose it's a shoulder to lean on. The attack on Beacon was sudden and my sister has never been the strongest of souls."

"The poor girl."

"Such a shame what happened…"

 _So, your job is to push that tripe, huh?_ Emerald watched Whitley carefully, noting the way his eyes lit up as those around him began to express their empty sympathy for Weiss. The rumour mill was strong at events like these, which meant that if Jacques really did go ahead and disinherit Weiss within the next few days, almost everyone would have heard about this conversation and think the two related.

Time to nip that in the bud, then.

"Weiss hardly needs me for comfort," Emerald drawled, surprising her `betters` by interrupting them. "She was there at the attack. She cut down her fair share of terrorists, not to mention the Grimm. I even saw her face down the Grimm dragon – and she was directly responsible for the death of Adam Taurus."

Absolutely _not_ in a way Weiss liked to remember or talk about, but it was still technically true. Emerald held Whitley's gaze and smiled as some of the women oohed and aahed.

"Be that as it may, Weiss suffered quite the trauma-"

"No more than anyone else at Beacon, and if so, the trauma isn't really showing itself." Emerald gestured towards the dance floor, and there were some titters as they saw Weiss dancing with a man twice her size, smiling serenely and chatting as she did. "In fact, I dare say Weiss is completely unaffected. She didn't so much as stutter during her performance."

"That's true," one of the women said. "She was very composed."

"Rather admirable considering everything she's been through," the other said.

"I heard one of her teammates was even killed in the event."

"Oh, the poor girl. She's brave standing so strong. I don't think I'd be able to."

Emerald's smile continued to grow as the opinion turned in Weiss' favour. It wasn't just a retainer's job to protect their master from physical threats, after all. Any such glee died when Whitley gripped her arm, however.

"Emerald," he said firmly. "A word?"

Knowing her position wasn't firm enough to refuse, she curtseyed. "Of course, Whitley. Lead on."

The young man excused them from the others with some nonsense about concern for his sister and pulled Emerald aside, out of the hall and into a corridor. He glanced around furtively to make sure they were alone, and only released her when he was sure they could not be overheard.

"What was that?" he hissed.

"What was what?" she asked demurely.

"That display back there! Don't think I didn't see what you did."

"I defended my master," Emerald said. "As is my job."

"The trials and tribulations my sister has been through are taking a toll on her. She-"

"Weiss isn't suffering from any mental illness, Whitley. You know that."

"Are you calling me a liar?"

"I'm saying you're mistaken," Emerald said carefully. "Perhaps overly concerned for a sister you care for…"

Whitley laughed. It wasn't a kind sound, but nor was it cruel. If anything, it was just amused – which given the circumstances made him come across as rather callous. "So, you can be diplomatic," he said. "I guess it's true what they say, you _can_ teach an old dog new tricks. Just remember that a dog should not bite the hand that feeds it."

"Weiss-"

"Will not always be in charge," he interrupted. "Father is the one whose earnings cover your wages, and father has decided that Weiss is mentally unsound after what she has been through. Are you saying that my father is incorrect?"

"Not incorrect," she said again, "Just…"

"Just what, Emerald? Overly concerned?" Whitley snorted, making it clear what he thought of that. "We both know that isn't true. You'd do well to remember that it will be _I_ who is made the heir to the SDC. _I_ shall be the one in charge. _I_ shall be the master. Until that time, it is my father who makes the decisions. If he says Weiss is depressed, she is depressed, and there is not a psychologist in Atlas who will dare to disagree. Am I understood?"

Emerald gritted her teeth. "Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes… Mr Schnee…"

"There we go, you _can_ show respect when you need to." Whitley smiled again and reached out with one hand to touch her cheek. "You're a good retainer, Emerald, loyal and dedicated. I like that. Maybe once Weiss has been disinherited, I'll take you for myself."

Again, his actions worked against his intent. The smile he was trying for was the patronising one Jacques often used to make someone feel small and insignificant, but Whitley couldn't manage it properly and had defaulted to an odd leer instead. Combined with the hand on her cheek, Emerald's own expression and the fact an obviously older and stronger woman was submitting to him, the image he painted was far less kind than he realised.

"I'll leave you to think on what I've said," Whitley decided. "Feel free to return to the party but remember what I've said. Yours is not to question, nor to think. You serve. Nothing more."

He turned and strode away with a smile on his face, content in the fact he'd gained the upper hand, ignorant of the shocked faces of at least five guests nearby, who had not only heard every word, but seen their interaction first hand. Already they were whispering to one another.

Whitley didn't see them, of course. Her Semblance made sure of it.

/-/

Weiss noticed her a man walk up to her father and whisper something into his ear. Her father stiffened and then turned away, finally looking away from Weiss. He was angry, she could tell, but it was not at her for he stormed away without so much as a glance in her direction.

"Problem?" Ironwood asked. He had one hand on the small of her back and the other holding her much smaller hand in his. Both held her softly, enough so that she could have broken free if she wanted to. He really was a gentleman.

"Not a problem," Weiss said, noticing Emerald join the crowd on the other end of the hall. Emerald met her eyes, grinned and nodded. "Not a problem at all. In fact, I think everything is going perfectly."

Ironwood noticed the sudden shift in the hall. His eyes, used to picking up threats, spotted the sudden whispers that spread like wildfire, and quickly identified them as being aimed at Whitley, who remained completely oblivious and was currently trying to impress a small gaggle of women. He wasn't doing very well, and yet despite him doing that all night, people were now watching him with frowns and worried expressions.

"Your doing?" Ironwood guessed.

"I'm sure I have no idea what you mean, General. I've been with you all evening."

"That you have, Miss Schnee," he said, chuckling lightly. "Well, we'd best continue as such, just to prevent any _overzealous_ accusations that you were anywhere but."

Weiss smiled and stepped into the next dance with the much taller man.

"Nothing would please me more."

 _Good luck getting rid of me now, father. Maybe if you'd not disowned Winter, you'd have a spare to fall back on, but that's the problem with making enemies of everyone. Sooner or later, you'll run out of allies._

And judging from the all but immediate shift in opinion, Whitley would not be making the position of sole heir to the SDC anytime soon. Not if Jacques didn't want to lose a whole host of investors and Board Members in one go.

Check and mate.

/-/

It was official; Yang hated Raven.

Oh, she'd hated her before, but in a muted – you're not worth hating – kind of way. It was always in the back of her mind but quickly ignored, because she didn't want to let hatred for a woman who'd been absent all her life define her. Now, however, it was different. The first time they'd properly spoken face to face, and Raven wanted her dead.

Or she wanted Yin dead, but it was all kind of the same thing at this point.

Yang spun away from Raven's sword and slammed her fist into the older woman's face. Rather than be blasted back, Raven took it with a snarl and Yang's hand almost burned up as flames washed over her. She cried out.

" **Mom!"** Yin slammed his hand down, gripped the soil and _hauled_ her out of melee, launching her back. Yang landed hard on one shoulder and rolled back onto her feet. **"Mom! Are you okay?"**

"I'm fine," she panted. "G-Good job." Shit, but Raven hit hard, and not in the sense of intense training or an abundance of skill. This was something different; something that outweighed that by way too much.

And she was stalking forwards once more. Yang panicked and darted to the side, between a set of tents. She blasted one with Ember Celica, igniting the cloth and blowing it towards Raven. Ducking low, she fled among the remainder, hoping to lose Raven amidst it.

"Yin, we need to get out of here. Jaune could do some Grimm-summoning stuff. Can I do that?"

" **I-I don't know how,"** Yin said, sounding equal parts guilty and afraid. **"I might be able to, but there's a chance it wouldn't work, and I don't know if they would follow your orders or not. They might attack you."**

"That's a chance I'm willing to take right now, Yin."

" **O-Okay, mom."** Yin's arm came up and the bones on the side parted, exposing soft, black flesh. Whispering an apology, Yang dug a nail into it, drawing blood after pressing down for a few seconds. It was a thick purple in colour and oozed in a way that suggested it was thicker than human blood.

"That doesn't hurt, does it?" she asked. Sure, Yin was a Grimm, but he was also a kid and she didn't like the thought of bleeding someone (or something) that young.

" **No. It's fine. Um, I think you just spray it around."**

Yang nodded and turned, shifting her shoulder so that Yin could get a proper throw with her back behind it. Blood splattered across the floor, though beyond it she could see Raven barrelling through tents with little regard for any bandits that might have been caught in the mess.

Yin made an odd sound in her head, something between a grunt and a continuous hum as he put all his effort into something she couldn't comprehend. The blood on the floor shifted a little, but slowly began to coalesce into something larger than itself. It was slow, much slower than Jaune managed, but it eventually turned into six Grimm, six Beowolves.

Each was about fourteen inches tall.

"For fuck's sake…"

" **I'm sorry!"** Yin wailed desperately as Yang fled, completely ignoring how easily Raven swept aside the pint-sized terrors.

Raven struck her a second later. Yang got Yin up in time to block the blow from the sword, though only just. The blade grated against her Grimm arm, but to her relief the bone plates held, even if her knees didn't. She was blasted back and knocked to the ground, and Raven's foot stomped down on her chest a second later, driving the air from her.

"Don't struggle, Yang, you'll only make this harder." Raven took hold of Yin's hand and pulled the arm taut. The sword went up and came down, carving an inch into the elbow.

" **Ow, ow, ow!"**

"Stop that!" Yang howled. She kicked back with one foot, but it didn't do much other than piss Raven off. The sword came down again on the same spot, cutting in another inch deeper. Blood pooled down her arm and onto her chest – where it formed another pack of insultingly small Beowolves. They growled cutely and leapt for Raven, scaling her legs like they were tree-trunks.

Raven ignored them and swung again – and with a sickening _squelch_ Yin was severed from her.

"Yin! NO!"

"There," Raven spat. "It's done."

"You fucking _bitch_!" Yang howled. "That was my _son_!"

Raven opened her mouth to argue but yelped and fell back as several tendrils speared out of Yang's chest, striking Raven hard enough to force her off. Yang's eyes grew wide as they coalesced around her severed arm once more, and quickly grew back into a black arm.

" **You called me your son!"** Yin cheered.

"Y-You're still alive…?"

" **Well yeah, I live inside of you. The arm is just an extension."** That was… Yang sagged in relief, though that was short lived as Raven brushed miniature Grimm off her with one hand and stalked forward. **"Hold on,"** Yin advised, right as six tentacles spread from her body and pushed into the ground. Yang yelped as she was lifted up and then propelled back, the tentacles moving one before the other in an undulating pattern, almost like the legs of an insect, with her as the carapace, staring up and back at Raven as she gave chase.

Yang held out her good arm, Ember Celica at the ready, and started to fire backwards. It was a weird sensation, not only because she was moving under no control of her own, but because she couldn't even see where she was going and the first thing she'd notice of an obstacle would be her head ploughing through it. Yin kept an eye out, however, and though they leapt over and dodged around tents, trees and other things, she never struck any. All the while she fired backwards, trying to hold Raven back.

"We need to get back to Bumblebee," Yang said. "And we need to get _out of here_ as quickly as possible."

" **But can't grandma make portals?"** Yin asked.

"Don't call that bitch grandma. She doesn't deserve you. But I get what you're saying," she added with a growl. They couldn't escape Raven because she could open a portal to Yang at any moment. She had to sleep sooner or later and the moment they let their guard down, Raven would step out of a portal and kill them. "Stupid bullshit Semblances," she grumbled. "Right, then. We need to beat her here and now."

No idea on how they'd manage that, but there had to be something. Yang's eyes strayed left and right for inspiration. Hostages were out since Raven wouldn't give a shit, and a straight-up fight wasn't going to work because of this ridiculous power boost Raven had pulled out her ass. Outsmart her and play dead? Yeah, no. Sadly, Yang wasn't quite as able to recover from being cut in half as Yin was. This was the kind of fight she really needed her teammates for.

Wait, there was an idea. Yang quickly slashed another wound into Yin's arm and summoned some more corgi-sized Beowolves. Much like Zwei, they waited at attention for her commands. With a few hissed words, she sent them scurrying off, this time _away_ from Raven and the oncoming fight.

When Raven charged in once more, Yang met her half way. They traded blows, Raven coming out on top each time but Yang's aura, and Yin's constant ability to regenerate, allowing them to at least stall for time. The very air around them continued to grow hotter, however. Sweat poured down Yang's face.

"Why are you doing this?" she rasped. "I just want a portal."

"You're tainted," Raven replied evenly, scoring a line on Yang's cheek and drawing blood. "You'll give up my location to _her_ and then I and the tribe will be in danger."

"I don't work for the Grimm, damn it!"

Raven frowned. "I'm not prepared to take that risk."

That was it, then. Raven was afraid – afraid of being discovered, and willing to kill her own daughter to prevent it. Yin was just an excuse. Raven had never cared.

And she'd known that, hadn't she? It was just that hearing it now – while her own mother was trying to kill her – was somehow so much worse. Yang's eyes burned red and her hair ignited. Rage overcame her. _Not yet,_ she thought, holding it back.

Something white flashed behind Raven. One of the bandits, a girl, shouted a warning.

"Now!" Yang activated her Semblance suddenly, lashing out with a kick that can knock a multi-tonne robot into a pillar. Raven had no chance, aura or not, and was flung backwards. She landed not on the ground, however, but in the middle of a huge, white cloth – her own tent, which ten little Beowolves were dragging between them like a net. The moment Raven landed in it, they changed direction and charged inwards, the cloth gripped in their little jaws. One by one, they leapt over her, covering and wrapping her up in the fabric.

With her new powers swirling all around her, it soon caught on fire. Raven cried out as the flames licked at her skin. Their jobs done, the Beowolves charged the bandits to keep them busy while Yang leapt for the flaming bundle of cowardly hypocrite that was the woman who spawned her.

Not her mother. Summer held that lofty position.

Raven had almost burned the tent cloth off entirely by the time Yang reached her, but one of her arms was still pinned. The other swung her sword, cutting through Yin at the forearm and earning a startled yelp from the parasite. Yang landed on Raven's chest, knees on either side of her, hand gripping Raven's sword arm and pinning it down.

"Yin, NOW!" Yang shouted, thrusting her Grimm-stump into Raven's face.

" **On it!"** Yin didn't reform the arm, at least not as he normally did. A great mass of black erupted from her arm and engulfed Raven's entire head. Through their connection Yang could feel Raven's mouth pried open, could feel the tendrils forcing their way into it – and up her nose. Raven kicked and thrashed madly and the air around them grew hot enough that she thought they might both go up in flames.

Gritting her teeth, Yang rode it out, clothing singing on the edges and hair shining a bright yellow. She pushed down harder, squashing Raven's skull against the grass. Raven was stronger, faster, had mora aura and some power that utterly outclassed anything Yang could offer. But she still needed to breathe. That, at least, was a power Raven did not have, and as Yin poured himself into Raven's throat and nostrils, clogging them, the woman's struggles became weaker and weaker.

"Give me a portal," Yang hissed. "Give me a portal to Qrow or I'll kill you right here."

Raven's voice was muffled but she managed to place her free hand on Yang's face and tried to push her away. It was ineffectual.

"Don't test me, _mother_. I didn't want to do this, but between abandoning me and dad, trying to kill me and now trying to kill Yin, I'm not feeling all that merciful." Yang pressed down harder to make her point clear. She'd do it. She'd absolutely do it. Not because she wanted to, but because if Raven didn't give up, she and Yin _would_ die. There could be no stopping a woman whose Semblance was literally a portal to you at any moment.

If Raven lived and Yang didn't have Uncle Qrow to watch her back, she would die.

And if she had to pick a side between her and Yin, or Raven, then she knew which she was going to choose, to whatever end that required.

"Portal. Now." Yang said calmly. "This is your last chance." Yang pushed the tendrils deeper, down into Raven's throat. The woman's eyes, visible through a faint gap in Yin's black mass, bulged to incredible proportions.

Raven's hand flopped to the side. A red and black mess swirled to life in front of her.

"Good choice," Yang gritted out, releasing her.

Raven hacked and coughed, rolling over on one side. Even released, she could barely move, on the verge of passing out and utterly defenceless. She was beaten, and she knew it fully. The bandits watched in absolute horror, eyes wide and mouths open.

"Well," Yang said, fighting to show a little bravado despite how exhausted she felt. "I'd like to say it was nice seeing you again, mom, but I guess I'd be lying. Say goodbye to Grandma, Yin."

" **Goodbye bitch-grandma. You suck."**

"Atta boy." With a grin, Yang leapt through the portal.

And right into bed with Uncle Qrow and some blonde woman.

In hindsight, she wasn't sure who screamed first, or louder – Uncle Qrow at seeing his own niece crash down in the middle of him and a woman mid-coitus, or her at seeing Qrow's ass in front of her face while he was balls deep in a woman. A woman who casually looked past Yang's uncle, brushed some blonde hair from before her, and smiled happily.

"Oh, you must be my brother's girlfriend. Hi."

" **Auntie Coral!?"** Yin gasped.

Yang screamed again. Qrow did, too.

Ruby, Jaune and Nora barged through the door with weapons drawn. Ruby gasped, gagged and fell to her knees. Nora about-turned and fled. Jaune froze, and then took a good look at the girl her uncle was currently porking and almost fainted.

"S-SIS!?"

"Sis?" Qrow asked, looking down on the woman. His face went very, very pale. His eyes trailed down to his waist and below, as if to confirm there was a connection between him and the woman he was sleeping with. There very much was. "Y-You… no… Semblance… why?"

"Hi Jaune," said woman sighed heavily. "Look, I'm currently a little busy, so could you and your friends kind of, I don't know, go away and let us finish?"

"You're having sex with my sister!?" Jaune howled, pointing at Qrow with his sword.

"Yang's arm is back?" Ruby cried. "A-And has red eyes a-and is waving at me. I... I don't feel so good..."

" **Auntie Ruby!"**

"I can explain," Yang said.

"Can we stop talking here and let me have sex already?" Coral growled, locking her legs around Qrow's waist. "I refuse to let my first-time end in the most awkward orgy known to man and-"

She was interrupted as the portal from Raven closed, though not before a litter of tiny Beowolves leapt through, crashing all over the bed. One bounced off Coral's left breast and landed on the floor. It glanced about, dazed and confused. Another landed atop Yang's head and held on for dear life.

Qrow simply looked down at her once more and screamed once more.

/-/

Oscar gasped for breath as he came to a stop at the gates to the small village, one hand on the wooden wall and the other clutching his chest. Ozpin was a slave driver. They hadn't rested for hours and he was close to collapse. It was easy for _him_ to act all high and mighty, sat in Oscar's head and not even having the good will to _act_ like the trek hadn't had an impact on him.

" **Nearly there, Oscar. If my memory serves me correctly, our plan was to reconvene at this inn should we ever find ourselves separated."**

"D-Does that mean no more walking…?"

" **Goodness no. But it does mean you'll have a walking stick."**

"Y-Yay…" Oscar gathered what little strength remained and staggered forward, using his hand on the wall for support as he did. "What can you tell me about these people we're meeting? Other than that they're loyal to you, I mean."

" **You will soon see for yourself,"** Ozpin said mysteriously. Or Ozpinsteriously, as Oscar sometimes called it. The guy couldn't give you the time of day without it somehow being a riddle. **"Qrow is one of my most trusted agents. He is intelligent, skilled and highly professional."**

A high-pitched scream of abject terror split the night. There was a crash as a window further up the inn they were approaching smashed, and Oscar watched in equal parts awe and shock as a naked figure leapt out, clutching a white blanket to protect their modesty. The figure, a man, caught his foot on the windowsill and tripped, plummeted down and slammed into the ground not three feet in front of them. The quilt only covered his front, which meant the man's bare ass was exposed to the sky.

"Please tell me this isn't him," Oscar deadpanned.

Ozpin sighed.

* * *

 **To be Qrow is to suffer. And Oscar, really.**

 **But hey, doesn't matter had sex, right? Plenty of awkward conversations next time, not least of all because intentional or not, Yang has exposed herself to Qrow (even if he exposed himself right back, lel).**

 **But yeah, complicated questions aplenty coming right up.**

 **Also, I know Whitley may or may not be this bad in the show. We just don't know for certain since he was a pretty big non-factor. Rather than be bad here, I instead tried to show him as merely ambitious and trying to win his father's approval. He is trying to imitate Jacques, but because Whitley looks smarmy and not intimidating like his old man, it comes out more as "creepy teenager" than "callous old man".**

 **All we see in the show is that he "acts polite" but soon turns on Weiss once he's made heir, showing that it was just an act. Oh, and that he tries to take after his father. This fic isn't really going to explore that, or how Whitley might just be a victim of a poor home life and a pair of sisters who might not have offered him all the support they could have.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 26** **th** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	76. Chapter 76

**So, this chapter is a little odd – not because of any problems, but because it's all focused on one thing. You'll see, I'm sure.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 76**

* * *

"Yang!" Ruby cried happily.

"Sis!" Jaune cried literally. "With _him_!?"

"Jaune…" Coral said comfortingly.

" _JAUNE_!" Yang said not-quite-so comfortingly.

"Puppies!" Nora howled, dashing back into the room, skidding across the floorboards on her knees and instantly wrapping all six Grimmlings up in her arms. They squirmed and tried to break free, while one brave Beopuppy gnawed angrily on her shoulder. "It's trying to kill me! That's. So. Cute!"

"Do you think Uncle Qrow is alright? I mean, he just leapt out the window."

"Jaune…" Yang growled again, eyes flashing red, hair beginning to glow. She tried to take a step towards him, but seeing as how she was on the bed, all she managed to do was get herself tangled in the bedsheets and fall atop the naked girl, who sighed dramatically and leaned back, resigned, if reluctantly, to the fact that she was not about to get any tonight.

"Okay!" Ruby called, clapping her hands together. "Enough! Stop! Can we have some _peace_ around here, so we can start figuring things out already!?"

"Puppies!" Nora giggled. She seemed oblivious to the fact one had climbed atop her head and was now trying to give her a lobotomy. Its teeth weren't strong or sharp enough for it. "Aw, it's massaging me."

Ruby sighed. "Look, I'm sure there is a totally reasonable explanation for this…"

She paused and looked to Yang, angry, furious, with an arm that was Grimm and possibly alive. It was looking back at her. Then there was Jaune, catatonic, horrified, and not nearly paying enough attention to impending Yang-death sneaking up on him. And then there was Nora, covered in mini-Grimm and loving it.

"Okay," she compromised. "I'm sure there's at least _an_ explanation. Reasonable probably went out the window with Uncle Qrow."

"Jaune got me pregnant!"

Ruby gasped.

Jaune's jaw dropped open.

The girl in the bed perked up. "He did? Hey, good job, bro."

"No," Yang disagreed, jabbing a finger into the naked girl's left boob. "Not good job. Bad job. He got me pregnant and ran out on me."

"Jaune!" Ruby gasped, scandalised.

"H-Hey, w-what? Wait, but I had to come here with you, Ruby, and-"

Ruby gasped again, this time in horror. Was he saying he'd knocked Yang up and then run off with _her_? That was even worse! This was like Summer and Raven all over again, except worse because she'd been the rebound against her own sister. No, no, no, this was a disaster! Ruby the Homewrecker, worst sister ever. She hadn't even waited for Yang to break up with Jaune before pulling a Summer.

"Just take both," Coral suggested.

"You can shut up," Yang snapped. "Go screw Uncle Qrow or something."

"I would but for _someone_ leaping out of a bloody portal and into our bed."

"Wait, wait, wait," Ruby tried again. Something had just trickled into her head – past the horror, shock and general confusion. "Did Jaune call you his sister?"

"Yep."

"And Jaune's mom is…"

Coral smiled cruelly. "Yep."

"Oh…" Ruby winced. "Oh heck…"

"Relax, I'm not here for that – or him," Coral said, standing up suddenly, uncaring for her nakedness. Jaune couldn't say the same and covered his eyes with a squawk. His sister ignored him and them, walking over to a chair to push aside some of what had to be Uncle Qrow's clothes and pick up her own. "I'm not really like our sisters. If Jaune wants to do something reckless and maybe even stupid, so be it. It's his choice and everyone will be there to pick up the pieces if it goes wrong."

Ruby wasn't sure she believed her but given that she hadn't attacked, was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. "If not Jaune, then why are you here?"

"I'm looking for something."

"What?"

"Do you really need to ask me that?" Coral asked, voice deadpan. "Use your brain. Consider how you found me. And then ask yourself that question again."

Ruby did so, and quickly blushed. "Oh…"

"Oh, is about right," Coral said with a heavy sigh. "Well, it's been nice, but I think I'm going to get out of here while I can." She finished pulling on her clothing and stepped back to the bed, patting Jaune's head en route and coming to stand before Yang. She eyed Ruby's sister carefully, and then smiled. With one hand she patted Yang's new arm, and with the other she touched Yang's cheek. "Nice to see my little brother has good taste."

Yang gawked at the girl, who they were all fast coming to realise was one of the eldest of the daughters of Salem. Said demi-Grimm stepped back and paused at Ruby, looking down, meeting her eyes.

"Tell your Uncle I'll catch up with him again sometime. Tell him that I _shall_ have what I came for. I will not be denied."

"Um. Okay?" Ruby had the distinct impression Coral was leaving to escape something, likely the complicated explanations to come. Honestly, Ruby wished she could follow. Instead, she turned back to Yang in time to see her fix one hand around Jaune's throat. It wasn't big enough to choke him and the other hand didn't seem willing to co-operate.

"Damn it, Yin. Help me strangle your father."

"F-Father?" Jaune stammered.

"Puppies!"

"Ugh." Ruby groaned one final time and stalked forward, interposing herself between Jaune and Yang. It wasn't hard to break Yang's grip, but it was harder to stand in the way of her glare and not shake. "Yang, you can't kill Jaune. We still need him to rescue Pyrrha."

"But he got me pregnant."

"W-We never even had sex!" Jaune yelped.

"I think that's something we need to figure out, too," Ruby admitted, shooting Jaune a little glare. His proclamations of innocence aside, there was obviously something up to make Yang spontaneously grow a Grimm-arm, and Ruby felt fairly safe saying it wasn't something her _dad_ had done. "But maybe you can make your Grimm puppies disappear?"

Nora gasped and held them close.

"Nora, if Uncle Qrow sees them…"

"I'm fairly sure he already saw them. Maybe when they jumped into bed with him."

"Still," Ruby argued, "I think we need to agree what we're going to say to Uncle Qrow. We can't… Well… The truth…" She struggled for the right way to phrase it. "The truth isn't very convenient. I think…"

"Kind of hard for me to hide this, sis," Yang said, tapping Ruby's head with the Grimm arm. Ruby shivered. It felt warm and alive, and not quite in the same way a human hand did. Maybe it was the eyes. It had to be the eyes.

"Yeah, but we can hide that Jaune was responsible. Maybe?"

Yang raised an eyebrow even higher.

"J-Just because Uncle Qrow might kill him if he finds out the truth. As in, he might _actually_ kill Jaune. Stone dead. Not even joking."

To her relief, Yang seemed to consider that – and not in the "hm, good idea" kind of way, but rather for the _actual_ danger it posed. "Ugh," she grunted, looking away. "Fine. But he owes me an explanation. A lot of explanations, and so much more to boot." She pointed her Grimm arm at him. "You put this inside of me. You get to take responsibility."

Jaune looked confused. "Um. Okay?"

"You don't get to run out on me."

"I won't, I won't."

Yang finally relaxed. "Good."

Ruby breathed her own sigh of relief. This was… well, it was complicated as all hell, but compared to what it could have been, she thought it came out okay. "Now we just need to figure out how we're going to explain this to Uncle Qrow. He's going to have a load of questions."

"Damn right I do."

"And not only him, Miss Rose."

Ruby whirled to the doorway, eyes wide. They watered a second later as she caught an uncomfortable amount of her uncle's body, though she thanked anyone listening that he had a towel to cover his lower half. Beside him was someone she didn't recognise, despite how strangely familiar their voice was.

"U-Uncle Qrow," she stammered. "And… um… random small child. H-Hey."

Yang blinked at the two. "I thought Dad said you were too irresponsible to adopt a kid. I'm fairly sure he said we're supposed to call child services if we ever see you trying it."

"This isn't my son!"

"Better not be," Jaune groused. "You and my sister…"

Qrow blanched.

"Now, now," the young boy said, in a voice that seemed far too old for him. He stepped past the confused Ruby, spared an interested glance for Nora and the Beopuppies, and then walked over to Qrow's bags by the bed, where he stooped and picked up a familiar cane. He turned to stand before them, cane in hand. His face took on an amused expression "Do you recognise me now, Miss Rose?"

"No."

The boy staggered.

"Do you need help finding your parents?" Ruby asked.

Qrow laughed into his fist.

/-/

"I'm _so_ sorry," Ruby cried for the fifth time, face bright red and buried in her hands. "Oh, I can't believe I said that. I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine, Miss Rose," Oscar, or Ozpin – Jaune wasn't sure which at this point – said with a chuckle. "I suppose it was a little much for me to expect you all to recognise me given the sudden change in appearance and age. There is nothing to apologise for."

The six of them were now sat in Qrow's room, arranged on the floor with Qrow dressed (thankfully) on the bed, and Ozpin standing a little to the side, leaning on his cane. Nora and Ruby had two puppies each in their laps, some of them sleeping, while another two played with Jaune's hands, enamoured with him since they could sense the difference within him. Yang was sat a little to the side, isolated by Ozpin and looked quite defiant about it.

It was that which prevented him from properly relaxing, and likely Ruby too, since it looked like she was prepared to leap up in her sister's defence if she had to. That was good. This conversation could be all kinds of awkward, but Ozpin was far less likely to try and kill Yang than he was him. If Ozpin knew the truth of who he was, it would mean his death. Instantly.

"Now, I realise that I have been away for some time, but I can't say I expected my absence to have such a profound effect on you all, especially you, Miss Xiao-Long."

"Yeah well, I'm just full of surprises," Yang growled.

"It would certainly seem so." Ozpin said, watching Yang's arm for a second, and then looking to the miniature Beowolves.

They were different to the ones Jaune summoned, he could tell. For one, they were much, much smaller, but there was also an intelligence there that many of his lacked. It might have had something to do with Yang being human, and thus adding a little more human intelligence to them. Maybe because she was less of a Grimm, they were weaker and smaller, but compensated in other ways. He'd have to ask when they got a moment alone, but now was not the time.

"These Grimm you have summoned seem remarkably… tame," Ozpin said.

"They do what I want them to," Yang replied. She brought out her hand – her human hand – and held it out before her. One of the Grimm on Ruby's lap perked up and scurried over. It sat before the hand, and Yang stroked its snout.

"Intriguing," Ozpin said, leaning forwards.

"It acts more like Zwei than a Grimm," Qrow said. He looked to Ozpin. "You think that has something to do with Yang's closest knowledge of animal behaviour being Zwei? Maybe she imposed his behaviour over these ones."

"I'm afraid I have no prior experience to go on, but it seems plausible. Would you mind sending him over here, Miss Xiao-Long?" He saw the hesitation on her face and smiled as best he could. "I promise you that it will not come to harm because of me."

Yang held the gaze for a second longer, but on some unseen signal the Beowolf turned and crept over to Ozpin. Its nervousness might have reflected Yang's, and Ozpin seemed to recognise that for he knelt slowly and extended a hand, making sure that none of his movements could be construed as threatening. When the Beowolf sniffed at his fingers, Ozpin smiled.

"Amazing. Were Oobleck here, I'm sure he would faint from excitement."

"Can we keep them?" Nora asked suddenly. "Please, please, please…"

"That is hardly a decision to be made on a whim, Miss Valkyrie." Ozpin stood, and the Grimm scurried back to Yang. "While these Grimm do seem to be under control, and remarkably docile for what they are, they are still Grimm."

"I'm not going to let you kill them," Yang said.

Qrow sighed. "Firecracker-"

"Should they remain under your control, I don't see it as being an issue," Ozpin said. "However, the very fact they are Grimm will not lead many to trust us, or you. How do you intend to take them downstairs without the patrons here panicking, or worse, starting a pitch fork mob?"

"I can unsummon them," Yang said.

"Can you…?"

"Yin says I can."

"And there we move onto the other topic," Ozpin sighed. "You say this _arm_ of yours was simply present when you awoke?"

A bead of sweat appeared on Jaune's forehead. Next to him, he felt Ruby stiffen a little, and he held his breath, especially as Yang's eyes brushed against his for a moment. Yang looked away, back to Ozpin and Qrow.

"Yeah, pretty much."

Jaune sagged.

"And you have no idea how you came to have such an addition to your biology?"

"None whatsoever."

Ruby was glaring at him. _Stop it, Ruby,_ he begged. _I didn't get her pregnant, I swear. It… It's all Remy's fault._

" **Excuse me!?"**

Jaune shook his head and turned back to the conversation in time to see Qrow shake his head, hand held against his face, as he muttered about having failed his niece so hard she got turned into some kind of half-Grimm, half-human monster.

"Monster!?" Yang howled.

"Not that," Qrow assured her. "I just…"

"No, you don't. I'm still me. Yin is just… he's an extra. He tags in and helps me out."

"And you're in communication?" Ozpin asked suddenly. He didn't seem pleased at the thought.

"We talk, yeah. But he can only control what my right hand does. I have control of my own thoughts, body and everything else. He can tell me what to do, but it's my choice if I do it or not."

"How can you be so sure?" Ozpin asked. "Though you may hear him as a voice in your head, it may be that he exhibits more control over your life than-" Ozpin cut off with a wince. He pressed a hand to his skull. "Not now. No, I'm not being hypocritical at all. Oscar, do you mind? I… Yes, I know this is your body. Just…" He sighed. "Forgive me," he said, this time to Yang again. "I was just saying that we have no way of knowing for certain whether you are still _you_ or not."

"And my word isn't good enough?"

"It is, Miss Xiao-Long, but we have no proof it is _your_ word at all. For all we know the real Yang is trapped inside, begging us not to believe you."

This was bad. This was the exact reason why he couldn't tell Ozpin and Qrow the truth about himself, because no matter what he said, they'd find some way to twist and change it, to make him the enemy. If they were willing to disbelieve Yang of all people, then he had no chance. Still, this was his responsibility, so he spoke up, "We can prove that, though. All Yang has to do is tell us something only she would know."

"It may not be that simple," Ozpin said, "But it would at least confirm her as not being an imposter."

"Something only I would know?" Yang stroked her chin with her Grimm hand. "Huh, okay. Uncle Qrow, you're the one who got drunk and pulled down the curtains in the front room two years back. You blamed it on Ruby and she got in trouble."

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby gasped.

"Qrow?" Ozpin asked. When the man guiltily nodded the pint-sized headmaster sighed. "Qrow, really…? To a child?"

"Yang took the bribe to back me up," Qrow muttered.

"YANG!" Ruby gasped.

"To be fair, this was two days after you spilt your paint on my hair," Yang said. "You deserved it. Anyway, does that prove it?"

"It proves, perhaps, that you have access to Miss Xiao-Long's memories…"

"Oh, come on," Yang groaned. "Look, I woke up, had a Grimm arm, freaked out, talked to it, made friends, it decided I was its mother-"

Ozpin blinked. "Excuse me?"

"And then I realised I had to come here and save Ruby before she did something stupid like try to walk to the Grimmlands and save Pyrrha on her own." Yang glared at her sister as Ruby giggled nervously.

"That certainly does sound like what Yang would do," Qrow pointed out. "And if she belonged to the Grimm, she'd have no interest in all of that."

"True…" Ozpin allowed. "And Qrow tells me Raven opened a portal to him. How did you convince her to do that?"

"With force."

Qrow's mouth fell open.

Ozpin blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Raven is a bitch," Yang growled. "No offence, Uncle."

"None taken, and yeah, I could have told you that about her…"

"Anyway, once she found out about Yin, she tried to kill me. Basically, she said I was an enemy, tainted and that she was done with me. Cure me through death and all that." Yang said it as if it were nothing but Jaune's hands clenched into fists. He could see how much it bothered her, evident in the barely restrained anger in Yang's tone. "She just came at me – wouldn't even let me retreat, and then she started pulling out powers out of nowhere, flying and burning eyes and fire and stuff."

"Burning eyes?" Ozpin asked suddenly, leaning forwards. "Miss Xiao-Long, I need you to think very carefully. Are you sure you saw burning eyes? They weren't just bright red like your own?"

"Uh, no. They were like, literally on fire. Little flames coming out the edges." Yang touched the outer edges of her own for emphasis. "And unless she has an additional Semblance effect of being able to fly, summon fire and throw it around like it was nothing, then I don't know how to explain it."

Qrow looked agitated. "Ozpin…"

"It's possible. She _would_ have been below thirty at the time when we believed her to be taken in by the tribe. I didn't expect this, but it certainly would be possible. It would also explain a lot." Though naturally whatever it explained, they weren't going to find out. "I'm surprised you were able to defeat her, Miss Xiao-Long. How did you manage that?"

"Choked her out," Yang said.

"You… choked her out…" Ozpin choked himself. "You choked out a maiden…?"

"Not normally," Yang explained, making a choking motion with two hands. "The puppies brought a tarp to trip and wrap her up in, to distract her, and then I got in close and pushed Yin down over her face." Her Grimm arm grew into an amorphous blob that might have been big enough to cover an entire woman's head. "She couldn't breathe, and all I had to do was hold on and keep my aura up so the fire wouldn't burn me. She gave up first, summoned the portal before she passed out."

"That's certainly an interesting way to go about it," Ozpin remarked. Beside him, Qrow looked visibly ill.

"Yeah, I'll say. On the bright side, I'm pretty sure this is Yang. No one else would be stupid enough to go and try that…"

"Hey!"

"You are perhaps correct," Ozpin chuckled. "Very well. Miss Xiao-Long, is it possible for me to speak with this _Yin_ character? Can he communicate?"

Yang remained silent for a moment, obviously listening to the parasite's response. It was all internal so not even Jaune could hear it, but he knew what the answer would be even before Yang shook her head. "No. He can't control or do anything through me. He says all he can do is change how my arm works, and that even if he gave my arm a mouth, you wouldn't understand what he was saying."

"Regrettable, but also a relief. And you say that this… this Yin." Ozpin barely avoided saying `creature` or something similar. "You say that he views you as his… as family?"

"As his mom, yeah."

"I see…"

"And you're not even slightly freaked out about that?" Qrow had to ask.

"Oh yeah, I went nuts at first. But hey, I figure I could literally sell him for booze and still be a better mom than Raven ever was." Yang paused and sighed. "That was a joke, Yin. I'm not selling you. Yes, I know. Relax." She rolled her eyes. "He's pretty literal about things. He's only just learning what stuff like humour, sarcasm and stuff is."

Ruby perked up. "So, he's a baby Grimm?"

"Pretty much. He's learning things through me." Yang grinned. "He calls you Auntie Ruby, by the way."

Ruby clapped her hands together, delighted at the thought. Jaune smiled a little too, especially when Qrow and Ozpin seemed to relax. He knew what they were thinking; that Yang had lucked out and somehow managed to impose her will over the Grimm instead of it being the other way around. With no other experience to go on, they'd default to what they knew, that Grimm were mindless. This one obviously wasn't, but they probably assumed that was because Yang had done something to it.

"As long as you can control him, we will allow it for now," Ozpin eventually said. "I'm not sure removing it would be possible without harming you, and if he truly sees you as a mother figure, then perhaps you can keep him under control."

"Nurture over nature?" Qrow asked.

"Such doesn't work with Grimm due to their mindless nature, but this parasite appears different. If it can reason even in a limited fashion, then it should be easily influenced by the one who carries and raises it. Of course, you will need to keep it hidden," Ozpin chided. "You cannot walk around like this."

"I have a coat with long sleeves and gloves," Yang said.

"Good. We shall leave the matter for now, then." Ozpin pointedly did not call it over, and Jaune could imagine Yang would be under incredibly scrutiny in the coming days. That was his fault, so he'd cover for her as best he could. "We have more immediate concerns, however. Not least of which is why I am not here before you, but also an explanation as to what is truly happening in the world at large. Mr Arc already knows this," he explained gesturing to Jaune, "But allow me to provide to you all the truth. One that is known by few, and which might very well shake the foundations of your world."

Ozpin leaned forward.

"There is a Queen of the Grimm. Her name is Salem, and she controls the Grimm."

No reaction.

Jaune began to sweat as Ozpin waited for one, as did Qrow, while Nora, Yang and Ruby sat there in complete silence, already more than aware of all of this and everything involved. As the seconds ticked by, Jaune coughed, and Ruby's eyes suddenly widened.

"Oh!" she gasped, none-too-convincingly. "Oh wow, I… Really? I-Is that true?"

Nora caught on and brought a hand to her mouth. "My goodness!"

 _Nora, please. Who even speaks like that?_

"Uh, yeah," Yang added. "That's crazy. You sure? I'm pretty sure we'd have already heard about this if it were true. Wow, you're bringing out a lot of crazy…" Yang trailed off as Ozpin sighed, his eyes flicking to Jaune.

He laughed nervously.

"You told them, Mr Arc?"

"Um, yeah?" Not in the way Ozpin assumed, but he'd run with it. "Sorry."

"I suppose it saves me some time now, though in future I'd ask that you keep any secrets I give you as such." Rather than be angry, he shook his head, amused. "I suppose this is what I get for believing a young man will keep secrets from his female teammates and friends. How foolish of me."

"Regardless," he went on, "We must move quickly if we are to prevent Salem's plan from reaching fruition. Qrow is a valued agent of mine and has been busy scouting the actions of our enemy, understanding their plans. Make no mistake, if we cannot defeat Salem, our world is in peril."

Sadly, there was no way for Jaune to disagree. As much as his mom had calmed down after having eight children, and that was definitely enough to cause some changes in a woman, she still nominally wanted to conquer the world. Extinction of humanity wasn't really a part of the plan anymore – she needed those for grandchildren! – but she definitely wasn't on the side of the average person any more than Uncle Watts, Cinder or Tyrian were.

Jaune listened in silence as Ozpin further explained his own role, how he had fought for hundreds of years or more. He knew some of it, if not the specifics. One thing he did feel was an odd sense of sympathy for Oscar, who it felt like was in this against his will. _Kind of like I am, really. I should try and say something to him…_

Or not, since Ozpin would instantly hear it.

"One change is that in this body, I can no longer fight on the front lines-"

"Question!"

"Yes, Miss Valkyrie?"

"How is that any different to normal? When did you _ever_ fight on the front lines?"

Ozpin stared at Nora.

Qrow broke down laughing.

/-/

It was well over two hours later, when everyone was asleep, that Yang received the message on her scroll. She wanted to roll over and ignore it, but she knew it had to be addressed. Another part of her just wanted to curl into a ball and pretend it didn't exist in the first place, but she instead stood and pushed the covers back with a quiet sigh.

" **Are you okay, mom? You feel upset…"**

"It's fine," Yang whispered. Despite all attempts not to, she felt some foreign emotion rush through her. Yin's almost unconditional affection often had that effect, making her feel better – and a little light-headed – at the same time. She touched his body and smiled in the dark. "Thanks."

" **I don't know what I did, but okay. I'm glad I could help."**

"You helped, but I… I need to speak to your father privately." Yang quietly opened and closed the door to the girl's room. According to the text, Jaune would be waiting outside. They'd been trading glances all evening, words unsaid and words that needed to _be_ said. "You should get some sleep while you can," she told Yin. "You don't need to listen to us."

" **Are you going to fight?"**

"I…" Yang couldn't answer. Her eyes watered a little, but she didn't want to lie to Yin, even if it would have been a white lie. "I don't know, Yin. I just don't know."

" **Oh…"** Yin sounded dejected. **"Goodnight, then. I love you,"** he suddenly added.

Yang choked on some emotion. "I… I love you too, Yin. Good night." Gods above, she was too young for this, and for the tears in her eyes. Fuck. Good job Ruby wasn't awake to see her.

Making her way downstairs and out of the inn, Yang was relieved for the coat that kept Yin hidden, even if there were very few people out and about so late. She found Jaune in the inn's beer garden, sat on a wooden picnic bench. He stood when he saw her, and then froze, as if he had no idea what to do or say.

He nodded to a small wooded area where they could speak in peace. Yang followed, and soon after they were stood with but five or six feet separating them.

"So…" Jaune said weakly. "I guess I owe you an explanation…"

"A bit late for that now. Yin filled me in. My own s- The Grimm parasite inside me filled me in, while my boyfriend, the one who _should_ have told me the truth, neglected to do so."

He winced. "You're angry."

"I think I've got a right to be."

"You have," he assured her. "And I… I should have told you. I know."

"But you didn't. Because you were afraid." Yang hated that she gave him an out. She hated that he had one at all, and especially hated that it was a _good_ excuse. If he'd told her the truth right up, she'd have either tried to kill him or take Ruby and run. "I can see why you didn't at first, but did you _ever_ intend to tell me?" she asked. "Surely, by the time we were dating you'd have felt confident enough to be honest. I mean, you lied to me. You tricked me."

"I didn't trick you, or I didn't mean to. I just… didn't tell you everything about me." He cringed when Yang crossed her good arm over her chest, her Grimm arm slack at her side, asleep. "It's a weak excuse," Jaune admitted. "I really was afraid, Yang. Not just of you reacting badly, but also that I might lose everything I had. I didn't want to be kicked out of Beacon and to never see you all again. I'll admit I messed up, and I'm sorry and I want to fix it, but things were bad. And I'd never had friends before, let alone a girlfriend. I had no idea what to do. Everything was new and exciting and the thought of risking all of that just… it frightened me."

Just like Yin. He was like that in some ways, though Jaune had grown up since the bumbling idiot complimenting people's knees that she'd first met. And sheesh, she finally understood where _that_ nonsense came from. Even their first meeting and his casual flirting with her… he hadn't been flirting at all, just stating her beauty as a fact, as if it were obvious to everyone. He'd been such a child back then.

"What about this?" she asked, gesturing to Yin.

"It's not…" He winced. "It's not actual pregnancy, you know?"

"Maybe it's not, but it certainly feels like I'm a teenage mother," she growled back. "He calls me mom and I have to deal with all these new feelings, teaching him, making sure he knows what's right and wrong. And… And I'm not ready for that. I didn't even get a choice in the matter."

"I gave him to you so he could help heal you."

"You think to ask my permission?"

"You weren't in a state to give it. After the battle, your arm was cut off and I didn't even know if you'd live or die. For all I knew, you were going to die on us right then and there." His voice cut off with a choke. Yang looked away, ashamed. "And Ruby didn't want to let me stay with you," he added. "I would have, Yang. I wanted to stay and wait for you to wake up, but Ruby, Nora and Blake wouldn't trust me to do so. They trusted me, but not with your life. I had to go with them, which meant I couldn't do anything for you, or even be there for you." He straightened. "Unless I gave you something that I _knew_ would protect you."

So, he gave her a Grimm parasite… and Yin had been useful, both in explaining the situation to her and in helping her cope with her disability. _Ironically, by making it so that I kind of don't have a disability anymore._

She couldn't say she regretted having him, not if the alternative was not having an arm at all, but that didn't mean she appreciated all the changes she was going through. Least of all, she disliked how Qrow had looked at her, like he thought she'd become someone – something – different. Her uncle was better than Raven at least, giving her the chance to explain and the benefit of the doubt.

"I don't like this," Yang said. "When I was young, mom walked out on us. I barely even knew her, and then Summer – who I loved as my real mom – walked away and didn't come back, too. I know that wasn't by choice on her part, but it felt like everyone was leaving me. And I got over that," she said, fighting to control herself. "I grew up and I got used to it. I endured. I looked after Ruby, came to Beacon, made friends and even got a boyfriend. And then he left, too."

"Yang…"

"And that hurt, okay? That fucking hurt. Yeah, I got in over my head ad got hurt, but I didn't expect to wake up and find that _everyone_ had abandoned me. Nora, Blake, Ruby, Uncle Qrow and even you. Especially you," she hissed, jabbing a finger into his chest. "And then I find out you were part-Grimm… and that _I'm_ now part-Grimm, too. Damn it, Jaune. What the fuck was I supposed to think?"

"I don't know, Yang," he said, closing a hand around her finger. She wanted to tear it free and jab it into his eye socket, but she couldn't. Her shoulders rose and fell, and she gasped for breath, not past tears, but past anger. "But what I do know is that I was _always_ part-Grimm. I was part-Grimm when I first met you, part-Grimm when I brought you flowers, and I was part-Grimm when we danced together at the ball." He stepped a little closer. Her breath caught in her throat and she glared up into his eyes, defiant. "I was part-Grimm then and I still am now. It doesn't change anything about me. It doesn't change anything about you, either."

"Ozpin would disagree," Yang spat. "Raven did, too."

"But Ruby doesn't. Nora doesn't. I don't. Even Qrow spoke out to defend you." When she didn't snap at or hit him, he stepped closer again, cautiously at first, but with growing confidence, until he wrapped both arms gently around her. "I should have been there, Yang. To explain, or to stay with you."

"You should have…"

"And I wanted to be. It wasn't my choice not to. It was Ruby's – and only because she loved you so much that she couldn't handle the thought of me hurting you in some way. I left Yin, a part of myself, behind because even though I promised I wouldn't do anything to you, I couldn't leave you alone. I _had_ to help you. I had to be there in some way."

"You broke your promise to her?"

"I did. I couldn't leave you alone, Yang. I couldn't leave you like that."

Yang bit her lip. She wanted to say that he had anyway, but in a way he hadn't. A very technical way; a way that wouldn't exist for the average person, but Yin had been left in her _knowing_ about Jaune, about Salem, and about Ruby's decision for them to head to Mistral. Those things might have been accidents, but they might also have been a message, and - as best as he could manage - an explanation.

"I'm not forgiving you that easily," she growled. "You got me pregnant and ran out on me. With my sister, no less."

"T-That's not true at all!"

"So, where does this leave us?"

Jaune's shoulders fell. "I don't know…"

"Is that all you know how to say?" Yang mocked. "I don't know. I didn't know better. I don't know what to do. Why don't you spend a little less time talking about what you don't know and a little more on what you do—mrfl!"

His lips were on hers.

Son of a bitch…

Despite herself, she felt the tension seep out of her. Her eyes gently closed as she leaned into him, hand working its way around his neck as she allowed his on the small of her back to support her. He smelled and tasted familiar, comforting almost. It was something she knew, and after the stress, pain and sheer terror of dealing with not only Raven, but also a suspicious and dangerous Ozpin, Yang couldn't believe how much she _needed_ this.

When they parted, Yang was frustrated to find she hadn't had enough.

"I might not know much," Jaune said, cheeks flushed, breath heavy on her lips. "But I know I wanted to do that. I love you, Yang. I swear."

"But did you think to ask my permission before you did that?"

His face fell. "I didn't-"

"Don't say it," she snapped. She bumped her forehead into his, not enough to hurt him, but enough to surprise him. "We really need to work on your confidence a little. It was a joke. If I didn't want it, I'd have kicked your ass seven ways by Sunday. You don't even have the advantage of being half-Grimm now. Yin could kick your ass."

"I guess I don't," he laughed, and it was a breezy thing filled with relief and also something more. "I guess I do need a little more confidence. It's like my dad always said, all you need is a little confidence."

Yang raised an eyebrow. "You ever think it was a bad idea to take relationship advice from a man whose claim to having a wife is that she kidnapped and sexed him into submission."

Jaune's mouth fell open. "E-Eh… now that you mention it, yeah. What the hell!?"

"Idiot." Yang laughed. "Make no mistake, you _owe me_ , Jaune. You owe me so much I don't even know how you can go about paying me back."

"How about dominion over all the Grimm? I _am_ the Prince of the Grimm, after all."

That would require her to become a Queen, which was pretty much what he was saying, whether he realised it or not. Yang's heart hammered in her chest and her face burned red. Damn him. He'd always been like this, she reflected, saying shit that made her head swim without even meaning to.

He leaned in towards her. "Can I kiss you again?"

Trust him to start asking for permission now. Well, he'd be screwed if he thought he was going to embarrass her by forcing her to say yes. Instead, she leaned forwards and captured his lips herself, surrendering once more to the sensation.

As her hand dug into the back of his hair, Yang smiled into his mouth, ignoring the hacking and retching sounds Yin was making at having awoken to find mommy and daddy making out, and him, an eternal and helpless captive forced to watch.

"No more running," Yang whispered when they parted. "Whatever happens, whatever Ozpin decides, you're not allowed to run out on me again. If you do…"

"I won't," he promised.

Yang believed him.

* * *

 **Okay, so this chapter was only a single focus and a single scene, really. I've not needed to do this for a while and it does slow things down for this chapter, but rest assured it's a one off. I basically took all the exposition from the show (which I personally felt went on a little too long in S5) and summarised it into a single chapter. The whole reveal of Yang, the suspicion, and the resultant Yang – Jaune drama, was too important to either force into a small segment or drag out over multiple chapters. As such, I just felt it had to all be handled here. Future chapters** _ **will**_ **be bringing in Blake and Weiss' perspectives (and concluding them, etc). This was just a big enough issue that it felt really choppy when I started writing a Blake scene.**

 **Now, while some might be a little frustrated to see that Ozpin and Qrow didn't learn the truth about Jaune, I would point to the fact that Jaune really would be in extreme danger if they did, so it makes sense for Jaune and Co to keep it hidden. Being an innocent and known ally `maybe infected` by Grimm is better than literally being the son of the big enemy, and raised by the Grimm.**

 **That said, although I don't like to spoiler (and won't), I will say that just because Ozpin acted like he accepted everything here, doesn't mean he won't be looking further into things, etc. It's not over and done with or brushed under the rug and we didn't get an Ozpin PoV this chapter.** **Similarly, we didn't get Qrow's reaction on Coral, but that doesn't mean it's been forgotten either. It should be fairly obvious that Qrow wouldn't want to address that in front of everyone (or Ozpin), so just trust that he'll bring it up later.**

 **P.s. The line about Ozpin not fighting made me think this in canon too. I was like "When did you ever? You sent RWBY to scout the White Fang and Torchwick in a literal death zone." And then it was doubly ironic later when Hazel appeared and Ozpin DID fight, and fought on the level of Leo with ease. "Huh, so much for not being able to fight. You're fighting more than you ever did before, and more effectively!"**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 2** **nd** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	77. Chapter 77

**Here we are. Little sick today. Just my luck.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 77**

* * *

The morning dawned bright, early and with a dose of Qrow screaming himself awake.

Jaune thought he handled it well, rolling off the bed, striking his head on the wooden floor and cutting the bedside lamp in half with Crocea Mors. Oscar, meanwhile, huddled under his blankets in panic, until he coughed meaningfully, slowly extricated himself and stood on the bed as Ozpin.

"Qrow…"

"S-Sorry, Oz. Nightmare."

"Nightmare, Qrow? You? You regularly slay your share of Grimm."

"There are some things you can't fight…" Qrow's eyes were distant, vacant. He pulled the sheets up to his waist and purposefully piled them over his crotch, whimpering.

Jaune grumbled, not feeling at all sympathetic as he made his way to the door and informed the girls – all in various states of bedraggled bed-hair, all pissed off to be woken up and drawn into the corridors, weapons at the ready – that it was a false alarm. Ruby grumbled and trudged away while Nora started to snore against the wall and Yang stomped off with a fury, while her Grimm arm – Yin – waved happily back at him. Jaune returned it.

There wasn't much getting back to sleep after, for the guys anyway. Jaune made his way downstairs and smiled politely at the unfriendly woman cooking breakfast. One eggs, one slice of burnt toast, and the smallest rashers of bacon he'd ever seen, presumably from Remnant's stingiest pig. He ordered two and poured one plate onto the other, making a real breakfast. As he carried it out into the eating area, he noticed that it was the same as just about every other patron had done.

Eating was mechanical, automatic. His eyes scanned the crowd, looking for any shocks of blonde hair that might depict one of his sisters, especially Coral. There were none.

"Things are pretty exciting around here, huh?" Oscar asked, sitting beside him. Unlike Jaune and everyone else, Oscar had been too blind, or maybe too polite, to challenge the cook on the lack of food. His plate was very empty.

"Is this Oscar I'm talking to, or Ozpin?" Jaune asked.

"Oscar for now. Nice to meet you." Oscar held his hand out and Jaune shook it. "Though Ozpin is still listening in. And commenting. He's always commenting." The young man's face fell dramatically. "He never stops…"

Jaune nodded sympathetically. He had no idea what that must have been like, but he imagined it was like if Remy were infinitely more annoying, demanding and generally felt he should be in charge of their body.

" **I'm not sure I'd have the patience to put up with all the things you do…"**

" _Thanks,"_ Jaune returned. _"What's up with you, anyway? You've been quiet lately."_

" **Recovering from helping create our progeny. I had to give up half of my mass for him, and just about all my energy. It's going to take me a while to recover."**

Ah. Jaune nodded, all the while idly doing his best to ignore the progeny part of that statement. He and Yang weren't parents. Sort of. Okay, it was complicated, but if his mom found out he'd sired a child and that she _hadn't_ been consulted, given babysitting rights or the opportunity to take photos of the early stages of his development, then Ozpin finding out he was the Prince of the Grimm was the least of his worries.

Speaking of, he'd have to watch what he said around Oscar, which was a shame since the kid seemed alright, and probably needed some friends that weren't quasi-immortal-parasite-wizards who might take over you at any moment.

If there was a way for Oscar to communicate without Ozpin hearing, he didn't know it – and Ozpin certainly wasn't telling.

"Qrow tells me you had an interesting run-in before our arrival."

The voice was different, measured, older. "Ozpin?"

"It is I. According to Qrow, you were able to hold off Tyrian Callows while he dealt with a far greater threat. Is this true?"

"Hold him off is an overstatement. We delayed him, and then he went running when the one Qrow was fighting started screaming." Qrow, who had finally come down for breakfast (and had _three_ plate's worth of food) shot Jaune a glare and a shake of the head. The message was obvious enough, and he might have respected it at any other moment.

But that had been his big sister.

"He sexually assaulted his opponent."

"I did not!"

"You grabbed her ass."

"O-Once or twice."

"And commented on her breasts, apparently."

Qrow withered.

"And didn't she say you-"

"That's not really what we're here to discuss," Ozpin interrupted, though not without a chuckle at Qrow's expense. "The woman claimed to be the _daughter_ of Salem. She claimed that she was related in some way."

Jaune nodded carefully. "Yeah, she did."

"I shouldn't have to tell you that this is impossible."

"Oh? You're sure?"

"Salem is a monster," Ozpin began. "She may take the shape of a woman, but her soul is anything but. She is a cruel, pitiless and evil being whose sole goal is the destruction of everything we have worked so hard to accomplish. Motherhood would suggest emotions, and a familial bond built on love or affection. Therefore, it is impossible that this woman was actually related to Salem. Do you understand, Mr Arc?"

"Yeah." Jaune's teeth grated together. Ozpin knew nothing. "I understand."

"The reason I tell you this is because of your specific abilities. You can sense the Grimm, and perhaps even to a degree impose your will on them. Salem, understandably, has shown an interest in this." Ozpin leaned forward, and it was disconcerting to see someone as young as Oscar look so intense. "You must beware of anyone who claims to be related to Salem, no matter how human they may appear. Salem has ever been subtle in her machinations, and yet now we have Hentacle, we have this Sapphire, and we even have a parasite capable of hiding within a human without causing any damage to its host."

"I thought you said Yang was fine," Qrow snapped.

"Miss Xiao-Long appears so, Qrow, but I would still keep my eye on her. It may be that something went wrong with Salem's designs, and that this `Yin` truly does now see Yang as his creator and master. But it may just as easily be something far less innocent." Ozpin turned back to Jaune. "That is why I felt it important to have this conversation, Mr Arc. As someone who can sense Grimm, you will be our first line of defence, not only against Sapphire, if she returns, but in monitoring Yang's situation. Should the Grimm attempt to take over her, I trust that you will alert us."

"Yang's my girlfriend. I'm not going to betray her trust." Jaune's proclamation earned a long wince from Qrow, and then an even bigger one aimed at himself.

"And if you hold any affection for her, you will do what is best for her. Or, if that's not enough, you will do what you have to." Ozpin placed a hand on Jaune's wrist and smiled softly. "Though it pains me to admit it, some things are bigger than personal feelings, Mr Arc. Sometimes, we have to put aside what we desire for the betterment of all."

Qrow sat dejected, poking at his breakfast as the words washed over them. Ozpin looked to be waiting for a response, so Jaune nodded.

But that didn't mean he agreed.

/-/

"I can't believe we live in a world where _Sienna_ is considered a moderate."

"I think it's context," Ren said, walking beside Blake with Ilia on one side and Sun on the other. It was always a good idea to put as many people between those two as possible. "If you have one group that wants to wage an eternal war and eradicate an entire species, and another that wants to just be terrorists and kill a few people, then one is going to seem more moderate than the other, even if they really aren't."

"Is she that bad?" Sun asked.

Blake wasn't sure how to answer. In a way Sienna had always been driven toward the more violent approaches. She hadn't been as bad as Adam was at the end, but it was all a slippery slope and Sienna was firmly halfway down it, and not at all sorry about the fact.

What bothered Blake more was how little effort Sienna had needed to put in to recruiting her and Adam. It would be easy to blame her for all the horrible things that happened in her past, but the truth of the matter was that Sienna hadn't recruited her. She'd volunteered.

"She's different when compared to Adam," Ilia answered for her when it was clear she wasn't going to. "Calmer, more focused on reputation. Adam always called her a coward and slow to act, but I think it's better to say she's cautious. She measures her decisions."

Sun piped up, "That doesn't sound so bad."

"But she can still be ruthless," Ilia continued. "She _is_ responsible for practically all the previous White Fang action, including kidnapping, ransom and executions of several SDC personnel."

"And suddenly I'm less than enthused." Sun let out a heavy sigh. A thought struck him a moment later and he grinned at Ilia. "She hot?"

"Sun!" Blake snapped.

"Absolutely," Ilia said.

"ILIA!"

"What? She is." Ilia grumbled under her breath as Sun laughed. "You're better, of course, but there's no arguing against what is there. Sienna's exotic and powerful, domineering and demanding in a way that makes you think her requests are something you came up with in the first place."

"Sounds like you wouldn't mind if she dominated you," Sun teased.

Ilia huffed. "Let's see what you think after seeing her."

A hand came up to Blake's face and she sighed into it, scowling at Ren as the team leader hid his smile in the act of coughing into his fist. For crying out loud, did they not realise how serious a situation this was? They were on their way to meet the moderate White Fang faction, which really wasn't very moderate at all, but which they'd be throwing their lot in with.

Hell, they were about to _become_ White Fang.

Again.

Yang was going to have a field day with this.

 _It's for a good cause, it's for a very good cause,_ Blake told herself. And she didn't even mean that in a lying to herself kind of way this time. If the fanatical side of the White Fang came out on top, it would be the Faunus Wars all over again. No one wanted that.

Well, okay, there were vast amounts of people who wanted that, but the non-crazy and non-racist people didn't, and with the rest of her team stuck in Mistral waiting for her, Blake didn't, either.

"The plan is simple," she said. "Get into the White Fang. Be recruited. Put our support behind Sienna. Find and close down the fanatics. Something. Profit."

"Something…?" Sun dared to ask.

"Something," Blake confirmed. "Ren's team leader. He can think it up."

Her teammate shot her a look at that, one part-filled with suspicion and also a little concern. But what they were supposed to do after the fanatics were dealt with was a decision she didn't feel she had the right to make. She'd already made mistake after mistake with the White Fang. Better Ren be the one in the lead. He'd be able to look at things with a clear mind.

"We'll consider our options once we get there," he said.

Blake nodded. "Thank you."

Unlike in Vale, the White Fang had no need to hide in Menagerie, and so operated out of a large building down by the pier, replete with its own cafeteria, equipment rooms and firing range. The first thing they noticed on arrival was some anti-White Fang graffiti, a rare occurrence in a place like Menagerie.

"Looks like news of them attacking Beacon hasn't been taken well," Sun said.

It looked like it. Normally, such would have filled Blake with hope, but the fact they were here to _help_ Sienna ruined that somewhat. If people were unhappy with this faction, they'd go to the other, and that way lay disaster.

The interior of the building was clean and tidy, with people moving to and fro, many without any mask to hide their identity. Ilia and Blake drew concerned glances, both being recognisable in their own way. There was a man waiting by the entrance, a dog faunus who noticed them on entrance and stepped over.

"Got your message. Sienna is waiting inside. You'll have to surrender your weapons."

Sun looked the man up and down. "You really think we're gonna agree to that? Where's the trust?"

"Not here. Not with her." The man nodded to Ilia. "The rest of you aren't so much a problem, but she is. We all know who she worked with." His eyes trailed over Blake, too, but he refrained from questioning her. He had to know, but given the situation and how difficult things were, it was more than his time was worth to question the daughter of ex-leader Ghira Belladonna, even if she had gone rogue.

"It's fine," Blake said, handing Gambol Shroud over. "Look after them, please."

"I'll take care of it personally. No one else shall touch them."

The others followed her lead and disarmed, some more reluctantly than others. Ren was probably about as dangerous unarmed as not, and to Blake's disbelief, he hadn't been questioned even once on being a human. No one even batted an eye at him.

"You can go in," the man said once they were done. "I'll warn you, Sienna's not in a good mood. This ruckus with the fanatics has her on edge."

"It has us all on edge."

"I guess so. Maybe you can help fix it. Alright, go on in."

Blake took a deep breath and nodded once to Ren. Together, they stepped forward, past the curtain hung before an archway, and into what could only be called Sienna's throne room.

The feline faunus sat upon a chair with a cloth back, head tilted slightly to one side, resting on a fist, while one leg crossed up over the other. The dark-skinned woman gave the impression of nonchalance, but Blake knew better. She was ready to move at the slightest movement, and though there was no one guarding her, it was not due to arrogance. Sienna was a capable warrior.

Sun whistled upon seeing her and nodded to Ilia.

"Told you so," the chameleon faunus returned.

Blake sighed again.

"Well, well, well, if the prodigal daughter hasn't returned once more." Sienna leaned her head back, looking down her nose at them. "I told Adam you would run. Told him to forget about you. I see he failed at that, almost as much as he failed at interpreting my orders."

"Adam paid the price," Blake said.

"So I hear. Attacking Beacon was a fool's move, an arrogant fool's. It was not something I would have approved of."

"We know."

"And yet it seems I pay the price for it. Both in terms of the public opinion, and now with this pathetic attempt for my position. The vultures will circle when the tiger is wounded, but they'd be wise to remember that I still have my claws. You would, too," Sienna warned, staring down on them. "Enough games. Tell me what it is you want."

"We want to help you regain control of the White Fang."

"Do you now?" Sienna stood at last. She was as unarmed as they, but Blake knew that could change in an instant. The tall woman stepped down off her raised dais and strode up to stand before Blake, looking down on her. "You, who abandoned the White Fang, wish to help?"

Blake frowned. "Yes."

"A lie." Sienna turned away with a snort.

"It's not! We want to help you-"

"You want to help yourself, Belladonna. As you always have. Your goals were only ever selfish, despite what you might have told yourself. You fought, you plotted, and your actions caused deaths, even if you did not pull the trigger. You can run away from what you did, but that does not change it. It does not absolve you."

"It doesn't with you, either!" Blake accused.

"No. But that's the difference between you and I. I accept what I am. And what of you?" Sienna asked, stepping past a frustrated Blake to stand before Ilia. "You who followed Adam, who took part in his foolishness, who willingly defied me and followed a fanatic. Why are you here? Why do you not still owe your loyalty to his people?"

"Adam got eaten by a dragon. I don't want to be eaten by a dragon."

Sienna held Ilia's gaze for a long moment. Eventually, she snorted. "I've heard worse reasons."

Great, and somehow that reason was better than her own? Blake glared at the woman's back.

"What of you?" Sienna asked Sun.

"I'm just doing the right thing."

"The right thing?" She laughed. "You should beware of that logic. What's right to one person is wrong to another. The right thing is an elusive beast, and many who chase it fail to ever find it. Or they find that what they believed right all along is not what they wanted."

Sun frowned and went silent. Blake took the chance to step up. "Sienna, listen-"

"And finally, the silent one." Sienna ignored Blake yet again to stand before Ren, arms crossed. Ren regarded her confidently. "You've been content to stand and listen, and I don't know you. What purpose do you see in allying with me?"

Ren let out a quiet sigh. "I don't."

"Ren!" Blake hissed.

"I couldn't care less for your goals, or your long-term plans for Remnant," he went on. "In fact, I think you could go so far as to say I'm completely opposed to them. In any normal situation, we would be enemies."

"Ren!" Blake said again, gripping his arm. She tried to pull him back, but he wouldn't have it. Talk about a time for him to suddenly become more of a leader. He couldn't have done this when there wasn't so much riding on it?

"You'd be wise to watch your tone around me."

"You asked me a question. I answered."

"Hm. Not yet you haven't, but I'll admit to some curiosity." To Blake's utter shock, Sienna smiled at Ren. It wasn't a nice smile, nor a flirtatious one, but rather something filled with acute interest. "Go on, then. Continue."

Ren did so. "You're not someone I'd ever willingly follow, but when it comes to leading the White Fang, you're not the _last_ person I'd want in charge. Just one of them. Adam was scum. I'd rather someone like him not gain control. Simply put, I've no reason to want to help you, but I have every reason to want to damage them."

"The fanatics," Sienna sneered. "Madmen and angry fools all. As if we all haven't faced loss and oppression, they act like they are the only ones who have suffered. What good is extinction, though? What good is another faunus war?"

"I'd agree completely, which is why I – we – are willing to help you."

"You have explained why you should help me, but why should _I_ accept your assistance?"

"Because Blake is the daughter of the ex-leader, Ghira, and because Ilia was one of Adam's most trusted lieutenants." Ren was high-balling it there, and the look on Ilia's face said she hadn't been trusted at all. Still, the general public might not know that. "We're also unknowns, whose allegiances could just as easily work both ways. We could infiltrate their ranks with ease."

One of Sienna's fingers tapped on her arm. "An interesting proposal. And you'd be prepared to send information back to me on what they do?"

"No."

"No?"

"We would be prepared to help you strike at and root them out, but we can't afford to stay for weeks or months at a time. We have other places to be."

"You'd suggest a war, then. A civil war."

"If violence is the only thing the fanatics understand, then I doubt they will be swayed with words, no matter how nice you make them. Better to root out the problem before it spreads. They want violence. Let's provide it."

"Targeted aggression," Sienna agreed, and the scorn had left her voice entirely. "Measured aggression."

Ren nodded. "Of course."

Blake looked between the two in shock. They hadn't planned any of this, they hadn't—Her parents. Damn them, they'd planned this ahead of time with Ren and not told her. Probably because they knew she'd disagree or try to do things her way. Blake bit her lip and forced herself to let go of her frustration. She'd already decided to let Ren decide. She couldn't continue to make decisions that affected the team for her own selfish reasons.

And maybe he was right. Maybe it was better to end these people now, especially if they were extoling the virtues of Adam's particular brand of leadership. These weren't innocent faunus being tricked into giving away their lives; they were monsters one and all.

"I have to say, I'm impressed," Sienna said at last. "Not so much with Belladonna or Adam's little replacement, but you have a calmer mind. A colder mind."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"It was meant as one. You could go far in the White Fang, you know."

Ren's smile was enigmatic. "I'm not sure I'm all that qualified for the position."

"I could change that." Sienna frowned. "I will change it. Very well, I shall allow you into the White Fang, into _my_ White Fang. You, Belladonna, will be a grunt. Loyalty must be earned, and you need to redeem yourself in my eyes."

Blake grumbled, but did not disagree.

"The other two will have the rank of lieutenant," Sienna said, looking to Sun and Ilia. "Make sure she behaves, and don't be afraid to take her to task if she does not."

Oh, come on. Sun and Ilia were above her!?

"And you," Sienna said to Ren. "You will have a position somewhat higher. Perhaps at my right hand, should you pull this infiltration of yours off. We'll see if you change your mind on staying with us after this is over and done with."

"We'll see," Ren said, ignoring Blake's scowl. "If you don't need us for anything else, I'd like to get right onto the task," Ren said. "Can your people provide us with masks and uniforms?"

"Speak to Hound outside. He will see you kitted."

"Thank you."

"There is one thing," Sienna called, right as the four of them were about to leave. "The other three, they are known and as obvious as need be, but I do not see your faunus traits. You _are_ a faunus, correct?"

Blake's shoulders tensed, but Ren turned with a simple smile.

"If I wasn't, I'd have to be a particularly ballsy human."

Sun, Blake and Ilia almost choked.

Ren held the smile.

Eventually, Sienna burst into laughter. "That you would. That you would." She shook her head. "Very well, be mysterious for now if you wish. Not everyone wears their stripes as plainly as I. Perhaps you'll show me when this is over."

"Perhaps I will." He bowed. "We'll be in touch soon."

The moment they were out and away from the building, weapons and new equipment in tow, Sun turned to Ren. "I can't believe you just did that, man. Just… wow…"

"A ballsy human," Ilia repeated with a sigh. "I don't know whether to be impressed that you dared try that, or disappointed that no one challenged you on it."

"If there's one thing I've learned from being a friend to Jaune, it is that sometimes all you need to do is tell the truth and rely on everyone else looking for a deeper meaning. It's such a stretch to imagine a _human_ would be here that no one believes it." He chuckled. "As for Sienna, well, she was not too hard to understand."

Blake stared at him.

Sun and Ilia did, too.

"What? Is it not obvious? She was prepared to accept us from the start. She needs us. The little speech was just to make it clear that she was in control. The only way we could have offended her would have been to lie about our intentions. She's been betrayed already by Adam, so I assumed she would value blunt honesty over anything else."

"Balls of steel," Sun mumbled. "Seriously…"

"There is one thing I did wonder, though," Ren said.

"What's that?" Blake asked.

"Why is it always cats?"

"H-Huh?"

"The leader of the White Fang is a tiger faunus. The ruler of Menagerie is a cat faunus. I hear that the headmaster of Haven is a lion faunus. Is it only cats that can rise to positions of power among faunus, or is it something else?"

Blake paused in the street, poleaxed.

"You know, I'm really not sure…"

Maybe cats were just superior.

Yeah, that sounded about right.

/-/

"I didn't _say_ that," Whitley cried.

Jacques Schnee raised a dangerous eyebrow.

Weiss coughed meaningfully.

"O-Okay, I did say it, but I was sure I was alone," he said, changing the story. "I made sure we were alone."

"And apparently, something changes," Jacques said. He didn't raise his voice – he rarely did – but it somehow became all the colder, all the more critical. "Someone either approached and you failed to notice, or you were too distracted to do so. Either way, there are _recordings_ of your words, Whitley. The how and why matters little. You should not speak like that. I did not raise you to speak in such a way to a woman!"

There was irony there, Weiss realised. Her father's anger was less at what Whitley said or did, but the manner in which he'd done so, the publicity behind it, the bad PR. That was all Jacques cared about, which made it easy at times to manipulate him.

Of course, her father likely knew that, and Weiss wasn't sure he cared. If someone could improve his position and wealth, it mattered little whether they wanted to lead him in a given direction or not. Results were results, and he would reward the party responsible no matter their motives.

That was why Weiss stood now with such a smile, not to mention a commanding position to the side, within father's circle but not with the ire of his attention. Oh, how the tables could turn. Weiss might have felt bad for her brother had he not dared to badmouth Winter and Emerald just a few days before.

"This is all her fault," Whitley accused, and they all knew who he meant. "If she'd not spoken out, I'd not have needed to take her to task."

"Only an irresponsible fool blames another for their shortcomings," Jacques snapped. His eyes slid to Weiss. "Your retainer _did_ speak against Whitley, however. What have you to say, Weiss?"

"Emerald spoke with my best interests at heart, father. I believe her loyalty is to be commended. Anything less and she would not be deserving of the salary she earns."

"Hm." Jacques nodded. "I do so hate inefficiency."

"Father!" Whitley gasped, shocked.

"It is out of your hands, Whitley. The media are going wild with this and your good name is being dragged through the mud. I would suggest a visit to the PR department. You might prepare yourself for whatever community service, speeches or charity events they suggest might help clear your name."

"You might want to look for more that help support Beacon," Weiss suggested sweetly.

Whitley shot her a furious scowl. "You did this," he hissed.

"Your sister spent the night singing and dancing with General Ironwood," Jacques said. "I saw it myself. Do not blame her for your failures." His eyes turned to Weiss, then. Judging. "You spent an awful amount of time with that man, Weiss."

"I thought him a safe partner, father. As he is more than twice my age and works with my sister, no one would mistake our interaction for anything untoward."

Jacques nodded again. "A well thought out reason. I had wished you to meet some men at the event, however. I'd have introduced you, had not Whitley's indiscretion called my time and attention away." He watched her carefully, judging her reaction.

Weiss' was perfect. A smile and an apologetic nod of the head. "Perhaps next time, then, but this might be better."

"Oh?"

"I sang and danced, and my reputation remains unsullied. Better than that, given the proceeds from the event to charity. The tabloids are singing my praises." Weiss paused to allow the implication of the opposite for Whitley, who scowled appropriately. "Rather than push my attentions towards one or more families and limit our options, might it not be better for people to vie for my attentions, instead? A Schnee does not settle for anything less than the best, after all."

"Yes." Jacques tapped a finger on the desk. "Yes, I can see the value there. Very well, daughter. You may continue as you will. Whitley, you are dismissed."

"B-But what about making me hei-"

"After the stunt you just pulled?" Jacques snapped. "Don't be a fool. Go and clean up your mistake. The PR department awaits you, and if I hear you slighted them there shall be worse than stern words to await your return."

"Y-Yes, father. I'm sorry."

Jacques refused to respond. He stared at Whitley until the younger man left the room, hands clenched at his side. He slammed the door a little harder than necessary, though not so loud that their father could call him out on it.

Whitley had ever been like that, careful to provide the right face, the right smile, and yet oh so twisted underneath. He could have been better. Weiss had to wonder if he would have been, had she and Winter been the sisters they were supposed to be.

But that was a treacherous line of thought. Better that their mother and father had been the _parents_ they were supposed to be!

"Do not think I am blind to your actions in this, Weiss. That girl is an extension of your will. She does as you command."

"Is that not as it should be?" Weiss asked. "Is that not the lesson you always imparted?"

Jacques chuckled. "It is. You've done well, Weiss. I wish you had been like this before your little excursion to Beacon, but perhaps the time away has opened your eyes a little."

"It's certainly done that."

 _In one way or another,_ she didn't add.

"Your sister chose to ignore her heritage and play at being a solider. I believed you would choose the same, ungrateful for the life your mother and I worked to provide. It's good to see that the intellect you were so well-known for has not dulled any. Your brother would have been wise to remember that."

"He'll learn, in time."

"I'm sure he will. Until that time, you remain heiress," Jacques declared, surprising her a little. She'd thought he wouldn't mention it, or at least not in a way that made it so obvious that he and Whitley had conspired to change it.

Then again, he'd never cared for the effect his words had on people. Her father was, if nothing else, painfully blunt. The message was clear, however. She would remain the heiress for now, but that could change.

Everything could change.

"I'll do my best to meet your expectations," Weiss said carefully.

"I'm sure you will. In fact, perhaps you could go about proving that now." His smile was not at all pleasant. "Your contact with General Ironwood could work to our advantage, Weiss. As you know, he has put an embargo on dust shipments out of Atlas, which has cost us millions already."

"I'm aware of it." Ironwood had decided on the embargo for national security and given that the White Fang had only been able to attack Beacon _because_ of dust stolen on transit from Atlas, she could understand the reasons behind it. Of course, what would Jacques Schnee care for the suffering of others?

"It would be for the best if the embargo could be ended or lessened in some way. Manage this, and I shall see your authority within the company rise to new heights." Jacques chuckled again and crossed his arms. "And you'll likely find manipulating General Ironwood and his associates a more challenging endeavour than your foolish brother."

So, he called her out. Just like that.

Weiss wasn't surprised he didn't care. Not in the slightest.

The task she'd been given was an all but impossible one, however. One of those doomed to failure situations, likely designed to rein her in before she got too big for her boots. Then again, if she could manage it, the Board of Directors would be ecstatic. They did not decide everything that happened in the SDC, let alone the Schnee family, but they had influence and power. They could make it so that Jacques would not dare disinherit her, whatever she did.

"I'll not let you down, father. Could I perhaps be granted a budget for the task, however? I doubt Ironwood will change his mind quickly, so I might have to rent a hotel for a few nights. It would send the wrong message if I stayed at a budget one…"

"Indeed. Go. I shall have your account granted limited access to SDC funds but be aware that the expenditure will be monitored. Anything that seems out of place will be reported to me. You may wine and dine the man if you wish, but do not promise anything the SDC cannot honour. At least in word."

"Of course." Weiss curtseyed and took a step back. "If I may be excused, father?"

"You may. Good luck, Weiss."

 _I'm going to need it,_ she thought, closing the door. Weiss marched away from her father's office and didn't bat an eyelid when Emerald seemed to melt from the shadows to walk alongside her. The ex-criminal and current retainer wore a satisfied smile.

"You saw Whitley, I take it."

"I might have," Emerald teased. "Everything went well?"

"More than I thought it would. Father has given me, us, a task. We're to convince Ironwood to end the embargo over dust shipments in and out of the kingdom."

Emerald whistled. "That's not going to be easy."

"No, but that's not what's important. Father has granted me permission to travel to Atlas and stay there. He's lifted my curfew in the manor." It was a test, of course, but the scant trust he offered would let her move freely, so long as she didn't abuse it.

"Atlas Academy," Emerald realised with a growing smile. "The CCT!"

"Exactly."

Out from under her father's scrutiny, and with access to the CCT, she could finally contact her team once more. She could find out where they were, what their plans were, and how she could go about meeting up with them once more.

"Get our bags ready, Emerald. And be sure to hide our weapons inside of them. I've a feeling we might need them."

/-/

Ruby pulled her backpack up and blinked her eyes against the early morning sun. Her sister was back with her, stood next to Jaune hiding her arm, even if it kept moving a little too much, like it was trying to look around from within her sleeve. For once, everything felt like it might work out okay.

"Well, our next destination is Haven," Ozpin declared, speaking from within the body of a boy almost her age. "We shall reconvene with my old friend Leonardo there, and enquire as to the safety of an object I left with him a while ago."

"And what from there?" Jaune asked.

"I'll be sure to tell you when it comes to it, Mr Arc. For now, let's focus on the small things."

Ozpin might have not noticed it, and Uncle Qrow certainly didn't, but Ruby saw Jaune's face darken. And, to her surprise, Nora's, too. They looked frustrated, maybe even angry.

It took Ruby a second to remember why, and to realise what it meant.

Ozpin wanted to take control of their group. He wanted to set the destination, and those almost certainly wouldn't be to go and rescue Pyrrha, nor to meet up with Blake and the others when they rescued Ren.

Ozpin's goals differed from theirs. Or at least Jaune and Nora's.

Ruby tried her hardest not to meet their eyes as they turned to her, seeing what she would say. She kept her head low and marched behind her uncle, all too aware of her new teams' gazes on her back.

This wasn't going to last, Ruby realised.

Sooner or later, something was going to break. Ozpin thought he was in control, but he didn't have as much faith from them as he seemed to think he did. If Jaune, Nora and Yang decided he couldn't be trusted, they'd be gone in the night.

And if she threw her lot in with Ozpin and Uncle Qrow, Ruby had a feeling they'd leave her behind, no matter how little they wanted to. Maybe Yang would stay, but even that would be up in the air once Jaune and Nora told her the truth.

She had to make her decision. Ruby had to decide which way she wanted to go.

And with Haven approaching, she'd have to make it fast…

* * *

 **Probably not as simple a decision as it looks on the surface. Jaune is her friend and obviously Pyrrha is her teammate, but Ruby knows Salem probably won't kill Pyrrha. Or that if she hasn't by now, she won't. On the other hand, going with Jaune involves trusting that** _ **everything**_ **he has ever said is true. That Salem** _ **won't**_ **kill them, and that she** _ **is**_ **nice, despite all evidence pointing to the contrary.**

 **Ozpin, on the other hand, was the headmaster of Beacon, an expert on Grimm and someone who has been fighting for humanity for centuries. He had the loyalty of her mother, and still has Qrow's. By all conventional logic, Ozpin would know best.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 9** **th** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	78. Chapter 78

**Here we go**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 78**

* * *

As the ramp of her private Bullhead slowly descended, Weiss took a deep breath and recalled her training. The nerves and jitters she felt were buried away, not forgotten but ignored, and she faced the people before her with a confidence she didn't really feel. Beside her, Emerald shuffled awkwardly, something which relieved her a little, reminding her that she wasn't on her own.

The moment the ramp touched down, she was moving. Long, graceful strides that caused her royal blue dress flowing around her legs, hands linked before her stomach, eyes ahead. Though there were many soldiers in attendance, arranged in a statesman's welcome, she kept her eyes firmly on Ironwood's, ignoring even her sister beside him.

When she reached the General, Weiss curtseyed. Not deep enough to show subservience, but a half-curtsey. Polite without giving anything away.

Ironwood nodded back, leaning his head forward just enough to make it clear there was more respect there than normal. "Miss Schnee."

"Please, General, call me Weiss. Miss Schnee makes me feel like my mother."

"Then you may call me James. Or Ironwood. Whichever is easiest for you. Welcome to Atlas. Or at least the city of Atlas. How was the journey?"

"Without incident," Weiss said, falling in beside Ironwood as he moved away. Winter fell in behind and to the right of him, while Emerald did the same behind and on Weiss' left, the two flanking their employers like the loyal bodyguards they were.

Winter must have had questions. If not as to who Emerald was, then how she had reached Atlas and why Weiss trusted her. The fact Winter didn't know when it was _she_ who had brought Emerald here caused Weiss' lips to curl upwards.

"How is your father?" Ironwood asked.

"He is as he always is. Frustrated with Whitley, frustrated at the general state of affairs. Frustrated that there exists in this world lien that has not found its way into his pockets."

Ironwood let out a low, rumbling laugh. It was an unusually pleasant sound. "I'd heard about your brother. Masterfully played, Weiss."

"I'm sure I have no idea what you mean."

"I'm sure." Ironwood held the door to his office open for her, and for Winter and Emerald as they entered. Once all were inside, he led Weiss not to his desk, but to a smaller table with some comfortable seats on either side. It was a friendlier welcome than she'd expected, since each time her father visited she knew he got the desk and nothing more. "Would you care for a drink, Weiss?"

"If it's not too much trouble."

"Not for me, no. Winter will collect it."

"Then I'll have a tea, thank you. With two sugars and some cream."

Winter paused. "Sugar is bad for your health."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Two sugars and some cream, thank you."

Ironwood nodded to Winter, who had no option but to obey. She nodded once to each of them and retreated, closing the door softly behind her.

"Forgive Winter," Ironwood said. "She's not like that with anyone else."

"I know. I've changed a little since Beacon. Or my tastes have anyway."

"To be expected. I imagine to an older sibling, seeing that can feel threatening, as though someone is being taken away from you. I'm sure she will get over it if she has a chance to spend some time with you. You are staying for a few days, correct?"

"I've booked into a hotel downtown. I'll leave you the address, and Winter."

"Good. Though she may hide it, she's been excited for your visit."

"It's good to see her too," Weiss said. Sadly, the well-wishes would have to wait until after business. Such was the way of the world. "Emerald, there's no need for you to stay for this. Can you do what we spoke about on the Bullhead?"

"Yes, Weiss." Emerald nodded, far less formally than Winter, and slid out the room.

Ironwood raised an eyebrow and asked, "Should I be concerned for my reputation? I hope I've not angered you enough to face the same treatment as your brother."

"Not yet at least," Weiss teased. It might have felt strange to tease a man like Ironwood, but oddly enough he was one of the only person she felt relaxed around. Maybe it was because, like her, he was a huntsman. Maybe it was just his charisma. "Emerald is just going to look for any people who might answer to father."

"You believe you're being monitored?"

"I'd be surprised if I wasn't. Father doesn't trust me entirely. Not yet."

"I'm not sure he has the capacity for trust." Ironwood said. "No offence."

"None taken."

The door opened once more, and Winter returned, pausing for a moment when she noticed Emerald's absence, and then moving in with a tray. She placed it down on the table first, and then set a saucer before each of them, placing the mug atop it. Removing the tray, she backed away with another bow, accepting their quiet thanks.

Weiss took a drink and let out a little sigh. Tea at the manor was an awkward and ugly affair, mostly because the over-expensive brands tasted too strong, or just plain unusual. Ironwood's selection was more down to Remnant.

"Let's put aside the posturing and all else," Ironwood said. "I respect you enough to be frank, and I hope you feel the same. What is it you want, Weiss?"

Weiss leaned back and raised a single eyebrow. He wanted the truth, did he? Very well. "I'm here for the CCT. I want to make a call."

"That's it…?"

"Yes."

Ironwood didn't believe her or couldn't. He leaned forward, lips drawn down into a frown. "I doubt your father would send you here, let alone arrange a meeting with me, for you to make an international call. Or at least I'd hope he considers my time to be worth more than that."

"I thought you wanted the honest truth?" Weiss asked. " _I'm_ here for the CCT. Father has his own reasons for me to be here."

He caught the message, nodding once and sitting back. "I see. I'm sure a call can be arranged. You're free to use it how you will, so I don't see-" He paused. "Hm. You don't want your father to learn of it, hence why you sent your Retainer to look for any who might answer to him."

Weiss nodded, and sipped a little more of her tea.

"A private room is easy enough to arrange, but it's getting in without being seen that is the bigger problem."

"Unless I had reason to be there. Such as a meeting with you."

Ironwood nodded. "I'll see what I can do. What is it your father wants from this, then? If we're to keep appearances, I suppose I'll have to consider it."

"I think you know what it is, Ironwood."

"The blockade," he said. The General's lips curled into a sneer, and he shook his head when Weiss nodded. "I expected as much. I've already told him I won't budge on this. Schnee dust was used in the attack on Beacon. His transports were one of the main reasons the White Fang were able to acquire so much firepower."

"I have not put the embargo in place to be cruel," he explained. "Atlas has a responsibility to its ally, and I to my friend, Ozpin, and to Glynda, who has taken over Beacon. While they are weak, they are at risk, and the last thing I will allow is the White Fang to gain yet more resources and launch another attack. Jacques should understand this."

"I'm sure he does," Weiss said politely. "He simply doesn't care."

"That sounds like him." Ironwood growled, but calmed down, content in the knowledge that she wasn't disagreeing with him. "I won't budge on this, I'm afraid. My decision has been made and there is little you can do to change it."

"I still have to try. This is the task father gave me."

"It's an impossible task." It was Winter spoke up, breaking propriety, though Ironwood let her get away with it and remained silent. "He wants to see you fail, Weiss. He wants to put you in your place. This isn't a task you can complete."

"Which is precisely why I must."

"Weiss…"

"This isn't about pride or ego," Weiss said. "This isn't about me trying to satisfy daddy dearest, either. He expects me to fail and to fall in line, but I will not. I'm not like you, Winter," she said. "I can't run away to join the military, and I won't accept being disowned. The SDC used to mean something before he took over, and I don't want to see the name dragged through the mud any longer. If I run away, Whitley will take over, and then history shall continue."

"I did not run away," Winter protested.

She had, but Weiss remained silent. There was no blaming Winter, and it was unfair to say she'd known her decision would end in her disownment, but Winter had grown up with both Jacques and Willow, and the hostile environment of their home. She'd decided to leave and seek shelter elsewhere, leaving both Weiss and Whitley behind in the process.

Had Whitley someone to rely on, before Weiss did the same and fled to Beacon, he might have grown up different. Sadly, he hadn't. They'd all of them made mistakes. But there was no budging here. No second chances. She had to take over the SDC, or it would become a stain upon Remnant, and her family name.

"I cannot make allowances, even for you." Ironwood sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise just yet. I'm not asking for you to throw your lot in with me. Just… give me a chance to convince you. Give me a chance to find a way through this, around it. An angle that you haven't considered." Weiss bowed her head. "That is all I ask."

Ironwood leaned back. He looked to Winter, who looked back, lost and confused. The General brought a hand up to his chin and hummed. All the while, Weiss sat calmly, or with the visage of calm. Inside, she was wringing her hands together.

Finally, he spoke, "I suppose I could entertain a proposal, and you _are_ here for a few days yet. It would be rude not to meet with you. But keep in mind that my hands are tied in some regards. All I can offer you is the opportunity to convince me. Nothing more."

"Thank you, Ironwood," Weiss said, letting out a relieved sigh.

"It's late and you must be tired from the journey." Ironwood stood, and then offered a hand to her, which Weiss accepted. "I'm sure you want to get to your hotel. Why not let Winter help you with your bags?"

Winter managed to somehow look professional, surprised and hopeful at the same moment. "Sir?"

"I'm mostly done for the day, Winter. Have the rest of the evening off. Spend some time with your sister."

"Thank you, sir."

/-/

Emerald knew she was being followed.

The guy wasn't even very subtle about it, trailing after her while always maintaining about twenty feet or so between them. He stopped when she stopped, sped up when she did, and checked his scroll every time she turned around. Honestly, Mercury was subtler than this. Emerald turned at that moment, engaging a street vendor in conversation while she purchased a local newspaper. It had Whitley's shocked face on the front, which was a winner, but the main reason she did so was so she could inspect her pursuer from the corner of one eye.

He was a fairly regular looking guy in an Atlas military uniform, though lacking the helmet and with no obvious weapon. Someone off-duty. He had brown hair, blue eyes and the faint hint of stubble. Emerald committed his face to memory so she could show it to Weiss later. Her Semblance was useful for things like that.

A shame it wouldn't be here. If she used it to lose him, he might notice something went wrong and ask why – and that could mean the news got back to the SDC. Her Semblance was to remain their little secret; such were Weiss' orders.

The old-fashioned way it was, then. Emerald paid for her newspaper, popped the change into a charity tin and turned away, tucking the paper under one arm and walking calmly down the street. She kept her eyes open and scanned the crowds, until she saw a uniform up ahead and smiled viciously. It was a woman in uniform, a white and black one with a diagonal stripe running from her left shoulder to her right hip, over her heart. On it lay a badge, proudly emblazoned. She looked middle-aged and stern, the kind of police officer who didn't take any shit.

Focusing on her, Emerald pushed out her Semblance and let it take effect. Nothing obvious, nothing that would get her or Weiss in trouble. Instead she planted an auditory hallucination in the woman's mind, as if the officer overheard two people speaking from the crowd.

"Look at that creep. He's just following that green-haired girl."

"Do you think he's going to do something to her?"

"I hope not. Poor thing."

The officer's head perked up immediately. She looked left and right, first for the voice and then, when that failed, for the subject. Emerald knew what police looked for after all her time escaping them, and she started to act nervously, looking around like she was afraid of something.

Trained and experienced, the officer noticed instantly, and quickly put two and two together, looking back from Emerald to identify the threat. The woman's eyes narrowed, and her hand fell to her side, not to weapon but a communications device.

Emerald made a show of pausing and looking around.

The stalker paused too, and quickly looked down to his scroll when her eyes passed over him. He wasn't as subtle as he thought he was and when she looked away, she felt his eyes on her again. If that wasn't proof enough of his intent, she wasn't sure what was. Emerald started to move again, as did he.

So, too, did the police officer, speaking rapidly into her headset. She strode through the crowd and passed close enough to Emerald, and for a moment their eyes met. Emerald's were wide with feigned panic. The woman nodded back and quickly closed in behind her. Emerald heard a startled cry a moment later, followed by a scuffle.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to come with me for a moment."

"No, wait. I have somewhere to be!"

"I'm sure you do, sir. You'll have somewhere _else_ to be if you resist, however."

Emerald continued at the same, sedate pace, acting for all the world like she hadn't heard what was going on behind her. She could feel the pursuer's eyes on her as she turned the corner and vanished. So. Damn. Satisfying.

Holding a hand out, Emerald hailed a taxi the second she was out of sight. "To the CCT," she said to the man, handing over more than enough lien. "And keep the change."

"Sure thing, boss."

/-/

Ruby nearly screamed when her scroll started buzzing.

They were out in the middle of nowhere, and there was no one who should have been calling, let alone able. You'd have needed to boost the signal off a CCT to reach her, but her scroll continued to ring, and everyone was giving her strange looks.

To be fair, they _were_ currently being ambushed by a load of Grimm. And then Ruby saw just _who_ the caller ID was from and such concerns ceased to matter.

"Sorry, I've got to take this."

"NOW!?" Yang cried. "Right now!?"

"Yep."

Ruby turned away, ignoring Yang's muffled curses as she cut across the clearing to cover Ruby, her Grimm arm currently in the shape of a giant cleaver. Uncle Qrow and Ozpin seemed particularly anxious around that, though Jaune was frankly unconcerned and Nora found it adorable ever since the arm revealed it could not only hear her, but also play rock, paper, scissors with her.

"Hey Weiss," Ruby cheered, pressing the accept button. She stepped past an Ursa trying to run her through. It had six smaller Beowolves attached to its body, trying to bring it down. One fell across its eyes and the Ursa tripped over a log with a yelp, trying to get it off. "What's up?"

" _This isn't Weiss,"_ the voice replied.

Ruby's eyes narrowed. "How do you have Weiss' scroll? What have you done with her!?"

" _I've set her up in a hotel and delivered her breakfast. As for how I have her scroll, she gave it to me. I work for her."_

"Oh, um, oops?" Ruby giggled. "My bad." She did sound awfully familiar, though it was hard to place the voice given the distance.

" _No problem. Look, Weiss wanted to get in touch but she's being watched. I've got another scroll here, and I'm going to call Weiss' hotel. You'll be able to talk to her, but it will be through a scroll speaking into another scroll, patched through the CCT. Signal isn't going to be great."_

Ruby couldn't bring herself to care about that, since Weiss was okay and was about to talk with them after what felt like weeks. She nodded quickly, and when she remembered the person couldn't see her, said, "Okay. I'm ready."

There were some beeps across the line, followed by a ringing tone as the other scroll called Weiss. Ruby waited anxiously, fighting her smile as Uncle Qrow leapt over her head, stabbing a Beowolf that tried to sneak up on her. He pulled a face at her afterwards, arms held out as if to ask what the hell she was doing.

Ruby shushed him and pointed to her scroll.

Seriously. Rude.

" _Ruby. Is that you?"_

"Weiss!" Much like the other girl warned, Weiss' voice was a little fragmented and jittery, but she recognised it easily. "Weiss, you're okay! Your father took you away and we didn't even get a chance to talk and-"

" _Yes, yes, I know. I was there, you doofus. How are things? Are you all safe?"_

Ruby looked around, watching as Jaune fought back an Ursa twice his side and Nora struggled with three Beowolves, all of which were trying to snap at her throat. A big, black tentacle (hmmm…) came out of Yang's arm and swatted one aside. On the other side of the battlefield, Oscar was running away from a much smaller Beowolf and shouting at Ozpin to stop backseat driving and do something to help.

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, we're fine. Oh, and Yang's back."

" _She is? How is she? Losing an arm can't be easy…"_

"Eh, she got it back."

"… _What…? No. Never mind… I'm glad to hear you're all okay. I'm currently trapped in Atlas, but I've managed to convince my father to let me out of the manor, which is why it took me so long to reach the CCT. Where are you currently?"_

"Mistral. We're on our way to Haven."

" _Why?"_

"Pyrrha is still alive," Ruby reported, and she heard the shocked and relieved gasp from Weiss. "We're going to go rescue her, but we need a Bullhead for that. And we need to meet up with Blake and the others. They're in Menagerie."

" _What on Remnant are they doing there!?"_

"Ren was kidnapped by the White Fang. It's… It's complicated."

" _It sounds like it."_ Weiss sighed. _"Haven, you say? Haven Academy?"_

"Yeah. Ozpin wants us to go there, too."

" _Ruby. Ozpin is dead."_

"It's another one of those `it's complicated` things."

" _I'm beginning to think my life is just that. My partner, Ruby. Is Jaune okay? I can't even begin to imagine what nonsense he's gotten involved in without me there to pick up his slack."_

Ruby looked to Jaune, who was currently being used as a club by an Ursa. Jaune's body slammed into and through a tree, and the Ursa tossed him into another. There was an explosion of bark as Jaune's body sheared through it, but he came coughing out of the wreckage and dove back into the fray.

"Yeah, he's okay. Um… Do you know about…?"

" _His little secret? Yes. Emerald told me."_

"Oh Good." She wouldn't have to explain that, at least.

" _And speaking of tentacles, I also know your little secret, Ruby, and we're going to have words about stealing your team leader's card to buy Mistralian smut. Despite what you might think, I do read my bank statements!"_

"Eep!"

Weiss sighed. _"Just keep going to Haven. I'm going to meet you there. I just need to find a way to manage that. Whatever happens, don't leave without me. You can always use the CCT there to call me if you need to."_

"Okay. What are you going to be doing in the meantime?"

" _Patricide,"_ Weiss said casually.

"Oh, cool. I like that."

" _You have no idea what that is. Do you?"_

"Sure I do."

" _Right…"_ Weiss didn't believe her. _"I'll see you soon, Ruby."_

"See you soon, Weiss."

The call ended, and Ruby put the scroll away, right as Uncle Qrow finally killed the Beowolf chasing Oscar, bringing the melee to a close. Yang was glowering at her, covered in Grimm blood and rapidly dissolving bits.

"Who was that?" Uncle Qrow asked.

"Weiss! She's okay." Ruby heard a weak cheer from Jaune, who was flat on his back, Nora dabbing at a lump on his head. "She says she'll meet us in Haven and that we have to wait for her."

"You told her about us?" Ozpin asked, and she could tell he'd taken control because of the way Oscar looked at her, with a mix of disappointment and stern disapproval. "Miss Rose, our mission is one that requires the highest level of secrecy. We have no idea who Miss Schnee is with, or who might have overheard her."

"We're a bunch of huntsmen and huntresses trekking through Mistral, Oz. Where else would we go?" Qrow came to her rescue with a smile. "Give her a break. She's worried about her friend and just found out she's okay."

Ruby smiled at her uncle.

"Even so, we cannot promise to wait for Miss Schnee. We have places to be and our time is too important to waste. If she is there, we will discuss the matter with her, but if she is not, we will have to keep moving."

Ruby looked to Qrow for more help, but her uncle shrugged and picked up his discarded pack. The others followed suit, all silent. Ruby grumbled and did the same. Ozpin didn't want to wait for Weiss. Ozpin didn't intend to give them a choice in the matter. Maybe he had reason to be in such a rush, but he still hadn't told them what that reason was, only that they needed to get to Haven and fast. Maybe he'd tell them when they got there, but she was starting to feel he might not. That he might just tell them the next step with no explanation, and so on and so on, always telling them _what_ to do, but never why.

It was annoying, but there wasn't much point arguing about it now. They were only a day or two out from Haven.

As Ruby passed by Yang, her sister gave her a meaningful nod toward Ozpin and nodded once. Ruby nodded back, in full agreement. Jaune and Nora echoed it, the four of them forming their own little cadre, Ozpin ahead of them, Qrow behind, but both obviously not a part of their circle. How could they be, when they were _still_ keeping secrets? Keeping them in the dark? Once they reached Haven, something was going to have to give.

Ruby hoped it would be Ozpin.

"What's Weiss up to anyway?" Jaune asked.

"Something about patties. I think she's holding a barbecue."

"Oh, that's nice."

"Yeah…"

/-/

"We need to be careful here," Blake warned her team as they approached the new compound. It teemed with guards, all proudly displaying their White Fang uniforms and masks. Several approached them, weapons drawn. "Sienna and her faction might have been calm, but these are the worst of the White Fang. They're dangerous, violent, and they're bound to be incredibly suspicious. There's no telling what they'll do. Sneaking in is going to require an incredible amount of subtlety and-"

Sun strode forward and threw both hands into the air. "Down with humans!" he screamed.

Blake's mouth fell open. What was that idiot—

"Ha! A brother in arms!" The apparent leader holstered his weapon and met Sun halfway, linking hands. "New recruits, I take it. That kind of energy will do you well here, son."

 _What the-?_

"I've always wanted to smash some humans," Sun said. "I came all the way from Vacuo, you know. Asked myself what I had to do to get at those filthy bastards and thought I should come to the real home of the White Fang and make a stand."

"All the way from Vacuo? You've got spirit." The faunus eyed the rest of them, eyes narrowing when he saw Blake, but then growing wide upon seeing Ilia. "Ilia Amitola!? I'd heard you were dead. You were involved in the attack on Beacon!"

"I was. I survived. Adam did not."

"Praise be unto Him," the faunus said, making an odd motion over his heart.

They'd made Adam into a religion? Blake almost threw up then and there and made a note to aim it in the guy's eyes if she did. Gods, as if she'd needed any more reason to try and take these people down.

"If you're with Ilia, you're trustworthy. Come with me, I'll introduce you to the ones in charge." The leader turned away, and Blake noticed a pair of bat wings held in tight against his back. He led them through the compound, past faunus who looked up with either awe, suspicion or just pure anger. More than a few stared at Ren, but none tried anything.

"He's Yuma," Ilia whispered to Blake. "He reports directly to the Albain brothers. They were two of Adam's biggest supporters."

Blake nodded. She didn't recognise nor remember him, but it was possible he'd stayed in Menagerie and worked for Adam behind the scenes.

Yuma brought them to a wide, open area with a raised stage toward the back. "If you'll wait here, I'll go and find someone to fill you in. I'm sure we'll find a use for you. Right now, we need all the hands we can get."

"They're planning an attack," Ren said, the moment Yuma was gone. "I've seen crates of dust and weaponry."

"I know. Once we find out what and where, we can tell Sienna and get this over with."

They were interrupted by the arrival of two figures walking side by side. They were both similar in skin colour, a deep brown, but in height one was taller. The family resemblance was obvious, but curiously, they didn't share the same faunus traits. One had tall ears poking from his red hood, the other a bushy tail that hung behind him. Dressed in flowing black and white robes, with red hoods, they looked more like religious figures than soldiers.

Oh hell, they really _had_ gone and made Adam's philosophy a religion. Fire. Fire was the only way to solve this.

"Greetings, children," they said in unison. The shorter one then spoke while the other remained silent. "I am Fennec, and this is Corsac, my brother. We are the prophets that speak in the name of our departed hero, the beloved Adam Taurus."

Blake's stomach almost expelled dinner into his face.

Ilia saw and stepped forward, taking over. "Greetings Fennec and Corsac. I hope you remember me."

"Ilia Amitola," Corsac said kindly. "As though we could forget. We had thought you lost."

"I nearly was. The attack… It didn't end well. A whole load of us were captured, but Blake and Sun were able to get me out in one piece. I brought them back here, hoping to join up with the White Fang again, only to hear it's split in two."

"A poor state of affairs," Corsac said. "It pains us to admit that it's true, but your own eyes have witnessed it. Sienna, she who we once followed, has strayed from the path, going so far as to condemn Adam's glorious sacrifice."

"The nerve," Ren said sarcastically.

"I know, dear brother. It pains us to hear it. Sadly, our words have fallen on deaf ears, as have the words of those among her faction, those who wish to throw away that which He achieved, and to bow down to the humans once more."

"Damn humans," Ren added in a bored tone.

"Indeed, brother. That is why we could not stand to let it be so. Though it pains us, it is better to tear free the bandage and let the wound bleed. From there, we shall grow and create a new White Fang, and, in time, a new legacy for all faunuskind."

"We want to be a part of that," Ilia said.

"Do you now? Your drive is not in question, my dear, but the others with you." Fennec looked to Sun. "What of you, my child? What brings you here."

"Humans drove me out of Vacuo," Sun said. "Kept blaming me for every little thing that went wrong, and the orphanage I lived in kicked me out before I was even ten. I've hated humans ever since. Ran with a faunus gang for a while, but it got shut down. Lethally."

Blake kept her eyes on Fennec and Corsac. She had no idea if Sun was telling the truth or not, but he sold it well. She might have believed him if not for how relaxed he was around his human teammates, and even Ren.

"Disgraceful," Corsac said. His eyes flicked to Ren. "And you?"

"I do not see faunus traits on this one, brother," Fennec said. "Would you care to explain that, young man?"

Blake tensed.

Ren sighed. "They were cut off."

Corsac, Fennec, and even Yuma, who had stayed nearby, recoiled.

"I don't like to talk about it."

"U-Understandable," Fennec stammered. "My goodness. That is…" He trailed off. "W-Well, moving on. What about you, Miss Belladonna? Your parents aren't exactly believers in the cause."

Blake gave him a half-shrug. "Not outwardly."

Both Fennec and Corsac suddenly looked a whole lot more interested. "Oh…? Do you mean to tell me their leaning is different in private?"

"Dad's seen what going peaceful achieves. He's also seen how much Adam managed to achieve." And been rightfully disgusted, she failed to mention.

"I am glad. I must admit that when I met with them two days past, they did not seem all that amicable to our cause. In fact, your father was quite rude."

"Very rude," Fennec agreed. "We had thought he might be more inclined to Sienna's way of thinking."

"Not likely. Sienna took the White Fang from him, and then proceeded to do nothing with it. He hates her guts."

"Then why not support us?" Corsac asked.

"Menagerie is in a difficult spot at the moment, especially with Adam's recent att- heroic assault on Beacon." It was hard not to sneer. "The Chieftain can't be seen to support one side or the other, not without bringing down the combined might of Atlas and Vale on the people of Menagerie."

Both Fennec and Corsac shared pleased smiles. "I see. That does make a lot of sense, especially given that some of the public aren't sure which side to support. It wouldn't do to cause riots on the streets."

"Indeed," Corsac agreed. "Does that mean the Belladonnas support us in secret?"

"I really couldn't say," Blake said. "But _I'm_ here. That should tell you something."

"Wonderful. Truly wonderful. Tell me, in your honest opinion, were Sienna to… step back from leadership and grant it to us, do you believe your father would support our ideals?"

"I think he'd do so, at least on a small scale. He can't really say that on the world stage, though."

"Of course not. Atlas would invade immediately. Simply making some decisions in our favour would be more than enough." Fennec spread his arms wide. "It would be our pleasure to welcome the four of you to the fold. To the Church of Adam."

"Blessed be," Yuma intoned.

When none of them replied, Fennec and Corsac made a gesture.

"O-Oh. Blessed be," Sun said.

"Blessed be," Ilia and Ren added.

"Blessed be," Blake gritted out.

Fire. Dust. Every explosive she could get her hand on. She half-hoped they'd made a statue of him so she could take pleasure in rendering it down to concrete dust.

Ilia, seeing that Blake was lost in a rage-induced fantasy, stepping forward once more. "So, what's the plan for dealing with Sienna's lot?"

"Sienna wants to convince the world that Adam's crusade was a rogue action undertaken by a splinter group. We shall beat her to it and show the world that it was not. Even better, we shall succeed where Adam was so cruelly foiled. This will send a clear message as to what direction the White Fang will be taking. Sienna will have no option but to surrender."

Public perception. It was a powerful tool. If Sienna really did want to rebrand the White Fang, she'd have to make sure the public – including the public of every other kingdom – knew in what way she was doing it. But if the other kingdoms were united against the White Fang, that would be impossible. Sienna would be forced out by necessity.

It would also be a win for the White Fang, or the Church of Adam, because it would not only unite the faunus here, but it would do so without any faunus on faunus fighting. It wouldn't dig into their reserves or send the wrong message.

At least, not the wrong message from _their_ point of view.

"And how," Blake asked, "Are we going to send this message?"

"We will take inspiration from our saviour and emulate His actions. The attack on Beacon, although foiled by the Grimm, still showed the world that we are a force to be reckoned with. We shall repeat it, not on Beacon, but on Mistral, on Haven Academy."

Ren coughed and caught Blake's eye. The message was silent but understood. Haven was where Jaune and the others were going, which meant they might run into them. Convenient. If a little awkward. Nora would probably have words when she realised they'd all joined the White Fang to rescue Ren. There would be much sighing and shaking of heads, Blake felt.

Things were going to be interesting at any rate.

/-/

"Tyrian."

"Yes, my most beloved, intelligent and beautiful Queen?"

"Tyrian, I already told you there is no punishment in store for you," Salem sighed. "You can leave off the grovelling."

"My most _merciful_ Queen."

Salem sighed again. "Tyrian, where is the girl?"

Tyrian blinked. "The redhead…?"

"No, the _other_ human girl we kidnapped."

"There's another?"

"No, Tyrian. There is not." A third sigh. Really, she was getting too old for this. And she wasn't even in her teens yet. Teens-thousands, that was. "Pyrrha Nikos. The prisoner I specifically asked you to keep an eye on lest she hurt herself trying to escape. Where is she?"

"I asked the twins to look after her, my Queen."

Jade and Hazel? Well, she'd be okay. Maybe. Uninjured, anyway, if not quite mentally unscarred. It was good enough. Salem hummed her acceptance and linked both hands before her, eyes narrowed as she thought on the latest news brought to her ears.

Jaune was in danger, though he realised it not. She loved him, and she loved his adventurous spirit, for it reminded her so much of Nicky-poo, especially in the bedroom.

Salem coughed suddenly and brought her mind back to the present. R-Regardless, Jaune didn't realise the danger he was in. His stubbornness, adorable in its own way, was not quite so endearing when he was risking his very life.

"We must protect my son."

"My Queen, I don't believe Ozpin yet knows of the truth."

"Ozpin?" Salem blinked. "Not from Ozpin, you fool. My son is with a threat far greater."

"He is…? Ah, the silver-eyed-"

"Forget silver eyes," Salem snapped, slamming a fist down on her table. "My son is in the company of a confirmed child molester!"

Tyrian choked. "M-My Queen…"

"A child molester who has struck already, tainting my dear, sweet Sapphire."

"M-My Queen," Tyrian stammered. "Lady Sapphire is twenty-five…"

"So!?" Salem glared at her underling. "Is she not my daughter? Is she not my child!?"

"She is…"

"And did he not molest her?"

"He did, my Queen."

"Then he is a child molester!"

Tyrian paused for a second and brought a finger to tap at his chin. "I cannot fault that reasoning."

"I will have the bastard's head. Both of them! And worse, he continues to linger around my innocent son like… like some kind of lingerer!" Salem swooned and brought a hand over her eyes. "Oh, where is my Nicky? He would know what to do. He could find this man and shove his sword so far up the bastard's asshole he'd speak in steel."

Tyrian winced at the imagery. His Queen was in a bad mood, and that was understandable, but it could also be dangerous for any around her. The dread lady's tantrums had become something legendary, and even though they were nothing compared to when she went into labour – Watts still trembled whenever it was brought up – Tyrian didn't want to be anywhere near another one.

Perhaps a distraction would help.

"On brighter news, my Queen, I have a message from Coral."

"My sweetling?" Salem perked up just a little, fingers peeking apart as she looked through them. "Is she well…?"

"Better than well, it would seem. She says that she has found a man she has taken an interest in. She says that they hit it off rather well, and that it would have gone all the way had they not been interrupted. Despite that, she intends to chase him down and claim what is hers." Tyrian finished reading the missive and wiped a tear from his eye.

They grew up so fast. Ten years ago, she'd been riding her uncle's his tail kicking him in the back of the head, singing off-key songs at the top of her voice. And now she was going to hunt down her man and ride _him_ until his pelvis shattered.

Atta girl…

"She's even included a picture of… him…" Tyrian swallowed. "Uh-oh…"

"Oh? Let me see it!"

Tyrian handed the picture over. He then turned away and sprinted out of the throne room.

/-/

"Where are you going?" Cinder demanded. She stood in front of Tyrian's Bullhead with her hands on her hips.

"Mistral," he replied.

"Why?"

The entire tower trembled as a furious roar shook the foundations. Black and red light pierced out from the window that adjoined the throne room. It was followed by the most terrifying voice ever, screaming their names.

"To hunt some maidens," Tyrian said, sweating profusely. "Definitely not to hide from my wonderful Goddess."

"Same," Cinder said, climbing in beside him. Her face was pale. "To Mistral."

Tyrian hit the throttle and pulled up and away, even as Salem screamed again, loud enough to startle the Nevermore off the roof and send them fleeing in every direction. Maybe if he found and killed Coral's new boyfriend before Salem got a hold of him, she'd be a little more forgiving.

Watts could deal with this.

* * *

 **No, Weiss isn't literally going to commit patricide. She just meant it as a little quip for Ruby's sake. So, the paths begin to link together once more. Meanwhile, Qrow's Semblance continues to wrap the rope around his neck.**

 **Also, poor Watts…**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 16** **th** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	79. Chapter 79

**Here we are and here we go.**

 **A little kudos to `** **El Vagabundo Solitario** **` in this chapter for putting forth an amusing idea. You get a mention.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 79**

* * *

Two days of negotiations. Two days of frustration.

Ironwood was a good man, a good General, doing his best to protect the people of Atlas and of Vale. Weiss told herself that repeatedly, because if she didn't, she had a feeling she'd have leapt across the table to strangle him already.

 _Calm, Weiss. Calm. Don't be like father._

"I've told you time and time again, it's not that easy," Ironwood said. "Evidence shows the White Fang have been taking advantage of our dust shipments. A temporary loss of profit is a small price to pay for national – no, global – security."

"I can see that, General, but dust supplies are low in Vale-"

"Let's not pretend your father cares about that."

"He may not, but I do!" Weiss slammed a hand down on the table, freezing a moment later. Oh dear, that wasn't the right way to convince him she was an adult, or one worth listening to. In the background, Winter stiffened, and Weiss felt even worse.

"Forgive me," Ironwood said, ignoring the indiscretion. "You're right, of course. It was rude of me to act like I'm dealing with Jacques. I'm not so heartless that I don't see the problems Vale faces, but by land, air, rail and sea, the White Fang have hit every transport. The only reason the sea route got through was because you, Penny and your friends stopped Torchwick stealing it."

"Y-Yes, I remember." They'd not done well, being bested and driven back by Torchwick and Hentacle. Jaune, no less. Weiss made a mental note to give her partner a slap on the back of the head for that. "But what about my other proposal?"

"Sending the shipments through Mistral first? It's an idea, for sure. The White Fang's presence in Mistral is somewhat lower than Vale or Atlas. It's still dangerous, however. If something goes wrong, we could drag a third Kingdom into this."

"But it would be a way to bypass the White Fang's presence on the Vale-Atlas borders."

"It would be," Ironwood allowed. "I'd hardly think your father would approve of the added cost, though. Not including it being twice the journey-time, he would have to pay customs twice."

"At least the route would be open."

"I haven't agreed to that yet, Weiss."

"What's stopping you?"

Ironwood frowned.

"I don't mean that as an insult," Weiss assured him. "I mean, genuinely, what are your concerns about the proposal? If I knew them, I could look at ways to counteract them. I know you _want_ the dust to reach Vale as well. It's not just good for Atlas' business, but also for the people who need it. You just don't want the White Fang to get a hold of it and make things worse."

Ironwood acknowledge the point with a hum. He was probably used to being pitched ideas and products, and so fully aware of the little sales techniques she was using on him. People were much more likely to accept something if you made it sound like their idea, and the longer she kept the conversation going, the more likely he was to compromise. Sales fatigue, it was called. Wearing someone's complaints down over time. She'd been told some unscrupulous people even provided drinks and kept the talks going, precisely because it would make people need the restroom and compromise sooner to end the conversation. She couldn't do that, but everything else was game.

 _I must get to Mistral._

"Security is the biggest problem," Ironwood eventually said. "Anything on distance and time is immaterial to me. Though the White Fang presence has been reported as being low in Mistral, there's no telling if that holds true."

"Can you not send someone to investigate?"

"Sending foreign agents into another country is hardly diplomatic. Not to mention, we need everyone here now in case the White Fang try anything."

Weiss leapt on the opportunity. "Then send me."

"Excuse me?"

"Send me to Mistral. I can do the checks. I can even hire specialist security teams to guard the transit points. It wouldn't be an incident because I'm working on behalf of the SDC, too. There wouldn't be any problems."

"Except that, if you'll forgive the suggestion, I'd have no way of interpedently verifying what results you find. Though your honesty has been exemplary so far, I can't make a decision like that on the input of someone who is biased."

"Then you should send Winter with me. There's no doubting her loyalty, and you'd avoid suggestions of military force because it makes _sense_ Winter would look after me if I went to another Kingdom. The White Fang have no love for the Schnee family." Weiss smiled, on a roll now. "In fact, this would be an ideal way of judging White Fang presence. If there _are_ any in the area, they'll not be able to resist the prospect of both Schnee sisters in the same place at once."

Ironwood frowned. "You want me to use one of my own Specialists as bait?"

"As though I'd suggest using my own sister as that," Weiss scoffed. "I'm saying to use _me_ as bait, and Winter as the trap. Along with whatever group you send with us. Any soldiers could pose as my personal guards."

She caught Ironwood's nod before he could stop it. He was thinking about it. It was time to press the advantage, while she still had it.

"Not only would it allow you to get a better idea of what's going on in Mistral, it would also bring much-needed dust to Vale and even get Jacques off your back. Don't think of it as agreeing to a new route. This is just you _considering_ it. No decision has to be made until Winter returns with a full report, but in the meantime, all the businesspeople complaining to you will be silenced, because they'll all be waiting to see what happens."

It was a guess that Ironwood was being bothered by people other than her father, but not a wild one. Those with interests outside of Atlas were bound to be upset at the lockdown, and when businesses were upset, they made sure _everyone_ knew about it.

"The idea has _some_ merit," Ironwood grumbled. "You realise that if I agree to this, I make no promises. I may wait to see the results of the investigation and then still reject it."

"That's fine." Weiss smiled. "All I'm asking is the _chance_ to prove it to you."

"Hmph. I've given you the chance to change my mind and you've already done more on that than anyone else for the last month and a half. Are you sure I can't convince you to work for me? I pay well. And at the very least, I'm less a bastard than your father."

Weiss giggled. "Maybe after I'm done being a huntress. Is that a yes? Do you agree?"

Ironwood sighed. "Against my better judgement…"

"Thank you." It was hard to hold in a cheer. Weiss _wanted_ to leap up, laugh at the top of her lungs and maybe even hug him – then run to Winter and do the same. She blamed Ruby for that. It was somehow all her fault. Instead, Weiss smiled demurely and bowed her head. "If you'll excuse me, I'd best talk to my father. I take it you will be sending Winter with me."

"I'd trust no one else. Winter, pick out a team to act as Weiss' bodyguards. See them equipped with gear befitting mercenaries, if you will."

Winter nodded. "I have a team in mind, sir. They know how to be discrete." She stepped to the door but paused to look back a moment later. "Weiss, we shall leave tomorrow morning. Please see yourself ready and by the main docks by ten."

"Of course."

Weiss excused herself a moment after Winter left, offering some final thanks to Ironwood and stepping out with Emerald. As her retainer, Emerald had been privy to each meeting, much to Winter's chagrin. The two didn't seem to like one another for some reason.

"That was well done," Emerald said. "Now to see if your father will agree."

"Let me worry about that." Weiss drew out her scroll but waited until they were alone in a private office to make the call. She nodded to the door. "Make sure no one is listening?"

Emerald nodded silently and stepped outside.

The scroll continued to ring for a good minute, Jacques as unconcerned with answering as he was with anything else. She waited impatiently, knowing he'd not let it burn out. Eventually, with a click, the call answered, her father's dismissive tones coming through. " _Weiss."_

"Father," she greeted.

" _I trust there is a purpose in your interrupting me. I am in a meeting."_

The way he said it made it made it clear there had better be. Weiss nodded, keeping her face calm so that no one could read her. "Yes, father. I was calling to update you on the embargo situation."

" _No results?"_

"Actually, I think I might have gotten through to him."

Jacques' expression was worth it all. His eyes widened, and for a second she thought his mouth might fall open before he caught himself. _"Oh? That is a surprise. Do tell."_

A surprise, huh? Yeah, she could imagine it was. He'd given her the task convinced she would fail it. Little more than a way to rein in her ego and control her. He might have been upset she'd found a way around it, but she doubted it. Jacques didn't take chances. If she failed, her ego would be dampened. If she succeeded, he would earn from her success.

"General Ironwood is unwilling to allow transit directly from Atlas to Vale, but I've managed to convince him to consider loosening restrictions on Atlas to Mistral, provided a threat assessment is made on the White Fang presence there. Obviously, there would be no restrictions after on Mistral – Vale transit."

" _Hm. A round trip? That would cost."_

"We could offset some of those with the dust we'd already be selling to Mistral. Haven, specifically. If we take the Vale dust on the same route, we could even pool security and transit costs into one package."

" _True. What of this threat assessment. It seems to me a stalling action from Ironwood. What are the chances of that working in our favour?"_

Weiss bit her lip. "Left on its own, not good." Her father's face darkened. "But I've worked a caveat into the agreement. Ironwood can't send troops into another Kingdom like that, so I offered to stand in as a decoy." Not quite the truth, but close enough. "Given the embargo, no one will think twice of the SDC sending a party to establish a new warehouse in the area. I offered to be the SDC's representative, with Ironwood hiding soldiers and analysts as hired guards."

" _Interesting. Anyone we would know?"_

"I don't know the who, exactly. I don't think Ironwood has decided yet," Weiss lied. Mentioning her sister's name was a good way to end the conversation. Jacques would find out, but only once it was too late. "But having myself there would let me influence the results. At the very least, I can act as verification that Ironwood gave the project true consideration. If he tries to falsify the results…"

" _You can prove otherwise. A well-thought out plan. The costs of transit will be high, but it is better than nothing, and the customers in Vale are desperate. We may be able to negotiate more favourable contracts as a result."_ Trust him to see opportunity in the misery of others. _"You offered to travel to Mistral, however. I do not recall giving you such permission."_

And here came the crux of the issue. Weiss tried to keep her face calm.

"I had to say something, father. In all truth, it's the last thing I want. I'd prefer it if someone else could be sent, but I know you're busy. How about Whitley?"

" _Whitley is currently managing the fallout of his… incident. It would not be seen well for him if he effectively fled the country."_

"Someone else, then?" Weiss asked. "I'd rather be here in Atlas, to be honest. Atlas is where all the influence is."

Jacques' eyes sharpened. She saw his brain work through the clues. Weiss' actions in framing Whitley at the ball, her surreptitious meetings with Ironwood, the desire to stat in Atlas. She had plans. She was making waves. Or so Jacques must feel.

Competition against her brother was fine, expected even, but it would not be good for her attention to reach too far, lest she focus it on his position. Ambition was good but had to be tempered.

And what better way than to remove her from the game for a little while?

" _This proposal is your personal project, Weiss. I believe it would be best if you saw it through to the end."_

"I-I see." Weiss managed to look disappointed, though only just.

" _Do not fret, my daughter. I'm actually rather proud of you. See this to fruition, and I won't leave you unrewarded. You've already proven yourself beyond both your brother and your sister. It wouldn't do for this deal to fall through because we sent anyone but our best."_

"I understand, father." She bowed her head to the screen. "I'll make you proud."

The call ended on his saccharine smile.

Weiss' appeared a second later.

"Too easy."

/-/

It had been decided that Ren would be the one to report back to Sienna. The others were too obvious, too well-known. Or at least Blake and Ilia were. Sun was just too incapable of being subtle. He was currently arguing that because they were infiltrating the White Fang fanatics and trying to take them down, their team – identified as RBIS – should be known as Team Rabies.

Ilia and Blake were less than enthused with the idea.

Ren was just happy to leave them to it. Menagerie was a difficult place to live in as a human – even if the simple fact he was here seemed enough to convince everyone he couldn't _be_ a human. He liked to think he'd taken inspiration from Jaune on that front.

Sneaking into Sienna's compound wasn't all that difficult. He wore a White Fang mask like everyone else did, and the sides between the moderates and the fanatics weren't so dramatic that any one side dressed differently than the other.

Of course, not everyone was so inattentive, as Ren found out when a dark-skinned arm wrapped around his throat from behind.

"A rat should be cautious creeping around the tiger's territory."

"Sienna?"

"So casual an address." The woman chuckled and pushed him away. She was dressed as she was earlier, but looked a little more amused, a little more relaxed. Her arms were crossed, her head tilted to the side as she looked him up and down. "We didn't give you that mask. I assume you were able to infiltrate _their_ faction."

"We did. I was sent to inform you."

"You were sent? I judged you as the leader."

"I am," Ren admitted. "Though I'm not above listening to the suggestions of my team."

"Hm." Sienna stepped toward and then past him. Her eyes traced his form up and down, and then around as she stalked the circumference of him. Ren remained still in the centre, not entirely sure what she was doing, but knowing it best to let it happen. "You don't flinch in the face of a predator, do you?"

What did that have to do with anything? Was she talking about the Grimm?

"Running away doesn't accomplish anything. I didn't learn to fight so I could hide away."

"Hah. Well said." Sienna's hand flicked against his shoulder. "Where were you when we first started out? You could have had a place here."

"Mistral, I think. Before my village was wiped out."

"We are all of us robbed of a home here."

Ren wasn't sure what to say to that. He did what he always did in such situations; hum, and hope the other person took it as a meaningful response. "Hmm."

"I see you understand."

"I do," Ren lied.

Sienna nodded, satisfied, and came to a pause in front of him. Her demeanour changed, the humour fading away as she adopted a stern, commanding expression. "Report. What do the Albain brothers plan?"

"They're planning an attack on Haven." Ren told everything he could, from the date of the scheduled attack, to how they would be getting there and everything else he could. Sienna listened in stony silence, waiting for him to finish. "We agreed to go with them, though obviously we plan to sabotage them from within."

"Like a disease waiting to strike," Sienna purred.

Somewhere, Ren imagined Sun shouting "Team Rabies!"

"Something like that," Ren demurred. "May I ask what _you_ intend to do?"

"I suppose we must do something." Sienna scowled. "I was one of the first to suggest violence where violence was necessary. Peace bred complacency and acceptance of our place in the world. But violence for violence's sake is foolish. It creates us our place, but as monsters. Huntsmen and huntresses hold back the Grimm. They are a threat to both humans and faunus and attacking them serves only the Grimm's purpose." Sienna sneered. "Something Adam forgot."

"Faith in the White Fang is at an all-time low, since they attacked Beacon," Ren pointed out. "If you moved to the _defence_ of Haven, it might work to undo some of that."

"Seeking to manipulate me with honeyed words?"

"It's the truth."

"And no less manipulation for it." Sienna chuckled. "I'll let it go this time. You have quite some nerve. I can respect that. As for what we intend to do, your suggestion matches my own. We cannot allow the fanatics to set the tone for what the White Fang will be. We shall wait for their attack, and then we shall strike – quashing this rebellion for what it is. In the meantime, I shall have the Albain brothers' heads. This… Cult of Adam will be destroyed."

"And Haven?"

"Spared. Left to do what they will. What matters to us is the message. While we attack, it will be your job to capture the Albain brothers before they can flee. If they escape, this will never end. They must be brought to heel."

Ren nodded. Blake would _leap_ at the chance to cut the head off this cult. He'd already caught her mumbling obscenities towards Adam Taurus when she thought no one was listening. Silly Blake. With Ilia and Sun in their team, there was never a moment where someone wasn't paying attention to her.

"They won't escape. You can trust me on that."

"Oddly enough, I do. You carry yourself… differently than the others. Calmer, more self-assured. There is no fear in your gaze, no hesitation. I find that… refreshing." Sienna's smile was coy. "I find _you_ refreshing. Do well here and I might find a more comfortable position for you within our group."

A recruitment pitch? He couldn't say he expected that. "I'll do my best."

"I think you would enjoy working under me, _Ren_." Sienna ran a hand up his arm. "It could be a… rewarding experience. For the both of us."

There was a tingle between Ren's eyes. He glanced around. Odd. He'd had the strangest feeling that Nora was behind him, glaring daggers into the back of his head. Maybe all this time apart was making him imagine things. There didn't seem to be any danger here. They were on track to stop the radical elements of the White Fang, and Sienna was proving to be a whole lot friendlier than he'd imagined her.

"I'll look forward to that experience," he said, ignoring the mounting feeling of Nora's anger.

Sienna chuckled.

"As will I, Ren. As will I."

/-/

" _I'm just saying, if you were a little more forthcoming with information, they might trust you more."_

" **Whatever do you mean, Oscar? My students trust me implicitly."**

" _I don't think they do…"_

" **Nonsense."** Ozpin snorted. **"As for information, I keep things hidden for a reason. They are not yet ready to learn the truth. Nor, I might add, are you. Have you ever heard of respecting the wisdom of your elders?"**

" _Yeah, of course."_

" **Then you should realise there is no one more an `elder` than I. Respect my words. Follow them. Do not question them."**

" _See, I think that's where you're going wrong,"_ Oscar said, stepping over a log as Qrow pointed it out. _"That saying. No one believes it. Sure, everyone might say it, but haven't you noticed that whenever an old person says something, everyone just rolls their eyes?"_

" **You're a very rude child, Oscar…"**

" _I'd like to say I'm normal."_ Except it was hard to claim that now, what with the voice in his head telling him to do things, and the fact he was actually following it. There were names for people who heard voices. Troubled, unwell, insane. Oscar often wondered what names there were for people who heard voices, _knew_ it was a bad idea to listen to them, and then did so anyway.

Stupid?

Moronic?

Suicidal?

Something like that.

Their party was more than a day out from Haven, or so Qrow told them. Sometimes when the hills would rise above the treetops or the forest would fall into a valley below, they could see Mistral in the distance. Haven was close to it, but not a part of the city itself, which meant that even though they could see Mistral, they wouldn't be going there. Their destination was Haven.

Not that any of them knew _why_ , of course. Ozpin's reasoning landed firmly on the "because I said so". It was something that irritated Oscar, and he could _tell_ it was causing problems for the others, too.

But would Ozpin listen? Nooo, of course not. He was the ancient space-wizard-parasite thing. He was just a kid. If Ozpin didn't trust his own students enough to tell them the truth, Oscar didn't hold up much hope that he'd get anything.

Which was a shame, because Oscar really wished he could at least _talk_ with all the people around him without feeling like a social outcast. Some of the girls were really pretty, and that Ruby girl was almost his age.

" **And I'm still going to veto** _ **that**_ **, Oscar. If you so much as try to get into her pants I'll give you a migraine so great your ancestors will feel it."**

"Stop listening in on my thoughts, you creepy old man."

"Huh?" Qrow turned towards him. As did everyone else.

"A-Ah. Nothing. Sorry." Oscar waved their attention away, cheeks burning.

" **Nice,"** Ozpin smarmed. **"Well played. I'm sure they're impressed with your maturity now."**

" _Oh, shove it. Will you?"_ Stupid Ozpin listening in on his every thought, no matter how private. It was probably why no matter how hard he tried, none of them would really talk to him. They'd chat occasionally, and answer any questions he had, but they wouldn't really _talk_. Not like a proper conversation. Not like they trusted him.

Which made sense, he guessed. Hard to trust him when everything he heard would be relayed back to Ozpin no matter how much he wished otherwise. How could they trust him with sensitive information if he couldn't keep it secret?

" **I've already told you that it isn't an issue. There is nothing they know that I would be bothered about. Other than Miss Xiao-Long's arm, of course. I'd rather you stayed away from that."**

" _Why? It's friendly."_

Ozpin sighed. **"It is a Grimm, Oscar. It is an enemy of humanity. A mindless entity which-"**

" _How can it be mindless if it can learn? Yang's taught it things, and Nora even taught it that game the other day. That doesn't make it sound mindless."_

" **It really doesn't matter. Mindless or not, Grimm are our enemies. Would it make a difference to a victim if the Grimm that slaughtered their family was intelligent? No, it would not. It's best you think them mindless. It makes them easier to kill."**

" _Might want to not mention that around Yang. She's pretty protective of it."_

" **Yes. Something that must be watched."**

" _You're doing the creepy thing again. And the secrets things,"_ Oscar said with a little sigh.

Ozpin wouldn't listen, of course. He never did. This whole arrangement of theirs was remarkable one-sided as it was. Ozpin got to live again, influence the world and ultimately take over his mind and body. Oscar got to walk around and do all the heavy lifting until he no longer had a mind to call his own. Honestly, sometimes he wished he got the Grimm parasite.

Ozpin remained silent on that one.

/-/

"So, this is Haven."

"Looks like it," Yang said, stood beside him. Her long-sleeved coat kept Yin hidden, though she still had to gently bat an eye on a tentacle away when he tried to peek out of her wrist. "Quite it, Yin. I'll show you when it's safe. Don't talk back to me, young man. It's dangerous here."

Jaune smiled and left Yang to it, looking to Ruby and Nora, who were both giggling at Yang. The trek through Mistral had been a long one for sure, but they were finally here. Albeit with three extra pieces of baggage they hadn't really accounted for in the form of Qrow, Ozpin and Oscar. Two and a half pieces, on second thought. Ozpin and Oscar made it complicated.

"What now?" Jaune asked, looking to Oscar and knowing Ozpin would hear. "You wanted us to go to Haven. Well, we're here. Are you going to tell us what comes next? Or maybe what your plan is in the first place?"

"In good time, Mr Arc. First, I need to speak to my old friend, Leonardo."

Yang and Nora grumbled, neither missing the evasion. Jaune couldn't even bring himself to do that. He'd come to expect it.

"And then…?"

"And then we will consider our next destination," Ozpin said calmly. "Qrow, come with me. There's little telling if Leonardo will believe my story without you present. The rest of you should wait here for now. Once I've spoken with the headmaster, we can see about getting you all some temporary accommodation. Try not to wander."

"We're not kids, you know," Yang growled as the two left. Once they were out of sight, she sighed dramatically and slumped down onto a stone bench. There were some students walking around, some of which gave them interested looks. None dared approach. "So, what are the odds he tells us the truth. Do I have twenty to one?"

"More like that's a fool's bet," Nora quipped, sitting down next to her. "Ten million to one at least."

"C-Come on, guys. I'm sure Ozpin has his reasons…"

"Oh yeah, he has his reasons alright, Ruby. His reasons are that he doesn't trust us with the information. And that he doesn't trust _me_ full stop." Yang jerked a thumb at her chest. "Not that it makes much of a difference if he did or not. None of you know what he's planning."

"It's got to be for the best, though. He's the headmaster of Beacon."

"Not anymore he isn't. That'd be Miss Goodwitch by now. Look, Ruby, you can't just implicitly trust everything he says or does because of what he is. He was the headmaster, yes, but he's also apparently immortal, so it's not like he had to work very hard at that."

"But he fought and _died_ to defend Beacon."

"Death doesn't exactly mean much to him. As for defending Beacon, if he knew about all this stuff with Salem and everything, then why was Beacon so poorly defended? You can't say he did a good job defending it. We had Torchwick running wild across the city, White Fang working in broad daylight and Hentacle getting away with whatever he wanted right under Ozpin's nose. No offence, babe."

"None taken?" Jaune half-asked.

"Point is, if he wants _me_ to follow him, I'm going to need more than just his assurance he has our best interests at heart. And no," Yang snapped. "That's not Yin talking or affecting me. He's just sat here trying to sneak eyes out my wrist because he's curious!" The last was growled to her arm as she clamped her other hand down over her wrist. "Stop it!"

Ruby laughed, but it was nervous and didn't quite reach her eyes. Out of all of them, she was the one most in favour of trusting Ozpin, though Jaune wasn't sure why. Trust in authority, perhaps? Was Ruby so idealistic that she saw everyone as being trustworthy? Well, she'd trusted him, and they'd all seen how bad an idea that was.

"We could sneak off right now," Nora said. "No one's watching."

Jaune shook his head. "We'd have to steal a Bullhead and that would be noticed. I can't summon any Grimm here. Apart from the fact everyone would try and kill them – and me – Sapphire might have cut off my access to them. They could just as easily try to capture me as help. Yang's are still loyal since Sapphire didn't realise about her, but they're too small."

"No walking then," Yang said. "You sure you can convince the headmaster here to give us a Bullhead?"

"I think so. According to Uncle Watts, Leonardo Lionheart is _terrified_ of mom and basically a huge coward. He actually works for mom."

"Wait, he actually works for her?" Yang asked.

"Out of fear, but yes."

"As in, he does whatever she says?"

"Yeah."

"Leonardo Lionheart."

"Yes."

"The same person we just left Ozpin and Qrow to go and talk to?"

"Yeah…"

"Ozpin, who Salem despises and wants to kill, and who is currently helpless in the body of an innocent fifteen-year-old boy. And Qrow, who by what you said _groped_ one of your sisters, and then nearly _slept_ with another."

"Yes. Is this going somewhere?"

"It is. So, we want to avoid trouble and _definitely_ avoid anything that might draw your mom's attention on us."

"That would be a good idea, yes."

"And yet you let those two go off to talk to Leonardo Lionheart, confirmed traitor and informant, alone."

"Yea- Oh. Oh…" Jaune's face drained of colour as he caught onto Yang's point. This was going to get back to his mom. This was going to get back to her _fast_ , along with any other members of his family in the surrounding area. Traps, ambushes, and the possibility of all-out war. Worse, the whole point of coming to Leo was to intimidate him into providing a Bullhead, but he contacted Salem first, she'd give different orders. There was no way Leo would go against those. "Oh, crap."

"We should get out now while he have a chance," Yang said.

"We can't." Ruby said. "Weiss promised to meet us here."

"Yeah, her and all of Salem's forces once she realises he's here." Yang nodded in his direction. "You ready for the Battle of Beacon 2.0? Because I'm not. I'm down an arm and still getting used to having Yin replace it, not to mention being a teenage parent."

"But if we go on the run, we'll have to keep running," Nora pointed out. "That means we can't stop for Blake and Ren. It's not like we can _swim_ to the Grimmlands either. We need Bullheads."

"So? Let's steal them. We can fly by Menagerie to pick Ren and Blake up."

"Can you fly a Bullhead?"

"No, but I can ride a motorbike. How hard can it be?"

"I don't want to die…"

"No one is going to die," Jaune said. "And we're not stealing a Bullhead, either. I'll just have to talk with Leo once Ozpin and Qrow are done. Privately. Before he can contact mom or Uncle Watts. I'll convince him to side with us."

Yang relaxed, as did Ruby. "You sure you can manage that?" Yang asked. "Not that I don't trust you, babe, but you're… not exactly the _best_ when it comes to talking to people. Or, you know, being diplomatic at all."

"What? I'm okay."

"No. You stopped us attacking you and Torchwick by threatening to molest Ruby." Yang ignored Ruby's red cheeks and awkward expression. Jaune ignored how Ruby was rubbing her legs together. "Then you managed to convince Adam you were on his side by getting into an all-out brawl with the Atlas military."

"I managed to convince Ozpin I have a Grimm-sense Semblance."

"Yeah, because Ozpin and Qrow basically threw away the possibility of you being Hentacle because it would be really, really _dumb_ for the Prince of the Grimm to literally come to Beacon Academy, the premier school for people who kill Grimm." Yang counted off the points on her fingers, making him sag further with each one. "All I'm saying is that you're not exactly subtle. And that your `diplomacy` has mostly been you brute forcing things and hoping for the best. Or that people believe you because the truth is even more ridiculous."

" **She's got a point,"** Remy said.

"I know, I know," Jaune replied to the both of them. "Trust me. I'll do better this time. I'll be as subtle as needs be. Just have a little faith."

Yang relented with a sigh.

"Well… okay…"

/-/

Leonardo Lionheart slammed into the back wall with a black tentacle wrapped around his throat.

"You will do what I demand or my mother shall hear of it," Jaune hissed, face white as paper, angry lines cutting across his skin towards his bright-red eyes. "Do you understand me, Lionheart?"

" **Somehow, I'm not sure this is what your mate had in mind…"**

" _Eh. Close enough."_

Okay, not really, but sneaking away from Qrow and Ozpin took time, and only worked when Yang and Ruby started to distract them. By the time he'd reached Leo's office, it was in time to see him trying to patch a call through the CCT.

And yeah, that _could_ have been to a really nice pizza delivery place in Vacuo that somehow did cross-continental deliveries, but he wasn't about to take any chances. Really, negotiations hadn't so much devolved as never existed in the first place. These were, after all, his first lines on entering the office.

Wow. Was Yang _right_ about him being bad at this…?

"W-W-Why?" Leo choked.

Jaune blinked. "Why will my mother hear of it, or why should you do what I say? I'd have thought those would have been obvious. Am I somehow not recognisable like this? I do have white hair, white skin and red eyes. Would you like a sign saying `progeny of Salem` or something?"

"N-Not that," Leo rasped, eyes rolling back. "W-Why are you choking me?"

"Oh, right." Jaune dropped him.

Leo fell to his knees and gasped for air. His hands clutched his abused neck, massaging it. His eyes were red, and about ready to pop out his skull. Okay, on hindsight, the choking might not have been the best method of introduction. Then again, what did he know? Ruby really seemed to like stuff like that and this _was_ Mistral, home of the creepy comics she liked so much.

Ew. Maybe he shouldn't be waving his tentacles around in front of this guy.

"I would have it said that I have a girlfriend," Jaune said.

Leo looked up. "What?"

"A girlfriend. I have one. Just so you know."

"That's… nice?"

"It is," Jaune agreed.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Just so you know. So that there are no... misunderstandings."

"Um. Okay? Noted?"

"Good." Jaune had the odd sensation the conversation was leaving his control. "Leonardo Lionheart, I am here to demand your obedience. You know who I am. You know what I am capable of. You know what will happen to you if you disobey me."

"I-I do," Leo whimpered. "You'll throw me to Coral!"

"I- Wait, what? No, never mind. Yes. Yes, I will do that thing." Really, mom? Really? "You do not want to test me. Now, stand. Sit back behind your desk so we may talk like adults."

"B-But I was sat behind my desk when you burst through the door an-"

Jaune raised a dangerous eyebrow, thankful again for the fact he couldn't blush when his face was like this. Oh, he could still feel embarrassed – like he did right now – but it didn't show.

"Sitting," Leo said, righting his chair and planting himself down in it.

"Good. Ozpin and Qrow spoke to you earlier," Jaune said. "Tell me what they talked to you about."

"Accommodation mostly. And supplies. They wanted somewhere to stay for a day or two and enough supplies for a journey. They wanted some huntsmen too, but numbers are low ever since the attack on Beacon. There was a lot of negativity here and the Grimm have been picking them off one by one."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Jaune said.

"Huh? But I'm the one who killed them all."

"…"

"Weren't those your orders?"

"Did my mother explicitly instruct it?"

"No, but with the attack on Beacon. I mean, I just assumed…"

By Salem, this man was some kind of psychopath. Or an idiot. Definitely a coward. Probably all three and a whole lot more. On the bright side, he knew his mom wasn't responsible for all the deaths here, but he already knew that since if she wanted people dead, she'd come do it herself.

She was hands-on like that.

"Stop doing that," Jaune said. "And make sure Ozpin and Qrow get whatever they want, but I need you to delay. Take time gathering supplies. Make whatever excuses you must."

"And then we ambush them?"

"No."

"So, I poison them?"

"What? No!"

Leo looked confused. "Then, what do I do?"

"Nothing! You do nothing! For the love of Salem, man, just sit still and don't do anything. Also, if a Weiss Schnee comes here or calls, you're to do whatever you can to encourage her visit. Help her in any way possible."

"Ah, so you can gather all your enemies in one spot. Genius."

"You know what? Yes. That is exactly what I'm doing. Just… wait for further instructions from me and don't _do_ anything. No ambushes. No attacks. No dastardly plans and _no_ bothering Salem, Watts or anyone else. I am the only one you need answer to. Am I understood? Delay on the supplies and keep Ozpin busy. In the meantime, I'm going to need you to gather _more_ supplies, and also a Bullhead and a talented pilot."

"Yes, of course. Anything you wish, just tell me. I'll get it done."

"I'll be in touch, Leo."

Jaune stood and allowed his tentacles to rear up behind him, though out of reach – just in case Leo thought it a proposition. He was already in a relationship, thanks. Luckily, Leo seemed suitably cowed and sat slouched in his chair, sweating profusely.

Satisfied with the results, if not the way they'd been achieved, Jaune nodded and let himself out of the office, transforming back into his human form as he did.

"See?" he said to Remy. "I handled that okay. Cut off a nasty encounter before it could get worse and saved us a pointless fight."

" **You know, I think you did."** Remy was as surprised as he felt. **"Good job."**

Nothing could go wrong now.

/-/

Weiss ran a finger over the hilt of Myrtenaster, relieved to have it back at her side once more. The soldiers, unlike her father, had no issue with her being armed. They knew her capability, as did Winter, sat opposite her with eyes closed, catching what sleep she could. Emerald was asleep on the other side of Weiss. Her head had fallen onto Weiss' shoulder several minutes ago.

It was finally time to reunite with her team once more and given that she was acting on her father's instructions, he could not disown her. Not with Whitley's reputation as it was. Now all she needed to do was catch up with her team, rescue Pyrrha and sort out their issues.

Shouldn't be too hard. How much trouble could they have gotten up to without her?

/-/

Blake strapped herself into the seat alongside her team and took a deep breath. She needed it to calm her nerves, and her anger. The ramp closed, engines whirring to life as it powered up. The White Fang – or the fanatics, anyway – were on the march.

"For Adam!"

"Blessed be he!"

"In his name!"

Blake's eyes twitched harder.

Sun leaned forward two seats down and grinned. "For rabies?"

"Shut up, Sun."

/-/

"He's here. I can sense him."

The Beowolf in front of her snuffled curiously at the palm of her hand. Sapphire allowed it, controlling her anger lest she hurt the poor thing. It was just curious, trying to comfort her in its own way.

But she would not be. Not after what that _rapscallion_ did to her.

He would pay for that. He would pay _dearly_.

/-/

"I spy with my little eye, something beginning with S."

"Sky."

"You got it! You next. Go on."

Cinder sighed. "Tyrian, if you don't shut up, I will _launch_ you from this vehicle."

"Aww…"

/-/

Raven scowled and ran a whetstone down the length of her blade. It shouldn't have had to come to this, but it had and there was no going back. Her own flesh and blood had been possessed by Salem, and even now was reuniting with Ozpin.

No doubt they would seek the Relics, and eventually come for her. They might even try to kill her and take the power from her body. Unless they were dealt with first.

Her tent-flap parted, and Vernal stepped through, falling to one knee.

"The Tribe awaits your command, Raven."

"Tell them to prepare. Prepare for a raid."

/-/

Coral giggled as she looked out over the academy before her.

"You can run, but you can't hide. An Arc always gets their nookie."

/-/

Jaune grinned as he caught Yang's eye. She made her excuses and slid over, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek and a subtle nudge with her elbow. "So, you managed to sort things out, or should we expect everything to go wrong any minute now?"

"Talk about a lack of faith. I managed to talk Leo down _and_ prevent him getting in touch with Salem. That's pretty much all the variables dealt with. We're going to be absolutely fine."

"Really? I'm impressed. You're not normally so dependable."

Jaune laughed.

"Don't worry. I've got everything under control."

* * *

 **Jaune's plans being about as sound as the ones he makes in Relic. Jaune "Don't worry; it's all under control" Arc reporting for duty. Please ignore the burning everything behind me, along with the hordes of Grimm and the four horsemen of the apocalypse. They're just here for the food. Honest.**

 **At least it's not all Jaune's fault. Some of it is Qrow's.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 23** **rd** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	80. Chapter 80

**Here we go. The battle of the fives armies approaches (in so far as some of them can be called an army, lol.) The true irony is that Tyrian and Cinder alone probably** _ **still**_ **count as a more effective army than all of the White Fang. Or at least the trash-tier White Fang which attacked Haven in the show. What the hell? They were useless!**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 80**

* * *

"It's not that easy," Leonardo explained to Ozpin, hands opened wide. "After Beacon was attacked, panic spread across Mistral and Grimm activity spiked. The roads aren't safe, not even from Mistral to Haven. There have been numerous deaths as a result and our resources are stretched thin. It will take time to gather the supplies you need."

"And nothing can be done to expedite the process? Could we not requisition some of Haven's food?"

"And leave my students to starve? I think not."

Ozpin sighed. His frustration was obvious, but Leonardo kept a straight expression, proving that his acting skills when _not_ being pushed up against a wall by a tentacle were top notch. Jaune flashed the others a quick wink. Yang and Nora managed a straight face, but Ruby had to hide her smile in a sudden burst of coughing.

"If that's how it is, that's how it is," Qrow said. "We need supplies, Oz. We can wait."

"I don't want us to be slowed down."

"Ah, what's the worst that can happen?"

"With _your_ Semblance?"

"It's been quiet lately," Qrow said. "I think it's taking a break."

"Semblance or not, I can't magic the supplies up any quicker," Leo interrupted. "I'm sorry, Ozpin."

"No, no. Your efforts are already enough. Thank you, old friend." With a sigh, Ozpin turned to their team. "It looks like we shall be staying here for a few days longer. I would advise everyone train while they are able. Mr Arc, Miss Xiao-Long, may I ask a minute of your time? Qrow, why don't you help the others with a little sparring."

Qrow took the hint for what it was and led Ruby and Nora away, while Yang shot Jaune a nervous look. He shrugged back. There was no telling what was up with Ozpin, but he was at least ninety per cent sure it wasn't that he'd been found out.

Leonardo said his own farewells, pausing for a second to meet Jaune's eyes before he looked away. He clearly knew who had come last night, but he at least managed not to let it show. Ozpin led Yang and he to a more secluded area, an outside table and chairs in a beautiful garden-like addition to the school. Considering how nice it was, but also how abandoned, it had to be a VIP or visitor-only meeting area.

It didn't _look_ like a place Ozpin would take them to for a fight – and Oscar's body wasn't exactly as threatening as Qrow. When Ozpin sat down and asked a nearby woman to fetch them some drinks, Jaune allowed himself to relax.

Yang wasn't quite able to relax as much, and only managed to wait until _after_ the woman had returned with their drinks to speak. "So, what's the matter?"

"Nothing to worry about, just-" Ozpin cut off.

Jaune stared.

Yang failed to notice the thin, straw-like tendril of black matter that crept out from her wrist and dipped its head into the coffee before her. It started to flex and undulate, and the contents of the cup were quickly drained.

"What?" Yang demanded.

"N-Nothing." Ozpin coughed. "Where was I? Oh yes, we're going to be trapped in Haven for a few days, so I thought it best the three of us had this meeting now."

"What kind of meeting? Parent-teacher conference?"

Jaune choked, and for the first time considered himself lucky to have had Beacon put on hold when it was. A few months later and his parents would have been expected to come in and meet with Miss Goodwitch. That might have been awkward.

"Not quite," Ozpin said with a little chuckle. It didn't quite sound right coming from Oscar's mouth. Too high-pitched. Too childish. "Although this does involve your parents in a way."

The two stiffened, and for very different reasons.

"Raven," Ozpin began.

Yang became defensive. "What of her? She's _not_ my mother."

"I can understand your feelings there, Yang," Ozpin said calmly, using her first name at last. "After what she tried to do to you, I would be surprised if you harboured any familial feelings for her at all." He paused and looked to Jaune. "Do you feel the same way about her?"

 _Why is he asking me?_

Yang kicked him under the table.

"Y-Yeah, of course. No mother tries to kill her own daughter."

"I see." Ozpin sighed. "While regrettable, that is not necessarily a bad thing. It will make life easier at least."

"What's going on here?" Yang finally asked. "You called us here to talk about that woman. Least you can do is be honest with us for once."

"Honest? Why, I am always honest with y-" Ozpin winced. "Oscar, not now. I'll cut to the chase," he said hurriedly. "Oscar does not quite understand the necessity of allowing me control sometimes. When you were challenged by your m – by Raven – you said that she exhibited additional powers, including control over the elements, correct?"

"Yeah. It was a little out there, since I thought I knew what her Semblance was from Dad and Uncle Qrow. That _definitely_ wasn't portals."

"No. And I can personally guarantee her Semblance _was_ portals only," Ozpin said. "It seems to me that Raven has become a maiden like Miss Nikos did, most likely the Spring Maiden."

"What makes you say spring?" Jaune asked.

"We'd long believed the Spring Maiden was seeking shelter with Raven's tribe," Ozpin explained. "It doesn't surprise me you were unaware. Raven would keep such knowledge hidden, even to those she professed to trust. It seems, however, that our information was out of date. Raven did not harbour the Spring Maiden; she _killed_ the Spring Maiden."

"And took on her powers," Yang finished. "Is that such a problem, though? You said your job was to protect the maidens. Sure, Raven is a bitch, but at least she's strong. She can look after herself."

"It's not quite that simple. You see, the Maidens are not an end unto themselves, but a means of accessing something else. There is a vault here in Mistral that Salem and her people desire to enter. Within it lays an artefact of some power – to those who know how to use it."

Yang put two and two together. "And the Spring Maiden is the key?"

"One maiden for each, but Mistral houses spring, yes."

"And each maiden opens a different vault?"

"Yes. Any one of the Relics would be devastating in the wrong hands. It was imperative they be locked away, and behind a door no normal man could open. Or any _man_ at all. Unfortunately, Raven is not what we could call an ideal candidate."

"Question!"

Yang and Ozpin turned to look at Jaune, who had a hand in the air like he was in class. Considering Ozpin was a teacher himself, he didn't bat an eyelid in answering. "Yes, Mr Arc?"

"If the Relics are so important and the vaults are to protect them, why would someone make it so that you only need one maiden to open it?"

"I'm not sure I understand the question."

"Well, why not have it so every vault requires _all four_ Maidens? Or maybe have a locking system that _doesn't_ involve keys that our passed along to the last female under the age of thirty the host thinks of when they die. Doesn't exactly seem safe…"

"A-Ah, well…" Ozpin coughed into his fist. "I'm sure that the original creator of the vaults was strapped for time. Dark times and all that."

"Yeah, but safes, vaults and locks are normally meant so that the only one who can enter is the one who locked the item away. What's the point of it if you make the key so that _anyone_ can inherit it?"

"That is… a good question… One I sadly do not have an answer for. The Ancient Mage did it."

"He must have been a complete idiot, then," Yang said.

"Ahem. I'm sure it's not quite that bad, Miss Xiao-Long."

"Even a combination lock would be safer," Jaune said, shaking his head. "Or a combination which _uses_ the maidens if the guy was that married to the idea of magical girls. I mean, I can't really think of a _less safe_ way to hide away an item of incredible, potentially world-ending power than to use magical keys which determine the next owner by an arbitrary age and `thought` rating."

"You could attach it to a piece of equipment and carry it around randomly," Yang joked. "That would be pretty dumb."

Ozpin pulled his cane back against him and scowled. Or he tried to. Oscar's young face made it more of a pout. "Well, there's no point arguing the matter now, is there? This is simply how it is, and I think we all need to trust that the Ancient Mage had something in mind when he planned it this way."

"Yeah," Yang joked. "Sure. So, you're worried Raven will try and take the Relic for herself?"

"The thought did cross my mind, but a bigger concern is Salem's forces finding Raven and taking it from her. Raven will not trust us enough to come with us for her own protection, nor will she open the vault for us and allow us to safeguard the Relic. As such, she is a dangerously weak link in the chain that represents the survival of Remnant."

"Makes sense. So, what do you want us to do about it?"

"We need to sort this mess out," Ozpin said calmly. "I've made overture after overture to her and she refuses to work with me, or Qrow. I have no idea why. Regardless, diplomacy has failed, and with Beacon having been attacked and the Fall Maiden taken, I fear we are out of time. Though it pains me to admit it, I believe we must _take_ what we need from her."

Jaune and Yang exchanged worried looks. "You want us to _kill_ Raven?" he asked.

"I would prefer we not," Ozpin said, quickly waving one hand before them. "I wouldn't ask that of you two, not with your connections to her. It would be enough for us to defeat and bring her with us as a prisoner. From there, we could use her to open the vault, take the Relic and then let her go."

"Wait, so the vaults don't even need the maiden to be willing!?"

"Can we leave the criticisms of the vault security until another time?" Ozpin snapped. "Times were dark, and I'd like to see you do better. Or I would, if this wasn't all a hypothetical situation."

Yang rolled her eyes. "We know you're the wizard, Ozpin. It's not exactly subtle…"

"I've no idea what you mean. And we are talking about Raven. I am asking the two of you in private because I need to know if you will be prepared to do what must be done. Will you fight against Raven if it is asked of you? Against your own family?"

"She _isn't_ family," Yang growled. "I'll do whatever I have to, though I don't want to kill her. She's not worth that."

Ozpin nodded. "And you, Mr Arc?"

Wait, Ozpin was asking him too? Was this because he was dating Yang, or just something else? His hesitation cost him, Ozpin leaning in closer, pressing the issue. Yang sent him a meaningful glare, one that said he'd _better_ be prepared to help her.

"Sure," he said. "I think she forfeited parent status after she tried to kill Yang. I'll have no problem."

"I'm glad to hear it," Ozpin said, relaxing at last. "I felt it best to get this out in the air and prevent any problems later, but I'm relieved to see you understand the importance of this action. Now then, if you'll excuse me, Oscar won't stop staring at Miss Xiao-Long's breasts and I'm going to take a break. He needs to go beat one out or whatever it is kids your age do to deal with their rampant hormones."

Oscar's body went slack – and then stiffened a second later, cheeks turning very red as the young boy regained control of his body, if not the situation. He stammered and looked away, shoulders hunched up so hard it hid his face from view.

Yang sighed. "Want me to pretend I didn't hear that?"

"Please…" Oscar whimpered.

/-/

The meeting between them had been a private one, so it was inevitable that the very second it was over, Ruby and Nora were informed in full. Ruby was torn up over the idea of Yang having to fight Raven, but more out of concern for what that might do to Yang than any affection toward the woman who'd abandoned her father and sister.

"I'll be fine, Ruby," Yang said, stroking the younger girl's hair. "I already fought her once. Kind of hard to want to spare her when she was perfectly willing to kill not only me, but Yin too."

Yang's arm flexed and grew a little, they being in private and so safe for Yin to reveal himself. He still couldn't speak, or at least speak human, but he could make gestures and did so here, forming a cartoonish sad-face on Yang's arm.

"Aw, it's okay," Ruby said, not at all squeamish in patting Yin on the face. "Auntie Ruby won't let the bad woman get you."

"Moving on from that, Ozpin wants us to grab the Relic here and keep it on us." Jaune leaned forward meaningfully. "I think I've figured out his plan. He wants us to go and collect each of the Relics."

Ruby, Yang, Nora and even Yin stared at him.

"Um. Yeah. I… I think we all figured that one out."

"Oh…"

"But good job!" Ruby said, a little flimsily.

Yang patted his head as he sulked. "I think what my genius boyfriend is getting at is that now that we know what his plan is, we can start thinking about what we want to do about it. Ozpin wants us to grab the Relic from here, and chances are the others are in Atlas, Vale and Vacuo. I doubt he'd have put one on Menagerie, and I hope to hell he didn't put one in the Grimmlands."

"This _is_ Ozpin," Jaune warned. "I wouldn't put it past him."

"He wants us to go in a circle?" Nora didn't sound pleased. "That'll take a year at least – not to mention any fighting we get caught up in along the way and finding the maidens and getting them to work with us. We'd be saying goodbye to any chance of rescuing Pyrrha. And what does he even want them for?"

"Some kind of weapon," Jaune said, bringing them to silence. He felt the pressure too, the fear. "If he wanted to keep the Relics away from Mom, he could just leave them where they are and deal with the maidens. Protect or move them around. But he wants to _collect_ them, and he said they'd be deadly in the _wrong hands_."

"But probably useful in the right ones, or at least from his perspective," Yang said. "If anyone knows how to use them, it'll be him."

"And he's use them to kill my mom. And probably me and my sisters, too."

"And me," Yang finished.

Ruby gasped. "Yang, no! He wouldn't. Uncle Qrow would _never_ let that happen!"

"Uncle Qrow wouldn't have much of a choice if Ozpin had all that power," Yang said. "I'm not saying he's a bad guy, but he wants to kill all the Grimm. A year ago, I'd have said that was a good thing, but like it or not, I'm part Grimm now. Ozpin's not going to let a loose end like that hang around, not when any kids I have might become the next Salem." Yang's eyes spread around the room. "We need to decide what to do. And right now."

Time to choose. Jaune stayed quiet for a long minute, already knowing his answer but wanting to give the others a chance to think, or maybe speak if they wanted to. No one did. Nora was frustrated and had her eyes closed, while Ruby was biting her lip so hard it turned white.

Eventually, the silence was too much, and he spoke, "I'm not doing it. I'm not going to help someone collect a weapon capable of slaughtering my entire family. I just won't. If it comes to it, I'll fight against Ozpin."

"Same," Yang said. "Not the last bit, at least not yet. I'll be frank, if Salem wants to kill all humans, I'll try and put her down, but a genocide isn't the way and I have Yin to think of. Whatever Ozpin and Qrow think, Yin's my son. Raven tried to kill him, and I was prepared to kill her to protect him."

"I don't know," Nora said. "I'll do whatever Ren decides. It's a coward's answer, I know, but Ren and I decide everything together. I can't make a decision now."

"Fair enough," Yang said. "What about you, Rubes?"

"I…" Ruby swallowed. Her entire frame shook. "I want to rescue Pyrrha. She's my partner."

"Even if that means going against Ozpin and Uncle Qrow?"

"Even then," she whispered. "A-And it's not like we're _fighting_ them or anything, is it?"

"No, of course not." Yang looked relieved to have Ruby on board and laughed. "I just mean we'll be going against what they want. They might try and push the issue, and we might have to fight our way away from them if Qrow tries to stop us, but we're not _fighting_ him. Just splitting up. If it feels like you can't do that, leave it to me and Jaune. I'm pretty sure we can take Uncle Qrow on."

"Okay. What about Ozpin?"

"He's in the body of a fourteen-year-old. What's he going to do?"

/-/

This was all a dream, Pyrrha decided.

No, it was a terrible alternate reality she'd been thrown into. A terrible, terrible one. One in which she was stood outside a stone door leading into a chamber that seemed to _ooze_ malice. Salem's furious screams had split the tower for two days now and didn't seem likely to abate anytime soon. Mannie, the giant, deadly Beowolf, spent the day hiding under Pyrrha's bed.

Or he did, until Watts came in, threw a costume at Pyrrha and told her to get changed. It was time for her to possibly save the world.

Which was how she found herself out in the corridor dressed in a frilly, black and white maid costume, feeling that the skirt was several _feet_ too short, not to mention the bodice that plunged down so far it was a miracle her breasts didn't pop out at any moment.

"W-What am I supposed to do? And why am I dressed like this?"

"She won't kill you," the very dangerous criminal with the moustache said. "You're just about the only person who can go in there and not be killed. Other than her children and husband, that is."

"A-And what about them? Why can't Jade or Hazel go in?"

"Just because they _can_ face her wrath, does not mean they wish to."

"And I do!?"

"No, but you're at least technically our prisoner." Watts pushed the door open, placed a tray in her hands and then shoved her inside. "Good luck!"

Son of a…

Pyrrha swallowed as Salem's attention turned on her, eyes blazing so red they might have been mistaken for magma. Pyrrha froze, suddenly aware of in how many different ways she could die right then and there, before the moment passed and Salem looked away with an animalistic growl.

What was it she was supposed to say?

"U-Um. I-I've brought some tea?"

What came from Salem's mouth might have been words but might just as easily have been a string of impossible sounds trapped somewhere between rock grinding on rock and what she imagined the Grim Reaper would speak like.

Well, she'd tried. Time to go hide under the bed with her Beowolf, right?

But no. Watts had already told her what might happen if Salem's fury wasn't handled. It would be taken out on someone, and probably not anyone here. Vale, Mistral, Vacuo or Atlas. Which did Pyrrha most want to condemn to death?

None, obviously. She stepped further into the room.

"It's herbal tea. Watts said it's your favourite."

No answer. Maybe that was a good thing. Pyrrha kept her eyes focused ahead as she moved in and placed the tray down on a nearby table, taking one mug and pouring it. She held the saucer out to Salem, who took it with a hiss.

"S-So, I've been a prisoner here for a while…"

"Your point?" Salem asked. It was not a question delivered in a kind voice, and Pyrrha flinched.

"Um, well." Oh Gods, what had Watts said to do? Oh yeah. Nothing. He'd just said to calm her down and provided exactly _no_ tips on how to manage that.

 _Think, Pyrrha. Think. I've been here long enough to know how she works._

"I was thinking that maybe we could talk. Maybe talk about what's made you so upset?" Pyrrha wilted as Salem was reminded of her ire and her eyes began to glow again. The cup in her hand rattled dangerously. "Or we can just spend some time together," Pyrrha said. "You know, bonding. Like mother-"

"What was that?"

Pyrrha froze. Salem's gaze had sharpened but was no longer burning with quite so much intensity. "Eh?"

"What did you just say?" Salem asked again, leaning closer.

What had she-? Oh, the mother-son bonding. Except that she'd not had a chance to finish and Salem was now looking at her with incredible focus and the rage-murder aura had dissipated, though it was still there on the edges, threatening to return.

Pyrrha knew what Salem wanted. Swallowing her pride, and the fear of what Yang would do to her if she found out, Pyrrha managed a shaky smile.

"Mother-daughter bonding," she said.

Salem's eyes lit up.

"B-Because you're Jaune's mom, so that kind of means… maybe… my mom, too. In law…"

Yang was going to _kill_ her.

"My daughter!" Salem cried, lunging forward suddenly. Pyrrha only had the time to close her eyes before a hundred and forty-pounds of technically evil Goddess slash murder-beast crashed into her, wrapping her arms around Pyrrha's shoulders. "Say it again! Say it again!"

Pyrrha cringed.

"M-Mom…"

"Aieeeee!"

"D-Did you want to talk about whatever made you angry, S- Mom," she amended, right as Salem leaned back and gave her a piercing stare.

"You know what, I think we shall!" Salem stood. "WATTS!"

The door opened again. Watts didn't poke his head in – he was smarter than that – but he did call through. "Yes, my Queen?"

"My daughter-in-law and I." Salem paused to savour the word and shiver happily. "We're going to be spending some time together bonding. And I'm going to get a _woman's_ perspective on how to handle this problem of ours. Fetch us some wine. The finest we have."

"And ice-cream, my Queen? I hear it is a staple for these types of meetings."

"Yes. Fetch us all the ice-cream! We're going to be here all night."

Booze, ice-cream and now a night spent in the throne room. Pyrrha wasn't sure _why_ she'd invited herself to a sleepover with the Queen of the Grimm, but somehow, she had. Worse, Salem was now snapping pictures of the two of them together, making Pyrrha poses in a variety of cute, not-so-cute and downright-erotic poses. All for her Nicky-poo, she claimed, though the latter ones would make their way to Jaune, Pyrrha suspected. The thought had her blushing to the roots of her hair, a fact which only made Salem croon even more.

 _Well, at least with me distracting Salem everyone else will be okay. It's not like she'll be able to plot any terrible attacks on any of the other academies._

"Now, lean forward, wink at the camera and blow a kiss, and make sure to show a little skin for my little boy! Absence may make the heart grow fonder, but I'll tell you now, racy pics get a _much better_ response."

The things she did to save Remnant.

/-/

"We'll be arriving at Haven soon, ma'am," one of the soldiers said, now dressed in SDC uniforms, and looking somewhat irritated about the fact. They were proud soldiers of Atlas, after all, and to be seen dressed like this probably made them feel like mercenaries.

The SDC's private security arm – which acted more like its own military than actual security – didn't have the best reputation among the armed forces of Atlas. That was something Weiss quickly learned on the journey. They were calmer with Winter here, and at least relieved to learn Weiss wasn't anything like Jacques was.

"Thank you," Weiss said, nodding to the man. Once he was gone, she peeked out of the window, watching the rolling forests below. It reminded her of Vale, though the trees were slightly different. It was still very different to Atlas.

"Looking forward to meeting up with your friends again?" Winter asked. She was sat on a seat opposite her.

"I am. Assuming Ruby followed my instructions and remained at Haven. If she did not…" Well, the less said about what Weiss would do, the better. Ruby wasn't normally bad at doing what she was told, but Jaune was a terrible, terrible influence on her.

The comics said it well enough.

"I suppose this is your victory, then," Winter said. "You've outsmarted father and found your way back to your team. Whitley's reputation is damaged, so your position as heiress is secure for at least a few months. Half a year, perhaps."

It would be enough, Weiss hoped. This assignment was a long-term one anyway, and she'd be expected to stay in Mistral until the supply line was up and running. Father wouldn't notice if she slipped away with her team, so long as she ensured he received regular reports from someone in Haven. Hopefully, that wouldn't be too hard to arrange.

"In a way, you've done what I could not," Winter continued. "I won my freedom, but at the expense of my name and birth right. I was happy to accept that, but I knew you never would be. I'm impressed, Weiss. Impressed and proud."

Weiss inclined her head. "Thank you."

A colder response than Winter was used to. She frowned at it, but Weiss ignored her for once. Perhaps it was unfair, but sometimes, especially now with what she'd had to do, Weiss wondered if Winter hadn't taken the easy way out. She'd been kicked out of the family at fifteen or sixteen, leaving Weiss with an uncaring father and an alcohol-abusing mother, along with their little brother. Neither of them had been strong enough to resist their father's influence, but Winter could have protected them. Could have helped them.

But she didn't. She valued her freedom more.

Weiss would never blame Winter for that, but she wouldn't fully forgive her, either. In the end it didn't really matter. The past was through and life moved on. Better to ignore the regrets and focus instead on better times.

"How long will you be staying with your troops? Will you have time to have dinner with my team? I know I introduced you once before, but time was always short."

Winter's frown lessened and was soon replaced with a tiny smile. "I'll make time. There's no reason the investigation should begin on the first day. I'd rather give everyone time to settle down and acclimatise to their surroundings. It will also give you a day with your friends before we have to start thinking about any work. And there _will_ be work," Winter explained with a sigh. "Even if you intend to run off with your team, you'll still need to set the pieces of what father wants, or he'll disown you the moment you return."

"I know."

It was hard to know how much time she had to work with without discussing with her team, but either way, she'd not bust her back getting into this position just to sacrifice it all to Whitley once more. The SDC would get their alternative supply route to Vale, and once Pyrrha was rescued and everything was back in order, she'd return to Atlas and be officially recognised as the heiress.

From there, she would request a few years off to continue her huntress education, and her father – grateful for the work she'd done and finally convinced she would be a good heir – would practically be forced to grant her leave.

He'd be pleased to do so, in fact, since it would make it clear she didn't intend to force _him_ out of the company anytime soon. His only problem with her leaving the first time was that she'd been ambiguous on whether she would ever return to take over the company or not. Ambiguous, because she'd just not been sure.

Jacques Schnee did not deal in uncertainties. He wanted an heir, or heiress, and one that would be focused on the SDC name and business.

"We're coming in for our descent," the pilot called over the speaker systems. "Bravo One and Two will stay in the air and circle until our landing is secure. VIP to return to her seat and remain buckled in."

The view outside the window lurched as they came down, and Weiss caught a flash of colour, the distinctive architecture of Mistral, its tall, layered towers and wide, circular buildings. It was very different to Atlas, likely meant for warmer weather.

 _Those idiots better be waiting for me,_ she thought randomly.

If they made her come and find them after she'd just had the most stressful time in Atlas ever conceived, she would have them _beg_ for forgiveness on hands and knees.

The aircraft touched down. Weiss stood, Winter beside her, Emerald on the other side and a little behind, covering her back like a bodyguard might. By this point, Weiss trusted her to be all that and more. She'd earned her position.

The ramp slowly descended.

They were waiting for her, of course. Weiss felt her heart skip a beat, but she forced her expression to remain neutral, only stepping forward once one of the soldiers waved for her to do so. Her pace was measured, her eyes fixed straight ahead. Headmaster Leonardo Lionheart met her halfway, and though she wanted to brush past him and to her team, she paused as expected.

"Headmaster Lionheart, thank you for agreeing to house myself and my associates. I personally assure you we will be of no burden to you, and that we shall source our own accommodation within the week."

"It is no problem, Miss Schnee. Welcome to Mistral, and to Haven." The man's smile was genial. "I personally hope your initiative bears fruit. It would be a boon for Mistral to have an additional route of dust, and Haven could benefit from it passing right by our door, too."

"I'll do my best to have it operational as soon as possible." Weiss saw a chance to escape and took it. "In the meantime, have you met my sister, Winter? She oversees my guard and can handle all administrative duties. Isn't that right, Winter?"

"It – What?"

"Excellent," Leonardo said, turning to Winter, much to the older girl's shock. "Well, shall we reconvene in private and discuss business?"

"Y-Yes, of course." Winter shot Weiss an indignant frown but was far too polite to reject the headmaster.

Behind her, Emerald laughed into her hand.

Yes, it was cruel perhaps, but she just couldn't handle being dragged off for an hour or two of meetings when her teammates were standing awkwardly on the side-lines. Weiss strode towards them, forcing herself not to break into a run the entire time.

Evidently, Yang lost whatever grip she had on Ruby, because the younger girl met her halfway, striking Weiss with the force of a missile.

"Weiss!"

"Ruby, you dolt. Don't run into me like that!" Despite the words, Weiss didn't let Ruby escape. A fact she was fairly sure no one noticed. Her eyes sought her partner's over Ruby's head and she raised a dangerous eyebrow. "Well? Are you going to sit there staring, or are you going to come and greet your returned leader?"

Startled into action, Jaune sprinted forward. Hm, good. She still had it.

"It's good to see you Weiss!"

"Hm, you too." She allowed a tiny smile to surface. Very tiny. She'd missed this. "Even better to see you've somehow managed to stay in one piece in my absence. I'm genuinely impressed."

"What? Did you expect to arrive to the siege of Haven?"

"Something like that," Weiss muttered.

Jaune managed to somehow look happy and indignant at the same time. "I'm not that bad."

"No, you're worse. Frankly, I consider it a miracle you're all in one piece in the first place." Her eyes trailed over to Yang and Nora, but also two others beside her. "I imagine I have Mr Branwen to thank for keeping you in line."

The other stepped forward, spreading his arms. "It is good to see you again, Miss Schnee."

Weiss stared.

"Jaune! What on Remnant were you thinking!?" She broke free from Ruby and stalked toward her partner, jabbing a finger into his chest. "You are by _no means_ qualified to look after a child. I wouldn't entrust you with the life of a bottlefly!" She rounded on the small child and knelt, placing both hands on his shoulders and offering her best attempt at a friendly smile. "Did the blonde man take you away from your family? Don't worry, you can tell me."

"Um, Weiss," Jaune tried.

"Hush, Jaune. You should consider yourself lucky he's still alive. Considering he had you, Ruby and _Nora_ of all people to look after him, I'm surprised he's not been driven insane."

"Ahem," the small child said, eyes flat, one hand held before his mouth. "Miss Schnee, this is not necessary. It is I, Ozpin. Headmaster of Beacon."

Weiss stared a little longer, before she stood with a sigh and gave Jaune the flattest look she could manage.

"You've _already_ driven him insane? That has to be a record."

"It really is Ozpin," Qrow Branwen said, stepping forward with his own grin. "We'll tell you more about it later, but for now you'll just have to take it on faith."

"Hm. I'll believe that when I see proof."

Ozpin – or whomever the child was – managed to look exasperated and offended at the same time.

"Well, now that I am back, I think it's only fair I take over as team leader. Any objections?"

"Please take over," Yang said. "It's like herding cats. Guess we'll have to fill you in on what's going on, huh?"

"I'd appreciate that." Both the story and the chance to be alone with them. There was a _lot_ she wanted to talk to Jaune about. Things of the `Son of the Grimm Queen` variety. From the suspicious looks Yang and Nora were sending Emerald, there would have to be explanations on that end, too. Nothing that could be spoken of in front of all these hangers-on, not to mention Qrow and the little child they'd somehow adopted.

"We'll discuss our next steps once we've had a chance to relax," Weiss said. "I guess for now I should just be thankful that you haven't somehow started a war in my absence."

"I'm not _that_ bad," Jaune complained again.

"Give it time."

As if summoned by her words, a loud _BANG_ suddenly split the air, echoing angrily. Weiss flinched, and then turned with the others to stare up at one of her Bullheads, still circling the area, which now sported a dark plume of smoke from its side and was descending at an unhealthy rate.

The other spun immediately and jinked to the side, dodging a missile that rushed past, exploding into the trees on the far side of Haven. In the distance, dark shapes were approaching.

Before Weiss could so much as curse, gunfire split the air.

"Damn it, Jaune!"

"This isn't my fault!"

"It's _always_ your bloody fault," Weiss snarled, ducking for cover as gunfire from the Bullheads raked the landing strip. Weiss snatched up the little child and carried him with her, ignoring his overly-calm requests to be put down. She tucked him under one arm and ran. "I've been back in charge for _two minutes_ and I'm already regretting it. What. Did. You. Do!?"

"I did nothing!"

As if summoned by his words, the howls of Grimm in the distance split the air.

Jaune swallowed.

"I didn't do that, either."

Weiss cursed up a storm.

/-/

"Well, technically we rescued Ren and we're on our way back to Haven," Sun said. "That's, like, mission success, right?"

"Sun…" Blake warned.

It wasn't his fault she was so angry. It wasn't anyone's fault. Except Adam's, of course. It was all his fault. Deep breaths. Deep, calming, breaths. The attack on Haven had finally begun. The trap was sprung. Now, all they needed to do was find the Albain brothers, kill them, and let Sienna swoop in to save the day.

The Church of Adam would be crushed.

Blake kept telling herself that.

It was the only way to remain sane.

"By Adam's grace, that was a good shot."

"Adam guides my hand, brother."

"As he does my own," the first gunner laughed. "Long may Adam aid us."

"Ha ha! I could not agree more. Praise be unto Adam."

"Praise be!"

A large faunus suddenly stood at the front of the Bullhead, bringing the mass to silence, apart from the staccato blasts of the guns on the ship firing towards Haven. The man was a grizzled faunus with only one dog ear, the other having been torn free. He wore a long, red coat with Adam's rose symbol on the front. Around his neck was a golden chain with a stylised bull's face and horns.

 _Oh God, there's iconography now. By Adam's-_

Blake froze in abject horror.

No, no, no, no.

"The battle will soon begin, brothers and sisters. Today, we make our stand, as Adam did not so long ago. May your faith in Adam be your shield. May Adam's will guide you. Spare not the human, nor the non-believing faunus. Carry Adam's will as your torch. In Adam's light we trust!"

"In Adam's light," the entirety of the Bullhead chanted.

"Suffer not the human to live! Purge the heretic!"

"Adam wills it!"

The chants went on. Not ten words were strung together without Adam's name somehow being among it. Someone pulled out a ratty black book and started to sing. Her twitching increased tenfold when a few others started to pick up on the verse and chorus. Hymns. Adam had hymns. Bad hymns, but hymns nonetheless.

"Kill. Kill. Kill." Blake seethed, rocking back and forth in her seat. "Kill. Kill. Kill."

"Ha ha! That's the spirit, sister," a nearby faunus said, clapping her shoulder. "Together, we will show them the will of Adam." The brave, or more likely insane faunus, took Blake's shoulders in hand and pushed his face close to hers, smiling. "In you, I see true belief. Adam smiles on you, sister."

It took the combined efforts of Sun and Ren to hold her back. It hardly helped that those who saw her simply thought her overly eager to get started in Adam's name, and cheered her piety towards the one true lord.

"The rabies was meant to be a joke," Sun hissed.

"By Adam's name, she's eager to get started!"

Blake frothed at the mouth.

* * *

 **Poor Blake.**

 **Poor Pyrrha, who is doing her best for Remnant but forgetting one thing. Salem… kind of doesn't care about Remnant right now. As she said before, `every time I try to invade, you humans go and destroy yourselves before I can`. Looks like THAT trend is continuing.**

 **Ozpin really wishes he looked a little older, too. Trapped under Weiss' arm being hauled to safety, deadpan expression on his face. "I need a cup of coffee…"**

* * *

 **Omake:**

* * *

Blake struggled to catch her breath, eyes clenched shut against the insanity around her.

 _"Blake. Blaaaake."_

That voice. It was familiar. Her eyes snapped open.

A tiny figure popped into view on her shoulder. He was about two inches tall, slightly ethereal, and floating on some kind of ghostly tail.

Adam.

 _"I'm haunting you."_

"Arghhhhhhhhh!"

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 30** **th** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	81. Chapter 81

**So, yes, we're at a major battle – and as some noticed last chapter, this isn't going to be the kind of thing handled in a single chapter. It's the Battle of Beacon 2.0, now with more factions and more insanity.**

 **Now, I'm not saying I wanted S5 to end on a huge fight like this…**

 **But I kind of did.**

 **Plz, all of Adam and White Fang's fight was so bad…**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 81**

* * *

All Weiss could think while she ducked and dodged past gunfire tearing up the ground around her was, "I'm too old for this."

The fact she was still seventeen only depressed her further.

"Stay here," she said to the small child that may or may not have been Ozpin, putting him down behind a large rock. "You'll be safe." Maybe. Safer, certainly. "Don't make any noise and if you see a chance to get into Haven, take it. We'll try and distract the bad guys."

"Miss Schnee, I'm-"

"Yes, yes, that's adorable." Weiss peeked back over the rock and winced at the sight of another one of her Bullheads crashing down. To her relief, several figures abandoned ship, falling a short distance to the ground and rolling to safety. Winter's soldiers were well-trained and had aura of their own.

Less appealing were the masked figures that leapt down from the other Bullheads. White Fang certainly, but their colours were a little different. More red and black with strange rose sigils on their uniform. Either the White Fang had all developed an oppressively violent obsession with Ruby, or something else was going on here.

Given the nonsense Ruby and Jaune had probably gotten up to without her, Weiss wasn't entirely prepared to discount either possibility.

"Weiss," Ruby called from nearby. "What do we do!?"

"Oh, _now_ you want my leadership. I see how it is." Weiss grumbled but took in the scene nonetheless, formulating a plan as best she could. "Ruby, stay here and offer sniper support. Try to take down one of the Bullheads if you can. Nora, cover the entire area in explosions. Keep everyone off balance. Yang and Emerald, you two hold the front gates of Haven. If you can give them time to mobilise, we'll have a whole host of reinforcements. Jaune, with me."

"What are we doing?"

"We're going to go meet my sister."

"Is this really the time for introductions?"

"Not for-" Weiss sighed, pinched the bridge of her nose and reminded herself why she had to put up with him. "Just shut up and follow me. Gods, I can't believe I worked my butt off to come back to this. What was I thinking?"

"What about me?" another voice asked.

Weiss glared at the man. "You," she said, "Are a huntsman who is _at least_ forty years old. If I need to give you instructions, I fear for Yang and Ruby's safety."

Qrow laughed, "Fair enough." With a lurch, he hopped out from behind the tree he was using as cover and sprinted toward the action. Several White Fang turned toward him and opened fire, but he slipped through the bullets with deceptive grace, carving a path towards Winter.

 _Well, that makes my job easier._

"Let's get started!" Weiss said, "And look after yourselves. This is _just_ like the Battle of Beacon, and we didn't lose anyone there. Don't start now."

"Didn't we, like, lose Beacon in that?" Yang asked. "And I got a Grimm arm, Pyrrha got kidnapped, Ren got abducted by the White Fang and you by your own father…"

"Just get going!" Weiss ordered, dodging the question. She leapt over the rock and cast several glyphs in a straight line between her and Winter. The moment her foot touched one, her pace accelerated, the world seeming to move slower. Jaune fell in behind her, using the same glyphs.

The Atlas soldiers were caught in two small circles fighting for their lives while White Fang raged all around and two Bullheads still flew above, shooting not at the White Fang, but at the school's CCT Tower – likely trying to take down communications with the outside world.

Though they seemed to be the targets, Weiss wasn't willing to accept that just yet. The White Fang had attacked Beacon only a month or two before, and no one knew she was coming to Mistral apart from Ironwood, Jacques and a few other trusted individuals. That they were here at the same time was likely a coincidence; one that the White Fang would happily take advantage of.

So, the real target was Haven. Where, then, were the students from Haven? When Beacon was attacked, it took less than ten minutes for students to be out fighting and dying to protect the school – and that was with three-quarters of them being on Amity. What was holding Haven's students back?

Grimm howls and roars from the other side of the school answered that. A Grimm attack, now of all times? If the student body was distracted with that, it would be up to their team, Qrow, Winter and her fifteen or so soldiers, and just about no one else to deal with what had to be over a hundred White Fang.

"I don't suppose you can summon up another Grimm Dragon, can you?"

"Kevin isn't nearby."

"Kevin. Of course."

"I can't transform either. Or summon Grimm. Not with witnesses."

"Hm. At least you can order them not to attack us, right?"

"A-heh… um, well…"

Wonderful. No details on why he couldn't order them not to, but Weiss knew that nervous expression of his well enough. Any chance to respond was cut off as Weiss and Jaune reached the White Fang, attacking from behind with sudden ferocity.

It was the first time in months Weiss had actually used her weapon. Myrtenaster might have cried if it had feelings, and had Weiss been any less than she was, she might have wept at being trapped in the SDC manor, too. As it was, she'd forged on, forced herself to adapt, grow, and escape that twisted nightmare.

The whole time, she'd repressed her anger, kept it locked away. Now, she let her aggression go, sated her fury on the monsters who had attacked Beacon, and who looked ready to do the same to Haven.

A cut here, a pirouette and a slash there. She traced lines past their weapons, darting in and out of reach while using her dust to blast away any that dared flank her. They were fanatical amateurs at best and she, a trained huntress. Weiss danced among them until she reached her sister's side in the centre.

"Weiss," Winter greeted, "I hope you realise this will impact my report to Ironwood somewhat."

"I thought it might. Rumours of Haven's safety seem to have been exaggerated."

"You could certainly say that, sister." Winter caught a faunus' axe on her sabre, twisted his arm around and punched him in the face. The faunus was swallowed and replaced by his fellows a second later, leaving no opportunity for Winter to finish the job. "Where are the locals? You cannot tell me we are to fight them off ourselves."

"Grimm attack."

"Now?" Winter sighed. "Their timing could not be worse."

Weiss hummed but didn't respond. She had a feeling her partner was responsible for that. Because, really, when was he not? She shot him a disapproving look. He'd become more proficient with his weapon of late, though. Even though his style was more akin to hack and slash than graceful swordplay, he took less risks, and thus less damage.

Suddenly, angry yells sounded from the west – washing over the melee and causing both sides to pause. The battle-cries, combined with slurs, insults and general screams of rage, appeared as if from nowhere, catching both sides off-guard.

"Now what?" Winter asked.

For once, Weiss had no answer.

"Are those our reinforcements?" Jaune asked, hurrying over to stand by Weiss, his sword dripping blood. "They don't sound like Grimm and I don't think we actually have any human enemies."

Weiss would have answered, but for the sudden gunshots coming their way – scything into both the White Fang, and into their own forces. Some members of the White Fang turned, engaging the new threats. Through a gap in the combat, Weiss saw that they were a rag-tag group of men and women in various kinds of armour, wielding a medley of weapons. They looked angry.

"Kill them all!" one of the bandits – for they had to be – screamed.

Weiss turned to Jaune with an irritated expression. "You were saying…?"

/-/

Grimm to the east of him, bandits to the west – and he was stuck in the middle with racial fanatics. Qrow was fairy certain there was a catchy jingle in there somewhere, but for the life of him he couldn't find it.

"Stop!" he yelled, disarming a faunus and kicking him aside. He turned to the tribe – _his tribe_ – and held his arms out wide. "What are you doing? You can't attack Haven!"

A burly man with a bald head came in with a rusty-looking dagger. More aggression than enthusiasm, the man lunged at him with a snarl.

Qrow caught the wrist, twisted and snapped it. Kicked the man once in the stomach to wind him, and then brought the pommel of his weapon around and into the idiot's temple, dropping him. As he did, he cursed, noting the bandits from the Branwen tribe on either side of him, some ignoring him entirely to chase down Ruby, Nora and Ozpin. Qrow made to run back to them but a whisper of steel behind him warned him against it. He dove away, escaping decapitation by mere seconds. Rolling and coming back up weapon at the ready, Qrow scowled at the woman before him.

"Raven."

"Qrow." His sister didn't smile. She didn't carry any of her usual snark. Instead, she readied her sword before her and let out a quiet sigh. "It is a shame it must come to this, Qrow. I'd ask you to stand down, but I know you won't."

"Damn it, Raven. Why are you doing this?"

"You know why, Qrow."

Did he-? Qrow wasn't sure he did. Raven was a bitch at the best of times but even she wasn't stupid enough to attack Haven. Or so he'd thought. She was normally so cautious. What could have changed to make her act like this? The only thing he could think of was what happened at Beacon, or maybe what happened afterwards.

Wait…

Oh shit…

"Ray, there's no need for this. It was an accident."

"If that is what you call it, so be it. It changes little. Though it pains me to do this, I shall. I do not proclaim to be the best mother. I never have. But I will not allow her to suffer like this. Even if she despises me for it."

Oh shit, it _was_ this. Qrow swallowed, suddenly feeling a whole let less willing to fight.

"Ray, please. Let me explain."

"Qrow…"

"I pulled out!" he suddenly yelled. "I didn't finish."

Raven stilled. "What?"

"I pulled out once I realised, I swear. I didn't realise she was your daughter. Not at first. She came onto me, I was drunk, well, kind of drunk – and it's not like she _told_ me."

"Qrow. What are you talking about?"

"And sure, maybe I reciprocated a little, but she was hot. I've always had a thing for blondes." Qrow kept talking fast, doing his best to ignore how his sister's face paled. "But once I realised what was going on, I pulled out. We… well, maybe we did a little, and the foreplay, but I didn't follow through."

Raven's mouth fell open.

"It was an accident," Qrow stammered.

"Q-Qrow, you-? With-?" Raven struggled to form the words. "B-But how? She's your niece."

"I didn't realise that at the time."

"What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean!?" Raven screamed, voice shrill. "How drunk were you that you'd forget – that you'd do _that_ to your own niece? Is this some sick joke? Tell me this is some sick joke. I thought _I_ was supposed to be the terrible Branwen here."

"I didn't realise," Qrow yelled. "She came onto me!"

"So, what – you tried to _fuck_ her!?"

"Yes!"

Wrong thing to say. Raven's eyes suddenly lit with yellow fire. Her feet hovered a few inches off the ground and the weather around her shifted drastically, miniature storms and whirlwinds springing to life. Qrow cringed, trying to think up a way to excuse himself, but that seemed long past. Raven was going to kill him. And to be fair, he didn't blame her for it. But he could still look out for the others.

"Your beef is with me, Raven. Leave the rest of them out of it."

"It wasn't with you, Qrow, but it sure is now," she snarled. "I'll cut off both your heads, you creep!"

/-/

"Over there!" Ren said, pointing to Ruby and Nora, stood behind an outcropping of rock firing into the mass of bodies. It hadn't been hard to find Nora, simply following the trail of explosives back towards her position.

"Is it safe to go near them?" Sun asked. "We're masked and they're shooting."

"Safer than trying to meet up with Weiss or Jaune in that melee," Blake said. She ducked under a sword and slashed across the chest of a bandit, grunting in annoyance when his aura held and he attacked back. "Who are these idiots, anyway? I thought this was just supposed to be us versus Haven until Sienna arrives and attacks from behind?"

"Nothing ever goes to plan," Ren noted, "Especially when Nora is involved."

These people were an unknown quantity, but quite a bit stronger than the White Fang – if less well-equipped. They fought with a ferocity that reminded Ren of the Grimm, and each had their aura unlocked. The ones he'd fought so far were weaker than he, weaker than huntsmen, but stronger than the average terrorist they'd faced before.

It hardly helped that he could hear fighting on the other side of Haven – likely the students facing off against the Grimm he could also make out.

"These guys are relentless," Sun growled. "Stay down already!"

An explosion knocked Ren and his opponent off their feet. The pinkish smoke that echoed from the blast told him exactly who he had to thank. With the White Fang engaged with friendlies, Nora must have seen their melee and decided she could fire into it with impunity. Not ideal.

"I'll stop her before she kills us," Ren called to Blake. He kicked his opponent towards her. "Keep him busy, will you?"

"What? Ren!" Blake cursed and struggled with her two opponents. "Damn it, Ren. Help me!"

Hesitating, Ren offered the best help he could. "Don't worry, Blake. Adam watches over you. Believe in Adam, and Adam shall protect you."

It was like a switch being flicked. One second, Blake's eyes were accusing as she glared at him, the next they glowed with feral light and she let out a battle cry that sounded more Grimm than human. The two bandits she tussled with hesitated, which proved their undoing when the crazed faunus leapt for their throats.

Ren would have stayed to pry her off before she killed them, but Nora was probably reloading. He raced across the open ground between their group and the outcrop. He'd have removed his mask as he did, but there wasn't the time and Ren wasn't sure it would make a difference. With the madness all around, not to mention the smoke and light from explosions, he doubted anyone could make out his face.

 _Hopefully, she'll forgive me for this,_ he thought, leaping over the first rock and placing a foot in his teammate's chest, right as she brought her grenade launcher to bare on Blake and the others once more.

The shot went high, fired off and up to the side as she stumbled back. Nora recovered quickly and shifted her weapon into its hammer form, swinging side on for his ribs. Ren swayed back and let it pass before him, charging in after it went to hook a leg behind hers and trip her. He landed on top, pinning her down.

"Nora!" Ruby cried.

"You'll never take me alive!" Nora roared.

Ren tore his mask off above her. "Nora. It's me!"

"R-Renny?" Her mouth fell open. "No, wait, I take it back. You can take me however you want!"

"Not quite-" Ren grunted as Nora's arms hooked around his neck, dragging his face down into her bosom as she laughed in pure delight. He struggled to breathe for a moment, hands hovering as he wondered where to put them, before settling on her shoulders as he pushed himself away. "Blake is here too," he gasped. "And Sun and Ilia. We're disguised as White Fang."

"Why are you disguised as White Fang?" Ruby asked. "And why are you attacking Haven?"

Ren paused uncomfortably. "That is a very long story…" He eyed the small child next to Ruby. "Why is there a child among your group?"

"I am not a child, thank you."

"Also a very long story," Ruby sighed.

"Ah." It seemed like that was all they did recently. "And what of this new group attacking us all?"

"A shorter story, thankfully," the child said. "That is the Branwen tribe, a group of bandits, killers and thieves working under Raven Branwen, your uncle's sister." The boy pointed, and Ren looked along with the others to see an older huntsman fighting off against what could only be described as a force of nature in female form. "Qrow is keeping Raven busy, granting us the time needed to deal with her tribe. I'm not sure we can defeat her as she is, but our best bet will be to do so once her men are dealt with."

"The White Fang, too," Ren explained. "There's a schism in the leadership. We just need to hold out until the _other_ White Fang arrive and attack them from behind."

"More White Fang?" Ruby whined. "Is it a good idea to trust them?"

Honestly, no, but they didn't have much choice and Ren at least had faith Sienna would do what she needed to. "Just trust me. We've not been idle in Menagerie. In the meantime, we need to meet up with Blake and the others."

"Got it!" Nora nodded, squirming her way out from under him and helping him stand. "Out of curiosity, and totally not for any bad reasons, but Blake didn't _try_ anything with you in Menagerie, did she?"

Ren had a moment to recall harem shenanigans, accusations, arguments and the fact they'd shared a bed together for numerous nights. Not to mention all the little insinuations from Kali and the numerous stern talking-to's he'd had from Ghira.

"No," Ren lied. "She was on her best behaviour."

/-/

Emerald wasn't what one would call a shy individual, but even she wasn't sure how to broach the conversation. She took what distractions she could in dealing with what few Grimm broke through the Haven students' lines, but Yang dealing with them by swinging three black tentacles from her right arm kind of got rid of that.

"So…"

"What?" Yang asked, glaring at her.

"Just… you know…"

"I kind of don't."

"The…" Emerald waved vaguely towards Yang's… well, _arm_ wasn't really a good descriptor. "The thing."

"You calling my _son_ a thing?"

Emerald had no idea how to field that one, so simply shrugged and didn't bother trying. "No? I think. So, you going to explain, or am I supposed to just act like this is totally normal?"

Yang sighed. "You know Jaune?"

"Yes."

"You know _what_ he is?"

"I do," Emerald returned. Before many others, she almost wanted to add, but reminding someone from Beacon about who she used to work for probably wasn't a good way to win friends. "I take it he's somehow involved?"

"Apparently, this is our love child."

"Oh…" Emerald said. Because really, what else _could_ she say? "Well, that's… nice. Congratulations?"

Yang wrapped a black claw around a Beowolf's head and tore it off in one fell swoop. "Thanks. His name is Yin. How did you end up working for Weiss anyway? Weren't you one of Cinder's minions?"

"I was," Emerald admitted. "And the explanation is probably a lot less exciting than yours. I needed help. Weiss offered me a job. I accepted."

"Cool."

Yes, well. Emerald supposed that was _one_ way of putting it. At least she knew it wasn't anything to get worked up over, even as she fired several shots into an Ursa charging toward their position, bringing it low before it could reach the school's entranceway. Idly, she noticed a Bullhead approaching from the north-east. It was flying jankily, as if the pilot wasn't quite sure what they were doing or was an amateur. Reinforcements, perhaps? Or more White Fang?

"We might have a problem," she warned.

"Yeah, you don't say," Yang said, looking in the opposite direction. Emerald looked over in time for her face to pale. Stalking towards them was a woman. But no normal woman. She had skin as white as paper, with bright red eyes and angry lines across her face.

"S-Salem!?" Emerald gasped, suddenly filled with horror at the prospect. No, it couldn't be. For one, she was too young, and her hair – while white – had a hint of yellow to it, turning it a vibrant platinum shade.

There was no denying she was _of_ Salem, however. If not the appearance, then the Grimm following behind her like a retinue of royal guards gave it away.

"This Grimm attack is no accident," Yang said.

"Seems not." Emerald swallowed. While she'd never faced anyone from Salem's family, Cinder made it clear the prospect wasn't one she should look forward to. Apparently, Jaune was the weakest of them – or one of the weakest – and he was still someone she could not hope to touch, or so Cinder said.

This one looked older, and the way she held her sword hinted at genuine skill.

The woman, Grimm, came to a stop before them. She eyed Yang up and down and then did the same to Emerald, her lips peeling back just a little. "Move aside, _humans_. I have no qualms with you. Today, at least."

"Our friends are back there," Yang said. "So, no. Not moving." Her expression didn't lighten, but she did manage an impish grin. "Unless you're here for the White Fang, that is. I might make an exception in that case."

Emerald was amazed Yang dare jest with someone like this at all, but maybe it was only because the other option was to surrender entirely. When faced with insurmountable odds, what could one do but laugh?

"My name is Sapphire Arc, eldest daughter of Juniper Salem Arc, Queen of the Grimm." Emerald winced harder with every word. "You stand in my way. Remove yourselves or I shall remove you."

"One of Jaune's sisters, eh? He's back there, you know. Fighting on our side. Isn't that a good reason not to make this any worse than it already is?"

Sapphire didn't seem surprised at the knowledge. "All the more reason for me to be here, then. I have given you your warning." Sapphire's hand moved to her sword's hilt. "You were granted an opportunity to depart."

Emerald barely saw Sapphire move.

Yang did, if the fact she ducked under the first swing was any indication. They were both of them faster than her, trading blows in a devastating exchange that would have killed any lesser person. Yang was able to plant a foot in Sapphire's stomach, though the action nearly cost her – the thin sword darting in on a direct course for Yang's throat. Yang's eyes widened, body bending back in a desperate attempt to avoid it.

Her right arm exploded into motion. Thick and black like molasses, the skin roiled and turned, bursting through the coat sleeve and sending scraps of fabric everywhere. It had no defining shape other than that of an amorphous blob, but that blob devoured the sword whole – and Sapphire's hand and wrist.

Emerald wasn't sure which surprised Sapphire the most; the fact she'd been caught, or _what_ she had been caught by.

"W-What? Impossible!" Sapphire released the sword, tearing her arm free with a `plop` and a hiss. She waved her hand in the air, wincing at the red-raw skin, as if she'd been bitten a thousand times by tiny teeth.

Yang grinned. "Nice job, Yin."

"You… You are Grimm…?"

"Not quite."

Sapphire's eyes narrowed. Her skin around her shoulders rippled and two thin tentacles spread slowly out, not threatening them, but more like antennae, tasting the air as they waved back and forth. Sapphire's mouth moved, as if she were talking to someone quietly. Emerald didn't dare move, nor press the attack. Any time bought at this point was a win from their point of view.

She was already feeling left out of this fight, and the fact the Grimm weren't attacking, but rather watching intently, hardly helped.

After a minute or so, the tentacles slowly retracted.

"I see. I didn't notice it at first. Perhaps I was too angry to sense it. You and I… we are connected." Sapphire sniffed the air. Her face, already pale, seemed to become a little… green, almost. "I suppose that makes you my sister."

"You don't sound thrilled about that," Yang said, practically offended.

"Forgive me. I just imagined my little brother doing _that_. It is not a mental image I needed. Well, mother will be pleased. And upset, should I let anything happen to you, let alone harm you myself." Sapphire stepped back, motioning silently with her head. The Grimm followed, if only for a moment. "I still need to pass, however. I have… business with one of your companions."

"Which?"

"The pervert."

"Blake?"

"I believe his name was Qrow."

"Oh right," Yang shifted a little but not, Emerald noticed, in a way that suggested she was going to let Sapphire through. "Is this about him banging your sister? Look, I get it. I'd be angry if I heard about someone doing that to Ruby, but a big sis has to be cool. You can't just fly off the handle because…" Yang trailed off, suddenly noticing the horrified, disgusted, shocked and murderous medley of expressions on Sapphire's face. "This isn't about Qrow banging your sister, is it? You didn't even know about Qrow banging your sister, did you?" Yang sighed. "I've just signed my uncle's death warrant, haven't I…?"

"I SHALL FLAY THE SKIN FROM THAT FIEND'S BONES!"

"Yep," Yang drawled unhappily. "Go me…"

"Step aside, sister," Sapphire snarled. "I have business with this man."

"Look, you can't kill my uncle."

"I believe that I can. Just… give me ten minutes with him. I shall prove that I can."

"Okay, no, you _can_ kill my uncle. Probably. But I'm not going to let you." Yang gave a suffering sigh. "Sure, he's a drunk and a bit of an idiot at times, but he's still my uncle. That means something, you know?"

"Believe me, sister, I know what it means to have stupid uncles. But this changes nothing." Sapphire motioned for her Grimm. "Distract her. Do not harm her. Die to her but keep her busy. Pin her down if you must." Sapphire's eyes met Emerald's, and Emerald froze. "Do the same to the other, too. She may be a part of his harem and I dare not take the risk."

"Huh?" Yang said. "Emerald isn't-"

"I am!" Emerald interrupted. "I totally, absolutely, am."

"Oh right. Yeah sure, she is." Yang rolled her eyes and suddenly lunged forward. "But I'm still not letting you get away!"

Emerald barely had the time to sigh before the Grimm all jumped her.

"I hate my life…"

/-/

Qrow staggered back, battered, bruised and not at all as on top of this fight as he'd have liked to be. Oh, and this was definitely confirmation Raven had the maiden's powers because, you know, holy shit that was a lot of fireballs. It was also a stark reminder of how far above a human a maiden was. Amber had been an amateur, as had the previous Spring Maiden, and in some way Qrow wondered if he'd allowed that to trap him into thinking they weren't all that big a threat. Big mistake. Raven took this power and made it look good. Too good.

 _I'm not going to be able to win if this keeps up,_ he thought. _Oh, who am I kidding? I'm going to be dead in under five minutes if this continues._

Killed by his bitch of a sister for boning his own niece. Not exactly the way he'd wanted to go. Maybe Ruby and the others would take pity on him and simply write "It was complicated" on his tomb stone. If Raven left anything for them to bury. Might be easier to scatter his ashes at this point. He had a feeling he was about to come pre-cremated.

An explosion from the main school building caught his attention, though only for a second. Raven rushed him once more and it was all he could do to parry her attacks. The physical ones, that was. He had no defence against the intense heat that burned around her, scorching his clothing and digging away at his aura.

"You've allowed your skills to falter, Qrow. This is the end."

"Don't give me that crap," he growled back. "My skills are fine. You killed a scared little girl to get a bullshit power-up. Don't act like hard work has anything to do with this."

"At least I didn't sexually assault my own niece!"

Ouch. Okay, good come back.

Raven launched a blistering assault, rattling his bones as she forced him to block every strike. Sweat poured down his brow and into his eyes and to blink at any moment would mean death, so he fought through the pain instead. Or tried to. After a good eight seconds and as many strikes, he faltered, blinking the sweat away.

Raven's next attack slipped through, striking him in the shoulder. His aura flexed and cracked, and he was knocked back. "Argh!" He landed hard, rolled up onto one knee and clutched his shoulder. His eyes widened as he saw a wall of fire rush in toward him. "Shit!"

Someone – _something –_ appeared in front of him, taking the brunt of the blast and saving his life.

As the embers rushed by, dissipating on the wind, Qrow looked up to see a pale figure stood before him, her back to his – and he could only tell it was a woman because of her long, blonde braid. She appeared unharmed, which was incredible given the force of the attack. Reinforcements at last? Qrow breathed a sigh of relief, though he choked on it a second later when she glanced back over one shoulder, revealing green eyes framed with black glasses, and winked salaciously.

"Oh, fuck my life…"

"Perhaps later," Coral said. She turned forward again, smiling cutely. "I'm sorry to get in the way but I still need him. Or certain parts of him, anyway. Mouth, tongue, fingers and… well, I'm sure you get the point."

Raven frowned, stepped back and whipped her sword to the side. "You dare to interfere?"

With a groan, Qrow staggered to his feet. "Okay, this isn't the family reunion I was looking for. Gods. Raven, please listen to me. I didn't know who she was when we slept with one another. It's not like you and I kept in touch and you were always one for secrets. How was I supposed to know? You're angry. I get it. But this? This isn't the way to handle it."

Coral sighed and looked toward Raven. "I've no idea what he's talking about. You?"

"None," Raven snarled. "Speak sense, Qrow. Who is this woman?"

"W-What?"

"Who," Raven repeated slowly, pointing her sword at Coral, her own daughter. "Is. This?"

"Fuck, Ray, I know you're not exactly mom of the year material, but you'd think you could at least recognise someone you gave birth to. She's your daughter!"

Coral blinked, "I am?"

"No, you are not," Raven snorted. "Qrow, you buffoon. I have _one_ daughter and you know about her. A little too intimately for my liking, it seems. I have never met this person in my life, and she certainly didn't _stem_ from me."

Qrow's mouth fell open. But – what? Wait, wait, wait, did that mean? So, he hadn't-? His mind died, rebooted and then died again. He managed a sound that might have been a mix between a grunt and a keening wail, but came out more as a "blurghh?"

"An interesting way with words," Coral said. "Well, you're lucky I don't like you for your communication skills."

"Wait," Qrow spluttered. "You're telling me you're _not_ Raven's daughter?"

"No. I believe I am not."

"So, I _didn't_ sleep with my own niece?"

"I don't know," Coral said. "It's not like I keep a watch over you. Did you?"

"No!" he cried. His eyes widened as he turned to Raven, suddenly realising what she'd thought. "Wait, you thought I slept with _Yang_? What the fuck!?"

"What was I supposed to think?" Raven roared back. "You said you pulled out of _my_ daughter. And the thing about blondes!" Raven's sword pointed toward Coral, who caught the tip between finger and thumb, oddly uncaring of the threat to her life. "Did you or did you not sleep with Yang?"

"NO!"

"GOOD!"

"FINE!"

"ALRIGHT THEN."

"Ah, it's so nice to see siblings getting along," Coral said. "I tend to argue with mine a lot, but I always know there is love beneath it all. Still, now that this little misunderstanding is dealt with, how about we rectify our earlier mistake? The pulling out part."

Qrow stared at her. "W-We're kind of in the middle of a battlefield…"

"Don't worry." Coral smiled. "I'm open-minded."

"Enough of this," Raven snapped. "I still need to deal with Yang and remove the taint from her."

Qrow's mood darkened immediately. "Wait, is that why you're here?" He'd thought it to kill him, but now that the truth was out – and he still needed to question Jaune on _that_ – he realised it couldn't be. But Yang? She had to be talking about the Grimm parasite. "You realise we can't get that out, Raven. Not without killing her."

"It is a risk I'm willing to take."

Huh. Fight not averted, then. Qrow raised his weapon once more. "Yeah? Well, it's not a risk I'm willing to."

"Nor I," Coral crooned, stepping closer to Raven, running her fingers down the maiden's sword, uncaring for the danger. "You see, although Qrow was a little incorrect about the family connection, he wasn't so far off. He and I are related, though fortunately there are no laws against it." She huffed. "Not that I would care if they were. What do I need of human laws? Still, the girl you refer to is... somewhat a part of our family now, and thus out of your reach."

Human laws…? What did that mean? And was she talking about Yang here...?

Raven growled and tugged her sword back. Or tried to. Her eyes widened when it didn't move, and Qrow's did, too. Was Coral holding onto it with just her finger and thumb? Impossible. The kind of strength required for that would be inhuman.

"Who are you…?" Raven demanded.

"I? I am Coral. Coral Arc." She let go of Raven's sword and bowed. "Or I suppose my full name would be Coral Salem Arc." Qrow's mouth ran dry. "It is a pleasure to meet you, future sister-in-law. Of course, if you should seek to harm my intended, it will be future-deceased-sister-in-law, but those are just details."

Coral… _Salem_ … Arc…?

It could be a coincidence, right? Salem wasn't a totally unrealistic name for a normal person to have. Right? Right!?

Three tentacles gently crept from under Coral's skirt.

Qrow whimpered.

It was almost a relief when the ground beside them exploded – a number of figures appearing. Some he recognised, some he didn't. The psycho from the woods a few days back – the scorpion faunus – along with the Grimm-girl he'd groped (whom he now realised was Coral's sister). There was also Leonardo Lionheart, headmaster of Haven, who for some reason was pointing his weapon _at_ Qrow. And to top it off, Cinder Fall, current Fall-Maiden (in part, anyway) and the one who killed Ozpin.

"Well shit," Qrow said, feeling a little cowed. "This got awkward fast."

"I'll kill you for touching not one, but two of my nieces," Tyrian growled.

"I'm sorry, Qrow," Lionheart said. "We all have to look after number one."

"You'll not get away with what you did to me," Sapphire growled, bruised and covered in soot already.

"None of you can kill him until I've had my honeymoon," Coral snapped.

With a heavy heart, Qrow turned to the last woman, Cinder Fall, who shrugged and said, "I don't actually care about you at all. I'm here to kill her." She nodded toward Raven.

Qrow knew it was a sign of how bad his day was when he felt the urge to thank her for that. The others all readied their weapons, no one quite sure of who or what they'd be fighting, but all convinced it would somehow be _his_ fault.

"Huh. My Semblance really has it out for me…"

/-/

Weiss panted for breath as another White Fang madman came hurtling at her, screaming something about Adams or some other nonsense. She made to cut him down by Jaune beat her to it, batting the faunus aside with his shield. She shot him a grateful nod, already feeling her energy begin to flag. The battle had been raging for what felt like half an hour now but which, in the swirl of melee, was probably less.

"Are you okay?" Jaune asked. "You can take a break if you need it. Wait in the middle of the soldiers."

No. She hadn't come all this way to sit this out. "I'm fine. Perhaps a little out of shape after all this time locked indoors. I may have put on weight."

"You look fine to me, Weiss."

Weiss slapped his arm and glared at him. "I am _not_ joining your harem. Do not even try it."

He caught the joke, for once in his life, and laughed good-naturedly. He'd come a long way, she supposed. They all had. And not just geographically. The horde of White Fang had begun to diminish, though not quite fast enough that there hadn't been casualties on their own end. Some of the soldiers were down, some wounded, others critical. They'd been dragged back into the centre of an ever-decreasing ring of bodies.

"Where are our reinforcements, damn it!?"

"There!" a soldier cried. "Bullheads in the air!"

Weiss gasped her relief. "Finally." She watched as they came near, hovered, and then disgorged their contents.

"More White Fang," the same soldier groaned.

"Stand firm, men," Winter shouted. "We did not come this far to fall to petty terrorists, no matter their number. We shall survive. We shall win this day."

Pretty speech aside, Weiss wasn't sure anyone believed her. It was to the soldiers' credits that they pretended to, however, rallying and fighting with further intensity. Weiss forced herself to move too, sliding back into combat and casting a wave of ice toward her enemies. Her dust was running out however, unlike the horde of faunus.

"Here they come!" Jaune yelled, indicating the new White Fang faction charging in.

Weiss readied herself, stood her ground – and then gaped as the White Fang parted around her, _and_ around the clearly-marked SDC soldiers, to crash into the _other_ members of the White Fang, attacking them in a reckless frenzy and for the first time in the battle, alleviating the pressure on them somewhat.

Winter looked confused. Jaune made a confused sound. Weiss threw her hands in the air.

"That's it. I give up! I don't even know what's going on anymore."

When the Grimm crested the forest and attacked _everyone_ it was almost a relief. That, at least, made sense.

* * *

 **Poor Weiss. Probably wondering why she didn't just stay in Atlas where things made sense. And so, the secret of Jaune is revealed to Qrow, and naturally to Ozpin once this fight is over. The cogs may not have turned yet, because Qrow's dealing with his own relief turned terror at realising he totally wasn't banging his sister's kid. He was banging the** _ **Queen of the Grimm's**_ **kid. So much better!**

 **But turn those cogs shall, providing he survives the coming Qrowpocalypse.**

 **Also, poor Blake. Both for the Adam and for Yang's little comment.**

 **"The pervert."**

 **"Blake?"**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 6** **th** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	82. Chapter 82

**So, every time I have to write "More White Fang" as in "More White Fang approached" – spell check changes it to "Whiter Fang", which sounds like a terribly racist name. It's actually getting really annoying. Even the saying, "any more bright ideas?" changes to "any brighter ideas?"**

 **Microsoft, please… stop.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 82**

* * *

Pyrrha concentrated. She concentrated harder than she ever had before in her life, drawing in all her training to form the words she needed. The meaning she needed. Through a haze that compelled her to surrender, Pyrrha Nikos forced those words out.

"But you're evil."

"Am I…? I can't remember..."

"You are!" Pyrrha giggled, still in her maid outfit, but now feeling more relaxed in it. Truthfully, Pyrrha felt a whole lot more relaxed in general. It was probably the drink. Pyrrha often felt her muscles relax when she drank herbal tea, and all the bottles Watts brought – while not herbal – had a similar relaxing effect.

Just on her brain.

"Maybe I am," Salem admitted, doing a complete reversal on her earlier denial. "But it's not like I'm _doing_ anything."

"O-Ozzer than your husband."

"Yeah, other than him." Salem's cheeks, pale as they were, heated up a little. "Hmm. It's been so long since I've seen him. So long since I've felt his touch."

Pyrrha, sensing some not-so-hidden agony there, reached out to pat Salem's shoulder. She missed twice but managed to pat Salem's left boob sympathetically on the third attempt. Eh. Close enough. Salem should stop swaying anyway. Wait, were there _three_ Salems now? _Uh-oh,_ Pyrrha thought, _I'll have to drink even more to keep them all busy._

"How long has it been…?" Pyrrha slurred.

"A whole two weeks…"

"That's… not very long…"

"I have needs, future-daughter-in-law. Many needs. You should try being celibate for what is basically eternity minus twenty-five years and see how that goes for you."

Hm. That was a good point. Pyrrha's hormones hadn't really kicked in properly until she met Jaune. Oh, she'd had crushes when she was young – who hadn't? – but nothing serious. Imagining living for hundreds or thousands of years until you discovered that, though? It sounded terrible. Pyrrha showed her sympathy the only way she could. Picking up and drinking more of the sweet amber liquid Watts brought. Hm. So nice.

"You're still evil, though," Pyrrha said when she was done. "Is-Is just a fact."

"Why?"

"Kidnapped me."

"Don't you mean I saved you? Cinder wanted to kill you."

"Hmm…" Pyrrha was fairly sure that didn't mean Salem _saved her_ per se, especially since Cinder worked for Salem, but the mental computations to rebut the point weren't quite working properly. Neurons fired off in her brain but tripped over their shoelaces and fell asleep on street corners with half-eaten kebabs. There may or may not have been a festival in her frontal lobe, and probably some drink-driving in her hippocampus. "Okay," Pyrrha said, nodding droopily. "Tha' makes sense."

"And it's not like I'm _doing_ anything," Salem added, waving her own bottle around. "You and I are having some mother-daughter bonding time while drinking and discussing our respective love interests. How can that be evil?"

"I guess it can't be…"

"And is Mannie evil?" Salem asked.

"Nooo!" Pyrrha groaned. She spied the Beowolf laid nearby, paws over its ears and reached out with a drunken giggle to pet it. She didn't quite factor in the distance, however, and fell bodily out of her seat. Or would have, had not the Beowolf noticed and lunged forward at the last second, allowing her to fall atop and squash it so as to not be hurt.

Undaunted, and convinced it was somehow her intent all along, Pyrrha wrapped her arms around the monster's neck and rubbed her face into its fur. "Whozza good boy? You are. Yes, you are. Hm. Good b-boy…"

The Beowolf whined pitifully, especially when Pyrrha started drooling on the nape of its neck.

"You may have had too much," Salem said.

Pyrrha's hand reached out without her head looking up. She felt around for the table, and the drinks upon it, but her hand fell short. "Mannie, move closer," she grumbled.

Mannie did no such thing.

"Maybe it _is_ time for you to get some rest, my dear. Don't worry, I think I've calmed down now. All this talk of love reminds me that we can't control who we fall for. Not unless we lock them in a dungeon and force them to love us, anyway, which my daughters haven't done. I will give this Qrow Branwen a chance. One chance, to impress me."

"N-Nooo," Pyrrha groaned. "Have to keep drinking. Stop… you… doing… anything evil…"

"Pyrrha, I'll be going to bed as well," Salem pointed out, not unreasonably. "I won't be _doing_ anything other than sleeping. Although maybe I'll call Nicky and-" she coughed. "Well, you don't need to hear all the details there, I'm sure."

"P-Promise?"

"If you want," Salem said with a roll of her eyes. "Really, I'm sure Remnant will still be in one piece come morning. I'm sure everything is fine."

"You think so…?"

"Of course. What could they possibly be getting up to?"

/-/

"For the White Fang!"

"For Adam!"

"For Sienna!"

"For Atlas!"

"ROARGHHH!"

"For Haven!"

"For nookie!"

"For cookie?"

"She _said_ nookie," Weiss snapped, having somehow fought her way to Ruby in the mad swirl of combat. If asked how, she wouldn't have been able to answer. Nowadays, she wasn't even sure _who_ was supposed to stab or not. Last time she'd hit a White Fang member in the back, they'd complained about being on her side, and then proven it by attacking _another_ member of the White Fang. Things were confusing to say the least. "This is madness. Chaos." Weiss struck down a Beowolf. _They_ , at least, she could reasonably say were enemies. Probably. Unless they were Jaune's. Damn it, now she didn't even dare hit the Grimm.

"It's not that difficult, actually," Ren said. "The White Fang are currently going through a schism. We have the normal White Fang, who are on our side, and the Adamites – who aren't."

"And how do we tell the difference between these two factions?" Weiss asked sweetly. "They all look the same to me."

"Weiss!" Nora gasped, scandalised. "You can't _say_ that!"

"I don't mean-" Weiss growled and shook her head. "They're all wearing masks, you dolt. Not to mention the same uniforms! We should get to high ground and regather. We can figure out what to do once we get out of this melee."

"What about your sister?" Ruby asked.

"Winter is fine. The White Fang – one side of them, anyway – relieved us. As long as they only fight in self-defence, they'll be okay. We should gather with Yang and Emerald, though, and try to find my partner." Weiss glanced around. "And Blake."

"Blake is probably going after the Albain brothers," Ren said.

"Who?"

"The ones who started the Church of Adam."

"What makes you think she'll be going after them?"

There was a shrill cry like a furious banshee, followed by several panicked cries from faunus in the distance. Weiss heard them cry out for protection from Adam, which only made the initial howls angrier.

Ren winced, "Just a hunch."

A hunch, huh? Still more than anything Weiss had. "Fine. Make our way to the school to find Yang and Emerald, and then we find Jaune and Blake. Okay?"

"Okay," they all echoed.

"Miss Schnee-" Oscar began.

"Bring the little boy with us. We can't just leave him here."

The `little boy` sighed.

/-/

Qrow cursed as he caught Raven's sword on his own, buckling under her strength. Taking a step back, he diverted the attack, letting Raven rush by, turning in the last second to block another attack from Tyrian. The mad faunus grinned and Qrow noticed the suspiciously gun-like holes on the ends of the faunus' weapon.

It barely gave him the time to dodge, ducking under the shots – which went through to hit Leonardo Lionheart in the back while he was tussling with Coral. Qrow cheered, pleased to see his Semblance shitting on someone else for a change. While Tyrian winced, Qrow kicked him back. He made to follow but flinched and spun instead when he heard someone rush in behind him. He came face to face with Cinder Fall, two swords at the ready.

"Sorry," he said.

"My apologies," Cinder agreed. She ducked under his arm and they went their separate ways, Cinder after Raven, him to attack Leo in the back. Coral wasn't exactly the ally he wanted, but she was sure as hell the one he needed.

"Milady, I am on your side," Leo protested to the half-woman half-Grimm in front of him. "I am an ally of your mother!"

"No one getting in the way of me and pregnancy is an ally of my mother."

Qrow stumbled at that, but his Semblance kicked in and ensured that by doing so he landed on one shoulder and rolled into the back of Leo's feet, tripping the faunus. Leo fell back, into Sapphire's waiting tentacles, which had been spearing after Qrow from behind. They wrapped around Leonardo's throat and dragged him to face the tall, stern-faced girl, who looked the headmaster up and down as he choked a foot off the floor.

"You are not Qrow."

"I-I-I'm not," Leo gasped. "L-L-Let go. P-Please…"

Sapphire rolled her eyes and tossed the faunus over one shoulder, incidentally lobbing him into Tyrian, driving the two to the ground. Raven and Cinder flew past them, two maidens in mid-combat, which if Qrow had to describe it looked somewhat like two firework factories enacting an SM fantasy. All explosions, high-pitched yelps, moans and sparks. Leo and Tyrian didn't really intend to get caught up in it, but neither Raven nor Cinder were really watching where they were going at this point.

Qrow tried to stand. Tried to run, really. Anything other than be where he was – trapped between two Grimm-girls who wanted him, for varying purposes – but yelped as a tentacle wrapped around his left wrist. Another snapped into place around his right, and he was quickly dragged up off the ground, suspended between the two.

"Release him, Coral. I'm the older sister here. My word is law."

"I already staked my claim," Coral growled back. Her hair was a little frizzy now, stray-ends in place, one or two singed. Despite all the combat, her glasses were in perfect condition. Not even cracked.

"There are plenty of fish in the sea."

"I can't _fuck_ a fish."

"It's a saying!"

"I don't know human sayings."

"Then learn some!" Coral snapped. "Give him to me!"

"No. He's mine!"

Qrow yelped as he was tugged back and forth, stretched to what felt like breaking point and then a little further for good measure. _Damn it, Tai. I'll never complain about you getting multiple girls again; just save me from this nightmare!_

"How about a compromise?" Coral tried. "You can have his right arm. I get the rest. I don't need his arms."

"I need them!" Qrow yelled. Coral looked unimpressed, so he wracked his mind for an answer. "They're essential. Uh… for cuddling?"

Another tentacle snapped out, wrapping around Sapphire's. "I changed my mind. Both arms stay."

"You're being insufferable, Coral. This man isn't good enough for you. He practically cheated on you anyway by groping me."

"T-Technically, that was before I met her," Qrow rasped.

Sapphire glared at him. "Silence, you."

"Well, if it's before then it's fine," Coral said with a little shrug. "You can hardly expect him to be loyal to me before he's even met me." She smiled adorably at him. "You wouldn't do that now, would you my little cuddle-bunny?"

C-Cuddle-bunny? Was it too late to accept death?

Oh, sod it. Might as well run with this to survive. "Of course not, my… uh… my love?"

Coral's eyes widened behind her glasses. "I-Is that a proposal!?"

"Uh…"

"Don't listen to him, Coral!" Sapphire snapped. "For crying out loud, he's stuttering!"

"Why would you be crying?"

"IT'S A SAYING! Stop being as dim-witted as Jaune!"

"I don't care." Coral shook her head. "He's stuttering because he's overwhelmed." She launched several more tentacles, enough to force Sapphire to let go and leap back with a hiss. Qrow gulped as he was dragged in and wrapped up by the things, held against Coral's body in what might have been a sensual embrace. Were it not for the whole tentacle thing.

"Damn it, Coral!" Sapphire roared. "Find another man. He needs to die!"

"And he will. In time. We all die."

"Not what I meant."

"But it's good enough, no? If you're upset about him groping you, then worry not, I'll fill his hands with so much of me that he won't even _want_ to do the same to any other woman." Coral emphasised the fact by taking both his hands in a tentacle each and placing them on her breasts. Despite himself, Qrow wasn't sure how to act and simply swallowed. Hey, on second thoughts, this didn't sound all that bad…

"I doubt you even know what to do with him," Sapphire said with a sigh. "You're more a shut-in than Jaune."

"I've done a lot of reading. And he obviously knows what to do. Besides, I've seen a lot of new things since coming to Mistral." Coral's tentacles coiled around him a little tighter, the tip of one brushing against his cheek. "It's given me a lot of inspiration."

 _Somebody help me…_

"Release him," Raven growled, having broken away from Cinder for a moment. His sister stood before the three of them, fire dripping from her arms like hot oil.

 _Raven…_

"Release him so that I may kill him, and then Ozpin."

Wait, what?

Qrow looked between Sapphire, Raven, Coral and Coral's tentacles – one of which was very close to his rear end.

 _Eh. Maybe death wouldn't be so bad._

/-/

Jaune wasn't entirely sure how he'd ended up on his lonesome. There'd been someone attacking him wildly and he'd blocked their blows, only to step back so they wouldn't trip him. It went from there, with another attack from another direction – and then a step forward each time _he_ attacked – until he'd come to realise was in the middle of nowhere fighting off against all manner of people with no rhyme or reason.

The bandits were easy to understand. They were all nuts and just wanted to hurt everyone. The White Fang was a little more complicated, because some of them actually fought _with_ him and others wanted to introduce their weapons to his spinal column. He'd taken to just not attacking unless they did, an odd pacifism that only lasted as long as their patience. The Grimm ignored him. He ignored them in turn.

He'd been making his way back to the main school building, where Remy told him Yin – and thus, Yang – were. Unfortunately, that took him through the path of some faunus which were of the non-friendly variety. They were fighting against other White Fang but also several bandits. Jaune sighed and ran by them.

"Behind!" Remy warned.

Spinning, Jaune brought up his shield in time to block several shots from striking him. Over the top, he saw a figure rush forward. She leapt, and he adjusted his shield up, preventing her getting over the top. The girl tutted and slammed both feet down on it, using him as a springboard to jump over his head and land down in front of him.

Lightly tanned skin, blue eyes and black hair cropped short. The girl wore a leather jacket without sleeves and burgundy trousers, split on one side with a little thigh bare. The lack of a mask said she was human, but the fact she was fighting him told Jaune she wasn't from Haven. In each hand, she carried an odd blade shaped like a circle, with a handgun at the centre.

She grinned cockily at him, "Hey."

"Hey," he said in return, not quite sure what else to say. "I don't have any fight with you. Let me past and we can each go our separate ways."

"The name's Vernal."

"I didn't ask for your name."

"It's customary to introduce yourself before you fight. At least for our tribe." One of the bandits, then. Jaune grit his teeth. "And I think _I_ have business with you. Raven's instructions are you keep you busy while she deals with Yang."

"Deals with her…? What does that mean?"

"Who knows?" Vernal shrugged. "I'm not telling. You should be more concerned about me."

Really? _He_ should be worried about _her_? Yang had told him what Raven tried before she escaped the tribe. If she was back, Jaune doubted it was to apologise. He'd have been more worried except for the fact Yang could look after herself, and that Remy would tell him if something happened to Yin.

"Did Raven tell you about me?" Jaune asked. "Or did she just send you after me?"

"What's there to tell? Her daughter's little boyfriend. Adorable. I know you can sense the Grimm, and that Salem and _her_ lot are after you. But those are just details. Not important to me."

Not important, huh?

Jaune laughed.

His cover was just about shot anyway. Sapphire and Coral were here, along with Cinder and Tyrian – and Leo knew the truth anyway. He'd already made the choice to leave Ozpin and Qrow behind if needs be, and everyone had agreed. In the grand scheme of things, what was the point of keeping things hidden anymore?

It just didn't matter. Not if everyone was going to be in danger.

"Maybe you should have looked a little deeper," Jaune said, his voice shifting a little. The change came over him as it always had, but it _struck_ with the force of all the negativity around him. Before, he'd struggled to hold that back. To fight it. This time, he embraced it. _Only on my enemies,_ he thought. _Our enemies._ The Grimm inside of him practically _purred_ with anticipation.

His hair bristled and turned white, his skin paling as if the blood were being drawn away, leaving only thin red lines from his temple to his eyes. When they opened, they were blood red – and staring directly into Vernal's.

When two tentacles burst from his back to hover in the air behind him, she took a step back. "W-What the hell are you!?"

"Yang's boyfriend," Jaune said, smiling a Grimm's smile. All teeth. "Or what was it you said? Ah yes. Not important."

Vernal flushed at the barb. "Tch. Whatever. Human, faunus, Grimm. They all die the same. You're nothing special."

/-/

"Traitors and heathens stand before us, brothers and sisters. Fear not, for Adam fights in the hearts and spirits of all of you!"

"Believe in Adam and he will show you the way!"

"Faith is our shield. Adam is with us. Lo and behold His work. Even the Grimm attack in His name. Seek faith within yourself and you shall be granted unto His domain."

Blake's lips peeled back in a hiss. She stalked forward, only stopped when Ilia and Sun both grabbed an arm between them, dragging her back. "You can't just run in like that," Sun hissed. "They're surrounded by cultists."

"Cultists?" Ilia asked.

"I call it like I see it. Anyway, you kill them now and we get swamped. We need a strategy."

"I have a strategy," Blake argued, fighting to escape their grip.

"What is it?"

"I'm going to ram Gambol Shroud into their necks!"

"That's… not a strategy. Or not a very detailed one." More of an end-goal, really. "Look, we're still wearing their colours, so they're not going to attack us. We can get close; sneak in while they're distracted with those bandits."

"And then I stab them?"

"E-Eventually, yes." Sun shot Ilia a look, silently asking if Blake had always been this bloodthirsty. The chameleon faunus shrugged her shoulders. Okay, sure, it was just the current situation driving Blake mad. All the prayers and hymns to Adam probably weren't helping.

 _This,_ Sun thought with some level of despair, _This is the woman I've fallen for. I should have been gay. I bet that Cardin guy wouldn't have been this complicated._

The Adamite forces were surrounded on all sides, which wasn't exactly unusual since _everyone_ was pretty much surrounded by this point, but Adam's group still had the support of Bullheads in the air, even if they were dogfighting with Sienna's currently. It meant they could afford to _hold_ a position and not worry about fire being rained down on it. They were currently making good use of that for the Albain brothers to shout out orders and support – or mantras – to the gathered faunus.

"Sienna did say to cut the head off the snake," Ilia said. "If those two don't die, they might retreat to start the Church of Adam again. They've always had contacts in Menagerie." Blake's ears perked up. "But we need to wait for Sienna to be here to see it, otherwise it won't look like she won this. People will doubt her rule."

"And once we return to Menagerie, brothers, there will be a reckoning! Those who sided with Sienna shall fall, as shall the old order! We shall tear down those who rule and place the _true faith_ into the seat of power!"

The fanatics cheered and screamed at the news. Blake's eyes narrowed dangerous, something which Sun didn't fail to notice. _Damn it. They're talking about her parents._

"We can get closer," Blake said, deadly calm. "I'll wait for the right moment, but when it comes _I'll_ be the one to take them down. I helped make Adam. I owe it to the world to unmake him. That includes his influence…"

"Can you control your rage if they start preaching?"

Blake sighed. "I shall be fine."

"And here," Corsac cried, spying their approach. "One of the lord's trusted few – one he held dear above all others. One who departed her own family to stand beside him, and to embrace him as lover!"

Blake stiffened.

Sun winced.

"Come, my dear," Fennec said, holding a hand out to Blake. "Stand and let all see you, you who would be the one Adam trusted over all others. Share your words of wisdom…"

"My words…?" Blake's eyes flickered in the dark. Her smile grew. "Oh, I'll share more than just that."

Sun winced. "Uh-oh."

"Any more bright ideas?" Ilia asked.

"Okay. Damage control."

"How?"

Rather than answer, Sun leapt up onto the stage – startling both Blake and the Albain twins. He pointed to the sky, gasped, and in his loudest voice cried, "Look! Adam! Adam has returned to us!"

The crowd, those who could hear, all turned in the direction Sun pointed, staring up into the night sky, lit with gunfire as it was. They missed, therefore, the sight of Blake stabbing Corsac Albain in the chest. Fennec saw it but didn't have time to comment because Sun drove his staff into the man's gut, and when he bent over, slapped the butt of it into his face, knocking him out. It happened in a fraction of a second, but by the time the crowd turned back, vaguely confused, the two Albain brothers were dead.

Ilia stared up at Sun gobsmacked. `How is this a plan`, her face seemed to ask.

"IT'S A SIGN!" Sun roared, falling to his knees, hands outstretched towards the heavens. "Adam has spoken! He chooses his love to lead us!"

Blake stared at him, one eye twitching.

Ilia slapped a hand to her face.

This was never going to work.

"I saw it," a random faunus screamed. Sun tensed. "I saw Adam in the sky!"

"I saw him too," another yelled. "I saw his face. His smile!"

"He struck them with lightning! Didn't you hear it!?"

The fervour spread. Whether the ones responsible for shouting out had imagined it or not, the fact they thought to even claim it caused others to believe. Perhaps it had been in the spark of tracer fire, or the explosion of an engine going up and the smoke of a downed Bullhead. Maybe they'd just seen his face in some toast that morning. Whatever the case, Sun's words gained traction, spreading like wildfire.

"She must lead us!" Ilia suddenly cried, raising her hands. "Lead us, Blake!" The cry was taken up.

"Lead us!"

"Lead us, Blake!"

"She is the chosen one!"

When Blake turned the ugliest, most irritated glare she had _ever_ shown onto him, Sun could only shrug apologetically. "I got them to stop talking about Adam, didn't I…?"

"By Blake's will!"

"Blake is with us!"

/-/

At the school building, Yang growled as Emerald dispatched the last of the Grimm pinning her down. Bad enough she'd had to lay there for the last ten minutes buried under fluff-butt, but the worst part was that the Grimm were so bloody friendly. She'd summoned her own hoping they would help, but all they did was crowd around and lick at her face, thinking it a game.

"Thanks," Yang grunted, not sure _why_ she was so grateful to someone at least partially responsible for the loss of her arm, but enough so anyway. She lifted her head as she saw people in uniform approaching, Haven students. Yang dismissed her little Grimmlings before they could become unfortunate targets. "About time they dealt with the Grimm up front."

"Looks like it's not just them," Emerald noted. On the other side of them, Weiss, Ruby, Nora and Ren of all people were en route, Osc-Pin being carried by Nora and looking none too impressed about it.

"Yang! You're okay."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Grimm weren't actually attacking me." She bit back her frustration. "Look, Uncle Qrow needs our help. One of Jaune's sisters is here and she wants to kill him."

"We need to save _my_ sister, too," Weiss said.

"And Blake," Ren added.

"And Sun and Ilia?" Nora asked.

"Sure. Why not."

"And Jaune!" Ruby argued.

"Not Jaune.

"What!? Why?"

"Because he's behind you," Yang pointed out.

Ruby turned, along with the others, to see Jaune approaching, thankfully in human form, with a girl being dragged beside and behind him. He had hold of her foot and she was unconscious. Unconscious and very, very badly beaten. Yang couldn't tell if the girl was dark-skinned because of her skin or bruises.

"Who is that?"

"Not important," Jaune said, amused by some inner joke. His grin was just a little too self-satisfied. "She's no one special."

"Looks like one of Raven's," Ozpin said. "I feared she was here. No doubt an attempt to finish what she started with you, Miss Xiao-Long. Qrow must be holding her off."

"We should help him, then," Yang said. "And everyone else," she added before anyone could argue. "This thing is messed up as it is but if we clear out the Grimm, White Fang and everyone else, it'll become a whole lot easier to handle."

"Actually," Ozpin interrupted. "I believe it would be for the best if we departed."

As one, they turned on him. "What?" Yang asked dangerously.

"Put aside your anger for a moment, Miss Xiao-Long, and remember that our purpose is not to get involved in petty squabbles between the White Fang, or Haven. We face an enemy far greater. One who even now is likely plotting the downfall of all humanity. To stay here only increases the risk that we will be stopped, and with _two_ of her brood here, the danger is ever greater. We must leave immediately."

"B-But what about Uncle Qrow?" Ruby asked.

"Qrow shall be fine. He has ever been adept at avoiding trouble.

"My partner is still out there," Nora growled.

"As is my sister," Weiss said.

"And they shall be _fine_. We, on the other hand, are the ones at risk. If we do not stop Salem, this will be the least of Remnant's problems. You _must_ listen to me."

"No. We don't _have_ to do anything."

It was said.

Ozpin froze, startled. The rest of them did, too, turning to the one who had spoken in surprise. Ruby looked surprised as well, fingers reaching up as if to ascertain it was her who had said it at all. It had been. Ruby looked horrified.

"Miss Rose-"

"I stand by my teammate," Weiss said, striding forward to do just that. She placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "As Weiss Schnee, heiress of the SDC, I cannot leave people who I brought here to die. As Weiss Schnee, sister of Winter Schnee, I cannot leave my sister here to die. And as Weiss Schnee of Team WJRP, I will not stand by while my teammate's family is in danger."

"Weiss…" Ruby murmured, touched.

"That goes for me, too," Yang said, taking a stand.

"Miss Xiao-Long, your mother is here to _kill_ you."

"Let her try. I'll be ready."

"And I'll watch her back," Jaune said, nodding at her. He hauled the unconscious girl forward and dumped her on the floor.

"Actually, that is _my_ partner," Ren said, chuckling. "I'll think you'll find her back is already watched."

"Not too closely, I hope," Nora giggled. Her hammer slammed down beside Yang regardless, though. "Sorry, headmaster. I need to find my partner, too. She's just started to come out of her shell and if I let get go now, she'll turn back into an angsty brood-kitten. I didn't live through the fall of Beacon to have all my hard work socialising her go down the toilet."

Yang grinned and nudged her teammate, "Nice priorities."

"Thanks. You know what I always say; if it's worth doin' in the first place, it's worth holding a last stand against a horde of White Fang, Grimm and bandits to complete it."

"And how often do you say that, exactly?"

"Pft. All the time."

"You fools-" Ozpin began. "Do you not realise how dangerous the situation is? Idealism is fine, but not when the fate of the world is at stake. We _must_ move on. We must find the Relics before Salem can."

"No matter the cost?" Yang asked.

"Indeed."

"Well, I don't know about you guys," Yang said, looking to the others. It was a lie, of course. She knew _exactly_ what they were all thinking, "But I'm not willing to pay that cost." Yang looked to Jaune. "Jaune, can you hold them off if we need to?"

"I think so. No. I can do it. I know I can."

Ozpin stepped forward, slamming his cane down. "I'm afraid I cannot let you do that. I will stop you myself if I must, even if you hate me for it. You will see that this was the right choice in the end."

 _I thought you said you weren't a front-line fighter anymore?_ Yang thought. Tch. Just like Ozpin to hide a little bit of himself, she supposed. He probably rationalised it as them not needing to know, but in reality, it was just another way in which he misled them. Yang readied herself for combat but hesitated as Ozpin suddenly gripped his head with one hand.

"No. Don't… This is. Necessity. Has to be done, Oscar!"

Ozpin staggered back. He almost fell. One hand caught his knee, the other gripping his cane which he leaned on for support. When he looked back up, his expression was pinched and drawn, skin pale. It was younger, though. Softer.

"Do what you have to," Oscar Pine whispered. "I'll keep him busy. As long as I can, anyway."

Yang nodded, grateful. "Thanks, Oscar." She looked to Jaune. "You ready?"

"Yeah." His eyes flashed red. "I think I've got a way to grab their attention. Weiss. How good is your public speaking?"

"Impeccable, of course. Why?"

"You'll see…"

/-/

Qrow, for all his best efforts, wasn't having the best time of his life. The stand-off hadn't gotten any less messy and he'd lost his weapon somewhere in the middle of it. He'd have turned to a crow and flown the coop, but he was worried a stray bullet might catch him. Or a Bullhead's engine. He'd never tested being injured in bird form, partly because he hoped it would never happen, but mostly because how could you? A bird's bones were way too brittle to risk it with.

He regretted that now. His whole life was full of regrets right now.

"Wouldn't it be enough for me to say sorry?"

"You molested me!"

"I thought you were just a Grimm!"

"How does that make it any better!?"

Good question. Brain, anything? No? Well, a fat lot of good you are. Qrow backed away, wincing when he bumped into someone. _Please be Cinder. Please be Cinder. Please be Cinder._ A hand slapped his butt and _gripped_ tightly.

Damn it.

"I've told you, Sapphire. He-"

"In the name of Adam, die you monster!"

A halberd bounced off Coral's head. The haft snapped, the blade coming down to clonk Qrow on the nose, dazing him. _T-Thank you, Semblance._ _Haven't you done enough already?_ He shook his head, coming back to reality in time to see that they were now surrounded by White Fang.

"What nonsense is this now?" Sapphire demanded.

"In the name of Adam," a particularly brave faunus said. "We shall smi-" His words cut off as a tentacle wrapped tightly around his throat. Sapphire drew him in.

"Are you here to stake a claim on Qrow as well?"

The faunus shook his head.

"Then shut up!" Sapphire yelled, throwing the man down. He impacted the ground hard, crumpling in a heap. She sighed. "Really, I should just have the Grimm purge this place from existence. It would put a stop to all this foolishness."

"You can get right on that," Coral said. "Meanwhile, I'll be going to enjoy my honeymoon moment."

A blazing sun – or what felt like one – rolled by between them. Cinder and Raven locked hand in hand, grappling in the centre, eyes blazing. They rolled on by, forcing some of the White Fang to scream and dodge out of the way.

The momentary distraction gave Sapphire a chance to lunge in, blade aiming for Qrow's throat – as though intent to kill him _in_ Coral's arms. Coral was slow, but not quite that slow. A Grimm sprung to life in the path, gurgling as it died transfixed on a silvery sword. Its life was swift and pointless, its death more so.

"Coral!" Sapphire growled.

"Saph!" Coral growled back.

"CORAL!" Sapphire yelled.

"SAPH!" Coral screamed back.

The trees behind them parted, a _giant_ face poking through as the ground itself shook. The huge, snake-like maw opened, and the noise that came out – the _roar –_ beat both Coral and Sapphire on both volume and intensity.

It also cut out every sound on Haven, as the world – Grimm, faunus, human and demi-human alike – turned to stare at the easily sixty-metre long _dragon_ that had torn itself from the treeline and now stood, claws paws on the floor, looming over the melee. Someone, somewhere, whimpered. Qrow realised a second later it was himself.

"H-Hello?" a feminine voice called suddenly, into the silence. "Is this thing on?" A loud, muffled tap and then another. It drew their attention to a spot of ground under the dragon, raised up on the stairs leading up to the school, where a group of teenagers stood. Qrow's eyes boggled. "Okay, good. Ahem. I am Weiss Schnee, heiress of the SDC, team leader of Team WJRP and as of right now, the person calling an end to all this pointless fighting."

Qrow blinked. "What?"

"All of you shall cease hostilities _right now_."

"Or what?" a brave bandit yelled.

Weiss sighed into the microphone, making sure everyone heard it. "Jaune? A demonstration please."

Qrow couldn't see anything from such a distance, but the dragon suddenly perked up. Its head reared back, its throat bulging ominously. The roar… it made the previous one seem like a joke. Hot air washed over Qrow like he'd been thrown into a sauna. His hair whipped back, and were it not for Coral holding him, he figured he might have been, too. Most of the White Fang and bandits had to steady themselves with weapons against the ground or kneel down and grip onto things to stay on their feet.

The bandit who had challenged the girl rolled back and slammed into a tree, thrown like a rag doll by the force of it. Funnily enough, he didn't repeat his question.

"I think that answers that," Weiss said. "But let me try again. My name is Weiss Schnee and my words are currently backed by a dragon. Would anyone like to throw down their arms and _not_ be killed and eaten?"

The clatter of steel was audible across the entire battlefield. For added emphasis, many of the fighters got down on their knees as well, some placing their hands behind their heads in clear signs of submission.

"Any other questions?"

Silence.

Weiss snorted.

"That's what I thought."

* * *

 **Ah Weiss. See? All that time learning to negotiate with the SDC wasn't a waste after all. Who said diplomacy was difficult? So, yes. Obviously, this outs Jaune in a big way. No way of explaining to Oz and Qrow that this was a convenient little accident.**

 **And kudos on Pyrrha for taking one for the team. Good to see she's keeping Salem busy so that a war doesn't happen or anything. Top marks, Pyr.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 13** **th** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	83. Chapter 83

**Ah September, how I hate you. You're the month that carries my annual speech, the deadline for our dining awards, a point where I need to start doing tax returns and also a host of other shitty work-related things.**

 **You really are the worst month of the year. And you've always been it – being the month I used to have to go back to school, too.**

 **Seriously. To hell with September.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 83**

* * *

Jaune had to admit, Weiss both impressed, frightened and made him wary for his mother's presence. The way she took over the situation was incredible, not even batting an eye at the fact Kevin was behind her. She segregated the warring factions quickly, forcing them into small groups and casually informing them that if they caused trouble, the fact they were grouped together would make it very easy for the dragon to squash them.

The fact he couldn't tell if she was serious or not terrified him. The fact that his sisters listened, sulking to the side? That made him afraid of Weiss meeting his mom. Salem would _love_ her.

Even so, the situation was still something of a powder keg waiting to go off. The longer this went without Kevin stomping someone, the more relaxed people would become, and that would lead to the tension returning. Peace would only last so long as their fear of Weiss, which was another reason why she was the perfect mediator. The White Fang knew – or thought they knew - exactly how little the Schnee cared for the faunus. Weiss had a _reputation_ , and that counted.

"Oh wow, thanks for this," Qrow said, stumbling up. "I thought I-"

"Back in position!" Weiss snapped.

"W-What? I'm on your side!"

"As far as I can tell, half of this is _your_ fault anyway." Weiss pointed imperiously. "Back in line."

Qrow slumped. "I… can't fault that…" He went back to stand between Coral and Sapphire, both of which shot him indignant glares. Their postures were so similar, hands crossed under their breasts and heads turned away, that it was impossible not to see them as sisters.

Realistically, they owed Qrow for this even being possible – not that Jaune would ever `thank` the man he'd seen bonking his sister. If it wasn't for Qrow so thoroughly occupying Coral and Sapphire's attention – especially Sapphire's – then Jaune wouldn't have been able to force his will past hers and reclaim control of the Grimm. Sapphire might have overruled him, but that required concentration, or at least some degree of focus. Whether it was her own anger or Qrow's Semblance at work was unknown, but either way her attention had wandered, allowing him a chance to take control.

And the time they'd bought had given Kevin time to get over here, too. Handy.

 _Note to self, I really need to send him home after this. No idea how he got himself stuck in a mountain in Vale, but Amber was devastated._

"How are we going to manage this?" Ruby asked, sliding up behind him.

"Honestly? I have no idea."

"What!?"

"This is all Weiss," Jaune said, waving a hand towards his partner, who at that moment was confronting the two White Fang factions, hands on her hips and Kevin's great maw hovering only a few metres above her head. He had no idea what she was telling them, but judging from how cowed they looked, it wasn't friendly advice.

"I provided the means to get everyone to stop, but I've got no idea how to make it stick other than killing everyone." Jaune noticed Ruby's horrified expression, "Which I wouldn't do, obviously."

"R-Right. Obviously."

"So, yeah… this is Weiss' show now. Though it looks like others are helping." He nodded to Ren and Blake, one of which was talking to each side of the White Fang respectively. It looked like each of them was planning to branch off and deal with each army one at a time. Ozpin was already speaking to the Mistral side. "I guess I should deal with my sisters and Yang can speak to her mom."

Yang, having listened in, winced, "I'll help you with yours if you do the same with mine."

"Fine." Yang's mom _did_ maybe want to kill her, after all. It was only fair. And Qrow was Yang's Uncle. "Ruby, can you maybe keep Ozpin busy with the Mistral side and not…" He fought for the right words.

"Not waging a war on you or your sisters?" Ruby offered.

"Yeah…"

"I'll try. He, uh, might not be in the best mood after what we said, though."

"It's not likely to get any better once he realises how Jaune summoned that dragon," Yang said.

"Kevin."

Yang rolled her eyes. "Kevin, then."

Ruby wilted. "Um. I'll help with yours if-"

"Good luck, Ruby," Jaune said, slapping her shoulder before she could finish the offer. No way was he dealing with Ozpin right now. Oscar might be able to keep him busy for a little bit, but there was no telling what abilities Ozpin had.

And that was a conversation best had when the "War of way-too-many" wasn't on the verge of breaking out again. That name was a little convoluted. Maybe they'd just call it the Battle of Haven, even if that didn't do the sheer complexity of it justice.

"You're stalling," Yang said.

"Yes. Yes, I am. Can you blame me?"

Yang took a look towards the complicated mess of Qrow, Coral, Sapphire, Cinder, Tyrian and Lionheart. She sighed. "Not really. Best we get this over with, though." Yang had a point, and Jaune sighed and nodded.

The reactions of those involved as they approached were varied. Coral and Sapphire sniffed and glowered at him, clearly offended that their little brother had felt the need to step in on what was a territorial dispute. Sapphire was probably upset he'd taken the Grimm back from her, and while she could overrule him if she wanted to, it would only start the fight all over again. Raven was glaring at them, clearly unimpressed with Yang's allegiance, and with him oddly enough. Cinder had a black eye and looked almost guilty. Not going there. Lionheart coughed into his fist and flushed. Tyrian…

Tyrian waved happily. "Hi Nephew!"

"Uncle…" Jaune groaned. He placed both hands on his hips. "Okay. Does someone want to explain how this all started?"

"He groped me!"

"He didn't finish inside me!"

Jaune's face travelled the whole spectrum of anger to disgust. "T-That… Okay. Leaving that one until last. Tyrian," he said. "Why are you and Cinder here?"

"We came to hunt the Spring Maiden," Cinder interrupted.

"And definitely not to escape your mother, our divine Goddess, in a bad mood."

Cinder flushed.

Tyrian smiled.

Jaune slapped a hand to his forehead. "Right. Great. And who is the Spring Maiden again?"

"That would be my egg donor," Yang drawled, jerking a thumb in Raven's direction.

Raven didn't appear bothered by the title, or the dismissive nature of Yang's voice. The bandit placed one hand on her hip and kept the other on the hilt of her drawn sword. It was clear she was still considering violence, only having stopped because she knew that if she was the only one to do so, everyone might ally against her.

"You," she snapped. "Where is Vernal?"

Jaune blinked. "Who?"

"Vernal! The one I sent to deal with you."

"You sent a `mook` to deal with my brother?" Coral asked.

"No. I sent Vernal, my personally trained apprentice."

"She sent a mook," Sapphire agreed. "How insulting."

Jaune ignored them. "Was this Vernal person about yay high, short hair, blue eyes with a disappointing lack of skill or ability? Makes a sound like this when she gets her ass kicked." Jaune opined a high-pitched yelp.

Raven didn't look impressed.

"If so, she's over there somewhere." He pointed vaguely over his shoulder. "She didn't seem all that important, so I just dumped her with the others."

"And all of a sudden, I'm even more glad she left me with Dad," Yang said.

"Who _are_ you?" Raven demanded.

"Isn't that obvious?"

"Having never met you in my life before now? No."

"Huh. That's fair." He'd gotten used to most people having known him for ages and somehow not having figured out something was wrong. "I'm Yang's boyfriend, Jaune Arc. I know it's late, and probably not the right moment, but it's nice to meet you, Yang's mom. I'll always try my best to be good to her."

"And he's _my_ brother," Sapphire said with a wide smile.

Qrow scowled. "It's true, then. Shit. Nothing makes sense. I _saw_ Nicholas Arc not three years ago. How could you be from him?"

Jaune stared at the man. "You think I'm three years old?"

"What? No! I'm saying that he was _free_ three years ago. He wasn't some kind of prisoner in-" Qrow paused. "Shit. Don't tell me that was a Grimm in disguise or something? Is the real Nicholas locked up in a Dungeon somewhere?"

"No. That was the real Nicholas," Jaune said. "And he doesn't really spend time in the Dungeons…"

"Except when he asks Mom to roleplay," Coral said helpfully.

Sapphire and Jaune shuddered.

"E-Even so," Jaune continued valiantly, "Dad is Dad and he's still himself. He's not a prisoner of my mother, and he visits whenever he can. It's just too long a commute to and from the Grimmlands for him to live there all the time, and someone has to be the breadwinner."

Qrow choked. "B-But Salem…?"

"Well, she _is_ the Queen of the Grimm, but it's not like it's a high-paying job or anythi-"

"Not that! She's the Queen of the Grimm. He's a Huntsman. What do they even _do_ together!?"

"They fuck," Coral said.

"All the time," Jaune agreed.

"Too much," Sapphire added. "It can't be healthy."

"Certainly not in the positions they often try," Cinder said.

"Nowhere is safe," Tyrian sighed. "You can hear it _everywhere_."

"It really is as simple as that," Jaune said to a shell-shocked Qrow. In a way, he pitied the poor man, even if he still wanted to punch him a little. Coral took after their mother more than any other, at least in _that_ department. Qrow would get a first-hand account of just what being Nicholas Arc was like. Jaune didn't even question it. Coral wanted, and so Coral would get. The only question was how much Qrow would play hard to catch.

"For those who haven't yet gotten it," Jaune said, really only for Qrow and Raven's benefit. "I am Jaune Salem Arc. My mother is Juniper Salem Arc, known to most as just Salem, Queen of the Grimm. Yes, _that_ Queen of the Grimm. No, I am not evil." He ignored Sapphire's snort. "And I didn't sneak into Beacon for some nefarious plan. Yes, I am dating Yang. No, she is not being forced in some way."

"Like he'd dare," Yang said.

"Right now, I am also the person calling this ceasefire," Jaune said. "Which means that it is a ceasefire called with the name of Salem." He stared at Sapphire and Coral. "Respect that and don't break it. The same goes for you, Cinder. And you, Uncle Tyrian."

"Aww…"

"Okay. Last person. Leo, why did you even attack Qrow in the first place?"

"I assumed it was your glorious master plan, oh most maleficent one."

"I told you to wait. And to delay supplies."

"Yes," Leo agreed. "Delay supplies to force them to stay while you gathered and orchestrated all these forces to attack at once, trapping all your enemies in one spot so that you might destroy them all!"

"Not quite…"

"There was more to your glorious plan?"

"I…" Jaune sighed. "Leo. Close your eyes."

"Okay. What am I waiti-oof!" Leonardo slumped back unconscious, tumbling to the ground. Jaune's knuckles ached but he waved them in the air a few times and turned back to the others.

"No one actually objected to that, did they?"

"No."

"Not really."

"Fine with me."

"He was very annoying."

"Great," Jaune said. "Now comes the hard part. What do we have to give each of you to decide this isn't worth it and stop this war, taking your factions away in peace?"

/-/

"The Albain brothers?" Sienna asked.

"Dead," Blake replied.

"And the Church of Adam?"

"No more."

"Long live Blake," someone in the background cried.

Sienna raised an eyebrow.

Blake pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I'll tell them their `Holy Leader` is embarking on a pilgrimage," Sienna offered. "Hopefully once we have them back in Menagerie, they'll start to calm down."

And if not, it wouldn't be her problem anymore. Blake nodded gratefully. "That would be ideal. Thank you."

"The White Fang will also have to start working on its image again. Adam has tainted it, and this attack on Haven hardly makes it any better. Hopefully the Schnee family will make it clear that it was but a schism of the White Fang, and that we moved to prevent this assault." Sienna eyed Weiss firmly, and behind her, Winter stiffened.

"The SDC understands and accepts your offer," Weiss said.

"Weiss!"

"Sister, I am here as the representative of the SDC, am I not?"

Winter sighed. "You are…"

"And you are here only as the commander of my guards, correct?"

"That… is correct…"

"Hm. I think that means I am the one to make all the decisions invol-"

"Yes, Weiss," Winter said with a sigh. "Yes, you are."

"Ah. I thought so." Weiss nodded, as if she'd ever forgotten the fact. "In that case, on behalf of the SDC, we thank the White Fang for stepping in to prevent an attack from rogue elements of your faction. We wish you well in containing and dealing with them."

"Weiss," Winter hissed when Sienna nodded and turned back to her troops. "I must caution against making deals with the White Fang! They are terrorists, not to mention our enemies!"

"Then by all means take your surviving men and challenge her," Weiss said. "How many is that, eight not injured and ready to fight? Against her hundred or so? Go on." Weiss waved a hand. "Feel free."

Winter's scowl was legendary.

"Things aren't what they used to be, Winter," Weiss said, this time a little softer. "I think we've all gotten too used to who our enemies are and aren't that we've forgotten things can change. I've come to realise it's not that simple. The world's not as black and white as people would have us believe."

"You cannot change the world in a day, Weiss. The White Fang are our enemies."

"Like the Grimm are?"

"Yes!"

Weiss snorted. "Tell that to my not-so-little friend."

As if it could hear and understand her – and maybe it could – the dragon let loose a puff of air, blowing Weiss' hair forward and Winter's back. Her sister froze, seemingly haven forgotten that a great, big dragon was stalking around after Weiss.

"He actually saved me the first time. Swallowed me whole. Bit Adam to shreds and spat me back out." And while she still wasn't amused at the last bit, she couldn't find it in herself to tell the dragon off. "Now, he's here again. Helping. That's technically more help than I've received from most _humans_. My teammates not included."

"I see."

Winter didn't, but Weiss hoped that she might in time. It was hard for everyone else; they didn't have the context she did. They didn't know Jaune. They hadn't become friends with an ex-White Fang terrorist in Blake, and they hadn't seen an enemy like Emerald turn into one of your closest allies. Considering all of that, Weiss figured the whole boundary of enemy and ally was flexible.

"You are the one in charge then, sister. You and your team. What is to be our part in this?" Winter sighed. "I can hardly fight you at this point. If I even wanted to."

"Just do your job. Secure the area. Let Ironwood know it's safe."

Winter coughed.

"W-Well… safeish."

Winter's eyebrow rose higher.

Weiss shrugged helplessly.

"I'll stay for the two weeks intended," Winter said. "After which, I will make up my mind. Should the White Fang honour your request, and the Grimm retreat, I will inform Ironwood that an… an accord has been reached." Winter grimaced at the word. "Something tells me you will not be staying for that, however. Would I be correct in thinking so?"

"You would. I… I have a team to return to. I have a teammate who has been separated from us who needs a rescue. If not for fear of her life, then at least her sanity."

"And the reason you're able to command the Grimm…?"

"Is a part of that," Weiss said. "I could explain, but I'm not sure you'd believe it. Things aren't like what we were taught, Winter. We've been living on false assumptions. Or maybe we haven't and it's just that no one has actually _tried_ to bridge the gap."

"You think that _you_ will be able to?" Winter's tone made it clear she thought Weiss arrogant. Maybe she was, but her solution – Remnant's solution – was to continuously wage a war they could never win, and likely to doom humanity to a slow death either way.

Remnant's method wasn't working.

Jaune's… It was insane, she accepted that, but it had potential – and they'd be heading in that direction to rescue Pyrrha, anyway. Might as well try while they were there.

"I won't ask you to have faith in me, Winter. But I won't ask for your permission, either."

"I've a feeling I no longer have the right to expect it," Winter said. "Very well. You've handled yourself well without my interference. I suppose I can continue to trust you now. I will… cover for your absence with father. But only for as long as I'm able."

Weiss nodded, grateful. "Thank you."

/-/

Jaune cocked his head to the side at the sound of Bullheads lifting off. Since Kevin wasn't interfering, he had to assume it wasn't an attempt to attack. A brief glance showed that the White Fang's numbers were dwindling. That was good. It looked like Weiss was having more success than he was. Go figure.

"I want Qrow."

"I want Qrow as well," Sapphire said reasonably. "But I only need him for ten seconds."

"You're going to kill him, aren't you?"

"No."

"Sapphire…"

"Maybe. Just a little."

"Don't I get a say in this?" the man in question asked.

"No." Jaune, Yang, Coral and Sapphire said.

"I want Ozpin and Qrow gone," Raven said. "And Yang cleansed of the Grimm that infests her."

"That's also a no," Yang said. "Yin is my son. Ozpin is technically inside an innocent boy – and wow, that sounds bad – and Uncle Qrow is Uncle Qrow. You're not killing him any more than I'm letting Jaune's sisters kill him."

"That could be solved by letting me kill her," Cinder offered.

Jaune sighed. "Cinder, no."

"Now, now," Yang said, touching Jaune's shoulder. "We should hear her out."

"Yang, no," Jaune and Qrow said in unison.

"No killing is going to happen here," Jaune said. "Raven, you tried to kill Yang before and she nearly ended you. Try it here and you'll be up against _four_ of us, and Sapphire, Coral and I know how to use our Grimm forms a lot more effectively than Yang does. Secondly, she's your daughter. And Yin is your grandson. I know you're, like, worst mother of the year or something, but surely that's a line even you shouldn't want to cross."

"It is not something I desire," Raven said. "But Yang will draw the attention of Salem. Her life will forever be in danger."

Wait, was that concern from Raven?

"And Salem's attention might be drawn to me as a result."

Never mind.

"Salem knew about _you_ ages ago," Cinder drawled. "Seriously, you worked with Ozpin for multiple years and then decided to run away to a little tribe in Mistral. Did you think that would keep you hidden? Even assuming you didn't take the Spring Maiden's powers, we already had an eye on you. We're hardly amateurs here. The only reason we never bothered to attack you was because we didn't need to. You were well in hand."

Tyrian nodded. "And because our most beloved Goddess was too distracted to care."

Cinder sighed. "That too. My responsibilities had also been shifted to babysitting Jaune, so killing you was put on the backburner."

Raven didn't look pleased about that, or the suggestion she was somehow less a threat than Jaune hurting himself if left alone. Her hand tightened on the hilt of her sword. She might also have just realised how useless her attempts to avoid being drawn into the war really were, or her efforts to hide. Really, though, Raven was _easier_ to find in the wild where any Grimm could stumble on her. If she'd really wanted to hide, she should have stayed in the cities and lived a quiet life out of the public eye.

"No one is killing anyone," Jaune said again. "Not even Raven. I'm not starting a precedent here, and before you say it, Lionheart is just knocked out. We'll give him to the Mistral students and tell them the truth. They can decide what to do with him."

"They'll probably kill him," Cinder pointed out.

"Yes, but that'll be their choice and they can face the consequences." He locked eyes with Cinder. "If I ask you not to kill Raven…"

"I will call you naïve," she said. "But if you ask me not to kill her _now_ , then I shall agree. This was to be an assassination. The element of surprise has already been lost."

"Thank you." Not perfect, but enough. "And you, Tyrian?"

"Eh. I was just here to escape our Goddess' rage. And maybe to punish the one who dared assault my niece."

"I didn't realise she was a real person!" Qrow protested again.

"That doesn't change anything," Jaune, Sapphire and Yang said once more.

"Seriously," Yang added. "Stop digging deeper holes, Uncle Qrow. Why would it be any better if you molested someone who _wasn't_ sentient? Then you'd just be taking advantage of an animal or something."

Qrow, having no answer to that, paled.

"Exactly!" Sapphire cheered.

"However," Yang said, interjecting. "Even if Uncle Qrow did do that, `death` is a pretty ridiculous punishment for it. At best, he'd be charged for it, but considering he's family and he didn't realise what he was doing, you'd more likely sort it out between yourselves."

"Peacefully," Jaune added, before Sapphire could say they'd been doing just that. Sapphire pouted.

"As for Coral," Yang continued, "I don't really see what the big deal is. You _did_ try and sleep with her and it's not like you're related or anything." Yang shrugged. "You've been a bachelor forever, Uncle. I say go for it."

Coral grinned. "I approve of her, Jaune."

"B-But she's part Grimm! She's literally the spawn of Salem!"

Yang grinned. "Saying something about my tastes?"

Qrow looked at Yang in question for a second, before reality hit. He looked to Jaune, back to Yang, and then looked even more horrified.

"Don't knock it until you try it, Uncle. Besides, you were more than fine with her before you realised who her mother was. Didn't you once tell me not to judge a book by its cover? And about how you're not responsible for what your family or parents do? Or are you saying I'm just like her." Yang jerked a thumb in Raven's direction. "All my offence intended."

"Charmed," Raven said.

"N-No…" Qrow said. "You're not like her, Yang."

"Exactly. So, saying Coral is like Salem is wrong, too. She's her own person. Even if she's only half-person."

"She has tentacles!"

"So does Jaune half the time." Yang motioned, and Jaune brought the transformation forth without hesitation. Qrow's face drained, as if he'd held out hope this was all a joke but now saw it dashed. He was a little surprised when Yang grabbed one of his tentacles, but she didn't seem bothered by it. She pointed it vaguely at Qrow as she kept talking, "Honestly, it's not that big a deal. Sure, if you're into it like Ruby totally pretends she isn't, it might be awkward, but other than that, it's not that much different than, say, a guy spontaneously turning into a bird."

"What if I don't want to…?"

It was Coral who answered, frowning. "Then don't. But don't send such mixed messages as to _literally_ sleep with me and then claim you don't want to. And be prepared for me to feel a little upset afterwards."

"And me," Yang said. "You may be my uncle, but Coral is Yin's aunt. I'm not going to hold you down while she beats you up, but I'm not going to stop her, either."

"Gee. Thanks, suddenly least favourite niece…"

Yang rolled her eyes. "Stop being a bitch, Uncle Qrow. You do or you don't. It's not exactly a difficult question. Might as well answer it now. Do you like her, or has the fact you know who her mother is somehow turned you off?"

Jaune made to interject but stopped when Yang shot him a meaningful look. He stepped back and waited. Coral did so as well, showing little of what she thought or felt. It couldn't have been good, though. For all her confidence, Coral was still a person. If she really did like Qrow, having him reject her based solely on what she was would hurt. And then Jaune would hurt Qrow – but he'd respect the man's right to a choice, if not the man himself.

"It's not… I don't know," Qrow said. "I don't know what to think right now. I don't want to be the kind of guy that says it matters, but I'm a little shocked here. Give me a break. I just found out the girl I'm into is part-Grimm."

Coral's lips quirked up. "The girl you're into?"

"Don't read into it."

"I'm reading into it."

Yang gave Jaune's shoulder a gentle punch. "I think they'll be okay."

"Yeah," he replied, watching Coral grin. "I think so. Funny how we never had this moment."

"Because you got me pregnant and ran off with my sister. You should count yourself lucky I didn't strangle you in your sleep. We've got bigger problems, though," Yang said, looking back over his shoulder.

"What do you-" Jaune turned and saw Ruby approaching at a dead sprint, _without_ Ozpin. "Oh…"

"I couldn't stop him," Ruby panted.

"What?"

"Ozpin," she said, holding a hand to her stomach. Not injured, but winded perhaps. "He saw your transformation, Jaune. He figured it out. Figured everything out, including that we knew. And Yang. I tried to stop him. Tried to reason with him."

Jaune's stomach fell. "What happened?"

"He wouldn't have it. Wouldn't listen to a word I said. Kept saying how it had to be done, how the world wouldn't be lost under _his_ watch. That _she_ had to be destroyed." Ruby looked nervously at them all and bit her lip. "I-I don't know what he was like. It was as if he'd gone mad. Or he thought we all had. Before I knew what was going on, he punched me in the stomach. He _could_ fight," she said. "He lied before. That hit… it was much harder than what Oscar could do. I wasn't ready for it."

"Shit."

"Hm, so you finally realised what he's truly like," Raven said, sounding smugly satisfied for once. "Perhaps I was mistaken and there's hope for you yet, Yang." The Maiden turned her back on them. "I shall take my tribe and leave. I wanted Ozpin gone, and my objective is achieved. There is nothing else here I care to sit through."

Jaune looked to Yang. Yang shrugged back. "Um. Sure?" he said. "See you around?"

Raven snorted. "I would hope not."

"See you when we tear the maiden's power from your broken body," Tyrian said, waving happily. Raven stiffened, and then, with some effort, forced herself to keep on walking, back to her tribe. Cinder rolled her eyes and punched Tyrian in the shoulder, earning a yelp and a wounded look from him.

Jaune shot his Big Sis a nod in thanks.

"Well, that's the White Fang and Raven's tribe dealt with," Yang said. "I'm guessing the Grimm won't be a problem?"

"Sapphire shall remove them," Coral said. "Isn't that right, sister?"

Sapphire grimaced but nodded. She'd be hard pressed to wrest control from both Jaune and Coral, and the distraction would surely let them ambush her. If she was knocked unconscious, the Grimm would default to her final order – except if there was another Salem around to order them. Sapphire might have been able to take them both on – she was the eldest and also the most experienced – but she couldn't handle herself against them with the help of so many others. With a toss of her head, Sapphire sent out a silent message and the Grimm began to depart. Except for Kevin, of course, who continued to shadow Weiss in what Jaune was fairly sure only he realised was an almost adoring manner.

He wasn't sure what Weiss would think once she realised Kevin liked her.

Then again, this _was_ Weiss. Maybe she'd try and put a saddle on the big lug. Ride him back to Atlas, knock down the SDC and declare herself Queen of the Icy Throne. Yep, definitely had to take steps to make sure Weiss and Mom never met, otherwise he'd have an arranged marriage within moments.

Still, Ozpin aside the battle looked to be over. Already, the Mistral students were cheering and the last of the White Fang were being shuttled away. Raven had a portal open for her own bandits, who were marching into it, carrying their wounded with them. The Atlas contingent stood awkwardly in the middle, their Bullheads downed and them having nothing to do other than wait for orders. No one quite knew what to do about the dragon, but the fact it was docilely following a short girl like a puppy probably helped keep the panic down.

Ozpin was gone, and Jaune had a feeling they hadn't heard the last of him, but in a way, they'd always known it would come to this. Ozpin was never going to accept Jaune being Salem's son, or his suggestions of peace and co-operation. At least this way, Ozpin didn't have the chance to attack or hurt any of them, and Ruby was just winded.

And everyone was back together at last.

All except for Pyrrha.

But not for long. They'd all gathered as one, and with Kevin here, they had a way to the Grimmlands.

"We're coming, Pyrrha. Stay strong."

/-/

"Let it go," Watts advised. "Don't try to stay strong."

"I-I- UWAROOOOGHHH!"

The echoing splash as Pyrrha threw up into the toilet was horrifying, as was the smell, which had Mannie backing up with both paws over his snout, snorting as if he'd been physically burned. The Beowolf hit the wall and kept going, sliding out of the bathroom with its tail between its legs.

Watts had no such mercy, and simply scrunched up his nose while he held the girl's long hair out of her face with one hand and rubbed her back with the other.

"There, there," he said, thinking of the numerous times he'd done this before with the other Salem girls. He'd half-expected to have to do it for Jaune, too, but having run off to Beacon, he imagined someone else had filled that role. Maybe Cinder.

"I likes you, Jaune~"

"I'm not Jaune."

"No, no," Pyrrha said drunkenly. "I really likes you! Like, really likesh. Really likes…"

"That's lovely, Miss Nikos."

"Kiss?"

"No."

"Why? Not pretty…?"

"No. It's because I'm not Jaune," Watts said reasonably. "And a host of other reasons related to suitable age, personal feelings, professionalism, not taking advantage of a woman, and a desire not to be strung up by my entrails by my mistress."

Pyrrha blinked, vomited, and then came to the obvious conclusion. "A-Are they not big enough?"

"Excuse me?"

"T-These," Pyrrha said, trying to cup her breasts and only half-succeeding. Her other hand was cupping a small amount of her stomach. She gasped. "Is-Is it because one is bigger than t'other!?"

"No, and they're not different in size. As far as I can tell. That's an ab. Also, I'm still not Jaune."

"Hmm, Jaune," she droned, eyes closed. "Your mom's nice."

"I'm glad you think so."

"Your uncle is a bit of a dick, though."

Watts sighed.

Really, this job never got any easier. Oh wait, now she'd slumped in his arms and was snoring lightly. Her body sagged, suddenly feeling about ten times heavier than it had a moment before. With a groan, Watts crouched and tried to work the girl up onto his shoulders, wincing as she struggled a little and planted an elbow in his eye.

"Be evil, they said. Become a supervillain, they said. It'll be fun, they said." Watts grunted. Instead, in his spotted career as a villain, he'd found himself tucking your monstrosities into bed, changing diapers, dealing with Salem's Labour _eight times_ and generally playing butler-slash-babysitter.

With a gurgle, Pyrrha dribbled down the back of Watts' head.

"This wasn't in the job description…"

* * *

 **And so, the battle ends – not with a bloodbath, but with casual threats of one forcing each and every side into something of a stalemate. Of course, Ozpin was never going to accept Jaune's reasoning – nor was he going to hang around in a vulnerable body when he realises there are** _ **three**_ **of Salem's ilk around, and that his closest allies are compromised in various ways.**

 **Not much to say here. There's still a little fallout to go, but September is a bitch, so I'm going to have to split it over two chapters. Next chapter won't all be fallout, of course. They'll decide on their next step and put plans into action.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 20** **th** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	84. Chapter 84

**My speech is next week. Today, I alternated between writing White Sheep and what I'm going to be saying, lol. Here's to hoping I don't get up there and start talking about fanfiction when I'm meant to be going on about process control systems in the food and drink industry.**

 **Which, of course, I know just about nothing about. "But he's an Editor for a big food and drink business magazine. He must be an expert!"**

 **Yes, on journalism – not** _ **what**_ **I'm writing about. That's like suggesting a newspaper journalist is an expert on tax evasion, murder and whatever else he or she has to write about for that morning's news.**

 **xD**

 **Still, life will start to return to normal the week after next. Thank God!**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 84**

* * *

"The Haven students are nervous."

"Are they?" Qrow asked, voice thick with sarcasm. "I wonder why. You don't think it's the huge freaking dragon parked in their front garden, do you? The dragon currently-" Qrow looked, and then sighed. "Which is currently laid flat on its back being petted by Ruby and Nora."

"Your uncle has a flair for making obvious statements," Weiss said to Yang.

"Yeah. I know. Dad calls him Captain Obvious."

"Not to intervene," Winter said, "But even I must agree with Qrow on this. I realise that you have some control over the dragon, Weiss, but not everyone will realise this. How long do you expect it will take before huntsmen and armed mobs from Mistral arrive?"

Weiss glanced at her sister, "Is that your way of telling us to hurry up?"

"If that is the only solution, yes. I don't think you'll be able to talk your way out of this."

"A mob is only as smart as its least intelligent member," Qrow agreed. "They'll shoot first, burn the bodies, salt the ground, sacrifice a goat and then ask what the hell happened afterwards."

Weiss sighed, accepting their wisdom. No matter which way she looked at it, time wasn't on their side. They might have stopped the battle at Haven, but Mistral was close enough that an alarm must have been raised, if not for them then for the White Fang. The Haven students were content to watch and wait for now, and Ruby and Nora playing with the Dragon probably helped on that front – keeping them calm – but it wouldn't last. Giving Leonardo Lionheart to them with an explanation of what he'd done would buy them more time, but sooner or later someone would ask the question on what to do about the Grimm Dragon and the three half-Grimm humans.

Jaune, at least, was content to stand at the back and let everyone else do the talking. He knew people would instinctively distrust him, hence why he'd made her his official spokesperson of a sort. Weiss would have normally considered that beneath her, but since he was technically Grimm Royalty, that sort of made her the Prince's Right Hand, didn't it?

That was an interesting thought.

"Whatever you decide, decide it quick," Winter said. "Meanwhile, I ought to start figuring out what excuse I'm going to give father and General Ironwood."

Weiss didn't envy her sister that. "Good luck, Winter."

"I can't believe you're saying that to _me_ of all people. Good luck, Weiss. You're the one who will need it more with the path you have ahead." Winter paused to eye Jaune, perhaps wondering whether she could trust the man with her sister. In the end, and to Weiss' relief, Winter nodded and marched back to her troops.

"You Schnee and your little word games," Qrow laughed. "Would it have broken the icy exterior too much to give her sister a hug?"

"You, of all people, criticise our sibling bonds?" Weiss snarked. "Yours tried to kill you."

Qrow winced. "Ouch. Yeah, you have me there."

"Don't worry, Uncle Qrow," Yang said. "We all know Raven's a bitch. We need to decide what we're going to do, though. And like Weiss' sister said, we need to decide it fast. Jaune, can you grab Ruby and Nora while I get the others?"

"Sure thing."

It didn't take long to bring everyone together, mostly because given the nervous looks they were receiving, no one had strayed too far. They gathered under the shadow of Kevin, trusting the dragon's bulk and sharp teeth to convince any eavesdroppers to reconsider their options. The two teams, along with Sun and Ilia, Qrow and Jaune's sisters met, though Sapphire remained slightly to one side, arms crossed.

"Winter says we have to get out of here quick," Weiss recounted for the benefit of those who hadn't heard. "Otherwise, we'll have people coming from Mistral with torches and pitchforks." Or huntsman equivalent. "I'm inclined to agree with her."

"Well, we're done here, aren't we?" Nora asked. "We only agreed to come here so that everyone could meet up. Now that we're back together, we can head to the Grimmlands."

"Could Kevin fly us?" Ruby asked.

Jaune nodded. "Sure."

"Wait, if this was your plan all along, then why didn't you just all fly to the Grimmlands straight from Beacon?" Qrow asked.

"A couple of reasons," Jaune said. "For one, we agreed we had to split up to rescue Ren from Menagerie. And we wanted to go as a group. Safety in numbers. Secondly, I'd just come out as being Jaune Salem Arc and there were some doubts in trusting me to take Ruby and Nora _alone_ to meet my mother. And thirdly, we'd have been shot down out of the sky instantly by Vale or Atlas, whereas we can fly across the ocean from Mistral. And that's assuming _you_ didn't do something to try and stop us."

"Ruby wouldn't fight you, so if you tried to stop us it would have just been me and Jaune," Nora explained. "Not good odds. Better to wait until it's the eight of us again, or ten, and we could afford to fight you off if you tried."

"Right." Qrow nodded. "I guess that makes sense. So, that's your plan, fly to the Grimmlands, rescue your missing team member and then… what? You can't think it's a case of flying back and living happily ever after." He gestured to the people nearby. "You've been seen. I'd bet my liver your faces and names will be spread across Remnant by tomorrow morning. You'd be locked up the second you came back."

"Yeah, this wasn't quite as subtle as we'd intended it," Jaune said. Weiss and Ruby snorted, clearly amused. "But it's not like you left us a choice, mister gropes-a-lot."

"Hey!"

"Okay, okay, enough." Yang strode between Qrow and Jaune before it could come to blows. "Mistakes were made, we've all been seen and now we're on a clock. We get it. Blaming each other isn't going to help." She grinned when the two backed down, chastised. "Uncle Qrow, I know you're loyal to Ozpin and everything, but can we count on you to help…?"

Qrow ran a hand through his hair, clearly distressed. "Yeah, I guess. I mean… I don't like it, but Summer would have my head if I went against you and Ruby, and you've both clearly made up your minds."

"What do you think Ozpin will do?" Ren asked.

"Hard to tell. I may have been his most trusted agent, but that doesn't mean he told me anything. He might still go after the Relics. Hard to say how he'll get Raven on board with that, though."

"Is there a chance he'll try and stop us?"

"I doubt he can stop you getting to the Grimmlands, not with what he has available. But he might be able to set something up to stop you getting back. Or making life difficult if you do. Like I said, people aren't going to look favourably on you working alongside the Grimm. What _is_ the end goal, anyway? What's the ultimate plan you have in mind?"

Weiss looked to Jaune, who took a deep breath and answered. "World peace."

Qrow waited for the punchline. When it was clear one wasn't coming, he sighed. "Well, you don't do things halfway, do you? Right. Peace. You're saying peace between humans and Grimm, I guess. Do you think that's honestly possible? I'm not nay-saying you," Qrow said, holding a hand up. "I'm asking you, if the stars align, is this _theoretically_ possible?"

"Yes. It absolutely is. The Grimm… Salem can create them, as can I and my family. Our position as Grimm Royalty isn't for show. We _can_ control all Grimm in the world if we need to. It'll take time, but we can pass orders on. If peace was declared, we could make it so Grimm won't kill humans. Or we can make it so they won't _hunt_ humans. They'd still fight in self-defence."

"Alright. That means it's possible. The bigger problem will be convincing everyone to go along with it."

"Mom doesn't care much about destroying the world anymore," Jaune said. "I know it sounds silly, but she's mellowed out. I can't even remember the last time she bothered to kill something. It helps that she's married to a human, too."

"Yeah, but I don't even think she's the biggest problem, kid."

"It's everyone else," Sun realised. "Because with the Grimm you just need to convince _one person_ , while on the other side, you'll have to make hundreds of thousands of other people understand and accept that everything they've ever known is wrong."

"Which will be harder considering the history of huntsmen, and with Ozpin working in the background while we're gone," Blake added.

"There might even be some people who don't want things to change because it could mean a loss of revenue," Weiss said. When she received some disgusted looks, she explained, "I'm not talking about the SDC. We sell more dust for power than weaponry, and I think my father would _jump_ at the chance to not have to pay armed security to defend against Grimm attacks. But think of huntsman academies, weapon manufacturers or all the people who would lose jobs if the Grimm stopped being aggressive. Entire economies might collapse."

"Still better than people dying," Ruby argued.

"I don't disagree, but not everyone will see it that way. Look how hard it's been convincing people to treat faunus equally. Now imagine it's the Grimm." Weiss was convinced she'd gotten her point across when everyone grimaced. "I'm not saying it's impossible or that we shouldn't try. I just want everyone to know what to expect."

This was not going to be easy. Apart from Ozpin, there was Ironwood and other huntsmen, and anyone who had ever lost someone important to the Grimm, who would be clamouring for vengeance against Salem even if she did agree to turn peaceful. Many would see her as a mass murder trying to escape justice by turning a new leaf.

That the Grimm could not, and probably should not, be tried for _human crimes_ didn't really matter. If she could reason and talk, people would want her to face justice. No one would care that huntsmen had technically been doing the same to her, trying to kill her for hundreds of years.

"I still have to try," Jaune said, shaking his head. "I know the odds are against this, but nothing will change if this continues. Ozpin will keep trying to kill Mom, and Mom will try to kill Ozpin in turn. Meanwhile, people like us will be caught up in the violence. I don't want to have to pick between my family and my friends."

"Well, I'm in," Ruby said, sticking a hand in. "I don't care if it's unlikely or not. I'll try."

"I'm already half-Grimm myself," Yang said. "And I'd like to see a world where my son isn't considered a parasite to be killed." She stuck Yin in, and he echoed her sentiment with a ripple of black skin.

Nora looked to Ren, who nodded once. "Ren and I are in," she said. "And Blakey too, right?"

"Sure," Blake said. "You helped me with my problems. It's only fair."

"Great! Blakey's harem is in, too," Nora said.

"Oi!"

"Hey!"

Ilia and Sun glared at one another, though it was Ilia who spoke first, "You can't just make those kinds of assumptions. Or relegate us to being a part of a harem."

"Does that mean you're not coming?" Nora asked.

"O-Of course I am! I can't leave Blake alone with someone like _him_." Ilia glared at Sun.

"And I'll come along because it's the right thing to do," Sun said, "Not because of some ulterior motives. This is saving the world. It's a big deal." Sun ruined his motives somewhat by glancing at Blake from the corner of one eye, practically waiting for her praise.

Blake sighed and ran a hand down her face.

"Well, that's official," Weiss teased, smiling behind her hand. "I already said I'd go to save Pyrrha. I _am_ the team leader, after all. Besides that, you'll need someone to act as a diplomat, and as the heiress to the SDC, I'm uniquely qualified." She shot Jaune a look. "Though I wouldn't say no to a salary once this is all sorted out. My services don't come cheap."

"We can work something out," Jaune said.

"I wouldn't say no to a dragon of my own."

"Is that so you can intimidate people you don't like into never questioning you?"

Weiss hesitated to answer. What could she say? Convincing people to do what you wanted _had_ been easier with Kevin behind her. Not even father would argue if she asked him nicely to introduce better working conditions for faunus. Not if her words came accompanied with the promise of fiery death.

"Maybe."

Jaune sighed. "I'll see what I can do…"

"I, for one, will be staying here," Sapphire said, speaking up for the first time. "I've little interest in this doomed endeavour, but I won't stop you trying."

"What will you do, sis?" Jaune asked.

"I shall continue my search for Ozpin. Uncle Hazel has been helping."

"He has? I've not seen him anywhere."

"I think he wanted to avoid what he called `inevitable insanity`." Sapphire paused. "Huh. The old man was right after all. Curse him. Either way, I'll be hunting down Ozpin to bring him back to mother. I assume you have no issue with that?"

It _would_ be helpful if she managed it. Weis shrugged, and the others made various sounds of agreement.

"Does this mean you've forgiven Uncle Qrow?" Ruby asked.

"Ha! Not even slightly."

"But you're willing to let him leave without trying to kill him?"

"Of course. After all, I thought up a far worse fate for the foolish human." Sapphire grinned when Qrow took a step back, half hiding behind Coral. "And better still, _you_ will help me put him through it."

Yang snorted. "I doubt that."

"You wish to travel to the Grimmlands to save your friend and entreat with mother. Jaune can help you reach it, but he won't help you talk with her. Nor find your friend. Mom isn't human, after all. She can mimic it, but her mind works on an entirely different scale. She won't return your friend to you and will instead use her as a bargaining tool to get what _she_ wants."

Weiss hummed. "And what is it she wants?"

"Likely Jaune and all of you to stay there as her guests. Honoured guests, but essentially prisoners. Mom knows as well as Branwen does that true peace is almost impossible. She wouldn't risk one of her children on such a fool's errand, and in the interests of protecting his happiness, she would protect all of you as well. Against your will if necessary."

"That… does sound like something Mom would do," Jaune sighed.

"Over-protective much?" Blake said.

"When every human and faunus in the world nominally wants you and your kin dead, such methods are more caution than protectiveness," Sapphire remarked.

"I guess that makes sense," Ren said. "And how does Mr Branwen help us with this, then? And how does this tie into your revenge?"

"Because," Sapphire said, smiling cruelly, "I would grant him a fate worse than death. And you need a way to distract Salem. Enough so that her gaze will be so focused that she fails to notice the ten of you sneaking directly into her tower."

Qrow, slowly realising where this was going, tried to slip away. Coral caught him with a tentacle, while Weiss, Ruby and Yang boxed him in, preventing any escape. Qrow whimpered. "I-Isn't it a little early for this?" he pleaded. "W-We should at least go on a couple of dates first."

"It's to help save the world, Uncle Qrow."

"I'm starting to think the world can burn."

"Nope."

"B-But-"

Ruby's smile only grew. "Nope."

"It's time to meet the parents, Uncle Qrow," Yang said, clamping a hand on his shoulder. "If I have to do it, you're coming with me."

/-/

Cinder and Tyrian watched Kevin flap his mighty wings a few times, generating the lift required to move so massive a bulk. Many of the Haven students took pictures and videos on their scroll, and Cinder knew news of this would spread. The only fortunate thing was that they were so focused on the scene before them that no one had bothered to question the two of them.

"We should warn Salem," Cinder said. "If she knows how many will come, she can better prepare for their arrival. If needs be, with an ambush."

"We should," Tyrian agreed. The tone of his voice clued Cinder in to there being a problem. She eyed the faunus, who didn't quite return her gaze.

"What?"

"N-Nothing."

"What did you do, Tyrian?"

"I did nothing!"

"Then what is the problem with us contacting Salem? We can use the encrypted channels in the Bullhead we used to get here."

Tyrian's feet shuffled on the floor.

"Where is the Bullhead, Tyrian?"

"Well, that's a funny story. Do you remember how you saw the Spring Maiden and jumped out to fight her?"

"Yes," Cinder said carefully.

"Well, I thought to myself – Tyrian, you esteemed and loyal servant of the Goddess, how bad would it look if poor, little Cinder got herself hurt, lost the Fall Maiden's powers and our Goddess had to train up _another_ young woman to go find them? Terrible. Absolutely terrible."

"Tyrian…"

"So, being the strong, dependable and loyal servant that I am, leapt out of the Bullhead to assist my loyal companion and long-time friend."

"Tyrian, we have _never_ been friends."

"Ah!" Tyrian gasped and placed a hand on his heart. "That wounds me!"

"Where is the Bullhead, Tyrian?"

"Somewhere in the forest…"

Cinder glared at him.

"Wherever it crashed after I jumped out…" Tyrian smiled wildly. "Um. Whoops?"

"You just stranded us in Mistral…" Cinder's teeth began to grind together. "What the hell are we supposed to do now?"

"Settle down and raise a family?"

Tyrian's screams hit a high note when Cinder drove her knee directly into his crotch.

/-/

Jaune smiled, taking some small enjoyment in the way Yang and Ruby cheered as they flew through the air, their hair being whipped back by the strong winds. Kevin stayed at a reasonable height, enough so that the air pressure hadn't dropped and made breathing difficult. A fall, while dangerous, wouldn't prove fatal for a huntsman or huntress, but Kevin had numerous spines and scales along his back they could grip onto and even lean on. From a distance, his skin looked smooth, but up close it was anything but.

He did feel a little sorry for Qrow. A sacrifice was necessary to keep his mother distracted, though, and it couldn't be himself because he needed to guide the others through the twisting halls of the tower. Besides, if he showed his face then Salem would know something was up. She would look to see if any others had come back with him and quickly capture them.

But if Coral returned with Qrow, there would be no such suspicion. It was just Coral being Coral, heading off, finding a guy she liked and bringing him home to introduce to mom. All Qrow had to do was play it cool.

Well, as cool as he could. He needed to buy them time.

Once they found Pyrrha and got her back with them, Salem would have no pawns to barter with. She'd have to listen. From there…? Well, if he were being honest he'd say he had _no_ idea how to convince his mother to consider peace, but there had to be something he could do.

" **No plan survives contact with the enemy,"** Remy said. **"I don't think the saying is intended as a suggestion you go in with no plan whatsoever."**

" _I don't hear any ideas from you."_

" **For good reason. She has every reason to say no and no reason to say yes."**

" _We have to try. And like Sun said, convincing Mom will be easier than convincing everyone else. If we can get her on board, she can do something to prove peace is possible."_ Like, for instance, a parade of Nevermore forming the shape of a love heart, or something. It would be ridiculous, but it would at least let people know there _was_ someone controlling the Grimm, and that there was therefore a way to _entreat_ with such a person and make a deal.

Jaune didn't hold any hope it would be easy. Weiss had pointed out as much and she was always the clever one in the team. There would be some people who simply didn't want to be convinced. Then again, not everyone had to be. Just those in power, and enough of the public that there wouldn't be any problems.

Surely, past all those eager for blood, there would be those who longed for peace and stability? Not _everyone_ wanted an eternal war. He had to believe that.

" **You have something in mind. I can tell."**

" _I do. But I'll keep it to myself for now. I'm not sure if it'll help or make things worse."_

" **Hm. I'll wait in anticipation, then."**

"You look nervous." Yang crept along Kevin's back, one hand gripped onto one of his scales as she slotted herself down next to him. He'd chosen a spot between two scales, where he had something resembling a bony, uncomfortable backrest. "I'm hoping it's not motion sickness, or I'll throw you off the side myself."

"Ha. No. Actually, I don't feel sick at all."

"Probably because you're too nervous to _feel_ sick."

"Yeah." Jaune sighed, and when Yang nudged his ribs with her elbow, explained, "I guess it's just hard to go home, and even harder to bring you all with me."

"Afraid we'll be hurt?"

"No, at least not physically. I wasn't exaggerating when I said Mom is protective. She loves us, but she sees all of humanity as a threat to us. It won't be the same with you since you're my friends, but she would absolutely want to lock me up and throw away the key. You too, considering…" Jaune nodded to her arm.

"And you're worried she won't listen to a word you say."

"Yeah."

"Parents can be like that," Yang said, leaning back beside him. Their shoulders touched. "Dad's pretty chill, but he wasn't always, especially not after mom died. There was a time where he wouldn't so much as let us out his sight. The thought of us becoming huntresses like mom? That didn't sit well with him."

"How did you convince him?"

"We didn't."

"What?"

"We argued constantly. Loads of fighting. Nasty words. Uncle Qrow trying to step in to fight our side. Ruby looking like her world was coming down around her ears. It was bad," she admitted. "Real bad. I said some pretty awful stuff and there were tears and screaming all around."

"Ah…" Jaune's face fell. "But your father seemed fine with you when I met him."

"He is."

"Then what changed?"

"Nothing." Yang laughed at Jaune's confused expression. "That's the thing about families. Shit happens. I don't think there's a family on Remnant that hasn't fought like that at least once in their life. We screamed, we ranted, we cried, and then we got over it and hugged things out. Thing is, you can only really get that angry with people you care about. Raven is my real mother and I can barely raise the energy to be pissed at her, but I could tell Dad I hated his guts over the stupidest things." She giggled. "Sometimes it was just him telling me off for not cleaning my bedroom and banning me from having a friend over as a result."

"I've never had that," Jaune admitted.

"Yeah, I can tell. Thing is, your mom obviously didn't have anything to base that on. From what you've told us, she went from genocidal dictator to stay-at-home mom with barely anything to work with. She's done her best, and by the looks of it did a good job, but she might not even have or remember any parents of her own to base how she should act on. Dad got protective over us and wanted to lock us away, and your Mom is doing the same. They're not so different in the end. The only thing is, Dad realised he had to let us make our own decisions to be happy, and your mother hasn't. Not yet."

"You're saying I need to fight her, then."

"Not fight. Just… tell her how you feel. Be honest with her." Yang nudged his elbow with hers. "The last time you disagreed, you ran away from home. I'm glad, since it let us meet and all, but that's not really the best way to confront the issues between you both. You just ran away from them."

"Yeah, I guess I did."

"Don't feel bad," she said. "We're off to correct that right now."

That was true. In more ways than one. Salem wasn't perfect but given what she'd had to work with when she became a mother – no experience, nor any other mothers to help or offer advice – she'd done the best she could. Maybe Yang was right. Maybe it was _their_ responsibility as children to help Salem learn, too. Running away and making her worry really hadn't been the right way to handle things, even if looking back he was sure she'd have never let him go otherwise.

Either way, Jaune wasn't looking forward to what was bound to be an explosive reunion.

"Is that the Grimmlands!?" Ruby called, hanging precariously off the side of Kevin's shoulder blade, acting for all the world like there was no conceivable way she could fall off. Ahead of them, a large landmass began to appear, across which no human buildings could be seen. No ports, no towns and nothing but the craggy, sharp rocks that pierced up from the ground, and the flocks of what looked like birds that circled them.

That said birds could be seen from so great a distance spoke to their actual size. Jaune doubted the others realised that, but they would. What Salem had unleashed on Remnant was but a sample of what she was truly capable of. Grimm like Kevin made for a prime example.

"Yeah," Jaune said, standing. "That's the Grimmlands. That's home."

The Prince had finally returned.

/-/

"And news just in from Mistral, Kevin – and this one is a bit of a doozy," Lisa Lavender chirped. "Because it turns out that a recent attack on Haven was initiated by combined forces of the White Fang, and a local bandit tribe known for attacks on defenceless villages. This terrible act mimics what occurred in Beacon only weeks earlier, and at a time when people are already feeling nervous. While I'm afraid we don't have anyone on the scene, we will be bringing you news as-"

Lisa suddenly froze, one hand reaching up to her ear. "Wait a moment, ladies and gentlemen. We have an update and-" Her face twisted. "Is this…? Are you certain? You a- wait, pictures? I… well, yes, I guess. Um. Okay, but if this goes badly it's not my career which craters."

With a cough and a professional smile, Lisa turned back to the camera, acting for all the world like the argument with her producer had never happened, let alone live on air.

"Well, we've had a bit of an update. Information has come in directly from Mistral, including image sources and video that show that the White Fang attack has been foiled, ladies and gentlemen. That's right. Haven has _not_ fallen. The attack, which saw fighting between Haven students, Grimm, White Fang and even SDC Agents sent on a business trip, was foiled by – and I am quoting this as I receive it, viewers – _more_ White Fang, a group of teenagers and a Dragon."

An image appeared behind and to the side of Lisa, which appeared to show a zoomed-out image of a giant creature, and then a smaller, cropped image, which captured perfectly the figure of Weiss Schnee, unimpressed and with arms crossed, standing before said dragon.

"Reports indicate that Weiss Schnee was able to broker a ceasefire between the various factions while commanding what appears to be a thirty-metre tall Grimm Dragon which analysts have already confirmed as the _same_ Dragon that attacked Beacon. However, I am receiving reports right now that the Dragon confirmed _no_ kills at Beacon other than the invading White Fang."

"So," Lisa's co-commentator said, looking only a little frazzled. "Have the White Fang crossed a line so deep even the Grimm are offended? Is the world ending? How have you been affected? Have you irritated the SDC recently, and what will you be doing now that their legal team includes a Grimm Dragon? Feel free to send your comments in directly to our usual address, online or by scroll."

"And already we have some comments, Kevin," Lisa read off. "One here from Haven who claims to have been involved in the attack who says; _`I was close enough to see and hear some of what happened, and it's clear to me that the dragon followed Weiss Schnee's commands. As a student of Haven, I'm concerned what this means, and whether she'll be allowed to use it in any future Vytal Festivals.`_ What do you think, Kevin?"

"Well, Lisa, I'm not certain on the rules, but I imagine there'll be some discussion there. On the other hand, I know who I'll be betting on. Another here from Carol, Atlas, who says, _`I think it's unfair that it's one rule for one type of person and another for those who are better off. I forever wanted a pet and my father wouldn't get me so much as a kitten. Yet Weiss Schnee gets a thirty-metre dragon. How is that fair?`_ Well, Carol, I'm not sure it is, but at the same time, I wouldn't want to question Miss Schnee _or_ her pet on the matter."

"Me neither, Kevin. Me neither. We've tried to reach Jacques Schnee of the SDC for comment, but our calls are not being answered at this time. We'll have a quick break for the weather and then we'll be coming back with an exotic animal expert for his view on the matter. In the meantime, all hail Weiss Schnee, we apologise for the three-star rating we gave your last concert, please spare us unworthy mortals."

"All hail," Kevin agreed. "And now, the weather."

"Thank you, Lisa and Kevin," a dark-skinned woman said, "And I'm pleased to say that there won't be any dragons casting shade over vale today, Weiss Schnee's mercy permitting, as we're looking forward to some very sunny weather. Meanwhile, on the weekend…"

/-/

Jacques Schnee stared at the television screen, glass raised to his lips but drink spilling out, staining his expensive shirt and pooling in his lap. His scroll buzzed angrily on his desk, Ironwood's face and name appearing on the screen.

Slowly, and with a blank expression, Jacques reached over, picked it up, opened a drawer and hid it inside, closing it shut and muffling the noise. He stood and dusted his shirt down, drank the rest of his brandy and turned to a nearby maid.

"Please hold all my calls. If anyone asks, I'm busy in a meeting."

"For how long, sir?"

"However long it takes for Remnant to start making sense." So saying, Jacques walked over to the drinks cabinet and took a bottle of his strongest whiskey and two glasses. He barely made it to the door before Whitley burst inside.

"Father, father!"

"Not now, Whitley. I'm going to spend some quality time with your mother."

"W-What? B-But the news. And Weiss." Whitley pouted. "And why don't _I_ have a dragon? But since when do you spend time with mother? In your own words, she's nothing but a fool who drinks to escape reality."

"Exactly," Jacques said, hoisting the two glasses. "Now, if you'll excuse me…"

* * *

 **I can't wait to be free of this expo. I'll have more time to plan, the ability to write longer chapters again, no stupid co-speakers and chairs calling me at ridiculous hours because they're unsure what to say and want me to go through the concept for the fifth time. Ah. It will be delightful. I'll also be at a hotel for much of next week, so update times – while not affected in terms of the date – might still be awkward. I.e. the usual hour I update on might be a little out of whack.**

 **I'll be dragged out to dinners with clients, an award ceremony on one night, and a few other after-show drinking parties with other exhibitors. It's inevitable when you have hundreds of people stuck at hotels for a multi-day event. I imagine it's the same with conventions for anime and the like, too.**

 **Except presumably more fun than a machinery, packaging and processing event.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 27** **th** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	85. Chapter 85

**So, I'm still at my event and this has been written in advance. By this point I'll have two new stories out – Unseen Hunt, a supernatural adventure story, and Dating What Daddy Hates – a short Sun x Weiss romance fic.**

 **I did log on remotely to add this quick note; I got a lot of people asking why no Headmaster Arc and why I got their hopes up for it but didn't provide. I'd like to remind that I always said Headmaster Arc will come out once White Sheep ends and will be the one to replace this. That has not changed.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 85**

* * *

Pyrrha glanced over to Mannie, Jaune's Beowolf, who was acting oddly. The giant creature had ignored her for the last few minutes, instead perching by the room's sole window, its large paws on the windowsill as it stared out into the abyss outside.

"What's wrong, Mannie?" she asked. While she'd been disturbed by the creature at first, she couldn't quite consider it a danger anymore. She just convinced herself it was a big dog, giant teeth, claws and bone-armour plates notwithstanding.

Mannie made a snuffling sound and fell from the window, rushed up to her, licked her face – or her entire head, really, since his tongue was so big – and ran back to the window, hopping up to rest on it and stick his snout outside.

Huh. That was weird.

With a shrug, Pyrrha reached back under the pillow and brought out a little book, opening what was definitely _not_ Jaune's weakly-hidden diary, and started to read once more. She crooned a moment later at an adorable story about Jaune having nightmares and snuggling with Big Sis Cinder.

All the while, Mannie stared at something on the horizon and wagged his tail happily.

/-/

"Are you sure I can't come with you?"

"No, Qrow. You need to go off and be the distraction."

"Are you sure you can't come with _me_?" Qrow asked desperately. "You know, for moral support?"

"Good luck, Uncle Qrow!" Ruby called, waving as Kevin took off again.

Yang wiped a fake tear from one eye. "There goes the bravest man alive."

"Not that I don't agree," Sun said, "But was it really necessary to drop us off this far from the tower? It's going to take hours for us to get there on foot." As expected, they all turned to him for an answer.

"Salem can sense and see through Grimm in her immediate surroundings," Jaune explained. "Grimm flying on the outskirts of the Grimmlands isn't a big deal, but once Kevin starts to get close to the tower, she'll be alerted. If she sees us, everything will be for nothing. But if she only sees Coral and Qrow, she'll be curious and focus on them."

"Giving us a window of time to sneak into the tower and find Pyrrha," Weiss realised. "I see. We really are relying on him to distract your mother. I hope he's up to the task."

"Hey, Uncle Qrow can do anything."

"Stories from my sister suggest otherwise."

Blake stepped in before it could get worse. "Right, before this descends into a `my family member can beat up yours` debate, we need to get moving. As Sun says, it's going to take a few hours for us to reach the tower on foot and I'm guessing we need to stay hidden while we do it." Blake looked to Jaune as she said that. He nodded back.

"As best we can. It won't be as much a deal once Qrow arrives because she'll hopefully be too distracted to pay attention to anything going on outside. But it doesn't hurt to be careful." Left unsaid was how difficult it would be for a party of their size. It would have been hard enough with just their two teams making seven, but they now had Emerald, Sun and Ilia along for the right, bringing them up to ten. "Well, we'd best get started. There's no telling how much time Qrow will buy us, but he'll reach the tower a good three hours before we do."

Luckily, knowing his mother, she'd be far too enthralled to notice what was going on outside in that time. Jaune led the group forward, though he need not have. Navigation wasn't exactly difficult with the tower sticking out of the landscape and pointing the way like the needle on a compass. The harder part was keeping it in view in the rocky and downright treacherous terrain of the Grimmlands. He'd flown over it to reach Vale and doing it on foot now reminded him of just how rocky it was.

Up, down, and sometimes around spires that were just too dangerous to try and scale, they picked their way through the blasted landscape, avoiding geysers that spat hot, and slightly acidic, liquid up into the air. That the Grimm paid no attention to them was their only mercy. With no vegetation in sight and the air hot and clammy, their skin was soon covered in sweat.

An hour in, the decision was made to eat what they needed and dump the remainder of the supplies except for water and one final snack. "There's food in the tower and no way back to the mainland," Jaune explained. "Not much point weighing ourselves down."

"Way to make the mood lighter," Ren said.

"It's only the truth," Ilia added. "Not much point complaining about it."

With their packs lighter, the going became at least a little easier. As Jaune picked his way at the head of the column around a spiny expanse of purple rock, he idly listened in on the conversation between Yang and Ruby behind him.

"Just sayin' it's not what I expected, Rubes."

"What did you expect?"

"I dunno. More death. Bones, skeletons, a field of bodies. That kind of thing."

"It _is_ pretty desolate out here."

"Yeah, but not in an unnatural kind of way. It's just geysers and mountains."

"Which are purple…"

"Okay. I'll give you that."

"It's not the rocks that are purple," Jaune called, surprising them.

"It's not? What is it, then?"

"It's the crystals." Jaune passed by one and rapped a finger against one of the tall, crystalline structures. Rather than chime, it made a loud clink followed by a light hum. "They're denser the closer you get to the tower and they cast purple light on everything."

"Cast or distort the sunlight?" Ren asked.

"Distort, I guess. They don't light up or anything. They're everywhere, though. Sprout right up out of the ground like they're trying to escape Remnant's crust or something. It's only one or two right now, but you'll see huge clusters when we get close."

It didn't take long for them to see what he meant. The crystals began to sprout up in small patches at first, and then huge gardens of the stuff. It looked like they grew together, and some even grew from other crystals like some form of coral. Yang made to touch one and did so when Jaune didn't warn her against it.

"It's warm. Almost like it's alive." Yang grimaced and jerked her hand back. "Please tell me they're not."

"No. The heat just comes from underground."

"Creepy."

"What are they?" Weiss asked, inspecting one.

With a shrug, Jaune answered. "It's dust."

"What!?" Weiss recoiled. "Impossible! Dust doesn't look like this!"

"The dust everyone uses is refined-"

"You're talking to Weiss Schnee," his partner drawled. "I know how dust refining works. But even when it's in its solid form, they're little more than small chunks buried underground. They're more like veins than crystals. My father has the biggest ever found in his office and it's barely any bigger than my fist. These are huge!"

"I'm not sure on the specifics, Weiss, but it _is_ dust. How do you think we earn the money needed to buy Bullheads, food or other things? It's not like Salem can head down to the bank and take out a loan. I've _seen_ it refined and work as dust."

"B-But the size of it, and the fact it's above ground. Dust deposits are only ever found like this after excavating, when some is revealed by being dug out."

"Maybe this is what happens if it's not mined up." Ruby said.

Weiss shook her head. "The SDC can't find _every_ deposit in Remnant and if that were true, we'd see outcrops like this all over the place. The whole problem with dust is how hard it is to find and excavate."

"It grows a lot faster here," Jaune said.

"Grows? Dust doesn't grow, Jaune. It forms over hundreds of years, or so we think. It's caused underground by pressure building up, converting certain minerals into others, which releases energy that can't go anywhere and instead gets stored inside of the dust."

"Is that fact, or theory?"

"Well… it's theory," Weiss allowed.

"And if it were true, this couldn't form," Jaune said, tapping another crystal. "Or continue to grow above ground. I've personally seen the crust split and a crystal come forth."

"P-Perhaps pressure underground forced it up?"

"If so, they wouldn't grow more and more spines, or grow in size."

Weiss had no answer and remained silent. She eyed the dust crystals nervously, however, moving a little closer to Emerald and away from the closest outcrop.

"Are you saying it's alive?" Ren asked.

"I'm not sure. The growth might be build-up of other things, so it's not necessarily a living thing. But more of them can form and they do so here fairly often. Mom has Grimm go around destroying them, pruning the dust, she says. Otherwise, it can creep up on the tower."

"And now I'm doubly creeped out," Yang said, holding her arms. "Fair warning, if I turn around and the dust crystals have moved in behind me, I'm screaming." So said, Yang spun on her heel. To her relief, nothing had happened. The crystals were still there, but not sentient enough to close in on them like something out of a horror movie.

"Idiocy aside, I can't decide if this is disturbing or not," Weiss said. "It contradicts all that we know about dust, which I'll freely admit isn't much, but still… Is it that it grows at an advanced pace here? Is it a geographical phenomenon or something worse?"

"No idea," Jaune said. "But I didn't see anything like it in Vale."

"You wouldn't. I've never even _hard_ of outcrops like this."

"Then it stands to reason it's limited to here," Ren said. "The question is, why? And could it be related to the Grimm in some way?"

"Grimm bodies become dust?" Nora suggested.

"Unlikely. I doubt many Grimm actually _die_ in the Grimmlands. No one to hunt them." Ren looked to Jaune for confirmation and received a nod. Some might die from colliding with things or the weather, but nowhere near enough to explain this. "Interesting. We don't know much about dust, for all that we use it every day. Some have claimed it's a resource that might run out, but this would suggest otherwise, that it's in some way renewable."

"Maybe, but I'm not sure it's all that big of a deal," Jaune said.

It was Sun that interrupted. "Uh. You kidding? I mean, do you realise you might be sitting on the motherload of dust right here? That could be pretty big to have in your back pocket, especially if you want to negotiate with people. Say, for instance, on a peace deal."

"Sun has a point," Blake said. "People are fickle. The SDC was able to buy the loosening of labour laws to exploit the faunus."

"Something that will change when I am in control," Weiss snapped.

"I know. I'm not blaming you. I'm just saying that if money can convince people to turn on a species, then it might be useful to open people up to the idea of peace with the Grimm."

Jaune sighed. "You'd think people would be open to the idea of it on the whole principle of `not dying` to said Grimm."

"Like we said before, people can be stupid. There are some who will want vengeance, even if it means plunging the world into eternal war. They'll convince themselves it's not their fault, but yours for not agreeing to let your mother, yourself and all your sisters be executed. They've done the same with the White Fang, refusing to talk because doing so suggests weakness. If neither side is willing to talk, all you end up with is more killing."

"Atlas might consider that fine because they're sure they can defeat the White Fang in time, but the Grimm are a different matter." Ilia pointed out.

"True, but that doesn't mean some won't decide to do the same anyway. It sounds shallow, and it is, but having this much dust to offer will convince some people to push for peace."

"I thought money couldn't buy happiness," Ruby said.

"It can't. But it can buy you stability, and stability can reduce stress and loss of stress makes people happy." Weiss said. "It's all a silly argument anyway. People say it's going out with friends that really makes you happy, but how can you go out if you don't have the money to do so? Philosophical statements like that aren't really designed to be read into." She looked to Jaune. "But Sun is correct; this development could make a real difference. Offer to provide supply to the SDC and you'll have their support in reaching Ironwood. Offer some at a reduced price to Vacuo, and you'll open ears and minds."

All of that for dust, huh? Jaune sighed. He really had hoped humanity would agree just on the basis of, you know, peace. But maybe they were right. If the world worked like that, wars wouldn't exist in the first place and discrimination against the faunus wouldn't be a thing. Maybe the ends justified the means. It didn't really matter, for while they'd been talking, they'd come up close to the tower. Jaune could see Kevin's wings on one side of it, the dragon clearly at rest.

"Quiet," he said, waving everyone to close in around him. It was an awkward mess given how many of them there were. "We'll have to sneak in and work our way up the tower without anyone realising what's going on."

"If your mom is distracted, can't we just use the front door?" Ruby asked.

"No. Watts would still be here, and maybe Uncle Hazel, too. Not to mention mom spawned a lot of Grimm to act as servants. They look like hooded people, but in reality, they're Seers." He saw their confused expressions. "Think an eye with a mass of tentacles that floats."

"Tentacles?" Ruby asked.

Weiss slapped her arm. "Not now!"

"W-Wait, I wasn't-"

"They shouldn't attack us," Jaune interrupted, "But they'll go straight to mom if they see us and they can communicate between one another. So, we can't go in the front door. Luckily, there are a lot of other ways inside. We'll go in through the dungeons."

Yang's confidence wavered. "Is that safe?"

"As long as Dad isn't here, sure." Jaune shivered. "Anyway, Qrow should be in right about now. Hopefully, he's keeping her busy."

"Hopefully he's still in one piece," Yang mumbled.

"I'm sure he's fine."

/-/

So, this was Salem, Queen of the Grimm, humanity's mortal enemy. The stuff nightmares were made of and the one responsible for everything that had ever gone wrong in the world. At least according to Ozpin. Qrow wondered if it was further sign of insanity creeping up on him that the only thing he could think when he looked at her was, `huh, talk about an hourglass figure`.

Probably.

It might also have had something to do with how his head was currently crushed in the deadly woman's bosom.

"Mom, you can't do that," Coral said patiently. "He's mine."

 _That_ provoked another loud noise from Salem, one that was something been a high-pitched keen and a horrified gasp. Qrow was pushed back, though only far enough that he caught a glimpse of Salem's chin as she stared over his head.

"Coral!" Salem gasped. "I've never been prouder than I am right now!"

"Aw. Thanks, mom."

"My little girl has found a man. The first of my children! How long have you known him?"

"Eh. A week, maybe?"

"Have you taken him to bed yet?"

"H-Hey," Qrow said. "You can't just ask-"

"Once. We got interrupted."

"C-Coral!" Qrow whined.

"My beautiful daughter! Less than a week, before even her first time and already you bring him to meet me. I take it back, I am right now prouder still." Salem's eyes widened. "Your father must be told!"

Crap, crap, crap. If Salem left now, she might pay attention to what was going on outside. While not exactly thrilled that he'd been consigned to the role of a distraction, he wasn't about to throw himself in this situation _and_ fail.

"Wouldn't it be better if we waited on that?" he asked nervously.

Salem froze. Her eyes came down to his. They were bright red on black, inhuman and dangerously sharp. "And what," she said, "do you mean by that?"

"W-Well… you know… I've, uh…" Qrow looked to Coral for help. She simply smiled and watched, apparently happy to see her boyfriend and mother bonding. And holy shit, he kind of _was_ her boyfriend at this point, wasn't he?

Well, in for a penny…

"I just thought it'd be best to meet you first is all. And then Nicholas later. I kinda already know him. And Coral's told me _so_ much about you that I wanted to meet my future mother-in-law."

It was the wrong thing to say, Qrow realised.

Salem gasped.

Coral gasped, too.

Qrow was dragged back into bosom hell.

"He said it!" Salem cried. "He actually said it! But marriage, already? No, there's no reason to hesitate. Nicholas and I would have been married within the first week had there been the time for it. Unfortunately, we did not leave the bed until at least the second month at least." Salem's head rocked back, and her cheeks flushed. "Ah, I remember those heady days."

"As do I," Watts grimaced. "Breakfast, lunch and dinner in bed. Every day." His tone made it clear he'd been expected to prepare it, and to brave the horrors of entering their chamber to deliver it. His eyes held a distant pain, like a man who'd seen too much and could never quite forget.

"It is unusual," Salem said. "Normally I would not countenance marriage until at least the third child."

"What?"

"Coral," Salem snapped, ignoring him entirely. "What say you?"

Coral, to Qrow's horror, was bright red. She'd been caught off-guard by his statement and he had the sinking suspicion she'd forgotten the whole `being a distraction` thing entirely. "I-I… well, I…" Her eyes slid to Qrow's and she looked away again, flushing prettily.

 _No, no, no. Coral, remember the plan. The plan! Say no, say no, say no!_

"Is that a no?" Salem asked. "I hear breakups are messy affairs. If you wish, I could spare the ordeal and have him devoured by the Grimm."

Qrow's arms waved wildly. _Say yes, say yes, say yes!_

"It's not a no," Coral stammered. "It's just… I didn't expect to be asked…" Her hands were linked before her as she smiled. "Yes! I say yes!"

"Wonderful! Isn't that wonderful, Watts?"

"Delightful," Watts said without a hint of warmth.

"Wait, no. Stop!" Qrow yelled, breaking free at last. He took a huge breath of air when he did, and quickly realised that everyone had gone silent. Painfully, dangerously silent.

"Stop?" Salem asked. "No…?" She seemed to grow before him, shadows appearing over her face. "Is there a _problem_ with my daughter? Is she somehow deficient? Does she lack in some way…? Worry not," Salem said, "You can tell the truth. I won't be angry."

The look on her face suggested she was lying, as if he couldn't have figured that out on his own.

"No, no, no. I… uh…" Think Qrow, think! "I don't have a suit!"

"Hardly an issue. That comes off soon enough, believe me. I remember my own wedding night."

"A dress?"

"Coral can wear mine. Or what's left of it. Again, the clothes come off soon enough."

"Sounds good to me," Coral chimed in. "Saves time. I've also not `gotten any` for like, a week now."

"You've never _had_ any!" Qrow accused.

"Exactly! I went twenty years without and then you took me right to the point, _stopped_ and haven't started again since then. Frankly, I'm amazed I haven't ravaged you already. I would have if it wasn't for Jau-" Coral stopped suddenly, realising what she was going to say, "-for those meddling kids," she finished weakly.

"What was that?" Salem asked.

"Nothing, mom. Just focus on the marriage."

"I'm really sure you just said-"

In a moment of steadfast heroism, Qrow sacrificed his life to protect his nieces, "Do you think our children will have blonde hair or black?"

Salem's words fizzled to a halt. It was actually possible to see the moment where her mind died and then rebooted. Her crimson eyes snapped down to Qrow's immediately.

"Grandbabies…?"

It was Coral who answered, "Probably inevitable with all the things I have in mind for him."

Salem swayed. "W-Watts. Kidnap a priest, immediately! Kidnap three! I don't have time to torture them into compliance if they refuse to marry my daughter to this man. Time is a ticking and every second between now and Coral going into menopause could mean one less grandchild!"

"Ahem. I can officiate a wedding myself, my Queen."

"You can!?" Salem and Qrow both asked, Salem in delight, Qrow in horror.

"Sensing this moment would come in time and not looking forward to assaulting a monastery in broad daylight, Cinder and I made… preparations. Both Tyrian and I have been ordained."

Salem considered that for a moment. "How the hell did _Tyrian_ receive an ordination?"

Watts coughed in embarrassment. "I'd really rather not say. Either way, I can officiate."

Well, shit. The girls and Jaune wanted a distraction. Looked like he was about to give them one, though not exactly what he'd anticipated. Then again, he'd never thought he'd get hitched anyway. Too much hard work, he'd told Tai. The truth was that he'd never really hit it off with someone. Most were scared away by his Semblance.

Speaking of, why wasn't that acting up?

Coral, too excited to pay attention, had let a tentacle slip free of her skirt. It brushed against Qrow's leg. Oh, he thought, paling. That's why.

Damn Semblance…

"I don't think we should rush into this without thinking about it," Qrow said – and when Salem's eyes narrowed _again_ , he quickly explained. And by explain, he meant _threw_ a certain someone under the bus. "I always thought my sister would be there to see me get married. It's not really fair if you don't let my family attend."

Salem froze. "This is true…"

"And my bro, Taiyang. And my nieces."

"Well, the last two shouldn't be har-" Coral cut herself off again. "I mean yeah, of course. And we should get everyone else here too, mom. Like Jaune, Sapphire and all the others. And I want dad to give me away."

Salem's face fell.

"And pictures," Qrow said – and her face perked back up again instantly. "If we rush everything now, you won't have time to get pictures, right?"

"I _do_ want pictures of the first marriage of my children…" Salem admitted. "I always thought it would be Sapphire, seeing as how she's the eldest, but alas, she's always been so focused on the family business. Dominating the humans and all that. I thought it might be Jaune for a while but, well, he's just so rebellious."

Yeah. She didn't know the half of it.

"Very well. Watts, contact Tyrian and Cinder. Tell them to find and kidnap my son-in-law's sister. And contact this `Taiyang` fellow. Warn him that if he does not RSVP within two days, he shall be abducted. And speaking of abductions," she murmured, "Kidnap a tailor – and be sure to steal their materials, too."

"I could just _commission_ a tailor, my Queen," Watts suggested.

"Hm? Oh yes, I suppose you could."

"Would you like to leave the details with me, my Queen? I can handle them and save you the time and effort."

"Yes, that does sound good. You're a valued servant, Watts."

"I live to serve."

"In the meantime, dinner! It's been so long since we've eaten as a family and I want to get to know my future son-in-law a little better."

Qrow sagged, relieved to see that he'd bought himself at least a little time, and time for the others to rescue their friend – and hopefully him. He'd agreed to _date_ Coral, but marriage? Him!? Tai would freak.

Salem led them to the dining room. Coral had hold of Qrow's left arm while the Dread Queen of the Grimm had his right. Qrow was beginning to think she should be renamed the Dread Queen of Mortification. She sat him down, took a seat on his right while Coral did on the other side of him.

"So, important question now," she said. "Your first time. Missionary?"

Qrow choked. "You can't-"

"Actually, I was thinking me on top," Coral said.

"Oh, that's nice, sweetie. Would you like to borrow one of my whips?"

"Can I?"

Qrow's body sunk into his seat as his `girlfriend` and her mother talked over his head. He hoped the others were having more luck than him.

/-/

"So, this is the Dungeon," Yang said, because really, what else could one say? "It's a little less occupied than I thought it would be. Kind of a relief not to see any bodies or such."

"Why would there be bodies?"

"Well, this _is_ a dungeon."

Jaune grimaced. His face became pinched. "It's not that kind of dungeon."

"Then what kind is-" Yang cut off as they passed a table with four straps on it, set for wrists and ankles. It wasn't that which made her pause, but rather the box of what could only be termed as `toys` on the table next to it.

They weren't the kind of toys one would normally give to a child, not until they were Yang's age, anyway. Without really thinking about it, she reached out and covered Ruby's eyes. Weiss, meanwhile, came to the same realisation Yang had, and flinched, drawing one foot up as if afraid she might step in something.

Jaune simply grimaced, refused to look or acknowledge what was around him, and powered on through sheer force of will to the door ahead. He opened it and poked his head out but was quickly bowled out entirely as everyone forced their way to freedom, Nora taking great big gasps of air, as if she'd been holding her breath ever since they'd reached the dungeon. Luckily, there were no Seers around and the alarm wasn't raised.

"Pyrrha will either be in my room or one of the guest rooms," Jaune said. "All the bedrooms are on the upper levels. There's a central staircase that reaches all the floors, so once we get on it, it's just a matter of going up and avoiding any Seers coming down."

"No elevator?"

"We're not exactly on the local grid here, Ruby…"

"Yeah, but you have all that dust outside to power it. And you have electricity here."

"Electricity is relatively easy to maintain," Jaune said as he led the group on, scanning around each corner before they came out. The Seers must have been busy elsewhere, likely congregating wherever Salem was. "It's just a matter of generators, any of which can be bought or stolen if we need more. It's a little harder to up and get an elevator installed. You'd probably need professionals for that."

"And you can't just kidnap some?" Weiss asked.

"We could but do that enough times and the world starts to get suspicious."

Not that Salem didn't do that every now and then anyway but building something like an elevator would require loads of material, too. It was just too much hard work. Whenever he'd felt lazy, he'd just ride Mannie down or up the stairs, or tell a Nevermore to carry him up to his room. He'd seen some of his sisters order the Seers to band together like a palanquin and carry them, too. There were always ways around having to walk, though Mom tended to get irritated when they commanded the Grimm out of laziness.

They managed to reach the staircase without issue and begin the ascent. The bottom floors of the tower were mostly uninhabited and for storage, it being a pain to carry things up stairs. Dust, weapons, random supplies and other things, including the aforementioned generator rooms that kept the place running. As they went higher, they reached the middle floors, where actual rooms began to appear, including a training hall that Dad had insisted on, the library his mother had stolen for him for his eighth birthday and a few playrooms for either him or his sisters.

It was when they reached the upper-middle, perhaps two-thirds of the way up, that the first signs of Seers appeared. Jaune sensed them first and quickly moved everyone off the staircase, opening a door. The room was an empty one with a few dressers and crates of spare kitchen supplies. He kept the door open as they hid inside, and the others got to see the purple-robed figures fly past, holding trays on their tentacles. There were three in total and they didn't pay attention to the open door, focused entirely on their task. They went up the staircase and away.

"Dinner," Jaune noted. "Qrow must be doing a better job than expected. Good on him."

"You expected him to fail?" Ruby asked indignantly.

"No. I just expected he'd be on his way to an impromptu wedding by now. Or his first child. Maybe both." Jaune looked out as a few more Seers walked by. "Hm. We need to get past them. Seers have some limited intelligence, but they don't pay much attention when a direct order is given. They just do that command and nothing else."

"I think _I_ have an idea," Blake said.

With attention fixed now on her, Blake revealed what she'd found in a dresser at the side of the room. A whole stack of purple cloaks with hoods, along with several silver serving trays. Jaune grinned.

"That might just work."

/-/

Jaune kept his head low and face pointed down, allowing the heavy cowl of the robe to obscure his face from view. His hands he kept linked into the cuffs of his other arm, leaving him a hooded and arm-linked figure indistinguishable from any other Seer. The others filed behind him, single-file and heads down, making not a sound among them.

The Seers weren't stupid, not were they incapable of noticing those among them who were not Grimm. At any other time, they would have raised the alarm immediately, but Salem had called dinner, and thus they would obey. Given a choice between confronting the intruders and carrying the meal to their Dread Queen, the Seers made the obvious choice. To fight would be to drop the tray, to spoil the food. Such would be contradictory to their orders. A few hissed as they passed, but they shifted their bodies more to _shield_ the food from possible attack than to cause any trouble. It wouldn't last, but it didn't have to either.

As they filed into the kitchens, the Seers hard at work paused for a second, but when Jaune moved to the trays with food on and picked one up, they continued to work. If the intruders wished not to interfere but to aid, then so be it. They could be dealt with later. Jaune took one tray, and each of the others took another, or a jug of drink, or a platter of fruit. A Seer went ahead and Jaune fell in behind, the others with him, as their group of ten suddenly became twenty, humans walking alongside Seers.

He was surprised the others were okay with it. One of the Seers seemed to be paying particular attention to Yang, almost agitated at the fact she was carrying _anything_. It kept trying to take the tray off her, chittering the entire time. Yang ignored it. Some of the others, Ilia and Sun especially, were tense and ready to fight at a moment's notice.

The procession went up another flight of stairs and then a second. They met another group of Seers coming down and mingled, robes brushing up against robes as the creatures sought to pass by one another without either side giving way. It was an awkward and complicated mess and for a moment Jaune's vision was filled with nothing but purple. They fought through, however, and as the Seer ahead of him turned right, off the staircase, Jaune carried on going, Yang breaking off behind him and the others doing the same.

Once they were another flight up, Jaune ditched the tray on a nearby step and pulled the robe off. "Come on. We don't have much time. As soon as dinner is over, they'll warn her that we're here. We need to get Pyrrha out _now_."

The others nodded. Food and wine went down, Nora taking a quick swig from one har, and soon after they were rushing up the staircase. No more seers, no more interruptions and everyone he knew accounted for, except for Uncle Hazel, who he was sure was doing his usual job and hunting Ozpin somewhere. He wasn't likely to be here.

The steps came to a blessed end as they reached the top floor. "This is the sleeping quarters," Jaune panted. "Everyone's rooms are up here. Salem's, ours, mine, even Cinder and the others have rooms on this floor."

"How do we know which Pyrrha will be in?" Weiss asked.

"Mine or a guest room," Jaune said again. "Just follow me."

The first room on the left was empty, dark and covered in a thin layer of dust. The second was the same. Salem didn't receive many guests for obvious reasons and the rooms were rarely used. For the most part, they were there on the assumption of more family members. Jaune dashed on with the others behind, his eyes focused on the wooden door ahead, _his_ room. He approached at a sprint, hand held out.

The door exploded outward before he reached it.

Weapons were drawn. The mass of black hit Jaune centre-mass. Weapons were raised. Jaune cried out, struggled, and then began to laugh.

Weapons hovered in the air.

"Mannie, no, stop. I- ha ha – I missed you too, boy. Yes, I love you. Who's a good boy? You're a good boy. Yes, you are! Ow! Not the arm. No, I don't have time to play."

Jaune managed to wrestle his way out from under the huge Beowolf, who was still slobbering happily and had now decided to lay out flat over Jaune's back, its paws reaching over his shoulders and chin resting atop his head. He saw the weapons drawn and waved his hands.

"It's okay, it's okay. This is Mannie."

Weiss sighed and lowered her rapier. "The `pet` you told us about?"

"One and the same. He-"

A voice came from the room. "Mannie? What's wrong?"

Jaune froze, as did everyone else.

It was Weiss who finally broke the silence, "P-Pyrrha?"

"Weiss…?" Footsteps. A hand appeared on the door frame and a head full of red hair appeared in it. "Weiss! Jaune!"

"Team RYBN!" Nora cried, hand held in the air. "And Weiss' assistant and Blake's harem."

Weiss would have told Nora to shut up normally, but Pyrrha rushed forward to enfold the heiress in a hug. She'd have done the same for Jaune too, if he wasn't crushed under a Beowolf. "I can't believe it's you," Pyrrha gushed. "I can't believe you came for me." She gasped and pushed Weiss away. " _Why_ did you come for me? Don't you have any idea how dangerous this is!?"

"Did you think we'd just abandon you?" Weiss demanded, affronted at the very thought. "I would never do that, nor would Jaune or anyone here. Ruby would have marched here _alone_ if she had to."

"I can imagine." Pyrrha's smile was watery as she looked around. "But where _is_ Ruby?"

/-/

 _I made a mistake, I made a mistake, I made a mistake…_

Ruby kept her head low, which helped to conceal just how wide her eyes were as she crept into the large dining hall in the middle of a column of robed figure who she had, by now, figured out was no longer her sister and the others. She'd thought it odd they'd left the staircase, but she was _sure_ the back she'd kept in sight had been Yang's when she got out of the mess of robes on the staircase.

Turned out it wasn't, or if it was Yang, she'd taken the wrong route and seemed remarkably calm about it all. Except that, no, a quick look back showed that the person in the hood behind her definitely _wasn't_ Nora.

Ruby whimpered under her breath.

Okay, this was fine. She could recover. All she had to do was walk forward, put the tray down, follow the Seers out and then dash up the stairs as fast as her Semblance could take her. No sweat. Oh look, Uncle Qrow was eating dinner with Coral and Salem.

And yep, Salem looked suitably terrifying, even if she _was_ speaking with her daughter over Qrow's head. As the procession moved closer, Ruby lowered her head even further and tried to hide her pale human hands under the tray she was carrying.

"- and then you need to consider food and rest, my dear. It can be tempting to carry on, but a little pause for refreshment makes the heart – and the libido – fonder. Why, it's amazing how it feels to be taken under the shower. Beware of soap, though. It will be your mortal enemy."

Soap and showers? Weird. Well, not like Ruby expected to understand the machinations of someone like Salem. Ruby followed in as one of the Seers placed a tray down. She bent at the waist and did the same, sliding the tray of desserts between Coral and Salem.

Salem raised a hand. "Not for me. I'm watching my weight."

"Oh, sorry."

Everyone at the table froze, Ruby included. Qrow's head fell into his hands. Coral sighed and Salem turned, ever so slowly, to look up into Ruby's hood.

Seers… They didn't talk, did they?

Ruby winced.

"Aw crud…"

* * *

 **Crud indeed, Ruby. I've lost count of the number of times I've walked into the wrong place while following a crowd of people. Not into a dinner setting, of course, but the wrong lecture at university time and time again. Sometimes it amazed me how long it took me to realise I was in the wrong place, as if talk about complex engineering was somehow something I'd be expected to learn on a creative writing degree.**

 **So, still at my expo – though by the time this comes out I will have actually** _ **done**_ **my speech. Yay.**

 **Still won't be home until Sunday, however.**

 **P.s. I know there are people asking what Ozpin is doing and wanting a scene from his PoV, but I've specifically been holding off _because_ I want people to see what he's been up to _when the others witness it_. Not to give it away and spoiler it with a scene now. I'd rather people actually experience it at the correct moment. I've not forgotten about him.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 4** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	86. Chapter 86

**So, on my way home on Tuesday, I was behind a lorry which lost something off the back of it. Tried to dodge, but whatever it was hit my tyre, annihilating it. Lorry drives off, as you'd expect, leaving me to do an emergency tyre wheel change on my own on a motorway. Sigh.**

 **Had to spend a lot of today on that, because the repair person could only come down today. Nice £540 repair bill, and a couple of hours lost helping him with that. Yay.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 86**

* * *

"Where is she?"

"I dunno. Where is she, Sun?"

"What!? Why are you asking me? It was Ilia's job to keep an eye on her."

"Like hell it was!"

"Well whose was it, then?"

"No one's. She's fifteen, not five."

"Enough, enough!" Weiss waded into the fray and held her arms out, forcing everyone to back down before the argument could get any louder and alert Salem. "Let's just think for a moment. When did we see her last?"

"When we were putting on the Seer robes," Blake said.

"And did we pass any tentacle monsters she might have gotten distracted by?"

"Weiss…" Yang warned.

"What? It's a legitimate concern. But no, I suppose not." She pinched the bridge of her nose and muttered something under her breath. "Okay, knowing Ruby, what is the worst thing she could have possibly done by now?"

The tower shook. The stones rattled, and dust fell from the ceiling. Through it all, a voice reached their ears, agonisingly loud and bathed in pure anger.

"JAUUUUUNNNNNEEEEEE!" They all froze. "GET DOWN HERE, YOUNG MAN. I KNOW YOU'RE THERE!"

As the roar ended and the tower became still once more, they exchanged glances between them. Soon, all eyes turned to Jaune, who – despite it being somewhat unnecessary – looked them back in the eyes and said, "I think I know where Ruby is."

Yang rolled her eyes. "Gee, you think!?"

"Sarcasm aside, we have what we came for," Ren indicated Pyrrha. "If I recall, it was always your intent to confront your mother once we had Pyrrha back. Now is as good a time as any."

"I was hoping to talk to her when she _didn't_ have a potential hostage…"

"No plan survives contact with the enemy. Salem would have had hostages anyway, namely the entire population of Remnant and to the Grimm. You _can_ talk her down, correct? Or you think you can?"

"Yeah. Of course."

Ren nodded. "Then now is as good a time as any."

"Right." Jaune took a deep breath. "Okay, leave this to me. I want you guys to stay outside and whatever happens don't come into the main hall. If any Seers try to enter, stop them. I'll talk her down."

"You sure you'll be able?" Weiss asked. "No offence, but social interaction isn't exactly your strongest skill."

"Hey, I'm not as bad as I used to be."

"I completely agree, and for that you deserve some praise, but my point still remains. Out of everyone here, I'd probably pick you _last_ to send into a hostage situation. Are you sure you won't just make things worse?"

"Weiss, trust me. I know my mom."

"And I know you…"

"I have a plan."

"Strategy is not your forte, either."

"No. But it's not _Mom's_ , either. Trust me. I know what I'm doing."

/-/

Jaune stepped slowly into the main hall, eyes scanning left and right. He spotted Ruby almost immediately, bound by a Seer and sat on the floor to the side of Salem, who had one hand on the younger girl's head. Ruby's expression was equal parts apologetic and embarrassed. Qrow and Coral sat on Salem's other side, the former looking nervous and the latter vaguely annoyed.

He could sense his mother's ire even before they locked eyes. Like any child about to be told off, there was that certain air of anticipation. When he'd been younger, he would have come in head bowed and eyes wide, prepared to beg and plead his way out of trouble. This time, he jutted out his chin and prepared for her worst.

"So nice of you to join us, Jaune," Salem said. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Months, even. Months without so much as a visit and then when you _do_ come, you sneak around like some kind of thief. Why, I might feel hurt by such a thing. What do you think, dear?" she asked Ruby. "Should I feel hurt…?"

"Um…"

"No, I suppose you wouldn't know." Salem let out a long sigh. She sounded tired. "What am I to think, Jaune? Is this teenage rebellion, a cry for more authority? I give you everything I could and more, and all I receive for it is this lack of trust."

"Trust isn't how I'd put it…"

"How would you put it, then? Oh, and you can call in those friends of yours. They're hardly hidden from me now." They didn't enter. Salem raised an eyebrow. "No? More of the same, Jaune? You don't trust me with them?"

"It's not an issue of trust," Jaune said. "It's not all about you, Mom."

Salem's eyes narrowed. Her hand on Ruby's head tightened, making the girl wince. "No!? How is it not about me? I am your mother! You disobeyed me, ran away from me, defied me, ignored me and now you return and seek to _steal_ from me? You even roped your sister into this nonsense!" She waved a hand at Coral, who remained predictably silent. She wasn't in the crosshairs, after all. Best not to make her own situation worse.

"That's the problem!" Jaune snapped. "Everything is always about you! I disobeyed _you_. I ran away from _you_. It's _my_ life and it's _my_ choice how to live it."

Ruby shuffled a little. "Uh…"

"Not when you decide to put your life and those of your entire family at risk!"

"There! Exactly! It's not me not trusting you; it's you refusing to trust _me_!"

"You don't know the way the world works," Salem said, growling. "I kept you here for your own safety. Because the world is a cruel and dangerous place, and you were unequipped to deal with it on your own."

"Because _someone_ kept me locked in a tower where I'd never have a chance to interact with it."

"I provided you with everything I could. I'm _trying_ to fix the world, Jaune, but it's going to take time."

"Time to kill everyone? That's not fixing the world!"

"It's one way of doing it – and I don't have much choice when all of humanity would prefer us dead! You must know this now. Your friends might be persuaded, having believed you one of them for so long, but surely you have seen how the average human reacts. They are vicious, murdering beasts!"

Ruby stirred, "Actually…"

"It takes two sides to start a war!" Jaune yelled and slammed a hand down on the table. "You can't blame them for hating us when the Grimm still hunt and kill them all across the world. Someone has to take a stand. Someone has to be the first to suggest peace!"

"Idealistic nonsense," Salem drawled, waving the suggestion away. "If you believe for an instant that people will listen, then you're sorely mistaken. And the very moment they realise we exist, we shall have every huntsman and huntress coming to the Grimmlands to try and kill us. Me, they won't manage to defeat, but you would put your sisters in such danger just to sate your own sense of right and wrong? You'd get them killed! Do you even remember what happened the last time?"

"What?" Ruby asked.

"This is different. I'm not a child anymore!" Jaune let out a heavy sigh. "And this isn't about the past. This is about you _kidnapping_ one of my friends. It's about you continuing this pointless crusade against the humans."

"No." Salem said, seething. "It's about _you_ refusing to listen to your elders!"

"Because you're wrong!"

"I've watched as civilisations rise and fall, young man. I am hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years older than you. I have _seen_ what comes of humanity feeling it has no equals. I have _witnessed_ the so-called utopia of man. I have _experienced_ its fall." Salem hissed, but calmed herself enough to stay seated. Her eyes flashed with clear agitation. "You, Jaune, have lived a blessed, simple, life."

"And what?" Jaune asked, teeth gnashing together. "That means I should just sit back and be happy living like a caged animal in my room? Never allowed to experience my own life. Never allowed to do what _I_ want to do!?"

"No!" Salem gasped.

"Well, that's what I've been given! That's the only option I have!"

"It's the only option because you never tried any other! I'd have willingly let you travel with Cinder or one of your Uncles. I'd have been fine to let you go with Sapphire, too. They, at least, could have looked after you. Or your father. Any of them, but not on your own and certainly not to _Ozpin_ of all people!"

"Why can't you trust me to make my own decisions?"

"Because you're my son!"

Ruby struggled wildly, but only managed to fall over, landing on her side. She rolled a small distance before coming to a stop. Even so, she managed to look uncomfortable more with the conversation than her position. "Look, I really don't think I need to be here for this," she said. "Can I, like, go?"

"No!" Both Jaune and Salem replied at the same time.

"Ugh… Can you at least choke me out so I don't have to be awake for this?"

Salem did no such thing. Instead, a Seer's tentacle wrapped around Ruby's mouth, muffling her voice but forcing her to continue listening. She didn't look pleased about that. Not that Jaune noticed, too busy glaring at his mother.

Why was she so stubborn? Why couldn't she understand?

"It'd be different if it was Sapphire asking, wouldn't it?"

Salem's expression darkened, "I love all my children equally."

"Doesn't feel like it. She gets to go around on her own and do whatever she wants, while you had me stuck here with only Cinder and Mannie to keep me company."

"And if Sapphire was untrained, unable to defend herself and hopelessly naïve, I would have done the same with her. Love has nothing to do with it. Sapphire can take care of herself. You cannot."

"That's not fair!"

"Life isn't fair!"

"Not if you-"

The door slammed open. The wood cracked as it hit the wall, bouncing off with enough force to make Jaune flinch. A figure stormed in, catching both Jaune and Salem by surprise. Jaune more because he thought they'd agreed this wouldn't happen.

"Yang!" Jaune hissed, waving her back.

"Don't `Yang` me," she snapped back. "Fuck. No. I can't _listen_ to this crap anymore."

"But the plan…"

"The plan is shot. Weiss was right; waiting for you to convince her is going to have us die of old age." Yang's eyes flashed red, an indication of her temper. She stormed forward, and although several Seers moved towards her, they all flinched and backed away. They could sense Yin and their standing orders were never to harm or try to apprehend one of Salem's brood.

"Ah, so one of the other interlopers finally shows their face," Salem said. "This one even looks familiar-"

"You can shut up as well!" Yang said.

Salem's mouth fell open. There had probably never been a human to say that before. Yang didn't look bothered by her achievement and instead came to stand on the other end of the table, glaring at both Salem _and_ him.

"I've listened to the two of you _negotiate_ for the past five minutes – and trust me, I use the term loosely. I think I've heard enough from both your points of view to make an informed opinion. Here it is." Yang took a deep breath, before she shouted out, "You're both stubborn idiots!"

Jaune gaped at his girlfriend. "What?"

Salem frowned. "Young lady, you _do_ realise who you are talking to, no?"

"Realise and couldn't care less. At this point I half wish a Grimm would attack me just to break the monotony. Anything to escape more of your silly family drama. Ah, ah, ah," Yang chided when Salem made to stand. "Sit down. I've had it up to here listening to the two of you go on. It's either you listen to me, or I pick up this table and fucking beat the both of you to death with it."

Perhaps it was the shock of being addressed in such a way – and it certainly wasn't the threat - but Salem actually did sit down, though her eyes narrowed, and she watched Yang with a mean look. It took Jaune a second to realise _he_ was being glared at too by Yang, and that she hadn't yet spoken.

He nervously pulled out and took a seat himself, feeling very much in the dog house.

"Good," Yang said once they were both seated. "Right, so, there's no doubting the two of you are related, because – Gods – you're both just like one another. Neither listens, both just do what they think is right without considering anyone else's opinions or asking them-" She glared there at Jaune, who wilted a little. "And worst of all, neither of you is able to consider what someone else might be feeling. I'd call you both socially inept, but I can at least understand _why_ you would be."

"Jaune," she rounded on him.

"Why are you starting with me!?" Jaune stammered.

"JAUNE!" she repeated, louder. This time, he remained silent. "You're expecting _way_ too much from her. Your mom has literally _no experience_ to go on when it comes to being a normal mother. Yes, she's controlling and maybe a little over-protective, but that's still about ten thousand times better than mine who, if you'll recall, abandoned and then tried to kill me."

"Truly?" Salem asked. "What a horrible woman."

"Tell me about it," Yang agreed. "Anyway, my point is, expecting your mom to know all of this is pointless. This argument is probably long overdue, but you _should_ have had it years ago! Running away from home the moment she said no was a dick move and you never gave her a chance to be convinced. You say she doesn't trust you, but you didn't trust her, either."

Jaune slumped.

Salem smirked. At least until Yang turned on her.

"And you don't get to sit there and feel pleased about that! Jaune may have messed up, but he was a kid and you're his mother. Anything he doesn't understand is at least partly your fault. I get that you had nothing to go on, but couldn't you have found help? Or, you know, learned from experience? You have eight children. That's a lot! Maybe less time banging your husband and more time paying attention would have helped here."

Salem flinched. "I… well…"

"And Jaune's right, you know, even if he's wrong, too. You _don't_ trust him to make his own decisions. And yes, I know, you're probably right not to. He is – or was – an absolute doofus. Hell, he went around complimenting our knees for weeks. But if there was a reason you didn't trust him, then maybe explaining that reason would have helped. And then, once he knows what the problem is, he could try and improve. And you could help him do so! Keeping him locked up because he isn't capable of looking after himself doesn't work as an excuse if you never help him get better."

"You're both at fault in the end," Yang decided, crossing her arms and looking at them with relentless certainty. It was enough to have both cringing. "There's no one in the right here, just two people arguing over and over because they don't know what it means to compromise. And you _will_ have to compromise," she added. "That's the only way out of this. Unless you want to try and capture us and lock us all away," she said, looking to Salem. "And in doing so, lose your son's love for you once and for all."

Salem glanced at Jaune and her face fell. That probably had been her intent, and she'd not realised the effect it might have on him. On them. Now, she looked torn.

"I just wanted what was best for him," she whispered.

"But not what I wanted," he said.

Yang interrupted them. "Ah, ah, ah. None of that. Salem, you wanted what was best for _little_ Jaune, but in doing so never gave him a chance to grow up. Jaune, you're still stuck on not getting what you wanted. It makes you sound spoiled." The casual way she said it made him wince. "All in all, Jaune needed something. He's grown up a lot more than he was before he came to Beacon. Even you have to admit that."

"He does stand taller," Salem acknowledged. "More confident, controlled. I can see Nicholas in him. But that does little to change the situation. He may carry himself differently, but his ideals are just as naïve."

"Yeah, I kinda agree."

Jaune whirled to stare at Yang, eyes wide. "What!?"

Salem seemed surprised, too.

"World peace _is_ pretty naïve, Jaune. I'm not saying it isn't worth trying for or something, but it's definitely not going to be easy." Yang looked to Salem. "That's the difference, though. We're willing to stand by and help your son. You said you were worried he'd be in danger. Well, he won't be with all of us watching his back."

"But that's not the point," Yang said sternly. "No more stupid arguing. Hug and make up."

"W-What?"

"Hug and make up," she said again."

"My dear, I don't think you-"

"HUG AND MAKE UP OR I WILL PERSONALLY MAKES YOUR LIVES HELL!"

Jaune was the first to stand, wincing as he jogged around the table. Angry Yang was frightening Yang and he wouldn't put it past her to keep her promise. Salem seemingly decided it would be easier to accommodate her than argue as well, for she sighed and stood. The two paused before one another. It had been a while, but she was still his mom. For all that she'd done…

Salem stared back at him. She opened her arms and waited with a raised eyebrow.

It wasn't that he hated her. He couldn't. She'd raised him, read him stories, stolen an entire library to help him and even raised a megalomaniac minion in Cinder to look after him. All the normal things a mother did for her son. Sure, they'd had their ups and downs, but the intent was still there. Still, in front of Yang and Ruby? Jaune looked away, red-faced.

"Hug!" Yang said, voice full of warning.

Slowly, awkwardly, they embraced. It had been a while. Months since he ran away for Beacon. He wouldn't go so far as to say there was anything magical in the moment, for there wasn't. Salem was warm and soft and her arms wrapped around his back as they always had. If anything... it was familiar. And in a way, that felt nice. Comfortable.

"I'm sorry," Jaune mumbled, unsure exact what he was apologising for, but knowing she deserved it. Maybe it was for all the things Yang had said he'd done wrong.

Salem sighed. "I suppose that I, too, am-"

She never got to finish. The moment Salem spoke, her eyes closed, and Yang took the chance to leap over the table. She landed in a crouch, shot one blast into the Seer holding Ruby and dove for her sister. "Yoink!" She hopped back with a grin and Ruby in hand. "And _that's_ how you plan a rescue," she said cheekily.

Jaune's mouth fell open. "You did all that just to rescue Ruby!?"

"Yeah. Duh. What did you think I did it for?"

"W-Well…" Jaune looked to Yang, then back to his mom. His cheeks heated up. "But all that stuff you said!"

"No less true for just being a distraction. Besides, your plan sucked. We keep you around for Grimm back-up, muscle and because you're a friend. Not for your silver tongue." Yang grinned. "And now she has no hostages. Go me."

B-But… but their moment.

And the plan…

Their mutual apology...

And making him feel bad…

Salem, rather than be angered, burst out laughing. "Hm. Devious, manipulative and focused on the goal at hand. I think I like you, girl. Of course, having your sister back changes little. No one can leave the Grimmlands without my permission."

"Yeah, well, we didn't really intend on leaving without convincing you to hear us out anyway." Yang looked to Jaune, and then nudged him with elbow when he didn't notice. "Come on," she hissed. "This is your changing her mind moment. You know, world peace?"

"I thought you called that naive?" he hissed back.

"To distract her! And it is. A little bit, I mean. Look, that's not important right now." Yang lowered her voice to a whisper. "I sent the others off to find a Bullhead in case things go bad."

"She could have the Grimm knock that out the sky easily."

"Doubt she'd do that with _you_ on board."

"Are the two of you done with your adorable little conference?" Salem asked, standing. She stepped by Coral and Qrow, the latter of which tried to move, only to go still when Salem's hand touched his shoulder. "Do stay, future-son-in-law. Don't make me any angrier than I already am."

Yang saw her coming and backed away, using Jaune as a shield and pushing Ruby behind her. "All that stuff I said still applies, you know. You really are just like Jaune. Too stubborn to accept when you might be wrong, and too determined that only you know best."

"I admit to it," Salem said with a little shrug. "But that does little to improve _your_ situation."

"You no longer have a hostage," Yang threatened.

"And neither, I notice, do you."

"Yeah?" Yang grinned and pulled up the sleeve on her right arm. "I think you might be wrong there. Meet Yin, my son."

Salem stilled. Her eyes widened.

"Yang, this isn't a good idea," Jaune hissed.

She ignored him. "My son, and also Jaune's."

"You're bluffing," Salem said, eyes narrowed. "You would not harm your own son. Not with how you spoke of your mother."

"Who said anything about hurting him?"

"You mentioned a hostage…"

"I don't have to hold a person hostage. Sometimes it can just be a concept." Yang's smile turned vicious. "Say, visitation and babysitting rights on your grandson. You can't hurt me, or Yin gets hurt. You can't stop me leaving or I'll get hurt. You can't afford to piss me off, because if you do, I'll try to leave."

Salem flinched.

"So," Yang said, smiling casually. "What's say we sit down and talk this out like _actual_ adults. And this time, we'll come to a compromise that benefits all sides. But only if you listen. Only if you actually listen to what we have to say."

Jaune wanted to warn Yang that was a bad idea. That she was being way too optimistic about her chances of escape. Salem could and possibly would capture them without causing any harm to her or Yin. Or she could just force the Grimm to make a solid wall of bodies around Yang and prevent her escape.

But to his surprise, his mother did no such thing. She calmed down, stepped back and sat on her throne once more. Wait, was she actually listening to Yang? Just like that?

"I see you are the brains of the relationship. I thought Cinder might one day be that for him, but I suppose the familial ties were too much, despite how often I tried to convince him otherwise. My son has ever needed a guiding hand. A woman who can prod him in the right direction and stop him making _too many_ foolish mistakes."

Offended, Jaune crossed his arms. "Hey, I can make my own decisions."

Salem, Yang _and_ Ruby, still half-tussled up, rolled their eyes.

/-/

Pyrrha led the others down through the tower, calling on the limited memory she had of the route and aided by Mannie when she got lost.

"You sure we can trust a Grimm to show us the way out?" Sun asked. Mannie snarled at him. "Hey! No offence, man. Just saying."

"Mannie is a friend," Pyrrha said defensively. "Besides, Salem hasn't told him we're not allowed to leave, so it's not a problem. He won't try and stop us."

"Damn. I can't even imagine what it must have been like for you having to live here. The horrors you must have been through…"

Pyrrha's cheeks darkened a little. "Um, yeah. Something like that…"

"Idiot," Ilia snapped, punching Sun's arm. "Can't you see she doesn't want to think about that? Would you in her shoes?"

"Ah. Sorry…"

"It's fine," Pyrrha was grateful for the save, if only from embarrassment. "I think the docks are up ahead. They're not on the bottom floor. Something Watts complained about a few times if I recall. I think the area was originally a roost for Nevermore instead of Bullheads."

"But there will be some here, right?" Blake asked.

"I think so. Not everyone travels by Nevermore or giant dragon. Speaking of, couldn't we just take that?"

"Kevin is loyal to Salem," Weiss answered.

"Kevin?"

"Not important. Until I get a dragon of my own, we have no option. It will have to be a Bullhead. Salem must keep spares, otherwise her lieutenants would be stuck here. If this Watts character is here, then he must at least have one for himself."

Mannie growled excitedly, though only Pyrrha recognised it as such. The others flinched and backed away. She, however, saw what had caught his attention. Moonlight ahead, from the corridor's end. A way outside.

"This is it," she said, leading them out of an open archway and onto a wide, flat protrusion that jutted from the side of the tower. True to her words, there were numerous signs of Nevermores roosting, namely in the feathers and even one of the Grimm itself, perched over by the edge. It looked in their direction but, recognising Pyrrha, decided not to attack.

More promisingly, there was a single Bullhead sat off to one side, inert.

"Nice!" Nora crowed. "I've always wanted to fly a Bullhead."

"Ilia will be piloting," Blake cut in before her partner could get them all killed. "She knows how, trust me. Besides, we can't leave without Yang, Ruby and Jaune. Our job is just to secure an escape route in case we need it."

Ilia hurried over to the Bullhead and began to work on it. To her surprise, it was open. "Not even locked?"

"Who is going to steal something out here?" Ren asked.

"Good point. I guess crime rates are pretty low in the Grimmlands." Ilia ducked inside. "Ignition isn't on, though. Guess they're not _that_ stupid."

"Thoughts of Jaune or one of his sisters joyriding comes to mind," Weiss said. "Can you hotwire it?"

"Sure. This is how the White Fang got most of our early resources. We'd raid convoys or SDC plantations and mines and take what we could. Plenty of Bullheads among those, along with weapons and the like." Ilia paused as she realised exactly who she was talking to. "But I guess you already knew that…"

"Yes," Weiss said, voice flat. "Yes, I do…" She let out a long sigh. "Just get this thing working and all is forgiven. At least for you."

Ilia nodded and got back to work. Ren clambered in to help, while the rest of them milled around awkwardly. Pyrrha looked back towards the tower, but there were no signs anything was going wrong. At least not yet.

A sudden whirr behind spoke of the Bullhead coming online. The engines didn't start, but the electrics flickered on and the inside radio began to play classical. Watts, Pyrrha decided. No way was she going to believe Tyrian listened to classical music.

"About time," Weiss said a little uncharitably. It had only been four minutes tops. "Now, we just need to-"

"Uh, guys," Ilia called. "The display is going a little… insane…"

Pyrrha exchanged a worried glance with Weiss. "Define insane."

"Like, it's saying there are contacts close by. A lot of them."

"The Nevermore, surely," Weiss said. "Or Kevin. This area is covered in wild Grimm."

"I didn't say the radar. I mean the tactical display. It's keyed in to Atlas signals…"

"Impossible. That would mean-" Whatever it meant was cut off as the Nevermore around the platform suddenly began to go wild, taking flight and cawing aggressively, creating a wall of black around the tower. Pyrrha fell to her knees and covered her head, trying to make as small a target as possible, but the Nevermore didn't come for her, or for any of the others. Mostly, they flew outward – away from the tower.

"What the heck is going on?" Nora howled.

"They were spooked," Blake said.

"Yeah, but by what?"

"By that," Emerald interrupted, taking a step back. Her eyes were focused off towards the south-east, towards Sanus, and by extension Vale. Pyrrha turned, along with Weiss, and the two froze almost immediately.

Sun cursed, "I think we've found Ilia's signals…"

An Atlas battleship, approaching from over the ocean – visible only as a spec in the distance, but obvious from its blinking white lights and the sheer size of it. The other signals would doubtless be from all the vehicles stored inside it.

"Why would Atlas be here?" Blake asked. She looked to Weiss.

"Winter knows what I'm doing, but she let me go. She wouldn't do that and then tell Ironwood. If she was going to do that, she might as well have tried to stop me in the first place."

"Well that's definitely an Atlas warship out there. Maybe it's just patrolling…"

"No one would patrol this close to the Grimmlands."

"But I thought no one even _knew_ about Salem's existence," Ren said. "And no one should know where we were headed, let alone be able to respond so quickly."

"Only General Ironwood could order something like this," Weiss said. "But he wouldn't do so for anyone, and certainly not for me. And who could have told him? Winter promised to keep it a secret and the only other people to know was us and-" Weiss trailed off for a moment. "Ozpin. Ozpin knew. Ironwood trusts Ozpin."

Pyrrha cursed under her breath.

Emerald stepped up beside Weiss. "What now? Do we run?"

"No. We'd be spotted by their scanners and they'd send aircraft to apprehend or shoot us down. They might think us Salem's allies at this point." Weiss bit her lip and looked back toward the tower. Pyrrha caught it.

"You're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?"

"Depends what you think I'm thinking…"

"Um, guys?" Sun asked. "A little less abstract, please. We're kinda in danger of being blown up here."

Weiss sighed. "We have to warn Salem."

"What!?"

"You heard me, Sun. We need to get back in there and warn her, otherwise Jaune, Yang and Ruby will go down with the tower. If it were just Salem, I might suggest leaving." Weiss' words earned a horrified look from Pyrrha. "I agree with Jaune that peace would be an ideal solution, but I'd not give my life to run into a warzone for it. If she died, Remnant _might_ be safer. It depends on the Grimm and what happens after she's gone."

"They move and act without her instruction," Pyrrha said. "I don't think they'd vanish if she did. They might even become more aggressive. Reckless, even."

"It doesn't matter. Our teammates are in there and we're not leaving them. If that means we have to warn the literal enemy of all humanity as to an attack on her person, then so be it. She _did_ look after Pyrrha for us – kept her safe – so it behoves us to return the favour."

"Aw, man." Sun kicked the floor idly. "This is gonna do wonders for my status as a huntsman…" Despite that, the faunus firmed his jaw and nodded. "Right, let's get this going, then. The Nevermore should keep 'em busy for a while. Looks like that's where they're all headed."

It certainly looked like it, but Weiss wasn't all that sure they'd last – not if Atlas decided to use its new Paladins in the fight, or the AI-controlled troops she personally knew were being developed. There had been rumours they intended to use those at the Vytal Festival, except that Ozpin won the right to handle security and vetoed them. Here, they might be far deadlier.

With one final look towards their Bullhead, and one final curse, Weiss turned and chased after the others, back into the bowels of Salem's tower.

* * *

 **What a day. What a vehicular disaster for me. Sorry for how late this one came out, but like I said I've been running around all day trying to get my car fixed. Looks like it's okay now, though the cost still hurts. Hurts more because the tyre that was totalled was pretty much brand new. Worse, it went _through_ the front wheel and into the back, and we've now found that it's bent the alloys there on the interior side. This is all kinds of bad, and I've been looking for whell alloy repair for hours now. Finally found one I limped into tonight, but no telling if it can be repaired or not.**

 **If it can, I'm looking at a fairly low cost. If it can't, I'm utterly screwed - as I'd need to buy it through the manufacturer, and they just LOVE putting the price at stupid levels. One of our neighbours had to do that for their Audi, and the mnfr said that because they didn't do that wheel type anymore, he'd need to buy all four. If that happens I'll be in trouble. Ugh. I guess the annoyance is that if I were thirty seconds earlier or later leaving work, or drove 5mph slower or faster, I'd have avoided it. Such a small time window to get ruined like that.**

 **Well, that's life. Got back late and started working on this frantically. You probably all noticed given the time this came out. Like, 9pm here.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 11** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	87. Chapter 87

**Just so people know who hadn't heard, my car was luckily able to be fixed without having to buy an entirely new wheel. This was a major relief.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 87**

* * *

Weiss was not a diplomat, though she certainly felt like one lately. There was no one to blame for that. Out of everyone in their group, she was the one best suited to talking with people, being both polite, focused and practiced enough to get what she wanted. It should have been something to be proud of, but when your competition was basically Ruby – social anxiety – Rose, Pyrrha – never had a friend in my life – Nikos and Jaune – not even a human – Arc, it didn't really mean much.

Team RYBN were no better, with Nora and Yang being the only ones not anti-social and both being insane in one way or another. Ilia was Ilia, Sun was Sun, and Emerald was… okay, really. But she deferred to Weiss in most things, so it didn't really make a difference.

 _Always me,_ Weiss thought, walking quickly through the halls of Salem's tower. _This'll show me for wanting a more adventurous life than that of an heiress._ She might have considered that more were it not for the huge battleship approaching with its cargo of attack Bullheads, giant canons and no doubt monstrous robots. Things such as that tended to put a spring in one's step.

"You've spent time with Salem even if only as a prisoner," Weiss said to Pyrrha. "What is she like…?"

"Oh, um. Well, imagine the most evil and terrifying person you can. An inhuman monster who cares for nothing but herself and her goals. Think of that image, and now give her a mighty army of Grimm."

Weiss grimaced. "I have it."

"And now imagine she got hitched – fell in love with sex, had a bunch of kids, suddenly found herself surrounded by affection, had _no_ idea what to do and basically turned into a stay-at-home mom. Think of that image, and now give her the mighty army of Grimm again."

"I've lost the image."

"Yeah," Pyrrha sighed. "Me too…"

"Any advice for speaking to her."

"Don't accept any drinks, don't ask about her children and don't let her bring out the photo albums. You'll be trapped for weeks."

"Not for nothing," Sun piped up. "But weren't you a _prisoner_ …?"

Pyrrha's face turned red. "I'd rather not talk about it…"

It didn't give much for Weiss to work on. It would have to be enough. Weiss strode towards the doors with the others behind. Making a good entrance was important, especially to capture their urgency. Go in hard, fast, and put the enemy on the back foot. Don't let them catch her off-guard no matter _what_ they said or did. Weiss' palms slammed into the wooden doors and she _pushed_ with all her might.

"Salem Arc," Weiss intoned. "My name is Weiss Schnee and I-" Weiss froze.

She had not been ready.

Salem was there, white face, red eyes and veins across her face. She was not so unlike Jaune in appearance – in his transformed state, obviously. It was not her appearance which shocked Weiss, however. It wasn't Ruby, either. Her teammate was stood off to the side, looking a little awkward and out of place. Jaune and Yang were safe, too. Everyone was.

Weiss coughed. "Ahem."

She went unheard. Salem had Yang and Jaune in her grasp, both pulled into her chest so hard their cheeks were pushed together, both buried in the monster's not-so-inconsiderable cleavage. That might have been awkward enough, had it not been for the fact that Salem had a hold of Yang's arm, having dragged it up t her face. She was nuzzling her own into the palm of Yang's hand, crooning into Yang's fingers.

"What the fuck did we just walk into?" Sun asked.

Yes, Weiss thought. Sun, for all his faults, had a very good way of summarising the current situation.

"There's the image again," Pyrrha sighed.

"Image? Oh, right." Weiss coughed and, realising that the battleship wasn't going to wait for man, woman, Grimm or moment of insanity, stepped forward again. "Excuse me, Salem? Queen of Darkness?" Nothing. Weiss sighed and looked to Ruby. "How long has this been going on for?"

"Last few minutes," her teammate replied. "It's _really_ awkward."

Weiss sighed again and strode past Ruby. She reached the hugging threesome, ignored it, approached the dining table and leaned over Mr Branwen's shoulder. "Excuse me," she said, taking the crystal goblet from his hand. She took a stip. "Hm. Shiraz." And then held it out and dropped it on the floor.

The sound of it shattering pierced through the room. Salem flinched, and although she did not _release_ Yang or Jaune, she did glare at Weiss through Yang's fingers.

"I hope you know you will be paying for that."

"I'll buy you a whole new set."

"I was not referring to finances."

Yep. Torture, death and the other things. Weiss wasn't sure if she felt particularly reckless today or not, but it was kind of hard to take the woman before her seriously. Maybe when she wasn't acting like a cat who had discovered that Yang's hand was made of catnip.

"You won't get the chance if you don't listen to us. An Atlas battleship is on its way here right now."

Salem's eyes widened. "What!?" She dropped Yang and Jaune, both of which slumped into a pile at her feet. The Queen of the Grimm closed her eyes, seemingly concentrating. They snapped open a second later and she snarled. Was she seeing through the eyes of the Grimm? This must have been why Jaune was so incessant on them having Qrow as a distraction.

"It's coming this way," Weiss said, "And unless there is some _other_ potential target out here, I think it's coming for you."

"Foolishness. Atlas cannot hope to best me."

Blake groaned. "Is this the time to be arrogant?"

"Watch your tongue, girl," Salem sniped. "You are not pregnant with my son's children, or at least not by the look of you, so you're not nearly invulnerable enough to mouth off like that. There is no arrogance in my claim. I am Salem, Queen of the Grimm. My forces have brought _all_ of the Kingdoms in Remnant to their knees and have kept it that way for hundreds of years." It was no false claim. "So, ask yourself, with that in mind, what can a _single_ battleship hope to do against _me_?"

"Shoot you in the face?" Sun offered.

Salem rolled her eyes. "I would bid you try it, but then I'd have to kill you. Do you not think that if high explosives could kill me, I would have died decades ago? Ozpin has been seeking my demise for well over a thousand years. He's a fool, but not _that_ much of an idiot. He's tried bombs on me before, believe me."

"He has?" Blake asked.

"Ozpin and I are ancient enemies. He cannot be killed, at least by conventional means, for his mind will inevitably find another host. Though he doesn't do it so much nowadays, he used to hunt me down personally." The way Salem said it, and the way she lazily waved a hand, seemed like she was talking more about the weather than an attempt on her life. "He would train himself up, gather allies and storm my tower like the protagonist in some silly tale. Each time, he would die. He _and_ his friends. Toward the end, he became more and more desperate. I didn't expect him to blow himself up the last time I faced him in person, but I suppose he was trying new ideas."

Ozpin killing himself to try and take down Salem. Weiss had never thought of it, though she supposed if you were essentially immortal as he was, then physical bodies didn't really mean all that much. To him, anyway. She dreaded to imagine what the body's original host would think.

"He does not do that much anymore. Nowadays, he likes to work behind the scenes. I suppose he learned that he could not face me alone. Or he got bored of dying all the time," she said, shrugging one shoulder. "Either way, this battleship is no danger to me. I'm not sure whether to laugh at the suggestion or feel offended."

Weiss wasn't sure what to think, either. The way Salem said it made it sound like she wasn't boasting, just stating facts, and she did have a point. If one battleship could harm her, then Ironwood would have become the saviour of Remnant years ago. No. Salem could summon and control the Grimm. This was the Grimmlands. The chances of that ship managing to kill her was practically null and void.

But then, Ozpin knew that – as did Ironwood – which meant there had to be something more to this, something they were missing.

"Even if they can't kill you, they can bring the tower down on us," Ren said. "It might not kill you, but the rest of us wouldn't be so lucky. And considering that Yin only survives so long as Yang does…"

"Yes, yes, you can save yourself the effort of logic," Salem said dismissively. "I'm neither so stupid as to not realise that, nor blind as to not see it. A man such as you should not think to-"

"Lavender likes Ren," Ruby piped up.

"-call me anything but `mother`," Salem amended. "Inquisitive minds should be rewarded, after all. And you have such pretty eyes and delicate features. I'm sure they will do well in the family. Ah, children grow up so fast."

"E-Excuse me?" Ren asked, surprised.

"Excuse me?" Nora demanded, less-surprised.

Thankfully, Salem ignored them both. "My Grimm have already engaged the fools who dare to encroach on _my_ Kingdom. I would suggest you leave the tower and stay away from the fighting. It will be safer for you." Salem stepped away from Yang and Jaune, who were rousing themselves on the floor. "Excuse me, I need to liaise with Watts. A pleasure to meet more of my little Grimmling's friends."

Salem hurried over to the doors and away, leaving them alone. The moment she was gone, Qrow slumped onto the table and let out a huge breath. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you. Any longer and I was afraid she'd want Coral and I to start banging on the table while she watched and offered pointers."

"That would have been a little embarrassing, even for me," Coral said, almost surprised to find that the thought of _anything_ embarrassed her. Weiss refrained from pointing out that they hadn't come here to help either of them, and simply accepted their thanks with a nod. She helped Jaune and Yang to their feet.

"You heard, I take it?"

"Atlas on the way," Jaune said. "But why?"

"Was what your mother said right? About them not having a chance against her…?"

"Yeah. I mean, they could probably kill me or any of my sisters, but not even the full Atlas Armada could technically kill her. Don't you think they would have tried that already if they could?"

Perhaps, though from what they knew from Ozpin, he and Ironwood had kept Salem's existence from the public, so that shouldn't have been an issue. What had changed? Why send people now? It would require letting people know about Salem.

And what did they hope to achieve with this?

Weiss had a feeling they'd soon find out.

/-/

The Atlas battleship rocked in the air as Nevermore buffeted it from every side, some raking claws along its hull, more aiming for the windows, and some feeding themselves into every opening they could find, no matter what it meant for their lives. They _threw_ themselves into the engine vents and turbines, being torn up or incinerated in seconds. Others fell to gunfire that raked out from the side or were blown apart in great globs by the cannons.

Through it all, the Battleship continued. Not silent, but devoid of reaction. It made no effort to evade or outrun the Grimm, nor did it change its trajectory. Its current path would take it past the tower, placing the spire of black rock on its starboard side. As it drew close, a large shadow detached itself from the tower and beat its mighty wings. It spiralled up into the air, seeking a position to dive down on the ship.

The battleship ignored it entirely. As it came up alongside the tower, the ships engines fired in reverse, blasting gouts of hot air and fire forwards instead of behind, bringing it to a halt. Or as close a halt as it could have. A slow drift. On the sides of it, great doors opened, pooling out and up as the hangers were exposed. Grimm poured in, but there were no screams, no panic and no blood.

Only rows upon rows of white, metallic faces, each of which started to move forward, stepping out of the Battleship and free-falling through the air.

As they did, the great canons opened fire.

/-/

Jaune had to reach out and catch himself on the corridor wall as the tower shook. The others were no better, some falling and the rest unsteady on their feet. The salvo lasted only a few seconds, but crumbling rock could be heard in the distance.

"They're not wasting any time!" Sun yelled over the noise. "What the hell?"

"Why would they waste time? They want to bring this place to the ground," Ilia said.

"And do what, piss Salem off? If they can't kill her, all this is gonna do is make her angry enough to hit back. And she can hit back a damn sight harder than Atlas can."

He wasn't wrong. Jaune cursed, already feeling the chances of peace between humans and Grimm slipping away. Sure, Ironwood didn't know he was interfering, but he had to know this was a bad idea. Another salvo struck the tower – though this one was followed by an ear-splitting roar from outside.

"Looks like Kevin is pissed," Jaune quipped.

"Judging by the sheer size of him, he should be able to deal with that thing on his own," Blake said. "Assuming they don't catch him with the canons. Even if they did, I'm not sure how effective it would be. This attack is going as badly for them as Salem said it would."

That didn't stop the canons, though. Another salvo hit the tower, and this time closer to their position. Jaune tackled Yang to the floor, but he needn't have. The explosion was two floors up and the roof held.

Yang pushed him off her with a sigh, "I'm fine. I'd also be fine if the roof collapsed; I'm a huntress." She looked to the others. "We need to get out of here. Salem may think it's fine for us to stay in where it's safe, but Atlas isn't pulling any punches here."

"You think it'll be safe outside?" Coral asked.

"It should be." Qrow had been able to stay on his feet. He fingered his weapon nervously, eyes scanning around him. "They're going to be so focused on the tower, they won't notice us leave. I'm not saying to run away," he added quickly. "Not like we can go anywhere on foot. But we'd be safer stood on the outskirts until this is over. Who knows how much of this place they'll bring down. And this is nothing if Ironwood decides to ram the thing into the tower."

"He wouldn't," Weiss said. "It would kill him."

"Yeah, and going solo against Salem won't?"

Jaune was forced to admit Qrow had a point. This was already a suicide mission from Atlas' point of view. Going out with a final hurrah would just ensure their deaths were quicker, and not by the Grimm. "I think we should keep moving."

"Couldn't have said it better myself, kid. Are any of your other family members here?"

"Not that I know of. I've only been here as long as you have. Pyrrha?"

"They're not," Pyrrha said. Jaune let out a breath of relief. "I heard Watts mention that Lavender came back, but she left again – apparently to spend time with an Uncle. Hazel, I think. I heard that two of your sisters – a pair of twins – were out learning to fight with your father."

Huh. So, Jade and Hazel – female Hazel – were learning the sword? Lucky. Well, anything was lucky compared to their current situation. "Then it's just us. That's fine. Watts will get out if he needs to and Mom can-"

The wall beside them erupted inwards. There was a momentary flash – the only warning they got, and enough for Jaune to push his aura out of his body, before the force hit and hurled him back. He slammed into an opposite wall. The others were no more fortunate.

" **Jaune!"**

"I-I'm okay," he rasped, both for Remy's sake and everyone else. "Shit, that was close. Guys, are-"

"Alive," Weiss reported. She stood and dusted herself down. "I don't think anyone was hit by it, just the shockwave and-" She cut off, looking to the opening created in the side of the tower. "Well, we have our way out."

"Uh. You mean _Qrow_ has a way out, seeing as he can fly," Ruby said, peeking out over the long drop. "I don't fancy our chances jumping down there."

"It'll be just like initiation," Nora quipped.

"With no trees to break our fall, just jagged terrain and large, spiky masses of crystalline dust? Yeah, just like Beacon…"

"I don't mean we should jump. We have Coral and Jaune with us. Ruby said you summoned Nevermore to take her to Beacon when Amity was attacked. Can't you do that here?"

"The Nevermore were technically _already_ in Amity. I can't make that many on my own. But," he quickly said when Weiss looked cross, "I think I could make a couple of medium-sized Nevermore. They'd be enough to get us down safe."

"I, too," Coral said. She brought her hand to her mouth and bit down viciously, drawing blood. Jaune winced, not nearly brave enough to do that. He drew Crocea Mors and ran his palm along the edge instead. The cut was cleaner, if no less painful. All the teaching at Beacon instilled in a person a strong desire to use aura to _prevent_ wounds, so letting something like this happen wasn't easy.

Between them, they were able to summon four Nevermore. Not giant ones. They wouldn't be flying anyone back to Vale, but they could probably support the weight of their group between them and glide down safely. They just wouldn't be strong enough to generate any lift. The exertion drained him a little, but he was able to stay standing.

"Alright. These four can get us down. Qrow can fly on his own, saving us a little weight. Everyone else-"

"Incoming!" Pyrrha cried out.

It was Yang's turn to save him this time. She gripped his shoulder and tossed him back a second before several blurs struck the opening in the tower's wall. They didn't detonate like missiles, but instead pushed themselves up with a near-silent whirr. Four humanoid shapes. Their faces were covered by white plates, as was the rest of their bodies. They were armed and quickly brought their guns up.

"Cover the Nevermore!" Blake yelled. She darted forward and snap-kicked the gun of the lead one, forcing it up. It fired anyway, raking the ceiling. Sun was behind her, cursing but using his staff to divert the barrel of another just a little bit. A Nevermore was clipped in the wing and squawked angrily, but it was still alive.

"Get back!" Jaune commanded, both out loud and in his mind. The Nevermore reacted instantly, pulling in their wings and waddling back into the hall, further away from the fighting. They'd need those in one piece to get out. To the aggressors, Jaune held out a hand. "Stop! We're not Grimm. Don't shoot!"

To his shock, they didn't stop firing. The one Blake was fighting tried to bring its gun down onto _her_ , and only failed because she sheared its wrist off. Jaune cried out, but there was no blood. Only sparks.

"They're not human," Weiss yelled, plunging her rapier into the back of one. It sparked and twitched before her. "Atlas' newest toys, the Knight-200 series, they're just robots."

Just robots they may have been, but more had landed in the moment's distraction. Six more. Jaune brought his shield up as one opened fire on him. The shots pinged off the front of it, but the force threatened to knock him off his feet. Stamping a foot down, he pushed off and forward, rammed the shield into the thing's body and back.

It tried to bring out a blade that it had attached to its arm but failed to notice what was behind it. The robot collided with another, and as Jaune gave one final heave, they fell out of the opening and down the tower. One to his right went down as Yang caved its head in with a single blow. Her other arm, Yin, lashed out with a large, cleaver-like shape, cutting one of the Knights from its shoulder to its groin. It sparked and fell to the side, but fortunately did not explode.

Jaune looked out the hole and gasped. It… It was raining. Raining white.

"There has to be _hundreds_ of them!"

"An assault," Weiss realised. "They're not trying to bring the tower down at all. They want to assault it. I'm still not sure that'll do anything against Salem, but it's possible that battleship doesn't have a single person on board."

"It's all AI?" Emerald asked, cutting a Knight down herself.

"Not all of it. The unit controlling the Knights must be in there, but it would be following a strict code put in place by Atlas. Its orders and directives. The ship itself might be on some kind of auto-pilot, remote-controlled, or maybe just pre-programmed to fly to a specific point and unload. It would explain why it's not trying to fight back against Kevin." True to Weiss' words, Kevin had landed atop the battleship, his wings wrapped around its side. He was busy tearing into it from above with his jaws, but the cannons didn't so much as _try_ to dislodge him.

"That's nice an' all," Sun yelled, still fighting. "But why are they attacking _us_!?"

"Because we hit them first?" Ruby suggested. "They _did_ go for the Grimm."

Weiss seemed to think the idea had merit and stepped forward. She didn't sheathe her blade but held it at her side and extended a hand, palm up. "Peace! I am Weiss Schnee, heiress of-"

Jaune had to tackle her out the way as one shot at her. "I don't think they care!"

Ruby sheared the thing's body off its legs, unimpressed with it trying to kill her teammate. She cartwheeled into another, Crescent Rose spinning wildly. More and more Knights were landing, as they were all over the tower.

He didn't think they'd do anything against his mom either way. Their guns couldn't be any more devastating than explosives, and she'd pull them apart if they tried to get into melee and stab her. Jaune continued to pull Weiss back, though the proud heiress soon fought her way out of his grip.

"I'm fine, let go."

"I don't think we can reason with them."

"That doesn't make any sense. One of the biggest impediments to this being rolled out was people being afraid of rogue AI attacking humans. They were coded to only ever use none-lethal force, not to mention to recognise when someone tries to surrender. And to recognise key people."

"I thought you said they'd be following strict orders from Atlas?"

"I did, and that means someone _overrode_ the normal routines for these."

"So, this _isn't_ Atlas?"

"No, it is. No one could sneak in and steal a Battleship. Not and fly it out. It would be an international disaster. Ironwood would sooner shoot it down himself than let it escape. No, this _was_ sent by Atlas. It's just that they – Ironwood or someone else – gave it orders to attack _anyone_ here, and to ignore all previous safety protocols."

"Wouldn't that make sense? They're attacking a place where they don't believe there are any humans."

"In that case, they wouldn't have needed to override the systems at all. They can _already_ identify and fire on Grimm, and no offence, Jaune, but your mother hardly looks like a normal human. There's no point to disabling their ability to differentiate and spare normal people. Unless… unless…"

"Unless what?"

Weiss grimaced. "Unless that's the _point_ of doing it…"

"Weiss?"

"They might very well have disabled it _because_ they are here to kill us. Not Salem."

"What? Why?"

"To keep the truth about Salem hidden? To prevent us speaking out against Ironwood and Ozpin? Maybe just because they think we're traitors. I don't know. But the only reason to change the systems to make it so they don't recognise humans as friendly would be because they're afraid _you_ might confuse them by using your human form. And the only reason _I_ , a well-known figure from Atlas, can't peacefully surrender, is because I've been removed from the database."

Put like that, it didn't look good. It couldn't be an accident that more and more of them were streaming through the hole, either. Or that the canons had stopped firing. The Knights must have been communicating with one another somehow. They'd found their targets and now wanted to swamp the area in bodies. Maybe they wanted to hold off the bombardment because there was a chance they could survive that.

Atlas wanted confirmation that they were all dead.

"Get back inside!" Jaune yelled to the others. "The plan is shot. Nevermore, attack!"

The Grimm instantly reacted and flapped their wings wildly, pushing themselves into Knights which tore into them with their bladed arms. The Grimm cared not and continued to push them back, bodily knocking some out of the hole and causing others trying to land to have no room, slip and tumble down. The reprieve was a temporary one, but enough for Jaune to reach the others.

"Weiss thinks they're here to kill us. We need to get back inside now. As deep as we can! There's no time to explain," he said when Pyrrha looked ready to. "Move!"

They caught his urgency, if not his reasons. The gunfire from behind told them the Nevermore wouldn't last, but they sprinted down the corridor nonetheless. Kevin would deal with the Battleship eventually, and when it fell the AI-System would fall with it. Hopefully. Even if it didn't, the Grimm had the numbers and would eventually win out.

He'd barely made it a hundred metres before canon-fire struck the building again, and close to their position.

"They're tracking us!"

"They really _are_ after us!"

"Keep moving!" Jaune barked. "If we get deeper inside they'll have to dig through more to reach us."

The staircase was out. If that was hit, the whole thing could come crashing down on top of them and Jaune wasn't sure how bad the other floors were. The Battleship had to be using guesswork to track them, though. He doubted it could sense their presences through heat with a dragon breathing down on it. If they could just lose it in the twists and turns, they'd be okay.

The cannon-fire opened again, and this time seemed to be raking the wall beside them on a wider area. It was no longer certain where they were and was blanketing the area. The Knights, being too slow to run after them, had been left behind.

A sudden roar filled the corridor ahead as a gout of fire rushed in, cutting them off. Whether it was a sudden salvo, heavier payload or just too much for the wall was unknown, but the battleship had cut through again.

They were all thrown to the floor by the explosion this time. Dust and heat swirled around Jaune's face as he coughed and pushed himself up. There was a fire by his ear. He staggered away and looked to the result of the latest hit.

"Oh Gods!" Ruby called from the other side of the rubble. "You guys okay!?"

"Y-Yeah." Jaune looked around nervously and counted the groaning bodies. "We're missing Yang and Emerald!"

"They're on this side."

Jaune sagged, letting out a quick breath. None of them had been buried, then. "Are they in one piece?"

"Y-Yeah," Yang replied, coughing. "We're good."

Good, but cut off. The wall had collapsed inward, creating a barrier that reached from the floor to the ceiling. Jaune was fairly sure he could move it given time, but the Knights were coming up behind them – and since the canons had stopped again, more Knights must have been coming for _this_ hole, too.

"Heads up," Blake called. "We've got company."

"Damn it." Jaune glanced back. "Can you guys hold them off while I try and make an opening? It's that or fight our way back through them all."

"We don't have much choice, do we? Nora can help."

"I sure can!" Nora cheered, bringing her grenade launcher forward. For a horrifying moment, he thought she might open fire, but Nora opened it up and revealed the individual charges in their chambers. She pulled one out and mimed a toss to him.

"Will these be enough?"

"On their own, probably not. But it should shift a lot if we set them all off together. We can move the rest, or just crawl what's left." Nora slipped in beside him as the others engaged the Knights. "Stack them at the base. We'll detonate from a distance."

"You're the expert." He wasn't sure he'd ever thought to say that about Nora. "Ruby, get yourself and the others back."

"Okay."

Jaune helped provide the grenades as Nora stacked them, tipping them over so that the fronts were facing toward the wreckage, but also pointed to the hole in the wall. Most of it was blocked off, but the other side was open. Jaune assumed there was a reason she laid them like that but didn't comment. She knew more about the things than he did. Meanwhile, the others held off the Knights. It might have been worse if their group had been more evenly split, but there were seven of them back there. They'd be fine.

"That should do it," Nora said. "Now we just need to back up and set them off."

Nora used one final grenade for the task, slotting it into her launcher and pointing it at the mass. "Everyone back!" she yelled, just in case Ruby hadn't taken the earlier warning. She fired a second later and struck the small stack of grenades perfectly.

The explosion was… less and more than what he'd expected. It was big and loud, but nowhere near the size of the explosions being fired from the battleship, which probably made sense. It was awfully _pink_ , however.

Either way, it did the job. Sort of. A good portion – about half – of the wreckage had been cleared away. What remained was loose and Jaune surged forward, grappling with it and pushing what he could out the hole. "Ruby, are you guys okay!?"

"Yeah. We were far enough-" Ruby cut off as a burst of gunfire echoed through their hall.

"RUBY!" Damn it. More Knights must have come from the other direction. Jaune scrabbled harder. "Nora, help me move this! They're under attack."

Nora didn't say a word and leapt up. Between them, they started to push and kick rock away, trying to form a tunnel through the loose rubble from which they could crawl through to reach the other side, where he could hear Yang, Ruby and Emerald fighting. _Come on, come on, get through._ Some more rock ahead fell when he pushed it, finally granting a view through to the other side. Not much of one, but enough to see smoke, tracer fire and an opened wall further down. The battleship had blasted another way inside.

"It's going down!" Weiss suddenly yelled. "The Battleship is falling!"

"About time…" Jaune grumbled.

"It's- Oh Gods. Hit the deck! Get down!"

"What?" Jaune had a brief moment to share a panicked look with Nora, both of them stuck in the tunnel, when the world suddenly _shifted_. The battleship had indeed come down, but whether by accident or design, it crashed into the side of the tower, _raking_ its prow through the walls above them. If it were their own, they'd have surely died, but even so, the sheer _force_ of the impact shook the building. Jaune covered his head with both hands as the tunnel collapsed on top of them, rocks pelting off his head, smashing against his aura.

"N-Nora!"

"I'm-"

An explosion rocked the tower. Somewhere on the ship, something had exploded. It quickly set off a chain reaction, causing a second and then a third – the final one so close to their position that they were blanketed in heat and thrown to the floor. Those that could be, anyway. Jaunt's head cracked against the back of the tunnel and he slumped, not unconscious but dazed, perhaps even concussed.

Sound became muted. His vision blurred. He could hear… something, both behind _and_ ahead. His body felt like it belonged to someone else, but he had the sense of mind to realise he wasn't dead. Just stunned. He forced his eyes open and was finally able to see through the path ahead.

Ruby was down, as was Emerald. By the blast or the Knights, Jaune had no idea. Only Yang was left, and she was covered in soot, ash and grime. Her face was twisted into a feral snarl due to the pain and her eyes glowed red. Yin was doing most of the work, scything through Knights that came too close. She was being overwhelmed.

"Y-Yang…"

He tried to move. His body wouldn't. Or couldn't. His legs were pinned. He strained anyway, until feeling came back – agony coursing up his legs. Yang was holding, but she wasn't winning. It was a never-ending stream of the Knights, or so it seemed. He saw one appear at the back with a gun larger than the others. He tried to shout out a warning.

It was a grenade launcher – though one unlike Nora's. He saw the canister fly and tinkle across the floor to rest at Yang's feet. She didn't notice, too distracted fending off three Knights currently fighting her. The canister opened, and gas poured out, filling the corridor.

"Yang!"

The gas poured out the open hole in the wall, but even as it did more were launched, a second a third, until Yang was completely covered in the stuff. She tried to break free, but the robotic bodies pressed her in.

Jaune watched as she staggered, fell to her knees, and then was knocked unconscious, the butt of a rifle driven into the back of her skull. Even had she the aura to defend against it, she couldn't protect herself against the gas.

"Yang," Jaune snarled, voice different. His eyes flashed red in an instant and his skin ashen. His hair lengthened, turned white. Tentacles didn't so much sprout as _shoot_ from his body, spearing into the rock surrounding him. They tried to drag him forward. His legs screamed in agony.

" **Jaune!"** Remy warned. **"You'll tear yourself in two!"**

"Y-Yang!"

The Knights approached her body. They didn't shoot. Some looked in his direction and Jaune snarled back, pushing his aura to the fore in case of a hail of bullets. To his surprise, they didn't take the opportunity. Instead, four of them knelt around Yang and reached for her body. Between them, they lifted her up.

A vehicle appeared outside the ruined wall. It was a Bullhead, though one more aerodynamic than he was used to. It was marked with Atlas' symbol. Vision swirling, Jaune watched as the side opened up and the Knights carried Yang on board. They ignored Ruby and Emerald, both down and out. They even ignored him as he tried to drag himself out to fight them, no matter what it cost.

"Don't you dare take her," Jaune whispered. "I'll find you. I'll come for her."

One of the Knights turned as if it had heard him. Its blank face regarded him for a moment, before it turned with a mechanical movement and stepped up onto the Bullhead. The door closed, locking Yang inside.

The last thing Jaune saw before darkness claimed him was it speeding away.

* * *

 **Well, something happened. Yeah, it was supposed to seem a little "odd" that a single battleship would think it had the means to assault Salem. But to take a prisoner? Well, a little easier. Not to say that Yang was the primary target or not; that will be delved into next chapter. But Ozpin may not have taken the loss of his assets as well as expected.**

 **Why did this all happen? It seems so crazy!**

 **You'll find out next chapter.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 18** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	88. Chapter 88

**Though it's a rather grand proclamation and more an estimate than anything, I think this story might be done before the New Year. That would mean Headmaster Arc gets a nice 2019 release. If it works out that way, of course. Plans have a tendency of not fitting chapter limits as neatly as they do when jotted down in bullet points.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 88**

* * *

Jaune awoke groggily, and the first thing he noticed was just how uncomfortable he was. He was laid on something flat and solid without so much as a cushion for his head. His head ached, too. A dull, pounding headache as if his brain were trying to bash its way out of his skull. He groaned.

"Jaune. You're awake?"

"Ruby, stop hassling him. He can groan in his sleep. He'll wake up when he-"

"I-I'm awake," he managed. His eyes cracked open and then closed immediately blinded by too much light.

"It's about time, my son. You've kept us waiting."

Mom? But if she were here along with Ruby and Weiss… Jaune forced himself to sit up, despite the warnings from Pyrrha that he should stay down. The light burned his eyes again, but this time Jaune forced himself to blink his way through it. He was in the dining hall, laid out flat on the table with some of the plates and food pushed aside or removed entirely.

Everyone was there. Mom, Coral, Qrow and the rest. They were in various states of worn, faces smudged or bleeding in places and their clothing having obviously seen battle. The hall itself was no better, with numerous white figures strewn on the floor and a hole in the wall, with a corresponding black burn mark on the wall opposite.

Right. Atlas, the Knights, the battleship…

His eyes widened. "Yang!"

"Do you know what happened?" Ruby asked eagerly, almost bounding over to him but for Pyrrha holding her back gently. "I-I was knocked out and no one else saw. They only heard you shouting, and then the explosions as the battleship collided with the tower."

Understandable. Nora's vision must have been blocked by him, while the others couldn't see past the blockade and Ruby and Emerald, on Yang's side, had been knocked out. Ruby looked so desperate for answers.

"They took her," Jaune snarled. His eyes flashed red, his hair and skin a ghastly white. "They knocked her out and took her. Put her on a Bullhead and fled!" He looked to his mother.

"A Bullhead did escape the encounter," she confirmed. "I bid the Nevermore focus on the battleship and any remaining robots. That was lucky since, if your lover were unconscious, she might not have survived the vehicle crashing."

Lucky, yes. Satisfying, no. Jaune's teeth gnashed together, even as worry gnawed its way through him. Why did they want Yang? Was it just her specifically, or had they been after something else? Where had they taken her? Well, the last one was obvious.

"I have to save her. I have to go to Atlas."

"There and back again," Weiss said with a put-upon sigh. She waved a hand when he growled at her. "I'm not saying we won't, so you can cut it with the animalistic noises. You may be half-human, half-Grimm, all-royalty, but I'm still your team leader."

Jaune backed down.

"Good. Now, yes, we obviously have to get Yang back. Question is, how do we do that?"

"With extreme ease," Salem answered. "It has been a while since I played the part of the destroyer. For this trespass, I could bring every Grimm on the continent down on those fools. The oceans around Atlas would _team_ with Grimm, dragging themselves out onto the shore in a never-ending tide. _She_ would be safe, of course. No Grimm will harm her."

"Do that, and they won't have to. Atlas will figure out what's going on and kill her – if only to see whether it's _Yang_ attracting the Grimm." Salem frowned, but sat down, hands clenching the armrests of her throne so tightly it cracked.

Watts coughed into his fist. "If I may, my Queen, the Schnee is correct." He nodded politely to Weiss, who nodded stiffly back. "While the last thing we can allow is for the girl to be kept there, arriving behind, atop or before an army of Grimm will only force a violent reaction."

"We have never shied from such means before, Watts."

"We have never had to worry about a captive before, my Queen."

"I am no idiot. You are suggesting we send my son and these allies of his. That would be no less dangerous. The enemy knows of their existence. They would be walking into a trap."

"We can't not go!" Jaune railed.

"I am not suggesting such!" Salem fired back. "Only that you _think_ before you leap. Was it not your girlfriend herself who suggested such?"

The words hit him hard, snuffing out his anger. His hair became golden once more, his eyes blue. They were filled with doubt, however.

"We'll get her back," Ren said. "I'm not leaving my partner a prisoner. No one in Team RYBN will do that. Correct?"

"Hell no!" Nora said.

"The longer she's left alone in a cell with no one to distract her, the more puns she'll come up with," Blake teased. "I can't allow such a thing to happen."

"But they do have a point," Ren added. "If we go in with Grimm behind us, we'll start a war."

"But if we go in without, we'll be captured."

"True. In which case, we find a different method."

"We have to consider what Ozpin wants from this, too," Weiss said.

"You really think it's him?" Qrow asked. "The fleet was one of Jimmy Irondick's."

"Jimmy-?" Weiss sighed. "General Ironwood is a general and a politician. He's not a rash man, nor a foolish one. He knew I was headed to Mistral, and while he may have heard the reports of me flying here with the dragon, I doubt he would authorise those AI to open fire on me. Besides, they captured _Yang_. The only person who knows Yang is of any importance to Jaune is Ozpin."

"But what would he get from capturing Yang?" Ruby asked.

"I've no idea…"

"I don't care," Jaune said, shaking his head. "Yang's been kidnapped. We were attacked. Whatever is happening, it's happening in Atlas and if we don't respond, it's only going to get worse. I doubt they took her just to sit back, smile and not _do_ anything."

"We know this," Ren said. "We've already all agreed to do something. It's the _something_ we're not sure on."

"No." Jaune's eyes were wild. "I have an idea."

"Is it one of your usual gems of wisdom?" Weiss asked.

"I don't know. That's why I want you to listen and tell me what you think. Because you know this all better than I do. All of you." His eyes strayed over them. "Ruby and Qrow for Vale. Ren, Nora and Pyrrha for Mistral. Sun for Vacuo. Ilia and Blake for Menagerie. Weiss for Atlas. Me for the Grimmlands. We've got people from every Kingdom here. Every major city or location."

Everyone looked between themselves. It wasn't something they'd ever mentioned because it didn't seem important, but some of them had travelled a long way to attend Beacon. The differences weren't noticeable, but each of them at least knew about the culture of every Kingdom.

"The problem is," he went on, "The world doesn't know the Grimmlands _is_ a Kingdom. They think the Grimm are just wild animals mindlessly killing for the sake of killing. They don't know there is a force behind it, a culture." He looked to his mother. "Of sorts." She raised an eyebrow. Ignoring it, Jaune focused on the others again. "We've already decided that going in with Grimm behind us will just look like an attack, while going in alone will be suicide. Not doing anything is out of the question, so we have to do _something_. I say we demand her back."

"I'm assuming there's more to that than you're suggesting," Weiss said. "Because just saying `Give Yang back` isn't going to impress anyone."

"Of course. Atlas isn't going to negotiate with the Grimm, or people they see as traitors." Jaune grinned. "But they'd _have_ to negotiate with another Kingdom."

"Well, they wouldn't _have_ to," Weiss said, "But it would be more likely, yes. Wait, you're suggesting going _public_ with who you are!" Her eyes flicked to Salem. "You want to out yourselves!?"

"Jaune, is that a good idea?" Ruby asked nervously.

"There's a lot of people who will hate you for the Grimm," Sun pointed out.

"It'd be the most hated Kingdom in the world," Ilia added. "And that's saying something."

"It would be all of those things," Jaune accepted. "But it was always going to be that anyway. How could we ever work for actual peace if we're not accepted as a power in the first place? Sooner or later, we'd have had to come out. People would have to know who the Kingdoms are negotiating for peace with, and we'd always have been hated for the things that happened in the past. Nothing is going to change that. Coming out now. It's not ideal, but it was going to happen eventually. Might as well use it to help Yang."

Weiss sighed. "I suppose you have a point. This is just a matter of speeding up what had to happen at some point. But still, I'm not sure how you believe this will help Yang. Atlas could refuse to negotiate on the basis that you're – no offence to you _or_ Blake and Ilia – no better than terrorists."

That was true. And everyone would take Atlas' side in any conflict. But that wasn't the point, at least not fully. Jaune's lips thinned and his face took on a hard expression, one that he borrowed from General Ironwood himself. His voice was deep as he spoke.

"Atlas will negotiate because if it does not, it shall fall."

The others gasped.

Jaune let the fire and fury fall, and grinned. "At least that's what we'll say. They can afford not to negotiate with the White Fang because – no offence – they were never a big enough problem to _force_ Atlas to the meeting table."

"I really wish people would stop assuming I'll take offence at every little thing," Blake grumbled.

Ilia nodded, arms crossed.

"But the Grimmlands is bigger," Ruby finished, smile appearing. "Atlas _has_ to talk, because if the alternative is a declaration of war between Atlas and _every Grimm on the planet_ then Atlas knows it'll lose."

"Mistral might even refuse to come to their aid, fearing it would draw the Grimm onto them," Pyrrha said. "Oh, they wouldn't phrase it like that. They would say reinforcements were on the way, but they'd mysteriously fail to appear. Meanwhile, Mistral would be busy shoring up its own defences."

"Probably the same for Vale," Qrow said. "Atlas are our allies, but Vale was just hit recently, and Beacon is done. Considering Beacon is _the_ prime defence against he Grimm, that's kind of a big issue."

"Vacuo isn't stable enough to send help," Sun said.

"Atlas would stand alone," Weiss whispered. "Not literally, since you don't plan to invade." She paused to see if Jaune would interrupt. When he didn't, she let out a sigh of relief. "But since the Council and Ironwood would _know_ the Kingdom would fall, they'll be forced to try and limit the damage. If you offer an alternative to bloodshed…"

"I think I have something," Jaune said. "But it would require Mom to let me be the mouthpiece for the entire Kingdom. It would mean letting me speak for her, for all Grimm, and basically accepting me as her heir."

All attention turned to Salem, who slumped in her seat.

The Dread Queen of the Grimm let out a long sigh.

/-/

The first thing Yang felt was the nausea. It was overpowering and stuck in her throat. She rolled onto her side and threw up on the floor, expelling vomit, spittle and some horrible purple-tinted dust. The sight of the mess made her throw up more and more, until she was dry-heaving on the smooth floor. It was only when her stomach could provide no more mass and her throat was raw, that she stopped. With the terrible smell of it in her nostrils, she tried to stand and move away, only to stagger and slump back. She made do with rolling onto her other side instead, at least so she didn't have to look at it.

Hefty, cold shackles bound her wrists behind her back. She was in a cell of some sort, one with an incredibly smooth floor of grey tiles, metallic walls, glass windows high above – one-way if the reflective surface was any indication – and a sealed metal door with no door-knob, handle or anything else to work with. There was a bed in one corner, an exposed toilet, a sink and a single chair.

"Tch. Not the best accommodations." She raised her voice. "If you think I'm using _that_ in front of you lot, you've got another thing coming."

No response. Yang wasn't sure if that was because there was no one there, or if the cell was sound-proofed instead. Her experience with prison was essentially limited to what she'd seen on the TV, and this didn't quite fit.

Last thing she remembered was the gas. She'd been fighting until those stupid tin-cans cheated. Presumably, she'd been captured. This sure didn't feel like something Jaune's mom would provide for her.

"Yin," she whispered. "You still there?"

" **M-Mom…?"** He sounded worried.

"Hey. It's okay. We'll be fine, don't panic."

" **Mom, some people came in when you weren't awake. They did something to us."**

Yang's heart froze. "Did what?"

" **They stuck a needle into you and took blood. Tried to take some of me, too, but I wouldn't let them. But…"** His mental voice hitched. **"They- They brought out some sharp knives and started cutting. I kept hardening, but they said if I didn't let them they would cut into** _ **you**_ **instead and find where I connected."**

"Yin…"

" **They took some of my skin away."**

Fucking bastards. Yang's teeth bared as she snarled into the floor. She felt Yin flinch and quickly forced herself to calm down. "Not you, baby," she whispered. "I'm not angry at you. You tried your best, Yin. Momma's proud."

He relaxed, and Yang did the same. Sheesh. How quickly things changed, huh? So much for refusing to accept him as her child. Still, these fuckers had kidnapped her, drawn blood and also threatened to cut her up. If the cell didn't set the tone enough already, Yang figured that told the rest of the story. They wanted something from her, something about Yin.

Was this a prison at all, or some kind of testing facility?

"Yin. Did you notice anything about the guys who came in…?"

" **There were five of them. Two women, three men. One of the men and a woman were in armour with guns, but the others were in white coats. They had masks on their faces to let them breathe. I don't know why."**

Masks? Gas masks of some kind. Were they afraid she was infectious, or was that a sign that gas would be pumped in if she caused any trouble? Yang looked toward the ceiling and saw several vents. It wasn't proof, though. They could just as easily have been for air intake or conditioning. It sounded like Atlas though, if the great big battleship hadn't made that obvious enough.

 _That would make it at least a day since the fight,_ Yang thought. _Maybe. Depends how fast they got me here. But if they had time to take blood and do tests, it probably wasn't recent._

A sudden _screech_ filled the room. Yang winced and bundled herself into a tighter ball, prepared for pain or gas – only to open one eye warily when she heard a `tap-tap` like someone poking a microphone. There was a cough as the speaker – on the other end of an intercom system of some kind – finally spoke to her.

"Subject has awoken as of 21:16. Commencing introductory interview, Doctor Meadows speaking. With me are Doctors Brass and Terrance. Date is-"

"Oi!" Yang shouted. "You done!?"

There was a momentary silence, though again she had no idea if they weren't chatting between themselves and the mic was just turned off. "The subject is awake, responsive and capable of verbal communication."

"Nooo. Really!?"

"Also capable of sarcasm. Or mimicking it." Someone said something Yang couldn't make out, and the speaker coughed. "Yes. Possibly. Subject, you are in a sealed containment facility. Your arms are restrained, and your cell is being monitored at all times. Any attempt to escape will be met with countermeasures. It is my honest and heartfelt suggestion you make no aggressive moves, either towards your cell or any researchers or personnel."

"So, this _is_ a research facility," Yang mumbled.

"Subject is capable of deductive reasoning. Caution advised. My name is Doctor Meadows, Chief Director in charge of your containment. As a subject-"

" _Subject_ isn't my name!"

A pause. "We were not aware you had a name. What would you prefer we call you?"

"Yang."

"Yang…" Quiet murmurs, before the speaker came back, voice tense. "Would that be Yang Xiao-Long, Huntress of Beacon?"

"You mean you didn't even know who I am?" Yang snarled. "Do a fucking background check before you drug people! Where's my Dad? He's going to freak!"

"Subject refuses to acknowledge self. Subject continues to define self as `Yang Xiao-Long`, as befits appearance."

"Define…? I _am_ Yang Xiao-Long. I'm _me_!"

"Miss Xiao-Long," the voice sounded patronising. "Are you aware that your arm up to your shoulder appears to be formed of Grimm flesh? Are you aware that there is Grimm material which appears to reach your spinal column, wrapping around it up towards your brain?"

Yang swallowed. "Yin?"

" **It's how I talk to you. I can move it if you like, but you wouldn't be able to hear or talk to me…"**

"No, it's fine." She trusted him. To those listening, Yang said, "Yeah, I'm aware. What's your point?"

"You… You're aware…?"

"Yeah. Do you think I'm stupid or something?" Yang tensed her hand. "Yin. Pop 'em."

Yin did as requested with a little `hum` sound. Her other arm flexed as Yin's muscles bulged, pulling in the opposite direction of her own. The steel shackles on her wrists flexed and bulged, before snapping with a loud _clang_. A brief siren flared, but no gas worked its way inside. Yang tried to rub her wrist but couldn't control her other arm. Yin, realising what she wanted, did it for her, gently caressing her bruised skin.

"Thanks," she whispered. She raised her voice for those listening, "So yeah, I know. Unless you think I'd not notice this." She nodded to her black, inky arm. Her coat had been removed long ago, leaving her in just cargo pants and a vest. Yin's black skin was visible to all. "I'm not bothered by it. Guessin' you lot are."

There was a flurry of whispers, the words of which she didn't catch.

"Just to confirm," Doctor Meadows came back, now sounding a little hoarse. "You are claiming that you _are_ Yang Xiao-Long, and that you are in control of your own body?"

"Yeah." Yang cocked her head. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"There is a creature of the Grimm implanted in your body."

"I know. And I know who put it there."

"And you allowed him?"

"No, he did it without asking, but we've had words. I've come to terms with it." Yang shrugged. She wasn't going to give them names or tell them anymore than that. Her stomach grumbled. "Can I get some food in here? I've not eaten for ages and I've thrown up what I did have."

"To note," the voice said, "You require sustenance…?"

Why did he sound so unsure? "Yeah. Obviously."

"What kind of sustenance?"

"Uh. Food. Fruit, meat, vegetables – a normal meal. Burgers, pancakes, fries, steak. You know, the normal stuff people eat." Yang huffed and wandered over to the bed, sitting down. "What do you _think_ I'd eat?"

"Nothing. Grimm in the wild require no sustenance."

Yang froze.

"You think I'm a Grimm…?"

/-/

Ironwood strode forward and gripped the young boy by his collar, hauling him out of the chair and against a wall. The thought of doing so to a child would have galled him before, but there was no mistaking the boy's expression as anything other than Ozpin's forced calm.

"You lied to me!"

"Put me down, James."

"You lied to me!" Ironwood roared, shaking him. "And what's worse, you've had me put all of Atlas at risk. The tests came back, Ozpin. She's a normal girl. There is a Grimm attached to her, yes, but there is no indication it controls her!"

"You may have misunderstood what I meant by `control`," Ozpin said.

Ironwood snarled. "There was no misunderstanding, Ozpin. You told me she was being controlled, forced against her will to work with Salem. You told me they _all_ were, including Weiss Schnee. The only reason I agreed to this assault was to save their lives. Instead, I find you've been keeping secrets from me. Again!"

"The Grimm whispers to her, James. It influences her. In a sense, that is contr-" Ozpin's voice cut off as Ironwood dropped him. He reached up to rub his throat.

"Don't play your word games with me. I thought we were friends."

"We _are_ friends."

"Hardly seems it. Lies, deceit and now this. Do you think Salem will let my assault on her tower stand? Do you think there won't be reprisals for this? I've as good as declared war on the Grimm. And I was fine with that," he said, pacing. "But you told me Salem was creating sleeper agents. You told me they'd infected some of the best and brightest, including the heiress of the SDC."

"It is as good as the truth. They have been led astray."

"Led astray is different to control, Ozpin! Especially when it comes to me sending _military assets_ out to `rescue` them!"

"Weiss Schnee has already been seen working alongside the Grimm. Jaune Arc _is_ of the Grimm, and he has taken his _and_ Miss Xiao-Long's team to the Grimmlands." Ozpin's cane tapped on the ground as he walked behind Ironwood's desk. "What do you believe will come of this, James? Salem has now in her clutches agents who would work alongside her. We already had trouble protecting the maidens before. Imagine how difficult it will become if they have access to the SDC's funds, or the ability to walk around in civilisation, completely indistinguishable from any other person."

"Because they are the _same_ as any other person!"

"Is Miss Xiao-Long the same, James? You've seen the recordings. Her arm is as Grimm as any Beowolf, and it extends inside her body. It works _with_ her, yes, but only because their goals align. Can you imagine if she decided to turn on an innocent village?"

" _If_ she decided to turn, Ozpin. If."

"It is Salem," Ozpin said simply. "It is the Grimm. What do you think they will do, James? Hand out cookies and well-wishes?" He sat in Ironwood's chair and linked his small hands on the table. "They are our enemies. They have ever been the enemy of humanity. Miss Xiao-Long and her friends may not accept that now, nor believe it, but you and I have history and fact to back us up. The Grimm have been slaughtering humans for over a thousand years."

"Do you truly believe Salem will want peace now?" Ozpin asked. "Or that her son would have infiltrated Beacon, befriended these aspiring huntsmen and huntresses, and drawn them to the Grimmlands, for entirely innocent reasons? You'd have to be a fool to believe that. This is but the next step in her plan. Where brute force has failed, Salem seeks to tear us apart from the inside."

Ironwood's shoulders rose and fell. His eyes were shut, pinched. His hands were clenched into fists and he wanted so badly to wrap them around Ozpin's throat. Except that this was a small boy, too. It was that which kept Ironwood from truly showing his anger.

"I've trusted you for a long time, Ozpin. But you're stretching things now. You're pushing me. You led me to believe this girl was possessed, that we would be _saving_ her. Instead, I have the daughter of a well-known huntsman imprisoned in a research facility. Ethics aside, that's a scandal just waiting to be aired."

Ozpin waved a hand. "The world need not know."

"Ah, perfect. I just rob her of basic human decency and freedom, locking her away forever. That's much better. How did I not think of such an idea myself?"

"Sarcasm does not befit you, James."

"And that _face_ does not befit you, Ozpin." Ironwood said, stomping over to the door. "Don't believe I haven't noticed how you wear it, or how little say he gets in the matter." He wrenched the door open but paused in it, looking back. "Before you speak of parasites controlling their hosts, perhaps you'll take a moment to look in the mirror!"

The door slammed shut.

/-/

Ozpin let out a heavy sigh as James left. The man's anger, understandable as it may have been, hurt. The two had been friends for some time, which was why they had come to blows so easily. James was a man who found it hard to trust, and who was hit harder by what he perceived as betrayal than any other.

" **You** _ **did**_ **betray him,"** Oscar whispered.

Ozpin closed his eyes. "I did no such thing. The words I spoke were nothing but the truth. Miss Xiao-Long may neither believe nor accept it, but Salem and the Grimm are a force of nature. They are a creation of the God of Darkness and _not_ out allies."

" **You still lied to him. To me. To all of us."**

"If through lies I can defend Remnant, so be it. You will see in time, Oscar."

" **This is** _ **my**_ **body!"**

"Not anymore. I was willing to work with you, Oscar. To help you. But help is a street that goes two ways, and you turned on me. You cannot be trusted. What I do is important, even if you cannot see or accept that."

" **We could bring an end to this war. You heard Jaune and the others. They're working together despite him being a Grimm. Yang lives with her Grimm without being killed. Isn't that proof they can work together?"**

"For a common goal, yes. Or until the parasite has had its use of her. I don't expect you to understand, Oscar. You have not seen the things I have, experienced them. Your life, boring as it may have seemed to you, was a cossetted and protected one. Not all are so fortunate. You speak of trust as if it is something that can be granted to the Grimm. You are not foolish, Oscar. Only misinformed."

Ozpin was not. Salem and the Grimm could not be trusted. He knew it better than any other entity on Remnant, for he had outlived the trees and mountains of this land. He'd fought Salem first-hand, been killed by her, fought again, died. He'd done everything over and over, forever losing a piece of himself. Friends, allies, lovers, family. He'd lost all in time, some to the Grimm and others to the ravages of time or disease.

He _knew_ Salem. Knew her in a way few others did. She was vicious, cruel and completely without empathy, kindness or any other human emotion all but _required_ to understand not only the _concept_ of peace, but the _need_ for it.

People desired peace when they were tired of war. It was a flawed concept born of flawed humanity. Ozpin accepted that people weren't perfect any more than he was, but Salem could not tire of war. She was born to it. She revelled in it. She was, by all measures, winning it – and at no cost to herself. The Grimm were made to be thrown away and could not complain or protest of their lives being spent. As such, there was no impetus nor reason to seek an end to the conflict.

This was just common sense. Alas, Oscar, like Miss Rose, Xiao-Long, Schnee and all their friends, were children. Naïve, idealistic and oh, so prone to errors of judgment. It was the responsibility of teachers like Ozpin to guide them to the right path.

He had failed them. He accepted this. He'd let his guard down and allowed Mr Arc into his academy, failed to see the signs and even trusted him in turn. Salem had tricked him with her clever disguise, her clever Grimm-human hybrids.

Cunning of her. Expected, even. But the world would soon know of them, and as such the element of surprise would be lost.

" **And all across Remnant, people will look at one another with suspicion. I can see the panic now as innocent people are dragged to the town square and executed on the** _ **chance**_ **they might be Grimm in disguise. Their only crime being disliked, mistrusted or** _ **different**_ **."**

"A dire picture, I admit. Alas, humanity has ever been prone to overreaction. If a few must die to guard against the Grimm, then die they must. I will not condone it, but I will understand why such a sacrifice is necessary."

" **You're a monster."**

"If you say so." Ozpin rolled his eyes. He would not even be responding were it not for the constant headaches Oscar forced on him. A price of retaining control against a host that fought back tooth and nail. He might have admired the boy's will were it not aligned against him.

James had every right to be angry, of course. The small falsehood aside, by acting on his information he had drawn Salem's ire onto Atlas. A storm would come. Ozpin knew this. He had expected it.

Planned for it.

This push for peace was but a ruse. He knew this. First, Salem would send one of her own to infiltrate Beacon, manipulate those close to him, earn their trust. Once he had, the idea of a peace would be proposed. Such a laughable concept. And yet the idealistic youth of today had been fooled, lured into believing a charismatic young man and his honeyed words.

Ozpin could not let that happen. Could not let the Kingdoms lower their guards, invite in the monsters and return the world to never-ending darkness. Salem's plan had to be stopped. This `false peace` had to be shown for what it truly was. And if goading Salem into destroying Atlas was what it took, then so be it.

" **You monster."**

"No, Oscar. I am a saviour. Through this, all of Remnant will be warned. They will see that they must close their gates, guard against the Grimm, and never trust the monsters that are Salem and her brood."

Kingdoms came and went. He had seen many in his unnaturally long life.

Even if Atlas fell, and all her people with it, Remnant would live on. Better prepared, aware of the true danger, and ready to fight Salem until the end of time. Fight her as Ozpin had, over and over again, no matter the consequences.

" **Monster…"**

The child did not understand. Ozpin sighed.

How like them.

/-/

When the Nevermore landed on Vale's hastily rebuilt CCT, no one knew what to do. Weapons were readied, the remainders of Beacon's student preparing for the worst. But the worst did not come, and the Grimm made no effort to attack. Pickets were set up and Headmistress Glynda Goodwitch set up an armed guard composed of teachers _and_ students. Only for nothing to happen.

Not until another, larger shape filled the sky. The dragon that had fought at Beacon came in low across the treeline of the Emerald Forest, and landed on the outskirts of Beacon, a fair distance away. It did so before the school could mount a defence and was already at the side of the CCT before the school was ready. No one dared begin the attack. Not when the Grimm Dragon had not already done so.

There was tension in the air, Lisa Lavender thought, stood behind it all reporting on the matter. The network had shelled out some serious fucking danger pay to get her there, and it was only because of how many huntsmen were between her and the dragon that she dared at all.

And then _he_ stepped out of the CCT.

It was in the middle of her report, live on air, and thanks to the CCT behind him, her story was probably being sent all across Remnant. The Council might have tried to shut that down, but the Grimm had done something to the CCT. Remote control was being cut off, ensuring the world saw this.

The man, for what else could he be, was somehow both human and Grimm. He had ashen white skin, hair of freshly-fallen snow and bright red eyes. Despite that, he stood tall and unhunched and intelligence flickered in those orbs. Lisa recognised him, even if she'd never had the chance to catch him on film. Hentacle, they called him. A fitting, if insulting name.

Judging by the freshly polished breastplate, fancy black clothing and long, flowing crimson cloak that fell around his shoulders, linked with a chain of solid gold, emblazoned with the symbol of an eye, Hentacle was something more than that. His cloak fell to the floor and flowed behind him and he stood with his legs apart, a simple sword, sheathed, pressing down into the ground in front of him, his hands resting atop it.

Lisa waved furiously for the camera crew to push forward, the three of them fighting to reach the front of the barricade before the man, Grimm, _thing_ spoke.

And speak it did, in a rich, booming voice.

"My name is Jaune Salem Arc, Crown Prince of the Grimmlands, Heir to High Queen Salem, Queen of the Grimmlands and _all_ Grimm across Remnant." The bold claim shocked Lisa to her core, along with everyone else.

The man, the prince, simply raised a hand, and every Grimm there – dragon included – bowed their heads in unison. The truth was undeniable, even if Lisa could hardly process it. Her mouth watered and yet her lips were dry. She didn't dare wet them for fear she might somehow interrupt the feed, the story that would make her life.

"Our Kingdom has chosen to stay apart from the rest of Remnant, content to live on our island home. Despite this, we have been locked in an uneasy conflict for some time. And yes, I do not say war, for imagine if you will how much worse your situations might be if I commanded every Grimm on the planet to converge on your homes right now, unified and in formation."

Lisa did. Everyone did.

The only reason humanity had survived against the Grimm thus far was because they were disjointed, unorganised, mindless. To think there was something behind them… It had never been considered. Her legs felt weak.

If every Grimm in Vale came, the city would fall. If every Grimm in the _world_ came, the world would fall.

"That we have not erased your kind from Remnant was a conscious decision on our part," he continued, tone regal. He didn't seem afraid of the assorted huntsmen and huntresses at all. "This could change. This _might_ change. Based on recent actions by the Kingdom of Atlas. Our Kingdom was attacked. Our home attacked. Atlas' automatons fell on our people. They were not victorious in harming us. In fact, they were wiped out with not a single casualty on our side." His eyes hardened. "However…"

He moved suddenly, tearing his sheathed sword up and drawing it in one swift motion. The scabbard was flung aside. The sword gleamed. Four tentacles _burst_ from the creature's back, rising up into the air and making him look ten feet tall. The sword slammed down hard, digging more than three inches into solid concrete. It stuck there, the creature's hands gripped around the blade. Where his eyes before had glinted, they now _glowed_ with raw fury.

"Atlas has taken _my_ intended. My fiancé, who is as human as any other here. The Crown Princess of the Grimmlands, who is at this very moment with child. They assaulted us, harmed and stole her away. This, we shall not let stand. This, we shall not allow. I say this, Atlas," he shouted, and he might as well have been shouting _to_ Atlas, for how his voice boomed. "You believe that you are at war with the Grimm? You have not _seen_ war. You have no idea of what war is like. You shall meet with me at the Mantle Plateau's summit in three days' time. I shall come to Atlas, we shall meet, and you shall return my fiancé and child to me. Do so, and we might come to an accord. We might yet part on good terms."

He leaned on his sword, and it dug deeper with a loud, grating noise.

"Fail, and you shall reap the consequences." In one motion, he drew the sword free, heedless of how much strength such would have required. "All other Kingdoms are spared our wroth at this time. I would both advise, and ask, that you not interfere."

He turned away, unafraid to show his back.

No one dared take the shot anyway.

"Wait!"

Lisa, however, moved. It was instinct and greed that motivated her, somehow worked past her sense of self-preservation. Lisa only realised she'd crossed the barrier when she had, and her mind was already screaming at her to get back – along with some huntsmen. At which point, it was too late. She'd moved. The man, the Prince, had turned also, hearing the noise. He watched her, waiting. Lisa swallowed and cursed her stupid curiosity. Already here, she held up her microphone.

"Um, C-Crown Prince, sir. You said your intended was a _human_. D-Does that not fly against the enmity between humans and Grimm?"

Lisa expected him to scowl. Expected him to kill her. Expected him to do a lot of things, really.

She did not expect him to answer.

"This enmity you speak of is one-sided. If the Grimm wished all humanity dead, they would have marched on you in mass long ago. With but a word, I could command this. As to my intended, yes, she is but a normal human. I love her nonetheless. Perhaps in time, this could mean peace between our peoples." His eyes drifted shut. "I would hope so."

With a flick of his cloak, he turned.

"But that will depend on Atlas, now. Won't it? I will say it again. Return Crown Princess Yang Xiao-Long, and our child, Yin Salem Arc, to me. Or face the consequences."

/-/

In Patch, almost a hundred heads in the local tavern turned in unison, staring at the sole man who sat at the bar, mouth wide open, beer dribbling out the corners of his mouth. He was a man with tanned skin, bright hair and blue eyes. He was also not moving so much as a muscle, staring at the television in the bar which was showing live the events at Beacon.

"So," the bartender said, voice full of forced calm. "A Grandfather, huh? Congratulations."

Taiyang fainted.

* * *

 **Ah, Ozpin. Portrayed as the villain in this story, but he genuinely** _ **is**_ **convinced he is doing the right thing. Even if the ends justify the means. To be fair to him, he's been locked in eternal conflict for… well, we never get a time. But hundreds and "maybe" thousands of years. Hard to say how fast Remnant's technological advancement is.**

 **I'm going to "guess" that it has been over a thousand years for Ozpin though. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. Either way, after a thousand years where his very life becomes a routine, with all his thoughts about Salem ingrained, a sudden 180 by her where she has children and mellows out probably WOULD be pretty damn hard to believe.**

" **Has to be a trick. Has to be a trick. I must protect everyone…"**

 **Poor Oz. In a way, he's like NTF Jaune.**

 **Oh, and poor Taiyang. Yang kept meaning to tell you, but you know, things. Everything just kept getting in the way and before you know it, you're the Crown Princess of the Kingdom of the Grimm being kidnapped by another Kingdom. You know, typical Tuesday.**

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 **Next Chapter: 25** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	89. Chapter 89

**HACKING NOTE**

 **Due to the continuing hack threat on the site – which hits you if you view infected people's profiles – my presence on the site has been a little threatened. To note, I'll continue to update, but I may not be open to responding to PMs or reviews until this is over, since the infection might be able to spread through those.**

 **If someone goes wrong and I vanish, I would suggest checking my P a treon first – because the moment I realise, I will post a FREE post on there that everyone can see (without having to sign up or anything) which will explain what has happened and where you can find my stories.**

 **I'll still be uploading in the event of a hack, in the short term on my P a tr eon , but I'll also probably make accounts on SB or SV. This is only in the event my account is lost. All my stories are backed up on my home computer, so nothing is at risk.**

 **To those who haven't heard, the exploit works by targeting you if you view the profile of an infected person. Safety precautious thus far are to just NOT view anyone's profiles. And honestly, if you're not a writer like me, I'd suggest logging out. Clearing your history and cache, and just viewing stories while logged out for the next week or two. However long it takes to get this fixed.**

* * *

 **EDIT: They claim to have already fixed this now, which will be great news if it is true! Even so, I'll keep the above message because if anything ever does happen for whatever reason, this will serve as a reminder of what the process will be.**

* * *

 **Beta** : College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 89**

* * *

"I'm here on the streets of Vale where the proclamation of but a day ago has led to organised protests and riots," Lisa shouted, voice raised so that the camera crew desperately jostling for space in a sea of people could stay upright. "The sudden reveal of organisation between the Grimm has thoroughly divided opinion, with many calling for action and outright war, others for peace, and some asking just _why_ this was kept from the people of Vale for so long."

" _I see. How bad is it, Lisa?"_

As if they – or the audience – couldn't bloody well see. She was one wrong step away from falling and being buried by the bodies. Still, it was part of the job and Lisa smiled like she didn't want to strangle the anchor for asking.

"There's been limited bursts of violence, Kevin. As always, the police and Council are asking for peaceful protest – as are many of the organisers. Sadly, there are those who have seen fit to take matters into their own hands, but these people make up the minority thus far."

" _And what has prompted this surge of emotion, Lisa?"_

Another stupid question, another staged answer. Sometimes she wondered if the audience really _were_ so stupid that they needed it spelled out for them. Maybe they were.

"There are emotions charged on every side, Kevin. The Grimm were reviled enough when we saw them as mindless beasts acting as little better than wild animals but knowing that there are entities capable of thought behind them has led some to ask why we are being killed and why they have made no attempt to co-exist with us."

Lisa paused as some people tried to wrench the camera out the hands of her faunus reporter. Luckily, they were just regular civvies and Malcolm had some old huntsman training. Not enough to become one, but enough to make him stronger than the average guy. He was able to push the idiots back and sent her a quick nod to continue.

"On the other side, we have those of a somewhat cooler mind, who argue that events of the past – while tragic – should not influence dealings going forward. The suggestion that the Crown Prince of the Grimm might take a _human bride_ , and announce his presence to us, is seen as a sign that relations may yet improve. Of course, there are also those screaming about the end of the world as we know it, and conspiracy theorists are running rampant with suggestions of a Government cover-up."

" _As always, Lisa,"_ Kevin chuckled. _"And back to the analyst's desk."_

The camera panned away, switching back to the interior of a TV studio, where a tall man with brown hair swept to the left sat behind a desk. In the background, Lisa's face lasted a few more seconds on the screen behind, showing her signing off with her signature smile and wave.

"That's all from Lisa on the streets of Vale, but we've invited two speakers into the studio today to get a better view on the thoughts and feelings behind the current situation. Today, we have Bartholomew Oobleck, Professor, Doctor and Historian of Beacon."

"A pleasure to be here, Kevin."

"And we also have Christopher Redcliffe, Police Captain for the VPD."

The man nodded. "Thanks for inviting me, Kevin."

"Not a problem, both of you." Kevin smiled as the camera panned over to the two, sat in plush red chairs with a small table and a vase of flowers separating them. "Now, we've heard from Lisa what the sentiment on the streets are, but the two of you have a more in-depth view of this. Tell me, what are the deeper thoughts behind this?"

"It's quite simple, Kevin," Redcliffe said. "While we can't comment on what Atlas has done, this so-called kidnapping attempt, we have to remember that Vale and Atlas are and have been staunch allies for quite some time. The Grimm, on the other hand, have been our enemies for centuries. It seems obvious to me where we must stand."

"Only if you look at it from a narrow point of view," Oobleck interrupted. "While I am not an apologist for what the Grimm have done, the discovery of a group or Government _behind_ the Grimm has to be further investigated. If they can control the Grimm as they have suggested and shown evidence of, then it could mean an end to hostility between the Grimm and humankind entirely. Such peace should be encouraged."

"The Grimm are responsible for thousands, if not tens of thousands, of deaths! Peace, with them!?"

"Conflict always leads to death. Every war in our history has only brought the tally of the fallen higher, and Atlas and Vale have clashed more than once in history, yet we are allies now. The faunus wars-"

"Resulted in the White Fang. Hardly a good example."

"Whatever you may say about the White Fang, they are still preferable to the war itself," Oobleck said, "And we all know they were not spawned by the war but by events after it. Even so, the Grimm outnumber us greatly. If we remain allied to Atlas and they provoke all-out war with the Grimm, we will be drawn into a conflict we do not have the resources for."

"So, you're suggesting we curl up into little balls, cower and let our new overlords rule over us!?"

"That is not what I am suggesting at all. I am saying that we should make tentative overtures towards this Crown Prince, liaise with him, meet him and see if we can come to a fruitful conclusion to a centuries old conflict."

"And all those who have lost family to the Grimm," Redcliffe scoffed. "They just get to suck it up, do they?"

"Such losses are tragic, but if we focus only on what has been done then we will lose sight of what can be achieved."

"Those who have lost people demand retribution!" Redcliffe snarled.

"And in doing so they'd condemn everyone else!" Oobleck snapped, rare temper showing. "We have a genuine chance for peaceful relations, but if we let _passion_ and ideas of _justice_ and _retribution_ get in the way, then all we'll do is perpetuate war! Cooler heads _must_ prevail."

Redcliffe snorted, "Cooler heads, or cold hearts? We've stood against the Grimm thus far. I think we'll be fine."

"Don't be foolish, Redcliffe. You're no huntsman. You don't understand what it is like on the front lines. We have not _stood_ against the Grimm. We have _survived_. Barely. Mountain Glenn did not."

"And tens of thousands died there," Redcliffe said, waving a hand. "You want us to just ignore that?"

"No! I want people to move beyond it. Remember it, yes, but do not throw away our own chances for a peaceful future because of what happened years ago. Or worse, out of some misguided sentiment that it's what the dead would have wanted. Our fallen, those who were left behind, would no doubt _encourage_ us to live. Not to throw our lives away for the sake of pride."

"Better to die free than live a slave."

"No one is speaking of slavery! No one!"

"It's inevitable!"

"How is it? In what possible way? Grimm have no need of houses or cities. They would not even live with us. They have no need of service, food or even products we might build. There's no chance they would seek to enslave us because there is _nothing_ for them to gain for it. And we are not suggesting surrender in the first place, rather discourse as equals. What _you_ are suggesting is a pre-emptive attack."

"We should stand with Atlas," Redcliffe shouted, talking not to Oobleck but the cameras. "Remember those who have fallen. Remember justice. An eye for an eye, courage and tenacity. Stand with us, brothers and sisters. Stand and fight!"

"Do not fight!" Oobleck pled. "Remember those who fell and remember that they would have wanted you to _live_ , not fight a pointless battle in their name. It's not justice which drives these people, just anger, pride and fear of change."

The camera switched back to the main display quickly, where Kevin's face was a little red.

"Well, that got a little passionate. We're going to take a quick break now, after which we'll have a televised speech from the Vale Council." He paused as the sound of arguing and raised voices came from the side, back where Oobleck and Redcliffe had been. The anchor made a vague motion, even as he kept his eyes on the camera. "Until then, stay safe and remember to report any signs of violence to your local police department."

/-/

In Atlas, a man stood before a large building with one hand over his ear, the other holding a microphone. A veritable gale was blowing, making recording difficult, but he and the camera crew fought through it.

"We are standing here in front of Atlas Military HQ, where General Ironwood, the Council and the assorted military have but a day to decide on whether they will meet with the so-called Crown Prince of the Grimm or not. The closed-doors meeting has led to no decisions yet, but emotions look to be flaring as numerous breaks have already been called."

There was a loud _clang_ as the doors were thrown open behind, a tall and burly figure storming forth. General Ironwood cut an intimidating sight at the best of times, but his scowl at that moment was legendary. The journalist swallowed, but pride, foolishness and the little voice that spoke about his career forced him forward.

"General Ironwood, sir, do you have any-"

"No comment."

"But-"

"No. Comment."

"W-Well, there you have it," he said as the General stormed past without stopping. "What decision will be made? What is to come of Atlas, and _who_ is Yang Xiao-Long, supposed bride kidnapped by Atlas? The questions are in the minds of many, and with our home in the crosshairs of the Grimm, people are demanding answers _and_ action. Although Vale has promised to stand beside Atlas in these troubling times, many worry that Vale's limited military presence and the distance between the two Kingdoms – distance which traverses land _ruled_ by the Grimm – will make reinforcement, or rescue, all but impossible."

/-/

"-blanca, reporting from Haven, Mistral, where Leonardo Lionheart has been found _guilty_ of treason. Claims that he was controlled or coerced by the Grimm were not accepted on the grounds that numerous witnesses saw him attacked and defeated by the one known as the Crown Prince. His crimes include treason and numerous counts of murder."

"This could not come at a worse time for Mistral, who have had their huntsman population _gutted_ by Lionheart, and where there are suspicions the next generation of huntsmen may be similarly sabotaged. The Kingdom's ability to fight back against the Grimm has been severely compromised and may remain so for some time."

/-/

"Are demanding answers," one of Vale's Councillors barked. "How did we not know? How were we not told!?"

"Ozpin was the expert on the Grimm," another said.

"Ozpin is _dead_!"

"Then his Deputy, the new Headmistress."

"She has confirmed the Grimm's claim, the Gods help us, but nothing more. Only that the Grimm seemed to obey and be subservient to him. He left soon after his appearance and no Grimm have attacked Beacon since, not even tested its borders."

"What do we do? The people are split."

"Where do the voters lay?"

"You think this is a time for vote-collecting? Our very Kingdom is at risk of being snuffed out!"

"Elections are not so distant-"

"Selfish monster!"

"Enough, enough! Calm!"

"You'll get us killed!"

"CALM!"

"We will _never_ make peace with the Grimm!"

"Then we will be destroyed. Those are the _only_ options! There _is_ no third, magical, win option."

/-/

General Ironwood slammed into his office and _glared_ about the interior. Ozpin wasn't present. The evil glower vanished, and the tired man slumped behind his desk, both hands falling like anvils, shaking the woodwork and knocking several pens off the edge. He left them. For the first time in his career, Ironwood desperately wished he'd hidden bottles of alcohol in his cupboard, as opposed to a gun, grenade and several emergency rations.

The latter had already been taken and devoured in a staunch effort to stay refuelled during what had already been a _marathon_ of political meetings, conferences and international calls.

All because of Ozpin.

Or all because of Jaune Arc, really, but the problem had become Atlas' problem due to Ozpin, so it was the same thing as far as Ironwood was concerned. He'd thought he could trust his old friend. Evidently, he'd been wrong.

Ozpin might sugar coat it – and hell, Ozpin might even be in the right, but it didn't change the fact that the bastard had thrown him _and_ Atlas into the fire in order to further his own ends. Now he'd vanished, leaving Ironwood to try and pick up the pieces and prevent his Kingdom, his people, the very _country he loved_ , being torn asunder.

He really needed that drink.

A fist knocked on the door.

Ironwood considered shooting through it, and to _hell_ with whomever was on the other side. Sadly, such was something he could only enjoy in his fantasies. "Come in."

"Ironwood, sir?" Winter opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind her. She had a tray in hand, atop which lay two cups, a thermos and a bottle of what looked suspiciously like Vacuan Fire Rose. "I thought you might need this, sir."

"Winter, you've quickly become my favourite person in all of Remnant."

The ex-heiress, current Specialist and one of the few people Ironwood still trusted, smiled. "I don't think that would be very hard, sir. Our list of allies is dwindling fast."

"Tell me about it. And thank you," he said, accepting the mug. Atlas Black, no sugar or milk. Ironwood poured in some Vacuan Fire Rose, giving it the _kick_ he so desperately needed. "You've heard the back and forth, Winter. What do you think?"

"Permission to speak freely, sir?"

"Of course. I've neither the patience nor the will for anything less."

"We're in a bad situation, sir."

"With comments like that, you'll soon be promoted to Captain."

"Captain Obvious," Winter interrupted. "With comments like that, sir, you'll soon be mistaken for a father making `Dad jokes`."

Ironwood laughed. Winter always had been snippy once the formalities were out of the way.

"But things are very bad. The other Kingdoms have all nominally promised to stand with us in the event something goes wrong, but we all know how unlikely it is they actually will. Atlas is the only Kingdom with a military capable of mobilising. Even if Vale wanted to, the best they could do is ship huntsmen over piecemeal. Mistral can do even less, and we all know how difficult it is for Vacuo. To put it lightly, sir, the Grimm could not have chosen a better target. Rather than deal with us reinforcing another Kingdom, they strike at us directly."

"And yet, if we are to believe them, they do not strike at us at all…"

"Yes." Winter's brows drew down. "If we can believe them."

"You've met the boy, Winter. What do you think?"

"I do not know what to think. He appeared courteous, friendly… for a while, I was under the impression he and Weiss were dating." And a complicated mess that must have been, for this could only have been worse if it were _Weiss Schnee_ Ironwood had unknowingly kidnapped. "I didn't get a chance to know him well, but he seemed to be on good terms with my sister, and she with him. Her letters spoke of him as clumsy and foolish, but willing to listen, learn and follow her instructions."

"She liked him, then."

"As close as Weiss had ever come to liking someone before. She was pleased with her team, proud of them. Even if her letters did not say it, I could read between the lines." Winter sighed. "What would you do, sir? If the decision were solely yours?"

"I would meet with him."

Winter appeared surprised. "Truly?"

"Yes. Without hesitation. I would do it not because I trusted him or his word, but because I might learn more by speaking to him directly. It would also delay negotiations, giving us time to think up a better plan. If things went well, I might be willing to deal with the Grimm, and if things went poorly, I would be the only one in danger, and Atlas would have more time to prepare for my sacrifice. This is hypothetical, Winter," he said. She had looked about to protest. "I am not so willing to spend my life, but desperate times call for desperate measures."

"Indeed. There are some who think we could withstand a siege," she said. "Atlas _does_ have the strongest defences of all the Kingdoms. Our military might, not to mention our huntsmen, are at full power. We could last."

"So our war hawks would think, Winter. It's not the immediate conflict I'm worried about. Atlas is isolated, cast adrift from our allies across an ocean _infested_ with Grimm. If the worst came to it, I think we could last, but we would die of hunger before the Grimm got us. We cannot sustain enough farmland within our walls and any import from the other Kingdoms would be intercepted, either by marine-based Grimm on the ocean, or airborne Grimm if sent by Bullhead. They would starve us out, and since the Grimm have no need to eat, sleep or fear the weather, the siege might well be eternal."

And that was assuming the Grimm did not simply throw themselves at the walls en masse. Atlas was strong, but everything was limited in the end and they simply didn't know how much the Grimm were. They held more than nine-tenths of the world. Their numbers could be in the millions.

"Your father is calling for talks," he said.

Winter rolled her eyes. "Of course he is. Father would deal with disease itself if he thought he could and it might improve the bottom line. All he cares for is stability."

"In these circumstances, perhaps stability is what we need…"

"Perhaps," Winter conceded. "I will fight if needs be, but even I must admit to feeling some fear, sir. I'm sure the rest of the troops are just as bad."

"I know. It's one thing to fight a war someone else begins, but they are offering – or pretending to offer – peace, if we return the captive. If we refuse to even try, our soldiers will be asked to die for no reason."

"But it's not your decision," Winter said.

"No. Not solely mine. I hold two seats on the Council, but the others…" Ironwood clenched one fist and quickly finished his drink. The burning sensation in his throat helped to calm his nerves. Not enough, but better than nothing. "They're set in their ways. They speak of warfare as if it were for glory. Some of them have lost too much to the Grimm, as well. They would not accept peace even if it came with a cure for all the world's ills."

"And what of Ozpin, sir?" Winter asked. She had learned at least of his existence in the body of a child, not at Ozpin's will, of course, but because Ironwood frankly needed _someone_ he could trust to have his back.

Winter was that someone.

"Ozpin has disappeared."

Winter flinched. "Didn't you have him watched?"

"Of course I did, but Ozpin is Ozpin. Even if he's trapped in the body of a child, he has experience and abilities beyond even our finest veterans. No one was hurt, fortunately, but those who watched him reported that he entered a room and was not seen to leave it."

"But he was gone when they investigated?" Winter asked.

Ironwood nodded. Perhaps it was magic, or maybe it was something more. No way to tell, and Atlas didn't have the time for him to look into it. Whatever Ozpin was up to, so long as it was out of his hair, it was fine.

"I placed more guards on the girl," he said. "Last thing we need is Ozpin killing her. If he so much as tries, he'll be filled with bullets before he can move." An extreme reaction, but he would _not_ allow Ozpin to force Atlas into this without their permission.

If Yang Xiao-Long died, Atlas' fate was all but assured.

"I might be the bearer of some more bad news, sir."

Ironwood groaned. "Hence the alcohol. Very well, Winter. Lay it on me."

"I've been informed that a Mr Taiyang Xiao-Long is en route to Atlas and wishes to speak with you. He is… the, uh, Crown Princess of the Grimm's father. Her human father. He did not sound pleased, sir."

"Of course he didn't." Ironwood stared at the bottle longingly. It would be bliss to down it and then collapse in his office, but he had more meetings ahead. "This really isn't my day…"

/-/

"How do you imagine the world is taking it?" Jaune asked.

"You're really asking us that," Sun said. He was sat at the long table and kept giving odd looks to the Seers that were now serving him food. "Seriously? How do you _think_ they're taking it?"

"Poorly…?"

"Try mass panic," Ilia remarked, lifting her food up with a fork and sniffing it. "What meat is this?"

"It's not human," Pyrrha said. She, at least, had eaten here before and did so happily now. "Trust me, I had the same issues at first, but the food is good."

"Ilia has a point, though," Blake said. "Did you think this would end up with anything other than panic? The fallout is going to be huge."

"No, I…" Jaune sighed. "I think I always knew. It's just that there was never a choice. If I wanted to try and make peace between humans and Grimm, then at _some point_ we'd have had to go public, otherwise no one would believe it was possible."

"Couldn't you have just moved the Grimm back?" Ruby asked.

"Wouldn't have worked," Weiss said. "If the Grimm retreat, the Kingdoms would expand, either in search of space, dust or more resources. The boundaries would meet again, and even if the Grimm were ordered to not attack, huntsmen would clear them out just in case. As much as I hate it, Jaune is right here. The existence of him, of Salem's entire family, was an impossible secret to keep. Not if we want to work towards actual peace and co-existence. There has to be an understanding on both sides. And for that to happen, the human side needs someone they can negotiate with."

"Jaune Arc, Crown Prince of the Grimm," Nora said with a laugh. "I can't _wait_ to see Yang's face when she realises she's been promoted to royalty."

"I can't wait to see her face when she realises she's married," Blake added. "Considering you didn't ask her."

Jaune sunk into his chair. "It was the only option…"

"Oh, I don't disagree. I'm just saying Yang won't see it that way. She'll be embarrassed."

"And Yang's not the best person when she's embarrassed," Ruby admitted.

"I really think I should be more worried about the _whole world_ knowing I'm real and probably hating me, as opposed to what Yang is going to do to me. Is it a bad sign that I'm not?"

"That or common sense," Ren said. "The whole world doesn't get to beat you up for embarrassing it in front of everyone it knows. Yang does."

And would, Jaune thought with a little sigh. Well, it had to be done. There was no way to give Yang the importance otherwise, and she needed to be important for him to demand her back and still have a modicum of respect on the world stage. The actual `fiancé thing` had been Weiss' idea, though not without a little eager prodding from Salem.

Bad enough she'd been proud of him for donning the cape and standing out like that, but had she _really_ needed to record the whole thing and send it to his father and sisters? He was never going to hear the end of this.

Apparently, Nicholas was collecting the girls with the intent of keeping them safe and out of harm's way. The Grimmlands was safe, but anyone travelling to or from it was going to draw a lot of attention, and possibly even be shot out of the sky by Atlas. The Nevermore or Kevin could prevent that, but to do so would have to attack Atlas' fleet, which would surely kick off a war.

It wasn't that he thought it was a war they would lose, not with the Grimm's resources and endless nature, but winning it would be a loss all of its own. He'd never be able to enter human civilisation again, and the same could be said for everyone here. It might even spark a conflict that would rip all of Remnant in two.

They'd win the war but lose the world.

Odd, really, how he'd gone from being a normal(ish) guy attending Beacon to the future ruler of an entire species with almost unlimited resources and troops, and yet he felt like he had _less_ control of his life than before.

If the goal of this was just to kill everyone, life would have been a lot easier. Instead, he had to try and drag peace out of the jaws of the apocalypse. And a well-bred and maintained killing army wasn't going to help him do it.

"Do you think Atlas will meet with me?" Jaune asked, looking to Weiss.

"They'd be fools not to. Atlas is the strongest Kingdom, but that means they'll stand alone. It costs them nothing to meet with you, and costs them everything to refuse. And yet…" Weiss sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "People are not always logical. They don't always make the correct decision, not when emotions, prejudice and other things get involved."

"We've been taught to hunt and kill Grimm forever," Ruby said. "That's… kind of hard to get over."

"Only possible for us because we know you personally," Pyrrha said. "If we didn't, if you were just some mysterious figure with a sword and a dragon declaring himself the ruler of the Grimm, well… we'd have no idea what to think. How could we trust a stranger?"

How indeed. Jaune understood what they meant. They knew him, the people of Remnant did not.

But that was why he'd gone public, even if it was with such a threatening address. The only way to let people get to know him was to appear. If the meeting went through, if Yang was returned, and if he took the Grimm back, then he'd show the world that he could be trusted.

Or at least that he could honour deals. It might be too idealistic to think trust could come so quick. Start small. Show them his word meant something, show them that he could be dealt with in good faith, and maybe trust would slowly come.

It might not be in this generation or even the next, but eventually…

"I've had a response from the White Fang," Ilia said. "Sienna has said she would be prepared to meet with you or a representative."

"The same for my parents," Blake said, "But only after I assured them it would be safe."

Jaune's head rose. "They're willing?"

"Menagerie is the smallest and weakest of the Kingdoms, hardly even considered such, while the White Fang is a terrorist organisation," Weiss said. "It makes sense they'd be the first to speak out. It's not like either can hope to stand against you."

"I wish you'd stop saying it as if I'm forcing them at gunpoint…"

"To them, it feels like you are."

Jaune bit back his protest. They didn't know better, he supposed. Still, was it wise to meet with either of those? He looked to the others at the table, "Any thoughts on if I should go?"

"Favour them too much and the other Kingdoms might get nervous," Blake said. "As much as I hate to admit it, if you make peace with the faunus first, it'll only inflame things for you in Atlas. Especially if the White Fang are involved."

"Someone should go," Ren said.

All eyes looked to Blake. She sighed.

"Yes, yes, I'll go. Or better yet, I'll meet them somewhere neutral. I think seeing me safe would calm my parents down at least and make it more likely an agreement comes forth. What do we actually want, though?"

"What do we need?" Ruby asked. "Nothing, really."

"Standing," Weiss said. "Reputation. Proven loyalty. Offer them a trade deal for dust or something," she waved a hand negligently. "There's enough of it around the tower, Menagerie can use it to subsidise their living expenses and help people. Also promise to make all Grimm on Menagerie peaceful unless directly threatened."

Blake raised an eyebrow, "And in return…?"

"Nothing," Jaune said. "We don't need anything."

"Lien," Ren interrupted. "We, you, can't give it away for nothing or you'll look weak. Worse, you'll make Menagerie look weak – like it's a charity case of a deal made for the sake of showing you can make a deal in the first place."

"Which it absolutely is," Sun pointed out.

"Yes, but we can't let it _appear_ that way or no one will take it seriously. Make it look like you want lien, because money talks and people respect that. You can't spend money if you're ostracised from the Kingdoms, so the fact you _want_ it will make it look like peace and future deals are even more likely."

"Like he's going to spend it elsewhere," Pyrrha realised, smiling. "Of course! Then you can buy something from Mistral or Vacuo or invest – or just do things normal countries do with money."

"The Grimm investing in commercial property," Nora said. "That'll confuse people."

"Exactly. If they're confused, they'll start to see things differently. It'll force them to keep an open mind, and then they'll be more likely to accept that Jaune can be trusted. That he wants peace and is an intelligent creature, not some mindless monster."

"So, I'm basically supposed to do all this despite not needing any of it?"

"Yes," Weiss agreed. "Think of it as a disguise. Like when you had to sneak into Beacon and pretended your mother worked in real estate." The comment now, a reminder of easier times, earned a few laughs. "You can finally make that one true."

"Does that mean we're all going to be diplomats?" Ruby asked. "If Blake is going to go be one for Menagerie and the White Fang, she could take Ilia and Sun with her. Does that make them Ambassadors?"

Sun laughed. "Good question. Does it?"

"I suppose it does," Jaune said. "Make sure everyone knows that if something happens to you, the Grimm will react. I'll give you a murder of Nevermore that will follow your orders. It's a shame we can't do it with the other Kingdoms, since they all sort of hate my guts."

"For now, they do," Pyrrha said. "But that may change. Depending on what Atlas does. Right now, everything is in their hands."

It was, and there was little Jaune could do about it. He closed his eyes and grimaced. It was the uncertainty that was killing him, the constant `what if` in his mind, wondering if this was the right decision.

But where the alternative was letting Yang stay in captivity or being seen as some Grimm-hybrid monster and killed, what choice did he have? Ozpin had been involved in her capture, which meant he had some plan for her.

There was no other option. Walk into Atlas and be captured. Send the Grimm and start a massacre. Do nothing and Yang might die when Yin was forcefully removed. Wait, and Ozpin would spin this however he needed to – maybe even suggest they were capturing and experimenting on your children, turning them into Grimm monsters.

Going public had been the only choice.

It was also the most dangerous.

"I guess this meeting is adjourned," Jaune said, standing. "Excuse me, I need some fresh air."

/-/

It didn't take Ruby long to find Jaune.

It was the Seers that gave it away. Salem had told them to follow their commands and keep them safe and well, and that included offering directions and pointing out where Jaune had snuck off to. She doubted either he or Salem had expected that, but the Seers were hardly the most intelligent of creatures and just did as they were instructed.

She found him in some library, a large hall stacked full of shelves, bookcases and with numerous tables, literature spread across them. Toward the back was an open balcony window, and on it, a figure leaning on the railing with a book in hand.

Jaune had eschewed his royal cloak, leaving it resting on the back of a chair inside. It made him look much taller and wider than he actually was, more confident. Without it, Ruby could see how exhausted he really was.

"Hey," she whispered, stepping out onto the balcony.

"Hey," Jaune returned, so like when they'd only just become friends. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Well, except for the worry about Yang and all, but she figured they all felt that. "I just wanted to see how you were doing. You didn't look pleased with how things are."

Jaune sighed. He turned, book in hand, and she caught sight of the cover – Kingdoms through the Ages. A history book, and one focused on politics. He slapped it shut and dropped it on the floor.

"It's no use. None of them are. They never say what to do if things are this bad, or if the world hates you. Even less so if the world has _good reason_ to hate you."

"They don't have good reason to hate you."

"How can you say that? The Grimm have killed so many people."

Ruby squared her shoulders and met his eyes. "You haven't."

"I haven't," he admitted, "But my family has."

"Your mother."

"Cinder, too, and probably my other sisters. The older ones at least. And besides, it's not like I can claim innocence. If I was, I'd be willing to punish them and I'm not." His mouth thinned. "If they demand Mom be locked away or killed for what she's done, I'll tell them exactly where they can stuff it. Is that wrong?"

"No." Ruby's answer was immediate. "I'd think less of you if you did. Because it would mean you might put _us_ in trouble if it helped your goals. The fact you won't isn't a bad thing."

"People will see it that way."

"People will see it that way _anyway_ ," she stressed. Ruby poked him in the chest. "You're half-Grimm, Jaune. You could have the solution to all illness, the ravages of time and everything else wrong in the world and people would hate you. Just because of what you are. It's like the faunus."

"The faunus don't murder everyone."

"Some do."

"Some," he accepted. "But not all."

"Some is enough to make some people despise all faunus forever," Ruby pointed out. "You can't make everyone like you. That's impossible. Trying will just upset you and be a waste of time. You'll just end up listening to people criticising you, and you'll start to think you're useless. You're not," she said, slapping his arm. "Look at this. You've done more to push for peace than anyone who has ever existed. Sure, it's because Salem and Ozpin never even tried, but the fact you _are_ proves something."

"Never tried…" He sighed. "Why do you think that is? Why did they never try?"

Ruby thought, but found she had no answer. "I don't know. Ozpin said it was a story about the Gods, remember? He said the Gods cursed him. Maybe he doesn't have a choice. Maybe he doesn't want this and never did, but he was cursed and couldn't say no."

Which meant, interestingly enough, that Salem might be something of the same. Someone forced into her role and unable to break from it. It was obvious from meeting her that she didn't feel bad about that, but the fact she'd been ignoring that role to raise a family _did_ show a certain lack of motivation towards it all.

If destroying humanity was so important, why stop to raise a family?

"Why do the Gods get to decide anything at all?" Jaune growled. "They're gone, even the legends say they abandoned us eons ago. Why are we still playing to their tune? It's ridiculous! They're gone. They came, did their thing and left. They don't get to say `oh, and by the way you get to fight forever` and expect us to agree. That's stupid."

"It is," Ruby admitted. "To be fair, I don't think any normal people are fighting for religious reasons. Most people just fight because they think they have to. They should be happy to think it could all end." Ruby stepped a little closer. "I am."

"How?" Jaune's eyes tore away from hers. "How, after…" He swallowed. "You never mentioned it, you know. Never brought it up. Not once. I kept thinking you would, or Yang would, but neither of you did. I keep waiting for it."

Ruby smiled knowingly, but also sadly. "You mean our mom?"

Jaune's eyes closed. "Yeah…"

"Mom was great." Ruby's voice took on a wistful tone. "It's weird, you know, saying you love your mom. It's like, duh, who doesn't? But I really did love her. We both did."

"Ruby, I'm-"

"But mom would have loved you too."

"What…?" Jaune looked shocked. Worse, wounded.

"I'm not joking, Jaune. Mom would have adored you. How you are with Yang, treating her like a princess." She giggled. "Now a literal one. And how you were my best friend, how you helped Yang when she was down or how you want to stop all the bloodshed. Mom would have loved that, and she wouldn't love it any less for the fact she died."

"And it hurts," she admitted, the words hard. "It hurts that she's gone. But what am I supposed to do? You're two years older than me. _You_ didn't kill her. And even if I killed your mom, what would that do? Would revenge help me feel any better? I don't think it would. I'd still not have mom back, and now _you_ wouldn't have a mom either. Or your sisters. And your dad would be alone like mine, grieving." Ruby let out a long sigh. "It's just… what's the point? If Mom saw me doing that, if there's an afterlife and we meet, she'd be so disappointed."

Not much, Mom always forgave her, but still a little. Disappointed and hurt that her death had robbed not only Ruby and Yang of a mother, but of a friend, of a potential husband in the future, and that she'd robbed _other_ children of a mother in turn.

All because Summer died.

"I won't do that to her," Ruby said. "I won't insult mom by acting like she'd _want_ me to kill someone for her. She wouldn't. She never would have. And I think Yang feels the same way. It hurts, and it would probably be different if we weren't all so close. If you were a stranger, I think I could hate you more, but now? It's just not possible."

"Ruby…"

"Yeah, so, that's about it." Ruby rocked back on her heels. "I'll never forget her and never stop loving her, but I'll love her _and_ I'll life, peace and _you_ as well." Sometimes with more intensity than was really deserving of her sister's boyfriend. And now fiancé, assuming Yang said yes. Which Ruby knew she would.

Damn it. Feelings were hard.

Jaune's arms wrapped around her before she could realise it. His chest pressed against her face, his chin against the top of her head. The Crown Prince of the Grimm, the bogeyman to everyone else in Remnant right now. If only they could see him now.

Ruby wrapped her hands around his broad shoulders.

"Thank you," he whispered into her hair. "Just… Thank you…"

* * *

 **So, a bit of a "let's look at the world" chapter, with some of the fallout hinted from Jaune's actions. I stuck to major pop centres, but you can imagine the absolute chaos – and most of it negative. Jaune's appearance would spark a lot of bad shit.**

 **But, as he said, it's kind of necessary. With only Ozpin knowing Salem exists and keeping the information concealed, peace would be impossible, because who would the peace be** _ **with**_ **in the first place?**

 **And if my work vanishes or I don't upload for multiple days, check my P a tr eon, link below, or just Google my name and you can find it. I'll have a notice up if anything goes bad, and I WILL continue writing and posting, no matter what happens.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 1** **st** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	90. Chapter 90

**Argh, I've just found out I need to do that stupid event and speech again in March. The same one I did earlier this year. I pushed it onto my assistant editor since she was constantly asking for more responsibility, more authority and a promotion, but she immediately balked and has quit as a result! Handed in her resignation yesterday.**

 **Wtf!?**

 **You know, you can just say "Actually, I'm not ready". Not all backtracks need to include a resignation. This isn't politics ffs…**

 **Although, if I'm honest, I'm not overly fussed. She kept demanding pay rises for basically doing minor admin work, bare minimum effort, and not being willing to do any work outside of her comfort zone. You think** _ **I**_ **wanted to do public speaking? Of course I didn't! You just kind of… panic and do it. Get it over with. Also, stop taking business advice from Youtube videos. I don't care if they say "demand pay rises all the time, because your salary HAS to grow", that probably assumes you're willing to work hard and be** _ **worth**_ **the pay rise. Not just sit around doing the bare minimum.**

 **Bah!**

 **Baaaahhhhhh!**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 90**

* * *

The roaring wind and distant sounds of thunder greeted the Atlas morning as cold air swept in from the ocean, blanketing the continent in thick, silvery fog. It pooled around the base of the mountains, creating a second cloud layer that crept up to snow-capped peaks. The temperature was low, easily below zero, and every breath Jaune released sent out a cloud of mist.

The Mantle Plateau Summit was named thus for being a mountain which had lost much of its mass, leaving behind a roughly flat surface, as if some giant beast had taken a blade and shorn it in two. It was a famous landmark of sorts, a favoured spot for tourists, or a convenient halfway point for thrill seekers looking to scale the mountains behind.

This day, it would serve as a meeting point between the Grimmlands and Atlas, if Atlas took the decision to meet with him. Jaune had half-expected an attack instead, an air strike or booby trap, but that looked increasingly unlikely now.

Not unless Atlas wanted to slaughter the eighty or so innocent people arranged on the plateau.

Jaune turned to Weiss, who stood on his left as Ruby did on his right. The two of them were cowled with crimson cloaks, hoods drawn up to conceal their faces. They were the kinds of cloaks the Seers wore, which Weiss had not been happy about, but compared to the possibility of their faces being splashed across the news, they'd accepted.

Weiss was here due to her knowledge of Atlas, Ruby because he couldn't turn her down when it was Yang's life in the balance. He might have brought more, but Qrow suggested he didn't over do it lest Ironwood get antsy. He was, according to Qrow, prone to following his gut instinct when threatened, and would definitely feel so with eight or more hooded figures nearby. At least with Ruby and Weiss being relatively short, they didn't cut quite such imposing figures.

They were probably pleased for the hoods as well, since there were quite a few people taking pictures of them, some on scrolls, others on large cameras, and there was even a full news team arrayed off to the side, currently focused on a reporter who had his back to them, no doubt talking about what was going on to a live audience.

"What are all these people doing here?" Jaune whispered to Weiss.

"You broadcast the date and time for this meeting. Did you expect no one would care?"

"No, but I thought they'd have the common sense not to wander out here alone and gawk at a potentially dangerous Grimm King."

"Then you underestimate the stupidity of the average person. Out of the three hundred thousand or more living in Atlas, there are bound to be at least a hundred idiots with no regard for their own lives." Weiss nodded to three or four cloaked figures who were on their knees, bowing to Jaune and chanting in a tongue neither he nor Weiss could understand. "Or fanatical conspiracy theorist cultists."

"Since when did I have cultists? I don't want to start a cult!"

"What do you think _we_ count as?" Weiss asked, earning an amused giggle from Ruby. "But no, there have always been some maniacs who worship the Grimm. Your appearance has probably sparked a few more. I wouldn't concern yourself with it or even acknowledge them. You'll only make it worse."

Jaune rubbed his hands together and groaned. Bad enough he was feared, he _really_ didn't want people trying to sacrifice virgins to him.

"As for the TV crews," she said, sighing. "I expect they see it as a safe risk. You're unlikely to kill them before you meet with Atlas, and if things go well in the meeting they'll be safe. If things go badly, well, they likely believe Atlas would fall anyway."

"That's morbid," Ruby muttered.

"But not incorrect, at least from their point of view. It doesn't matter in the end since Jaune doesn't intend to kill them. Let them have their moment, it only works to our advantage."

"If Atlas meets with us," Jaune pointed out.

"They'd be fools not to."

Possibly, but then Weiss had already said people could be foolish. Jaune was hardly an exception. _This could have all been avoided if I stayed with Mom and didn't go to Beacon._ But then he'd have never met everyone, grown as a person and met Yang, had Yin or any of the other things they'd done. It was still his fault, but Jaune couldn't bring himself to regret it.

Choosing this spot for the meeting, though? That he regretted.

His ensemble was more for show than practicality, the long and flowing cloak thick and warm, but hanging off his back and down into the snow, providing no warmth other than blocking the wind from behind – had it been coming from behind. His royal clothes were little better, thin silks and satin with his breastplate over the top, which had already started to collect frost. Whatever Grimm physiology he had, it didn't do much to protect him from the cold. He wanted to shiver and shake, but had to stop himself, if only so the people watching didn't think him afraid.

Ruby and Weiss, for all their complaints about the thick robes back in the Grimmlands, were totally fine with the cold. Ruby had her hands linked, one sleeve meeting the other like the pose of a wise man in Mistral, except that Ruby was probably just rubbing her hands together to stay warm. Weiss was far more used to Atlas and stood calmly, ignoring the cold through sheer force of will.

 _If Ironwood is going to bomb us, I hope he uses fire dust._

At least no one felt confident enough to approach and talk to him, or worse, challenge him to a fight to defend Atlas or some such nonsense. They took pictures, pointed, and some watched quietly, just wanting a front row seat to their fate or perhaps to bargain for their lives if the deal with Atlas fell through.

Or maybe they just wanted to kill him. There had to be at least one person here who had an axe to grind over what the Grimm had done.

Fun times all round.

"There's a Bullhead coming," Ruby said.

"Finally," Jaune cursed, "I'm freezing here."

"Remember, you can't show any fear, discomfort or nerves," Weiss said. "You are the Crown Prince of the Grimm. You are Royalty. You are in complete control, even if you don't _feel_ like you are. Be firm, forward and haughty."

"G-Got it."

"And don't let your teeth chatter!"

"W-Weiss, it's l-like minus thirty out here."

"The Crown Prince of the Grimm does not feel the cold."

"T-The Crown Prince of the Grimm begs to differ."

"No, he does not," she stressed, expression meaningful. "Not if he wants to make an impression." Weiss looked up as the Bullhead pulled around and began to slowly descend, a single vehicle, but clearly stamped with the emblem of Atlas. "It's time. Ruby and I will stay quiet unless spoken to. If you need to buy time, pose a question to one of us."

"Preferably Weiss," Ruby urged.

Weiss sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Thank you, Ruby…"

"Hey, you're team leader."

"We're hardly in Beacon anymore."

"Leave it be, Weiss," Jaune whispered as the vehicle came closer. "We all know you'd end up annoyed with out idiocy if we were in charge and you'd take over anyway."

"You should not be _proud_ of that fact!"

"Shh. They're coming."

The crowds on the plateau began to spread away from the obvious landing point, the Bullhead hovering for a good few minutes to allow it. They chattered as they did, the conversation reaching a fever pitch as the news crew pointed their cameras up, the reporter shouting over the noise. It was all a blur of different voices to Jaune, and his eyes were fixed on the Bullhead itself.

The wind struck it once or twice as it descended, but the pilot was experienced and rode it out, waiting for a brief lull to touch down. Pistons bit down, securing it in place on the treacherous ground. A hatch on the side opened and several armed soldiers came out. They kept their weapons pointed to the ground and quickly fanned left and right, not leaving the shadow of the Bullhead itself. No motion to attack, at least not yet.

And then, with a frown on his face, General Ironwood himself appeared in the doorway. His tall and imposing figure made the door seem small by comparison and he stood there, making the perfect pose for numerous pictures as he regarded the plateau, the crowds and finally Jaune. The man took a step forward, heavy boots crunching in the snow as he stepped out of the aircraft.

Following behind him, Winter and another soldier came down, Winter stepped to Ironwood's right, the soldier to his left. Each was armed, but they kept their weapons holstered. They marched to a point roughly in the centre of the plateau and came to a stop. They had left the safety of their Bullhead and armed escort, which, he hoped, made their intentions clear.

"Let's go," Jaune said. Before he did, he turned to the huge form of Kevin who was clutching to the side of the mountain, his huge snout looking down on them all. Jaune had a moment to reflect that perhaps it wasn't really _him_ scaring the reporters away at all. "Stay here, Kevin."

The dragon huffed loudly but followed its instructions.

"Still can't believe you called it Kevin," Ruby mumbled as the three of them moved forward.

"Cinder was the one to name him."

"But Kevin…?"

"She was twelve at the time. And she might have thought Mom joking when she offered to let her name a dragon."

The idea of a twelve-year-old Cinder Fall seemed to shock Ruby to silence, fitting perhaps as they finally came upon the party of three from Atlas. Jaune came to a stop a good ten or so feet away, close enough to talk, but far enough to keep some distance between them. It might have been easier were there a table between them, and he wished he'd thought to have Kevin bring one. It was too late now.

"General Ironwood," Jaune greeted with a little nod.

"Jaune Arc." Ironwood offered no hand but did look Jaune up and down. "To think _you_ were a part of _her_ group. Ozpin never suspected a thing, least of all that you would infiltrate his school so easily. Nor did I."

Jaune forced himself to meet the much taller and older man's gaze. Ironwood, despite the differences in power between them, still intimidated him. It was something about the piercing look in his eye or his stern demeanour. It was like standing before the most disapproving father ever, except that this father could respond with the combined forces of Remnant's strongest military.

To show weakness would be to undo everything. Jaune let one hand fall to rest atop the pommel of his weapon. His fingers curled around it, but he did not draw. The Atlas contingent tensed.

Jaune's eye twitched.

"I do not see my fiancé among your number. Is she upon your Bullhead?"

"She remains our guest in Atlas."

"That goes against the spirit of this meeting."

"Yang Xiao-Long is safe and under my personal guard," Ironwood said quickly. "We are not refusing your request." Demand, more like. "But this is but an initial meeting. Atlas is prepared to talk, but it would be folly to bring her here now."

Folly because Atlas would lose the only bargaining chip it had.

Jaune resisted the urge to growl, afraid of what effect it might have on them. Instead, he took a deep breath and stood a little taller, speaking like the rulers he'd read about when he was younger did. In hindsight, basing it on fantasy novels _might_ have been a bad idea, but it wasn't like he had any other ideas.

"I can't say I am pleased by this, Ironwood. But I shall deign to play your games for now." Jaune stretched the word out, speaking loudly for the reporters nearby. The crowds were deadly silent now, listening intently to the conversation between them.

Ironwood knew, and had kept his voice low, no doubt trying to cheat them out. "I would never play games with the safety of my people."

"Nor I with mine," Jaune pointed out. His teeth were gritted, and Winter looked bothered by it, though Ironwood held his ground and gave nothing away. In truth, he was only doing it because of the fricking cold.

 _If I don't grit my teeth, they'll chatter like mad._

"You're angry," Ironwood said, misreading it. "I can understand why. I can assure you that our assault on your fiancé was… unintentional. I was under the impression we were rescuing her, that you had taken her without her consent."

"And who told you this?"

"An old friend…" Ironwood's eyes flicked to the news crews, clearly unwilling to give a name before them.

Ozpin. Of course it was Ozpin.

Naturally, Ironwood didn't want to admit to taking military advice from a dead man, let alone a child claiming to have said dead man floating around in his head. The General would be tossed out before he could even blink if that got out.

Sadly, Jaune wasn't sure Ironwood being out would help them, so he couldn't really use it.

"I see," he said instead. "If I were you, I'd keep my guard up around friends who betray you like that. If they can do it once, they can do it again."

Ironwood's face hardened, "Something I have already come to understand."

"How about we dispense with the games," Jaune said, waving his hand, the other still latched to his sword. "We both know why you're here, to delay me from any assault on Atlas. It will buy you time, but not indefinitely. I can only assume you've come with more than that. Speak. I'd rather we be candid."

"Where is my sister?" Winter interrupted.

"Winter!" Ironwood barked.

"It's fine." Jaune held up his hand for silence. "If she is concerned for her sister's safety, I have no problem with her asking. Weiss is safe. And close by." Jaune allowed his eyes to obviously shift to his left, not something anyone watching could see, but enough for Winter and Ironwood. "You can be assured of that."

Winter caught the hint. Her eyes followed his, meeting the pale chin and jaw poking out from under the hood to his left. Weiss nodded subtly but said nothing, clearly wanting to maintain her disguise in front of everyone.

"I see," Winter said. "Tell me, is she content with her decision?"

"She is," Weiss whispered.

Winter relaxed. "Then I have no complaint. I apologise for interrupting, General."

Ironwood's gaze was affixed on Weiss. "It is fine, Winter," he said. "Think nothing of it." His eyes trailed higher, meeting Jaune's once more. "You've collected quite the group of like-minded individuals, Jaune Arc. I am both surprised and a little concerned."

"I haven't forced any of them if that's what you believe. They genuinely believe in me…" He smiled when Weiss snorted beside him. "Or at least in the cause I'm working toward."

"And what might that cause be?"

"I'd rather keep that to myself for now," Jaune said. Talking of peace now wouldn't mean much, not with a dragon behind him and Ironwood here by force of threats. People would never believe it. "I want Yang back, Ironwood. What is it you want?"

"I want nothing more than the safety of Atlas' people."

Jaune clicked his fingers. "Done."

"W-What?"

"Were those not the terms of your agreement?" Jaune asked, feigning confusion. "I believed you were stating terms to which I have agreed. In return for my fiancé, I would bar any and all Grimm from aggressive actions toward the city of Atlas."

Ironwood gawked at him.

The crowd started to whisper madly.

"Safe?"

"No more Grimm?"

"Is this for real-?"

"Our Lord hath spoken, all hail unto he, the destroyer, the one, the tentacle."

"All praise the tentacle…"

"You heard it here, ladies and gentlemen. So bold an offer, but one that might assure the safety of Atlas for generations to come! But can it be trusted? We'll hear from an analyst later but for now-"

"I agreed to nothing," Ironwood said quickly, then winced as the plateau became deadly silent. Suddenly, a lot of the people – both there and no doubt watching on their televisions – were _very_ interested in what Ironwood was turning down. "Though that's not to say we would not consider such a proposal, naturally," he quickly added, reading the mood. "But it's too early to make such decisions, especially when we know so little about you. If you will pardon any offence, we have no proof you will keep to your word, or that you would be capable of stopping the Grimm in such a manner."

"You have seen me order the Grimm around, General."

"Yes, but we don't know how far that power extends. How long it lasts. What if we agree to this and the Grimm attack the moment you leave? What if you betray us? We have no way of proving either and expecting us to make a decision on such a lack of information, without even discussing it before the Council, is too much. We live in a democracy. I cannot unilaterally make these kinds of decisions."

Jaune raised a single brow. "Would it be better if I came before your Council, then?"

The question, innocently posed, seemed to cause Ironwood something of a PSTD-inducted flashback. He looked physically ill at the very thought and quickly, almost violently, shook his head.

"No! Absolutely not!"

"I would promise not to harm them."

"It's not them I'm worried about. Nor you," he added. "Our Council meetings can be… heavy on the discussion. Which can become quite heated…" He winced. "If you attended one, I believe any attempts of peaceful resolution would be lost. Allow me to act as a spokesman instead."

"I can put up with heated discussion."

"I'd rather they not insult you to your face," Ironwood said frankly. "Not when all the people of Atlas are in the balance."

Ah, that made sense. Jaune snorted, hoping to disguise his runny nose as amusement. He planted his right hand on his hip, wishing desperately that he could use it to drag his royal cloak around his body and cuddle up into a little ball.

Seriously, why did anyone _choose_ to live in Atlas?

"If that is your wish, I shall honour it." he said. "This doesn't really fix anything, though. I desire Yang back by my side. Releasing her would go a long way to improving relations between our Kingdoms."

"That's another thing," Ironwood said. "Your Kingdom. It's not formally recognised. Any deals made between us would not mean anything on the international level if no one considers you an actual Kingdom."

Seriously…? Jaune scowled and was about to tell Ironwood where he could stick _that_ idea, but Weiss beat him to it.

"Actually, the Grimmlands _has_ been recognised internationally."

Ironwood, and even Jaune, froze.

"It has?" Winter asked nervously.

"Of course. Atlas' own laws state that it does not negotiate with unrecognised Kingdoms or organisations, which was why they never formally met with anyone from the White Fang or Menagerie, despite the latter being a self-Governed island with its own laws and systems."

"That is debatable," Ironwood stated. "If Menagerie were to denounce the White Fang, we might acknowledge them."

"You will have to now," Weiss said sweetly. "The Grimmlands has acknowledged them and struck up both a trade agreement _and_ a mutual protection pact. The deal was ratified only yesterday," she added, "Signed by Ghira and Kali Belladonna and co-signed by Sienna Khan of the now reformed White Fang. Ambassador Blake saw to the deal."

"Would that be Blake _Belladonna_?" Winter asked sarcastically.

"I'm not sure why that would matter," Weiss deflected with a demure smile. "The last names are an odd coincidence for sure, but I know you would never suggest another Kingdom made deals with anything less than complete impartiality."

"Of course not." Winter rolled her eyes. "How foolish of me."

"M-Mutual protection?" Ironwood's eyes were wide, no doubt at the sudden influx of work – and complaints – he would be receiving now that this was out in the open. Menagerie was _not_ popular with the Council, nor some old war hawks. "It hardly matters. Neither Menagerie nor you have been acknowledged, so the deal is not one recognised by Atlas or any of the other Kingdoms."

"Ah, but you have met with us here," Weiss continued. "You have accepted and attended a diplomatic engagement between Atlas and the Grimmlands. You have met with the Crown Prince, addressed him, suggested at making _deals_ with him." Weiss' smile grew as Ironwood's face fell. "By your own laws, you cannot do such with an unrecognised Kingdom or organisation."

"Which means," Jaune finished, "That by coming here, you have formally recognised the Grimmlands as the fifth Kingdom of Remnant, witnessed live on your own channels, and no doubt broadcast across the world." Jaune bowed his head sarcastically. "You have our gratitude, General. This saves us much time and needless arguments."

"You… You…" Ironwood's teeth gnashed together. He was trapped. "It seems you are," he grudgingly admitted. "Very well. This is still but a preliminary meeting, however, a moment to show that we are _willing_ to talk, to discuss. Any release of Xiao-Long will come with conditions."

Jaune's eyes narrowed. "What kinds of conditions?"

Ironwood appeared hesitant for a moment, and with good reason. "Your mother…"

"Is the Queen of the Grimmlands," Jaune interrupted. "Think carefully on what you might say next."

"I understand this, but you must also understand… she has killed a lot of people."

"Actually, she has not slain anyone for at least a hundred or more years."

"Then the Grimm have killed, but she is still responsible. If you are a Kingdom, then they are her people – her citizens. In a sense. That they have illegally entered onto our land, attacked out people, killed our people…"

"As a previously unrecognised Kingdom, we could not be expected to recognise your land," Jaune pointed out. "Especially when you do not even inhabit it. How do you claim land obviously owned by the Grimm as your own? By what logic do you lay claim to a forest or mountain that you cannot even step foot into?"

"It is within our borders…"

"Lines you drew on a map. Or in your case, just claiming the whole island is yours because you're the only city on it. Perfectly logical." Jaune let the sarcasm hang in the air. "By _our_ history, you are the invaders. We've simply been kind enough to put up with you for this long."

Not exactly true – or even close – but he was putting on a show for the cameras, and really, the more Ironwood was on the back foot, the less time he could spend putting _Jaune_ on the back foot. There were holes in his arguments, loads of them, but if Ironwood was too busy patching up the holes in his to ask?

Well, Weiss had taught him well.

"I'm willing to let bygones be bygones, though. The Grimmlands is willing to gift you the land you have claimed, and to enter into diplomatic relations with you. This _despite_ your recent attack on us and the kidnapping of the Crown Princess. As such…"

Jaune grinned.

"We're even willing to recognise Atlas as a legitimate Kingdom."

As Weiss snorted and Ruby bit back her giggles, Ironwood ground his teeth together.

"The Council will need to discuss this," he eventually said. "No deal can be made right now…"

Not what he wanted to hear, but there wasn't much he could do. Vale worked on the same Council system as Atlas, so if he tried to run roughshod over this, all he'd be doing was showing the world that he didn't care for their rules. That he didn't respect them as equals.

As much as he hated it, the whole point of this was to show people he _could_ be dealt with peacefully.

"That's understandable, General Ironwood. I'll allow it." At Ironwood's surprised relief, Jaune continued, "It's not my intent to start a conflict here when my fiancé's life would be in danger. Ideally, I would like a resolution that serves both our goals in a quick and peaceful fashion."

"I would prefer that as well," Ironwood said, cautiously optimistic. Or perhaps just eager to believe it for now. "I'll admit, you're not as I was led to believe."

"I hope that's a compliment."

"It is, Jaune Arc. The last time we met, I believe we fought."

They had, back in Vale, when Jaune had been forced into a meeting with Adam Taurus that had been cut short by Ironwood's attack. It had been a close call. "I don't believe I harmed any of your men at the time, Ironwood."

"You did not."

"In fact, I later dealt with the other man involved, killing him to protect Beacon."

"You did," Ironwood admitted. "Something that confused many people. I assume that was a conscious decision on your part. He critically wounded your fiancé, did he not?" The man's face darkened as he realised the implicit threat _he_ had just brought to the fore. "I'll repeat, she has not been harmed thus far. I will personally ensure she remains that way."

"Then I will trust you with her protection, General. But only you." Jaune extended a hand, his right hand. The left was still on his weapon. The meaning clear both to Ironwood and those nearby. "In exchange, as a gesture of peace, I will order all Grimm to absent a five-mile radius of the city and even to avoid attacking any villages and towns across the continent. Naturally, should anyone attack them, they will act in self-defence, but this should serve as a demonstration of my control."

And, of course, Atlas would be foolish to not accept so generous an offer. And it _was_ generous. Insanely so. The kind of thing the average person _longed_ for. Complete safety from the Grimm, even if it only lasted for a few days.

It was so generous an offer that those on the plateau were driven to silence.

The cameras focused intently on Ironwood, waiting for his reaction.

Trapped, the General did the only thing he could do. Reaching out, he shook Jaune's hand, expression one of forced calm. Cameras flashed, news presenters shouted, and some people even cheered at what they saw as Ironwood saving them from Grimm annihilation.

Of course, the image of the two shaking hands would also be immortalised, cementing the Grimmlands – and Jaune's – status as a recognised and legitimate Kingdom. After all, if the General of Atlas could be called out, negotiated with and forced to shake hands, then what right did any of the other Kingdoms have to complain?

"You're playing a dangerous game," Ironwood said, voice hidden under the jubilant cheers.

"It's not a game to me, Ironwood. It's a matter of life and death. Mine, my mother's, my family's and also Yang's. On the other side, the lives of everyone in Remnant." Jaune's hand tightened around Ironwood's. "You'll forgive me if I can't afford to be anything but serious."

"As you will me," Ironwood said. "I have to do what is best for my people."

"Then I'd strongly reconsider if what `Ozpin wants` is best for Atlas. No war lasts forever, Ironwood. Eventually, one side wins, the other loses. But either way, both suffer. I don't want to hurt people, to destroy the Kingdoms, but I want _my_ family and friends to be killed even less. It's cruel, but just like the people of Atlas mean more to you than those of Vacuo or Mistral, my family means more to me than _all_ the people in Atlas. If your Council pushes me, or if Yang is hurt…"

"Message received." Ironwood stepped back. "I will convey your proposal to the Council and, if I may say, I will encourage them to open up negotiations. I do not wish for a war."

One he could not win, he didn't say.

"Neither do I, Ironwood. Neither do I." Jaune nodded and spun on his heel. "Good day."

/-/

Ironwood let out a breath he knew he'd been holding. It was all he _could_ do with everyone still watching him, some in awe, others pure adoration. To those watching, it must have seemed like he personally averted the apocalypse.

To Ironwood, it certainly felt like he had – though through no ability of his own. He wanted to sag in relief but could not afford to under the public eye. He stood tall, ignoring the flashing of cameras as he turned to Winter.

"What did you think of him, Winter?"

"He is more human than I expected."

"Hm." Not what he'd meant, but now that she mentioned it, he could see what she meant. "Yes, you would expect someone part-Grimm to act a little differently. If I'd not seen proof of his Grimm form myself, I'd hardly believe it. He speaks like a human, even has the same mannerisms. It makes talking with him easier than I expected."

"If he has the same psychology, his offer might be genuine."

"If, Winter. I hope it is so, but it is still a big if." There had been much to notice about the meeting, many little things, little ticks. Ironwood was a seasoned politician as well as a soldier, more by necessity than desire. He knew how to read a man.

Some aspects of Jaune Arc had caught his attention. For one, the man seemed to hardly feel the cold. Ironwood was wrapped up in a thick Atlesian military coat, which was lined with layers of cotton and synthetic material designed to trap warmth and keep the wearer dry. Even so, he'd felt his toes curling.

Jaune Arc felt seemingly none of that, stood even as he was in thin silk clothing and a breastplate. Had it been him wearing that, he might have feared for his extremities.

"He kept his hand on his sword the whole time," Winter said. "Not once did he remove it, not once did it even twitch. He just let it rest there, as if he wasn't afraid to draw it at any moment and didn't care what we thought."

Ironwood had noticed that, too. How could he not?

"He offers friendship with one hand and a sword with the other. For now, the sword is sheathed, the hand extended. If any harm were to come to his spouse, I fear it might be reversed."

Winter sighed, "Then let's hope the Council doesn't muck it up."

"Don't be foolish, Winter. They wouldn't be politicians if they didn't try…"

/-/

"I'll admit," Weiss said, "You did better than I thought you would."

"Even if we didn't get Yang," Ruby moped.

"It was unlikely we would on the first meeting, but Jaune held his ground, played it up for the audience and ensured that the world saw Ironwood treating us as equals. That's a lot more than I expected. I'm genuinely proud of you."

"Thanks, Weiss," Jaune said, voice a little hoarse.

"You spoke well, too. I was worried you might fall back into old habits. I was prepared to stab you if you tried to rub the back of your hair in that stupid way you do when you're nervous."

"No fear of that…"

"The hand on your sword thing was a nice touch, especially how you held it so long without moving. A very clear message. It would have escalated poorly if you drew it, but you stayed disciplined."

"Y-Yeah…"

"You can take it off now, though," Weiss said, eyeing his arm.

Jaune sniffed loudly.

"Jaune?"

Slowly, he turned to her. Weiss got a face full of his raw skin, red eyes and running nose, where some moisture had already started to freeze solid. His eyes were watering badly.

"I can't," he whimpered.

"What?"

"M-My hand froze to the pommel the second I touched it…" he said, lifting his hand.

The sword slowly drew itself from the scabbard, attached to the skin on the palm of his hand.

"Help," he pleaded, voice pathetic.

Ruby rushed over, eyes wide. She took Jaune's hand and started to peel the metal away, apologising every time the `Crown Prince of the Grimm` yelped like a little child with their tongue stuck to a metal pole.

Weiss sighed. "I take back everything I just said…"

"Ruby, ow, ow, ow!"

"I'm sorry!"

/-/

"Ironwood is making a grave mistake."

" **Is he? Looks to me like he averted a war…"**

"And in doing so, he has sealed his fate and that of all the people of Atlas," Ozpin said, "Salem will destroy Atlas."

" **Salem was going to destroy Atlas either way,"** Oscar said. **"Or Jaune was, if they hurt Yang. Between being `destroyed now` or `may be destroyed later`, I think they made the obvious choice."**

"Such is foolishly short-term thinking, Oscar. It is not looking at the bigger picture."

" **Hard to look at the bigger picture when you're about to be killed…"**

"Perhaps. My unique situation gives me more ability to do so, however. Atlas may have fallen, this is true, but in doing so, they would have sent a message to the people of Remnant. A message that Salem can be fought, that she can be resisted. Through their demise, they would have united all the other Kingdoms."

" **Yeah, through their demise…"**

"It is a worthwhile sacrifice."

" **It's easy for you to say that, Ozpin. You're not the one sacrificing anything."**

"I have sacrificed much, Oscar. Any hope of a normal life being chief among many. Kingdoms rise and fall, as is natural. In a thousand years, Atlas and Vale may not even exists, and new kingdoms might stand in their place. This is human progression. But if Salem gains control over Atlas, she can impose a rule that lasts far longer. She could ensure a rule that lasts for centuries."

He could too, but people would question an immortal ruler that claimed to be human. He'd done what he could, but it was always best to work from the shadows and not cause any panic. Had people known Salem existed, they might have tried this foolhardy route before.

Still, he could not fault the boy for not realising that, or how much Ozpin had lost. Not just him, but others as well. He could no longer remember the name of the body he had last inhabited, the one known as Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon.

He had been someone else once.

Before Ozpin awoke in his mind.

" **That's assuming she takes over. They're not even mentioning anything like that. Jaune just wants Yang back. Which, I'll remind you, is** _ **our**_ **fault."**

"If he is Salem's child, then any such allusions are a ruse and little more, Oscar. The Grimm are mindless beings of hate and cruelty. They cannot fathom such emotions as love, loyalty, or even empathy. At best, Jaune Arc is an automaton forced to act in a specific manner. I doubt he is even truly alive in a sense we would understand. And sadly," he said, letting out a mournful sigh, "I believe Miss Xiao-Long might have suffered the same fate."

It was a regret he harboured, that even after the loss of Summer, he would fail her children as well. Yang had been subsumed, possessed and lost to the Grimm, and Ruby – idealistic and foolish – had been drawn in by their pretty lies.

"I should have kept a tighter leash on the both of them."

" **Like you are me?"** Oscar asked angrily.

"It is a necessary sacrifice, Oscar. I do not expect you to appreciate it, but you will come to understand in time."

" **Yeah, sure. Keep throwing those words around like they mean something. The way I see it, you just put Atlas in a position where it might be wiped out to further your agenda, and now you're walking away, no doubt to do the same elsewhere."**

"Not quite. If Atlas truly does eke out a deal with Salem, they will prove too much of a threat to be ignored. I have relied on people all my life, trusted them, but it seems I shall have to place my faith in myself once more."

" **You're going to get me killed, aren't you?"** Oscar asked, with a resigned, almost bitter, tone. **"Not even sixteen, and you're going to throw me away to suit your purposes."**

"It is a-"

" **Shut up, Ozpin. Just… shut up."**

Ozpin sighed sadly but did as the child requested. He could understand the boy's fear. He could understand his anger, his despair. There was little he could do about it either way, not without giving up everything he had ever worked for.

This was for the best.

Oscar might not appreciate it, nor Miss Xiao-Long, Rose or even James.

It was regretful, but he would do what he had to do, not for the individual, nor even for Atlas, but for the whole of Remnant.

The Gods had cursed him to do no less.

"You've a lot of nerve showing your face here," a familiar voice hissed from behind him. A sword tickled the underside of his chin. "Give me one good reason not to cut your throat and be done with you."

"Because you know what would happen. I would pass on into another body, and then I would come back. Killing me does not spare you my presence." Heedless of the blade at his throat, Ozpin turned to face his assailant and planted his cane down. "Hello Raven. It's good to see you again."

"The same can't be said in return," the woman snapped. "You're not welcome here, Ozpin."

"No? Then what if I told you how I could be out of your hair forever, and how you might escape Salem's attention at the same time?"

Raven's eyes narrowed. "You want the Relic."

Ozpin smiled.

"I do."

* * *

 **We're approaching the climax, I suppose. This chapter was fairly light on the lulz, mostly because a lot of other stuff had to be pushed, i.e. the diplomatic meeting. I considered a Professor Arc-esque kind of thing where Jaune fluffs along, Ironwood overestimates him, and they basically hash out a deal by accident, but it didn't really fit this.**

 **Jaune here is genuinely trying his hardest, and Ironwood is stalling, as would be expected of him.**

 **Meanwhile, Ozpin is just trying to save the world.**

 **Next chapter, we might even get to see what Big Sis Cinder has been up to.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 8** **th** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	91. Chapter 91

**Note:**

There may be trolls in reviews, see my profile for more details. Profile hack appears to be over for now.

 **Bigger Note:**

My mother, who has had cancer twice and two heart operations, had to be rushed into hospital yesterday by me after collapsing at home while I was visiting. I spent most of yesterday in the hospital with her and will be completing the bare minimum of work before I leave to spend more time with her today. As a result, this chapter is all that will be released for this story this week. It's pre-written content, and rough at best.

I'm releasing it as a vehicle for this message, since the site here doesn't like if you just release AN's as chapters, and if I don't, a lot of people will wonder what is going on and flood me with PM's asking me if I'm okay, which I'm sure you can all understand is the last thing I need right now. Easier to just do this and let everyone be in the know.

If she is well and released, work will resume as normal. If not, I shall let people know on a different story and, if things are bad enough, I might take some time off to spend with her before the end. I am hopeful it will be well, as she is at heart attack risk but has not "had" one. Then again, with her terrible medical history and numerous problems, I have to be prepared for the worst.

As a result, this chapter is understandably rushed and short. It's not me writing now, as – no offence – but I can't bring myself to write right now (other than this message, obviously). This is just a scene I jotted down, and it's still in rough format, lacking the care I normally put into it.

Anyway, that's the message.

Sorry for the delay, thank you to those who wish my mother well.

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 91**

* * *

He was a man who had made few mistakes.

Such a man might be considered a hero, or at least one who should be proud of his life. Ozpin was not. How can the man who makes so few mistakes, live with the few he had? By nature of his life, each of those far outweighed the mistakes any normal person could make. His mistakes were not of a high quantity, rather their quality – their weight – at times proved too much to bear.

Raven was one of those mistakes, though hardly his greatest.

"I'll do this for you, Ozpin, but then we're done. Understand?"

"It pleases me no more than you to be present here. I have no desire to interact with you further."

"Watch it," she snapped. "I'm the only one capable of opening the vault for you."

In this lifetime, at least. Ozpin had a fine control over Oscar's body, but doubted he could best a maiden-empowered Raven. She'd obviously taken the time to gain a fine control over the power she'd stolen.

It might be different if he and Oscar worked together, but the boy refused to co-operate. It was something Ozpin had never experienced before. His soul was supposed to pass onto _likeminded_ individuals, which meant that most – by nature – agreed with or were willing to work towards the same goals as he.

" **Maybe I'm just likeminded to who you used to be,"** Oscar whispered. **"Who you once were, but no longer are."**

Ozpin ignored him.

Nothing had changed.

"You know, I'm not as cut off from current affairs as being in a tribe would suggest," Raven said. "I've seen the news. What's happening in Atlas and with the Grimmlands."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "Your point?"

"Just that I'm pleased Yang and Qrow finally realised just how much they could trust you and jumped ship. I'd warned Qrow enough times."

The words hurt more than Ozpin cared to admit. He refused to show such. "They hardly left me for _your_ advice, Raven. Neither cares for you in the slightest, nor trusts your word to be worth more than the mud beneath their feet. And that is due to your actions, not mine. You might blame me for much but you cannot place the fault for that on my shoulders."

Raven's lips pulled back. "I know." She schooled her expression and looked away. "I know that. It doesn't change anything. They don't need to believe me for me to be happy, or for me to be proud of them."

"Your regard matters just as little to them."

"I know that, too."

Raven looked away and Ozpin breathed a sigh of relief. No matter how he might try, the loss of his allies hurt. Yang, Ruby and the other children but a little. Qrow more. Eternity was a lonely experience, and while he had not trusted Qrow enough to reveal all his secrets, he _had_ appreciated the man's constant presence.

And beyond that, it was nothing personal. He kept his secrets for a reason, because time and time again, those he trusted had betrayed him. Leonardo and Qrow were but the latest examples, with far more throughout history.

" **Did you ever think there was a reason?"** Oscar asked. **"Once might be a coincidence, twice bad luck. Three times or more is a pattern. People aren't traitors for no good reason, Ozpin."**

" _You would not understand, Oscar."_

" **I won't if you refuse to tell me. You ever think the constant secrets had a part in people struggling to trust you?"**

" _I keep secrets because experience tells me the truth exacerbates the issue."_

" **And in doing so, you their mistrust a self-fulfilling prophecy."**

Ozpin cut the connection once more. The cool air of Mistral's night brushed over his skin, a pleasant – if cold – sensation. There would be no warming himself by the fire tonight, as there was work to do. So much work and so little time before Salem enacted her plan.

A wave of nausea washed over him. Ozpin closed his eyes and took a deep breath, pushing those feelings away. His body would hold. It had to.

"We're here," Raven said, coming to a stop. She needn't have, for Ozpin remembered the location perfectly, even after it had been so long. "I'll open the vault and let you enter. What you do from there is your own decision."

"You've no desire for the Relic yourself?"

Ozpin wasn't sure why he asked, paranoia perhaps.

"I don't need it."

"Hmph. Strength over wisdom?"

"Not quite. There aren't questions I need the answers to. I know how everything is."

"An arrogant statement if I've ever heard one."

"Not arrogance," Raven said, with a soft sigh. "Just acceptance." She stood before the vault's entrance and tapped into her stolen power. "My tribe is safe. I could use my portals to rescue Yang from Atlas and deliver her to the Grimmlands if I wanted. Qrow's there, so it would be as simple as two portals and I could guarantee the safety of me and my tribe."

She was right. Ozpin frowned. "Then why haven't you?"

"Because I don't need to. Because, as you so easily put it, I don't matter to either of them anymore. I'm not worth their time and they've got better things to do than care about me." The vault doors rumbled and slid open. "There. It's done."

Raven stepped back, proving her intent to leave the Relic be.

Cautiously, Ozpin stepped into the vault.

How long had it been since he sealed the Relic here? How long had it been since he realised that Knowledge was neither kind nor helpful? Answers granted did not always provide relief, nor did they help solve anything. All they did was drive you further into despair, rip apart the fabric of what you considered reality.

Knowledge hurt. Those who lived in ignorance were blessed.

Ozpin knew it from experience, from times where he had greedily monopolised the Relic, using it as often as he could, as soon as it could recharge. His world had expanded greatly, the knowledge to so many secrets – too many – locked within his mind.

"How regretful that I must call upon you again, Jinn."

The Relic hummed as he touched it. The Jinn inside no doubt agreed. She, or as close to a she as so formless a being could take, had told him as much time and time before. Like so many others, she might have turned on him… were she able to. At the mention of her name, the spectral figure began to appear.

"I am Jinn, a being created-" The ethereal woman paused, regarded him. Her eyes drifted shut. "Again, Ozpin? Or do you go by another name now? Is this but another brief respite before I am to be sealed away once more?"

"Ask the Gods that question, Jinn. Not I. Perhaps at the same time, you might even ask them when _I_ might rest."

"Is that your question? I could answer it, but I believe we both know the answer."

"We do." Ozpin sighed. "And no, it's not."

"Very well. Two questions remain this era. Ask."

Hundreds crossed his mind. Ozpin sealed his lips shut, preventing any from slipping forth. With such limited resources, he would need to consider each carefully. There could be no wasted questions when each answer might mean the survival of the entire human race. Nay, the world itself. But one pressing question came to mind, and one that he required an answer to all but immediately.

"What are Salem's current plans?"

"Is this the question you wish answered?"

"It is," he said. It was a `current` question, so Jinn could answer it. Salem's plans might change in the future but knowing them now – in this crucial moment – would allow him to better react. It would give him a chance. "Tell me her current goals that involve Remnant, her current plan for both her immediate and distant future."

"It is a question wide in scope."

It was, and intentionally so. There might be much that was needless, like Salem's intent to visit a restroom in the next hour, or even more mundane concerns. He had learned that such wide questions yielded the best answers, however.

The worse were those that could be answered with a simple yes or no.

"It is what I ask of you, Jinn."

"Very well." Jinn's eyes closed, though power flowed behind the lids, shining brightly. "Salem plans to place faith in her son, to watch what he can accomplish and, if necessary, to step in to defend him from any threats. She plans to visit Yang Xiao-Long's father and introduce herself, forcefully if necessary. She wants him to accept her and wants to see whether he is a kind man who might love her son and future grandchildren. Salem plans to visit her husband. She plans to visit her daughters, who are being kept away for their own safety."

Kept away? Ozpin's eyes narrowed. A possible future question, but not one he would make recklessly. If he was not strong enough to deal with them, then knowing where they were hidden meant little.

Still, the information was mundane thus far, even if the knowledge of a `husband` was a shock. "Go on."

"Salem plans to renovate the tower. Salem plans to hold a baby shower, even though Yang Xiao-Long is not with child in the traditional sense. Salem plans to encourage them to make with the child-making. Salem plans to do so with her _own_ husband in celebration. Paradoxically, Salem is nervous about Qrow Branwen doing so with her daughter and plans to corner him, impress upon him the importance of being gentle with her daughter."

"Pointless information," Ozpin said. "Keep going."

Jinn frowned at the interruption, but continued, "Salem plans to encourage her other children to interact with humans if her son's push for peace proves successful."

Ozpin leaned forward. This was it!

"She plans to keep watch over them, to ensure they are protected and well-treated. Salem plans for them to find lovers and families of their own."

Nothing. Where were her plans for Remnant?

"Salem plans to have a large family. Salem plans to be surrounded by family. Salem plans to be surrounded by those she loves and who love her. Salem plans to live a long life with her husband. Salem plans to find a way to _die_ with her husband when he grows old."

Ozpin choked. "W-What?"

"Salem plans to die surrounded by family and loved ones and be buried beside Nicholas Arc." Jinn paused, eyes closed. Her head tilted up, as if she had realised one last thing. "It is late. Salem plans to get some sleep. She plans- oh my." Somehow, someway, Jinn's cheeks became dusted with pink. "Salem plans to… use an object as a `substitute` for her husband while engaging with him in a scroll conversation. She has not planned for the fact her daughters might overhear, much to her daughters' horror."

Ozpin grit his teeth and waited. When no more came, he snapped, "And…?"

"That is all."

"Impossible! H-Her plans for Remnant, her plans for humanity. You haven't told them. What is it she plans?"

Jinn's head tilted. "Is that to be your third ques-"

"NO! I've already asked it!"

"You have, and I have granted you knowledge. You might ask me again what her intent for the world and people of Remnant is, but you and I both know the answer, Ozpin. I have already told you it."

"You've told me nothing!"

"If I have told you nothing, it is because there is nothing to tell. Do you have another-?"

"No," he snapped. "B-Back. Back in the Relic."

Jinn sighed and began to dissipate. "As you wish, Ozpin."

He was grateful for her disappearing, because it meant she didn't see him falling to his knees. His stomach rolled, vomit threatening to come up and out. He bit it back and swallowed, the foul, acrid taste clinging to his throat.

Wrong.

She had to be wrong, even if the very prospect was impossible. Jinn was a Being of Knowledge. She was not capable of being wrong, only of providing answers that did not encompass the complete truth. It was possible Salem did not plan because her plans had been passed on, perhaps to her son, Jaune Arc. P-Perhaps he was the threat now. He was the enemy.

It had to be.

Had to be…

"You know, I've waited ten years to see you like this," a voice spoke from behind. Raven. She was still there. "Waited ten years or more for a chance to say `I told you so`. I thought it would be the best moment of my life, and yet here I am and all I can feel is pity."

"Pity, Raven?" Ozpin laughed. It was a bitter, scratchy sound. "From you of all people?"

Raven sighed. "Seems like it. Trust me, you're not the only one who's surprised. You can't see it, can you? You don't realise what's happened. Or worse, you can't. Or you can, but you refuse to accept it, refuse to accept the very _possibility_ of it being real. That you might have made a mistake."

"I am very aware of the mistakes I have made, Raven. You do not get to talk to me about mistakes. Not with the many you have made."

"I've made mistakes," Raven said, shrugging. "I admit them freely. Terrible mistakes. Mistakes that people will never forgive me for. But that's the difference between you and me, Ozpin. I've made my bed and I'm going to lay in it. I've never tried to say I was a good person. You…? You're chasing after your mistakes. You won't ever let them go."

He laughed. "How does a lifetime of good make up for a single mistake?"

"It doesn't." Raven's words came like the tolling of a bell. "But do you know what it also doesn't do? It doesn't negate that lifetime of good, either." Raven's eyes closed, and she bit back a snarl. "I know my opinion is worth shit to you. It's not worth much to anyone at the minute, let alone my advice, but I'm going to give you some, Ozpin. I'd suggest you listen."

Against his better judgement, Ozpin did.

"People make mistakes. I've made them, you make them, everyone does. Some mistakes are big, others small. Some never get forgiven, _can't_ be forgiven. Mistakes like abandoning someone who didn't deserve to be abandoned. Turning your back on someone who trusted you with all their heart."

Although Raven meant it for herself, Ozpin could not help the flinch that wracked his body.

 _Her_ face flashed before his mind.

"You can spend your whole life trying to atone for something like that, but no matter what you do, it won't ever be enough. You just end up living your life looking backwards, not thinking of the future but trying to win forgiveness for something you did in the past. Thing is, that's a waste. The past is the past and you can't change it."

Raven sighed. "When I left Tai and Yang, they were hurt. I could feel it. I held her for a week at most, yet it was enough to form a bond. I could have gone back and tried to fix things, but I didn't. Another mistake. But they moved on and Summer moved in. Taiyang found new happiness and Yang found a new mother. One better than I could have ever been. Going back, then? It would have just hurt everyone. Instead, I moved on as well. Didn't forget, didn't try to, but didn't insult them by trying to `justify` what I did or earn their forgiveness."

Ozpin's eyes were fixed on the floor. He barely heard her but hear her he did. He didn't dare breathe, couldn't breathe.

"Maybe it's time you moved on, Ozpin."

Raven turned away.

"The lonely girl in the tower clearly has…"

* * *

 **Why is the chapter so short? If you're asking this, it's explained in the AN at the top.**

 **Well, there you go. The Relic of Knowledge was revealed in more recent episodes that I have not seen yet, but it didn't really change much. A "Relic of Knowledge" was always going to be something capable of "giving knowledge". The only thing that changed in terms of this story (and even Relic) is the limit of three, and the fact that it's a blue woman called Jinn giving it.**

 **Anyway, this is the chapter as it is, and I'll be at hospital for the rest of the day.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 15** **th** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	92. Chapter 92

**Update on Stories**

 **My mother has had her operation, survived, and is being released today. By the time this goes out, she'll have already been released, though I am saving this until** _ **after**_ **she's home, just to make sure nothing changes, etc.**

 **That means an end to the short chapter stint, bar this one – because I've obviously been at the hospital much of the day. Future chapters will be back to full length. Thanks for the support on my mother, she is… well, you can't say "cured" for a heart attack, obviously. They've told her she will likely have more and that all she can do is try to minimise the risk. She has already had a few heart operations before this, so they're running out of options.**

 **But she is alive and well for now and that is what counts.** **You have to take what you can day by day.**

 **As to "why" I am telling you all this, I don't really like letting people know about my private affairs normally, but since I have a strict deadline of updates I kind of _need_ to let you know, because if I don't, you won't know why I suddenly write short chapters or don't post one at all. I'd get inundated with PM's asking where the chapters are or what's happened, etc. So, to those genuinely asking why I'm telling you all this, that's the answer, because "not telling you" involves a whole load of confusion, PM's and people emailing me.**

 **Basically, I am not expecting everyone to care, etc, though I am grateful for those who offered sympathy and thoughts, I'm simply putting you in the know because if I don't, people will freak out.**

* * *

 **On Troll:**

 **The troll is still wasting his time in the reviews. Ignore as usual.**

* * *

 **Quick Explanation re Jinn:**

 **Though almost everyone got it, there was one person who didn't, and because there may be more, I shall explain. Jinn cannot answer questions with regards to the future, but Ozpin did not** _ **ask**_ **any questions that would require her to do so in the last chapter. He asked what Salem's PLANS for the future are, not what WILL HAPPEN in the future.**

 **Salem "plans" to die with Nicholas, "plans" to support her children and "plans" to call Nicholas for some phone sex, in the last chapter (You can even see the moment where Jinn realises the last bit, as if her "knowledge" is being updated, real time, as Salem decides to do it).**

 **Jinn could answer this question, though naturally it means things could change later. I "plan" to finish White Sheep before Christmas, but that does not mean it will necessarily happen. I could be struck by a meteorite or the site could crash, or I could lose both hands in a freak biscuit-dipping accident.**

 **But it doesn't change the fact that I "plan" to do so. Ergo, the "plan" is current tense, even if it's with regards to the future.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 92 – Interlude 2**

* * *

Nicholas Arc was not a man who had ever expected to have a large family, nor was he a man who would ever say he had _wanted_ a large family. His own under his parents hadn't been a kind one, even before his sister died, and there was always that fear, that niggling doubt, as to whether he could be any better a father than his had been. It weighed down on him and had been the main reason for why he'd avoided the dating scene as much as he had.

Of course, things hadn't gone entirely to plan.

Not that he could complain.

"Daddy!" Amber crashed into him and wrapped her arms around his neck, and then two tentacles around his back for purchase.

"I've got you, sweet," he said, placing one hand on her back to hold her up and gently slapping her tentacles away with the other. Some would have asked Nicholas how he was so calm with children so obviously inhuman.

To be fair, if the question had been asked twenty years ago, he might not have a good answer. Now? Well, time had a way of making you get used to things, and he had a lot of practice holding, carrying and wrestling with tentacled girls.

"Up you go!" he shouted, throwing Amber in the air. She squealed happily, wriggling as she fell. He caught her under her armpits and swung her down, so close to the floor that she shrieked. He didn't let her fall, of course. Instead, he pulled back at the last second, placing her on her feet. Nicholas laughed as Amber beat her hands against his chest. "Hey, you used to love that when you were younger."

"I'm not a little girl anymore, Daddy! I'm a teenager!"

"You'll always be my little girl." He ruffled Amber's hair as she huffed and tried to look imposing. Key word, tried. Looking beyond her, he let his eyes rove over each of his children, from the imposing and frowning Sapphire to impish Jade and Hazel, no doubt already planning what trouble they could get up to in the frontier outpost of Ansel. The only one missing was Coral and Jaune, and with good reason, or so he heard.

Damn it. He'd really wanted to give that Qrow fellow a talking to.

"I guess you're all staying with me for a little while, girls. At least until this heat dies off."

Sapphire looked around the decent-sized home Nicholas called his own. Well, he owned it, but he couldn't say it was `home` per se. If home was where the heart was, then his was in the Grimmlands – something he'd said once or twice to people and earned approving looks. Then again, they probably thought it meant he was married to his work.

"Is this place sanitary?" Sapphire asked.

"Huh? I cleaned up when I knew you were coming over."

"Not that…"

Nicholas cocked his head, though he thought he had a good idea what she meant when Sapphire's cheeks heated up. "Your mother and I haven't `broken the place in` if that's what you mean."

Pretty much _all_ the girls relaxed, "Oh thank the Gods," Sable muttered.

"We're not _that_ bad."

"You are!" they said as one.

Nicholas rolled his eyes. They didn't get to talk about keeping others awake, not when each of them had been the ultimate cockblocks as children. Whether it was one of them crying for milk mid-coitus or coming in complaining of a nightmare, they'd all gotten in the way of premium nookie.

"I'd give you a tour of the place, but I don't stay here all that often. Explore for yourselves and have fun. As for transformations, you're free to do what you like in the house, but it's human form outside, girls."

"Aww…."

"No `awing` me, ladies. This is a human settlement. Until your mother and brother sort everything out, you have to stay hidden. That means no befriending the local Grimm, either. Also, Amber, Lavender, Jade and Hazel are going to a local school."

As expected, the reaction was immediate.

"What?"

"Nooo!"

"You can't!"

"But Daaad!"

"No buts, girls. I spoke to your mother and she agrees that if Grimm and humans really _are_ going to become allies in the future, you need a better education. Not to mention experience in interacting with them."

"But we already know how to interact with humans," Hazel whined. "We have you and our Uncles."

"Your Uncles don't count, especially not Tyrian. He barely counts as human."

"Wow, faunus racism from you?"

"I was not referring to him being a faunus, more an idiot."

Jade considered. "Touché."

"Anyway, you need to learn how to act around people your own age without relying on your heritage or powers associated with it. I'd have sent the others if they weren't too old for the school here."

"What do we do if boys hit on us?"

"Kill them," Nicholas said offhandedly. "But kill them _without_ tentacles."

"Do _not_ kill them," a new voice interrupted, low and feminine. Cinder strode into the room, looking worse for wear after what must have been quite the journey from Mistral. "If any men should try their luck, turn them down."

Nicholas' eyes lit up. "Cinder!"

Cinder's eyes narrowed. She glared at him. "No."

Nicholas opened his arms wide and took a step forward.

Cinder stepped back. "No! I said no. Absolutely not!"

"Cinder, you know you're like a daughter to Salam and me. You're my eighth daughter. Now, come give your father a hug."

"I am _not_ your daughter, and I am certainly not giving you a-" Cinder shrieked as Sapphire slipped behind and have her a solid push, catapulting the angry woman forward. Her golden eyes had about half a second to widen before Nicholas stepped forward and caught her.

"Oh, look how you've grown. And I hear you were looking out for Jaune. You've always had a soft spot for him."

"Lies!" Cinder cried, struggling.

Nicholas petted her head, easily adjusting to keep her held. "There, there, it's fine. You don't have to be embarrassed." He gave her head one final stroke before letting go, laughing as Cinder leapt back so hard she nearly crashed into the wall. Her face was bright red and she _glared_ at him. Nicholas smiled back, amused. "You're so easily embarrassed, Cindy."

"Don't call me Cindy!"

Ah, they grew up so fast. He could still remember when Salem first took her in, when she'd still been a little unconfident and wary. Though she'd never admitted it, even then, she had stayed close to him where possible. Her loyalty had been to Salem, but _he_ , being human, was the familiar one she instinctively sought out when she had problems.

"Stop reminiscing," Cinder snapped, realising what was happening. "No nostalgia. None!"

"You know, I still have a picture of you cuddled up with Jaune on my scroll."

Cinder drew a deep breath and didn't stop drawing. Her face went slack, her eyes distant. Her face paled and she froze solid, dreading what he might do with such material. He had a feeling she'd try and steal and destroy his scroll later, not that it would help. Salem already had a photo album for Cinder.

"We'll take Cindy to her room," Jade and Hazel offered, appearing on either side of the shell-shocked woman. "Dibbs on the biggest room here."

"You can't do that!" Sapphire cried. "I am the oldest and should therefore get the biggest room."

"And Dibbs has existed since mother's time. Deal with it."

The invocation of `Dibbs` started a stampede, all the girls rushing upstairs to claim their rooms before they were left with the dregs. Nicholas didn't bother telling them every room was the same size. Better to let them have their fun.

The Arc name was well-known in Ansel, and somewhat celebrated. The frontier town had been more a village when he arrived and beset by Grimm. He'd been looking for somewhere to set up a human abode, one that he hoped his wife might be able to visit one day. It had been a long shot of course, but he couldn't spend all his time in the Grimmlands, and he wasn't willing to stay in Vale anymore, not with Ozpin there.

So, the Arc family had settled in Ansel, and lo and behold, the Grimm fled before him and never again bothered the people here. Naturally, that had led to him being hailed the hero of Ansel, a title he both did and didn't deserve.

"Well, I _was_ responsible for the Grimm no longer attacking…"

Maybe someday soon, the people would learn the real reason why. That would depend on what happened with Jaune and Salem; he was _not_ going to risk his children's safety by revealing themselves early.

Gods, he wished he could be there with them, there to support his son, his wife.

There to scare the living shit out of that Qrow guy.

 _Marry my daughter without asking my blessing, will you? We'll see about that…_

In the end, though, someone needed to look after the girls in case something went wrong, in case the Kingdoms refused peace on the basis of what Salem was, on the basis of what had been done. If that happened, it would be best those too young to fight had somewhere to stay safe. He just hated that _he_ had to be the one to fulfil that role.

Nicholas Arc had never planned for a family, for a wife, for children, for eldritch tentacled babies, megalomaniacal adopted daughters, eternal conflicts, immortal conspiracies or magical nonsense like Relics, Jinns or asshole Gods. He'd not wanted a part of any of it.

He couldn't say he regretted a single moment of it, though. As the TV replayed the news broadcast of Jaune meeting with Ironwood in Atlas, and all the news and theories surrounding it, he couldn't help but watch his son – _his son_ – with more than a little pride.

/-/

"What do you mean I can't see my daughter!?"

"This isn't _my_ decision, sir," General Ironwood said, fighting – and failing – to sound like he had any shits left to give. "I can understand your frustration. Hell, I can understand it because I'm feeling it just as badly after having a meeting with the Council of Atlas, but the situation is complicated."

"The situation is that you have my daughter locked up," Taiyang Xiao-Long snarled. "I think I have a handle on it."

"And yet your daughter is also engaged to the heir to another Kingdom."

Taiyang's mouth fell open. "W-Well, I'll admit to not having known _that_."

"A Kingdom which, if something happens to your daughter, will no doubt be declaring war on us. I hope you can understand why I have to limit access to her, even if I'd personally like nothing more than to gift wrap and deliver her, _and you_ , to the Grimm."

Ironwood paused to reflect on that.

"I mean that as non-threateningly as possible… which is something I never thought I'd say about giving people to Grimm." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Forgive me, it's been a long week."

Oddly enough, Taiyang did. "Tell me about it. I go to the pub to complain about how both my daughters don't tell me anything anymore, and I arrive to find some Prince of all Grimm calling her his wife – _and_ saying she's pregnant."

Ironwood opened his mouth, closed it, sat down and reached under his desk.

Two glasses slammed down atop it, followed by a bottle. It was half-empty. Or was that half-full? No, given the current circumstances, Taiyang felt quite justified in saying it was half-empty.

"Drink?" Ironwood offered.

Taiyang sat. "Fuck yes…"

"I had reports of your coming," Ironwood said, pouring them each a glass – and then a second when they downed the first. "I'm sorry I can't roll out the welcome mat and have your daughter here to meet you, but she's being kept in confinement more for her safety than ours. Well, second-hand at best, since if something happens to her…"

"Nothing better happen to her, Ironwood."

"Mr Xiao-Long, I would pretend to feel threatened by you, but I'm afraid the _Grimm_ have beaten you to that one. If something happens to her under my care, you will not get a chance to pull my head from my shoulders, because an army of Beowolves will be gnawing on it. Your daughter is safe. I have my most trusted men guarding her. Her `prison` has been turned into a fortress." He paused. "Might I also add that your daughter is incredibly high maintenance."

"Oh, tell me about it," Taiyang groaned.

"She is eighteen and yet she constantly asks for Strawberry Sunrises. I had to pay a bartender from Vale to come just to make them for her."

"She gets it from her mother's side."

"She is also incredibly abrasive, referring to me as Jimmy Irondick."

"Mother's side. Or Uncle's, but it's kind of the same thing."

"She also sings, badly, tries to start fights with the guards, orders the most expensive food she possibly can and constantly makes the _worst_ puns."

"Okay," Taiyang admitted, "That, she gets from me."

Ironwood glared at the man. And then sighed. "I will try and arrange a scroll conversation between the two of you this evening. If you give me your number, I will bring her a scroll with her meal."

Taiyang relaxed. "Thank you. I'd appreciate that. It's not perfect, but if it's the best I can get…"

"I'll see about more, but it will take time. In the meanwhile, I have to negotiate for her release with the Grimmlands while also juggling politics on my side. To top it off, I need to arrange for the delivery of a fresh lobster dinner from Mistral with Vacuan mashed potato, red wine gravy – Six Peaks' Red wine, of course – and a starter of truffles, Mistral light-cheddar and a dessert of the finest ice-cream chilled and sold in Menagerie."

"Yang's dinner?"

Ironwood grunted.

"You realise she's just ordering the most expensive things to piss you off, right?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, I am not in a position to deny the Princess of the Grimm – _whom we accidentally kidnapped_ – anything she demands."

Taiyang winced. "Right. Well, if you can get a scroll in with all of that…"

"I will see what I can do," Ironwood said. "On a side note, wasn't there a dog with you?"

"Zwei? He should be outside."

Ironwood paused and pushed a button on his desk, opening the door. With it came all the sound from outside, along with a sight he'd thought he would never see. Winter Schnee, Specialist, stood with a small puppy in her arms, brought in close to her face as she nuzzled her cheeks against it, speaking as one might to a baby.

"Who's a good boy? You are, yes, you are! Such a good boy!"

The dog barked happily and licked her face.

Winter giggled.

 _Giggled_.

Like the little girl Ironwood wasn't sure she had _ever_ been.

Ironwood stared for a long moment, and then slowly pressed the button again, closing the door and cutting off the frankly bizarre scene. He regarded his empty glass forlornly, considered his timetable, and decided that attending a Council meeting drunk probably couldn't make anything worse than it already was.

"Bottoms up."

/-/

Ozpin stopped on the outskirts of the lonely house set beside a forest deep in the countryside of Vale. He drew a deep breath and let it go, but it did little to calm his frayed nerves, nor his mind, which alternated between running wildly and pounding with a headache. His muscles felt weak, his entire body – nay, his entire spirit – drained.

He did not approach. Did not expect he would be welcomed, but more than that, he did not wish to startle those inside. Instead, he waited until someone noticed, as they inevitably would.

It didn't take long.

The front door opened, and a tall man strode forth. Dark blond hair flecked with grey that fell to his shoulders, a neatly trimmed beard, grey and green clothing and a sword slung on one hip. The man was tall, imposing and distantly familiar to Ozpin.

Of course, he had not known what he had before.

He expected to feel anger, despair, perhaps even jealousy for what had once been his and what this man had now taken for his own.

But he didn't.

He felt tired. Spent.

The man strode forward to meet him, a hand on his weapon but no steel drawn. Ozpin waited in kind, his cane pushed down into the ground and the Relic of Knowledge hanging at his waist, attached to his belt. When the man came to a stop, Ozpin smiled wearily.

"Nicholas."

Nicholas Arc regarded him. "Ozmar."

Ozpin's eyes closed. "So, she told you…"

"There are no secrets between Salem and I. She told me everything when we married. Both the good… and the bad."

Ozmar smiled. He wasn't sure why, he certainly didn't _feel_ any cheer, but he did so anyway. "So, you're aware of how she came to be? Of what once was. What…" He trailed off, only recovering after a moment to swallow. "What she and I once were."

Nicholas did not move a muscle. "I am aware."

"It… Does it not bother you?"

"I'll admit, some parts of it did. But the past is the past, Ozmar. No one lives a life without mistakes, and Salem – and you – have lived many lifetimes." Nicholas shifted. "As for what once was. It doesn't matter how many people a woman has been with, only who she chooses to spend her life with in the end. She may have been your wife once, but that relationship ended. It died."

Ozpin's eyes drifted shut. "I cannot argue with that. What we had… It is over."

"Salem told me a little, when she could. You both made mistakes. She knows that, accepts it."

"Is... Is that so…?"

The memories had been long buried, long forced away. There had been bad times, of course, but beneath it all there had also been the good times. So many beautiful memories of what had once been.

"You both made mistakes," Nicholas said, crossing his arms. "But that's in the past. She has moved on, she has a new family now, a new life. And I'm not willing to stand by and let it be torn away from her again." His hands fell, one to his sheathe, the other to the hilt of his weapon. "So, tell me. Do you come to fight? Because if history is going to repeat itself, it'll be over my dead body."

Ozpin, Ozmar, shook his head. He let his cane fall flat on the grass.

"I came to talk, Nicholas. To… Understand. Nothing more."

Nicholas' hand left his sword. "If that's true then you're welcome here, Ozmar."

"I never thought to hear those words…"

"Would you like to meet them?" Nicholas asked suddenly. "Our children…?"

Ozmar's throat caught. He nearly choked, nearly lost control. He caught himself and took a deep breath, recalling those little faces but for once not forcing them away. They were gone now, of course. Salem had accepted this, found a new family, moved on.

Unlike him.

He had made many mistakes in his life, and in the dark times he would sometimes wonder if falling in love had been one of them. He had never been able to say it was, not with all his heart. After all, he could still remember holding her, and, in the depths of his heart, holding their children. Children he had loved as much as Salem had. Such mistakes he - they - had made to have it end like this, but end it had.

Perhaps it was time he accepted that.

Ozmar smiled. He stepped forward, leaving the cane behind.

"I would be honoured."

* * *

 **So, I've still not watched Season 6, but I am receiving spoilers, so I have some of the lore down - I just don't have every bit of dialogue, etc. Honestly, it doesn't really change much about White Sheep, even if some have said it should. Really, it seems to reinforce more than it changes, maybe even turning White Sheep from "total crack" to "comedy AU". Salem** _ **was**_ **someone eager to have a family. Salem** _ **would**_ **have had reason to be super protective over Jaune and his siblings when they were young, considering what happened to her before, and Salem** _ **can**_ **marry and have children.**

 **It certainly explains why she would freak out at the thought of Jaune attending Beacon of all places. In this story, Nicholas essentially becomes the second coming of Ozpin, showing Salem that she can love again.**

 **To note, I don't hate Ozpin, despite what some people like to say (the usual, "Oh, he's portrayed badly in a fic, you're bashing him" nonsense). I think Ozpin is an interesting character, mostly because I like characters with complex pasts and emotional states. By virtue of the premise of this entire story, Ozpin** _ **had**_ **to get the short end of the stick.**

 **I just wish he and Oscar would have stopped monopolising all the time and dialogue in volume 5, and that they would give the other characters a little more time to shine. I don't mind Ozpin and Ozcar becoming main characters, I just want more balance between them and RWBY and JNPR, because at the moment it feels like it's the Ozcar Show. Either way, I'm not above putting characters I like through terrible situations. That's just part and parcel of writing.**

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 **Next Chapter: 22** **nd** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	93. Chapter 93

**It's not Thanksgiving for an English person, so yes, there's an update. If in doubt, they'll always be an update if my previous chapter gave a set date as when the chapter is, unless something happens to me that prevents me writing it. Not disparaging, obviously, just pointing out that Thanksgiving is a US holiday ;)**

 **And yes, I wrote "Ozma" wrong last chapter. My bad.**

 **Troll still trolling in reviews. Ignore him.**

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 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 93**

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"You seem in a good mood."

"Am I?" Blake asked, smiling widely, almost manically. There was a skip in the usually cynical girl's step and she'd even spared a `good morning` for both Sun and Ilia, which had left Ruby wondering if Blake hadn't been kidnapped by Atlas and replaced with a really bad spy.

"Yes," Ruby said. "Yes, you are."

"Maybe I am," Blake giggled – _giggled_ – and ladled some margarine onto her toast, biting into it with and humming happily. "It's a good day. The sun is shining-"

"It's raining."

"The birds are singing-"

"We're in the Grimmlands. Those are Nevermore."

"And Yang hasn't made any puns."

"Yang is in Atlas," Ruby pointed out. "As a prisoner, remember?"

"Oh, right. Yeah…"

Ruby waited for further explanation, but Blake simply smiled and started to hum a happy little tune. More than a little freaked out, Ruby pushed her seat over towards Sun, seeking some safety.

"Creepy, isn't it?" Sun whispered.

"What's wrong with her?"

"I think she's in a good mood…"

Ruby bit her lip. "Is it contagious?"

Blake, who had naturally overheard, scowled, finally returning to some modicum of her normal self. "I can hear you, you realise. Is it really so unbelievable that I would be in a good mood?"

"Yes!" Sun, Ilia and Ruby answered at the exact same time.

"You're all idiots…"

"Blake is pleased because Jaune's upheaval is helping the faunus," Ren explained, cutting in for their benefit. "Weiss and I just finished going over all the news reports this morning, and the news that Menagerie has formed a trade agreement with the Grimmlands has spread."

"And that's _helping_ faunus?" Ruby asked. "I'd have thought it would give faunus hate groups even more fuel."

"Oh, it has," Blake interrupted, "But they would have hated faunus whatever happened, so it's not like they matter. Everyone else, though, is suddenly afraid to discriminate against faunus in case it angers Jaune. Vale has suddenly started to draft laws to prevent discrimination against faunus. Atlas isn't far behind."

Ruby frowned. "Wait, they're only writing those laws because they're afraid Jaune will attack them?"

"It's for bad reasons," Blake agreed, "But honestly, we'll take what we can get. As long as it's in law, people will have to try and follow it. It won't change everything immediately, but it's a step in the right direction."

"And all the Kingdoms needed was the fear of death," Sun said, sighing. "Sheesh, it feels like we're justifying what Adam and the White Fang used to do."

"Maybe Adam had the right idea," Blake said, though she quickly waved her hands when _everyone_ turned to stare at her. "I didn't mean it like that! Not attacking or what he did, I'll be the first to say the White Fang went too far. But Adam was probably right early on, when he said the Kingdoms wouldn't budge unless someone forced them to. He wasn't _always_ a psychopath."

"I suppose no one is born insane," Ren said philosophically. "As for the Kingdoms, it's a shame that fear is what drives them to improve, but we shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth."

"Any news on what they think of us?" Ruby asked.

"The Kingdoms are conflicted, naturally. Atlas is frightened but hopeful. Jaune's decision to contact Ironwood first, while threatening, is being seen as a positive thing. If Atlas give in and release Yang as we expect, it looks good for all involved. Atlas gains renown for having dealt with the Grimmlands. Jaune benefits from being seen to honour deals, and Ironwood and the Council of Atlas come out looking like they averted a crisis. As for us specifically, some hate us, some approve, most are of split minds, cautiously optimistic but not really daring to hope that peace is possible."

Ruby hummed. It sounded about right. Not everyone knew just how serious Jaune was about it, so trusting the Grimm was going to be hard. It was probably good that they hadn't all declared war instantly, though with Beacon in disrepair and Mistral suffering from the loss of many of its huntsmen due to Lionheart, no one could really afford to challenge the Grimm right now.

 _Kinda scary to think that if Ozpin had been right and they really were evil, we'd all be screwed right now, and there wouldn't be much any of us could do about it._

Not without random superpowers, magical artefacts or something along those lines…

The door to the chamber suddenly opened and Weiss stalked through, moving at a rapid pace with Jaune slowly walking behind. Everyone inside made to stand in alarm but calmed down when they realised that Jaune wasn't panicking.

"Ruby," Weiss snapped. "Get ready to go."

"Eh? Go where?"

"Beacon."

"Wha-? Why?"

"Vale wants to meet with representatives from the Grimmlands. Jaune can't go because he has to deal with Atlas, so we need someone who actually lives in Vale. It'll give more meaning to the whole thing."

"But I can't do speaking! I'm awkward. Send…" Ruby looked around frantically, trying to figure out who else was from Vale. Sun was from Vacuo, Ilia and Blake from Menagerie, Pyrrha from Mistral, Ren and Nora also from Mistral, Weiss from Atlas… "Why are none of you from Vale!? Why did any of you even _attend_ Beacon!?"

"Important questions, I'm sure," Weiss said, ignoring them entirely. "I'd go, but I have ties to Atlas and the SDC, so I need to work with Jaune. You can take someone with you, but you-"

"Pyrrha!"

"But you have to do all the speaking," Weiss finished.

"B-But Weiss…"

"No buts, Ruby. World peace. Important stuff." Weiss tapped Ruby's nose with a finger. "Remember everything I've taught you."

"But you haven't taught me anything…"

Weiss' eyebrow twitched. "Jaune and I _literally_ held a peace meeting with General Ironwood in front of you!"

Ruby blinked, "Oh. I was supposed to pay attention to that?"

Sun sniggered.

"Get suited and get on a Nevermore before I _kill you_ ," Weiss growled. "You'll be doing the meeting at Beacon both because it's neutral ground and because the Emerald Forest will stop random idiots trying to come and heckle you. Be honest, remember what we're working towards and ask Pyrrha for any help. She knows how to talk to the press." Weiss pushed some ornamental garments into Ruby's face, cutting off any protests she tried to make. "Oh, and remember that Miss Goodwitch is now the headmistress of Beacon and she's promised to accommodate you. Try not to cause any problems."

"But I'm _me_!" Ruby wailed. "I'll cause problems. It's inevitable!"

"We have faith in you," Jaune said.

"I don't! Don't have faith in me!"

It was the wrong thing to say. Ruby could _see_ the moment Pyrrha took it the wrong way, took it as Ruby disparaging herself rather than giving _basic facts_. Pyrrha stood, stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on Ruby's shoulder. Like the perfect partner she was, Pyrrha smiled and said, "Don't worry, Ruby. I'll help you."

"Ugh… Pyrrha…"

Damn it. Her partner was just too _nice_.

/-/

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Sun asked as they watched Pyrrha and Ruby leave.

"I was fine doing the same with Menagerie," Blake said. "I'm sure she'll be alright."

"Blake, you made a trade agreement with your _mother_. That is not nearly the same."

"I'd say it was more awkward," Blake argued, "More emotional, more difficult for the fact that we weren't just strangers, but family. It made things awkward."

"Blake, she had baked muffins ready for you when you arrived. The deal was hashed out before dinner even finished."

Blake's face flushed. "Because I'm a good negotiator."

"Right." Weiss rolled her eyes. "As much as I'm enjoying hearing about Blake's incredible negotiating skills, I'm sure Ruby will be fine. Terrible at the public speaking, but that's not the point. No one is going to be able to look at her and think `murderous Grimm out to kill us`. It's simply not possible. And the moment someone challenges her on that, Ruby will fight back. She's too honest to be able to lie, and everyone will realise that pretty quickly."

"Banking on Ruby's inability to lie to prove our honesty," Jaune said. "I'm not sure if that's sneaky or the exact opposite." He ran a hand through his hair. "Either way, Miss Goodwitch was the one to get in contact with us and she swore they'd be protected. Most of the students in Beacon know her as a student, too, so they're more likely to take her side than not."

"Fair enough." Sun grinned. "So, that's Blake sorting out Menagerie, Weiss working on Atlas and Ruby sent to deal with Vale. Does that mean you're sending me to Vacuo?"

Jaune paused. "I didn't even think of Vacuo…"

"Yeah, no one ever does."

Weiss shrugged. "I just sort of thought they'd fall in line with whatever the other major kingdoms decided…"

"They probably will," Sun said. "Honestly, Vacuo doesn't do much on the global scene. Our main export is sand."

"I'm sure it's not _that_ bad," Jaune said.

"No. I'm being serious. Our main export _is_ sand. Sell it for playsets, glass-making and other stuff. I'm not even joking about that. We have to deal with Grimm attacks, but it's not like the other Kingdoms where we say the Grimm are stealing our territory. If the Grimm want to squat in vast expanses of empty desert, then feel free. Honestly, just offer to not attack and you'll probably have Vacuo on board. We're pretty chill."

"This explains so much about you," Blake groaned.

"Eh. Not everyone is born into literal or figurative royalty."

Jaune was about to argue but paused. He looked to himself, then Weiss and finally Blake.

"Huh. Touché…"

/-/

"You're making things increasingly difficult."

Jaune shot General Ironwood a questioning look. It was another meeting between them, this one called by Ironwood himself and this time at a neutral spot somewhere outside of Atlas, given by co-ordinates.

"How so? You asked for a meeting and I'm here. I'd have thought you'd appreciate me responding so quickly, General." It was a lesson from Weiss to only refer to Ironwood by rank, not to be rude or otherwise, but because it would help him not become too familiar with someone he was trying to negotiate with. He couldn't afford to see Ironwood as a person, or he'd empathise.

Empathy, it turned out, was a bad idea when you were trying to get something you wanted. Good for being a nice person, bad for negotiation, as Weiss put it.

"Need I explain? You've sent a delegation to Menagerie and brokered a trade agreement. I've heard from Vale that they will be hosting another delegation, while at the same time the SDC has been contracted to do limited mining in the Grimmlands."

Ah, so Weiss' plan had come through on that end. Nice.

Another lesson from Weiss, it wasn't what you knew but who you knew. Jaune never realised it, but a lot of his friends were pretty high up there. Blake with Menagerie, Weiss with the SDC. Jacques Schnee was not a great father from what Weiss had told them, but he _was_ a good businessman. Provided with an opportunity to not only mine some of the richest dust deposits on Remnant, but to have a tentative agreement with the Grimm that might see his _other dust mines_ granted amnesty from Grimm attacks?

Well, Weiss had said he would jump at the opportunity.

Ironically, Blake also felt it might be better for the faunus who worked there. Less threat meant less need for security, which meant more cash flow for the SDC, which could then trickle down to the workers. It wasn't _just_ racism that prevented faunus working in the mines from being paid well, it was the costs involved in protecting such investments when the global supply of dust was running low and the remaining nodes were all in Grimm-infested territory.

"We've decided to enter the world in a more diplomatic way," Jaune said, spreading his hands wide. "It makes sense that we make contact with most of the other major players. Once our dust supplies build up, we won't be above trading with Atlas."

"And you didn't think that people might see you amassing dust as a negative thing?"

"The Grimmlands doesn't make use of dust bombs, missiles or anything like that, General. That would be how _you_ do things."

Ironwood took the criticism well, which was to say he scowled but didn't snap back. Hard to when he'd been called out on sending a drone-controlled battleship to attack the Grimmlands and kidnap Yang, who _still_ wasn't here.

"I hope this isn't another excuse for you to delay on our agreement, General."

"There is no agreement yet, Arc."

He wondered if he should correct Ironwood, maybe demand `your majesty` instead, but that felt too pompous and antagonistic. He'd let it go. "There was an agreement that we would hold off on any aggressive actions while you considered whether to release her or not. I trust there have _been_ considerations."

"There has. The Council has been meeting every day, extended sessions, but democracy can be a slow beast at times."

Jaune bit back his irritation. Slow was one way to put it, dragging their feet was another. If he didn't know better, he'd have said Atlas was calling his bluff, which would be all kinds of bad. If they did, what did he do? Attack, turn all the Kingdoms against him? Leaving Yang in their clutches wasn't an option.

Luckily, his silence was long enough to prove intimidating, even if he was panicking inside.

"We're not trying to stall," Ironwood said, and the two soldiers he'd brought with him looked increasingly nervous. "I'm doing all I can to push for a peaceful resolution, but people need to be convinced one at a time. Your fiancé is safe. Her father has even come to Atlas and is in contact with her,"

Uh-oh. He hadn't actually _told_ Yang they were engaged, had he?

And he'd said she was with child which, while technically true, wasn't quite true in the way he might have implied it to the people at large, which would include Yang's dad.

Shiiit…

" **Yang is going to kill you,"** Remy said helpfully.

" _Shut up, Remy."_

"He has not been harmed either," Ironwood said, apparently misreading his expression once more. "It is not in Atlas' interests to make an enemy of the Grimmlands at this time. We _want_ channels to be opened between us. It is my utmost wish that conflict be avoided-"

"Then I would like to speak with your Council," Jaune said.

Ironwood looked like he'd swallowed not only a fish, but a whale. "I… I would rather that not occur…"

"You want open channels, don't you? And you say your Council is proving stubborn, no doubt because they do not know if they can trust me or not. I will meet with them. I will enter Atlas and meet with your Council."

"E-Enter Atlas…?" Ironwood choked.

"As your guest, I hope."

"Y-Yes, of course." Ironwood's relief was palpable. For a moment, anyway. "But no. No. No, no, no, no, no. This is a bad idea. Bad. Very bad."

"It's fine. I doubt anyone would attempt anything on my life considering what the repercussions would be."

Funnily enough, that didn't calm Ironwood any. "That's one of my concerns! If you're expecting rationality, then I'm afraid you're over-estimating humanity. We can be rational in a vacuum. You, if you don't mind me saying, are a hurricane."

"You complained that Menagerie, Vale and the SDC were getting more focus than Atlas. This could solve that problem."

"At the risk of exposing the Council to you…"

Jaune sighed. "I don't intend to harm them, General."

"You say that now, Arc. It won't last. _I_ regularly feel the need to harm them. _Regularly_. If the Council was an entity with a Semblance, it would be the ability to inspire a murderous rage in the calmest of people. I've had important meetings on military budgeting interrupted by a proposal that we declare a national holiday for cheese!"

"Um-"

"For _cheese_! For crying out loud!" Ironwood ranted, for a moment forgetting where he was. "It's like they have no common sense. Or they spend it all on the campaign trail and turn into raving lunatics once they're in office. I'm trying to prevent Armageddon here, and the thought of introducing you to them makes me want to hide under a rock, curl up and die."

"Sir," one of the soldiers whispered. "Sir?"

"Then let me speak to a few of them, or we shall speak via video feed." Jaune held his ground. There wasn't much more time to wait, especially if there was a chance the Council would bring _Yang_ up to speak with them.

Ruby was in Vale or would be soon. The whole world was balanced on a knife's edge. There was peace on one side, war on the other. He didn't want to stay on the knife but had to make sure they fell on the right side, otherwise everything would be ruined.

"It's me or one of my people," Jaune said, "And I don't think your Council will look well on me sending a subordinate." He offered a mental apology to his friends for that. "You're not the only one who wants peace, General. But as things are going, we're headed for war."

General Ironwood seemed to sober up immediately. His eyes were hard, his jaw firm. He knew, Jaune realised. This was a man who knew more than any other just how tense the situation was.

"Very well. If you meet me again here tomorrow, I will accompany you into Atlas. You can bring two others with you, but I will beg if I have to, please do not allow the Council's words to affect your decisions towards Atlas. There are over a hundred thousand people who live here. They do not deserve their fates to be decided by so few."

"I can promise you that, Ironwood. I only want Yang returned to me."

/-/

It was just Beacon. They were returning to Beacon. She knew Beacon. She'd lived at Beacon. Beacon was cool. Beacon was familiar. There was absolutely no need to freak out about Beacon. No need at all. Not like she was riding a Nevermore or anything to a huntsman academy, or that she'd been publicly seen consorting with the Crown Prince of the Grimm.

Ha. No. That would be crazy.

Like, absolutely crazy.

"Ruby, are you okay?" Pyrrha asked.

"If I said yes, would you believe me? Because you shouldn't."

"You'll do fine, Ruby." Pyrrha had adapted to flying by Nevermore rather easily, which was more than could be said for her. Yes, Ruby liked to run and leap at great speeds, which was kind of like flying, but the constant up and down motion of the Nevermore had taken a toll on her stomach.

Somehow, it didn't surprise her that Pyrrha had no problems. She didn't buy into the immortal girl hype, which she knew Pyrrha appreciated, but there was no denying her partner was slightly more awesome than her in every single way.

Heck, Pyrrha could probably use a scythe better than she could…

It was hard to be angry, though, because Pyrrha was just so darn nice.

"You need to remember that everyone there is going to be shouting questions at you, but you shouldn't try to answer or hear all of them. Be calm and look for people who have their hands in the air. Ask them to speak and request silence from the others. They'll all soon realise the best way to get answers is to wait politely."

"Am I talking to the media or a poorly-trained dog?"

Pyrrha paused for a moment. "The two are not dissimilar…"

Oh God…

"If it helps you stay calm, imagine everyone naked."

Ruby's cheeks flushed. "HOW WOULD THAT HELP ME STAY CALM!?"

"I… have no idea, actually. It didn't work with me on Jaune, I can say that much. It's just advice I was given. Try looking over their heads instead. Pretend they're not there and you're just talking to one person at a time."

"Okay. Okay." Ruby took several deep breaths. She could see Beacon approaching, which meant the breaths picked up until she was almost hyperventilating. Pyrrha reached over to steady her.

It didn't help that she felt ridiculous, dressed as she was in some weird, red and black almost-military style outfit. She now had a pair of thigh-high black boots that her leggings tucked into, skirt over the top. Her corset had been replaced with a more regimental-looking thing in black-red, with Salem's emblem, a sideways eye, on the front. Ruby was grateful that she still had her cape on over the top of it all, and Pyrrha assured her she looked smart and important, but she _felt_ silly.

"Stop panicking," Pyrrha said. "You look great, like an important dignitary."

"I _am_ an important dignitary," Ruby groaned. "That's the problem."

"We're coming in to land." Pyrrha shifted on the back of her Nevermore as it slowed its flight, turning into a slow glide. There was a large procession below, but a clear space off to the side, clearly cordoned off for them to land in. It was one of the training fields outside.

Even from so great a distance, Ruby noticed the flashes of light. Probably cameras.

"Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm," she whispered like a mantra.

 _Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!_ Her brain helpfully replied.

Weiss was going to get something horrible put in her bed for this, Ruby decided. Maybe a Seer, complete with tentacles. And oh God, when had she started to act like it was completely normal to play pranks with murderous creatures of destruction?

 _My life is ruined…_

They landed a few minutes later. The actual landing was a blur and Ruby kept her eyes on the grass, dismounting and refusing to look at anyone or anything. She patted the Nevermore's side to thank it for the ride and took a moment to delight in the way it nuzzled its beak against the palm of her hand. Then took another moment to think of how many she'd killed in her time and feel conflicted.

Perfect. Ideal. Ruby almost slapped herself in the forehead.

"Ruby Rose," a familiar voice said, clipped as always. "Pyrrha Nikos. Welcome to Beacon, or I suppose it should be welcome _back_ to Beacon."

Of all the people…

Miss Goodwitch was exactly how Ruby remembered her in her nightmares, tall, imposing, cool but also cold and unwilling to sign autographs. She had somehow become even more imposing in their absence and she had her crop in hand. To Ruby's knowledge she'd never hit anyone with it, nor did she imagine the woman ever would.

But it was still a crop, and Miss Goodwitch was still a very frightening woman.

"Glynda Goodwitch." Ruby said. It took a _monumental_ force of effort to call her that, as opposed to, say, squeaking that it wasn't her fault and don't give her a detention. Because at the end of the day if `it` was shacking up with Jaune and the Grimm, then she probably did deserve a detention or two.

Pyrrha, noticing Ruby's silence, stepped in, "Thank you for inviting us here, Glynda. The Crown Prince, Jaune Salem Arc, wished to attend in person, but is regretfully busy in Atlas. He sent us in his place."

"Understandable," Glynda said, nodding once. "We are all aware of the circumstances, so rest assured there is no offence taken. We've prepared a room for the two of you, with a little more space than what you would have been used to before."

"We appreciate it."

"Of your mounts, however…"

Ruby stepped in nervously. "They will be able to roost in the Emerald Forest. We can summon them if needed."

Sort of, anyway. It was something Weiss had told her to keep a secret, but each of them actually had a Seer stored in their backpacks, which would act as interims between them and the Grimm. If they needed the Nevermore or – gods forbid – help, then they could be used to draw Grimm to them. Ruby did her best to ignore the fact that she was a schoolgirl with a backpack that contained a miniature tentacle monster, and any associations between that image and any comics she might definitely not have read in her time.

"That is acceptable," Glynda said. She had to raise her voice to be heard over the whispers of the audience. They were in no way quiet but were thankfully held back by a line of older students, one two of which Ruby recognised. Even Mercury was there, now in a Beacon uniform. "Members of the Council will not be arriving until tomorrow as they wished to give you time to acclimatise and collect yourselves. We've little idea how tiring a flight from the Grimmlands must be. You're welcome to food, although we would ask you not to travel into Vale at this time. More to avoid panic than from any lack of trust. I hope you understand."

"We do," Ruby said, nodding quickly. She didn't fancy wandering through Vale dressed like this either. "And thanks. We could use a quick rest."

Putting off those speeches as long as she could. Oh yeah…

The crowd of onlookers began to shout out questions as Glynda motioned for them to follow and led them aside. Ruby recalled Pyrrha's lecture, but since she had made to follow the headmistress, Ruby did as well, leaving the reporters unsatisfied.

"We've prepared the auditorium for a press conference if you wish to give one," Glynda said. "We can arrange that as early as tomorrow morning, before the Council arrives."

Wish to give one? Wish was such a strong word.

"It would be appreciated," Pyrrha said before Ruby could deny it. Ruby wilted but didn't argue. She was supposed to be the face of the Grimmlands now, after all. She had to be in control, strong but approachable. She couldn't let people with cameras frighten her off.

"Any time in the morning," Ruby said, trying to sound imperious. "Though… maybe after breakfast."

Glynda looked at her as if she'd said the most obvious thing in the world. "Of course... I'll see it done. Do you wish any limits to be put in place? Numbers, type or format?"

Not knowing what most of that meant, Ruby shook her head. "No. We'll be fine."

Pyrrha looked alarmed, which immediately meant _Ruby_ felt alarmed. Uh-oh. What had she done? Ugh. Too late to go back now, especially when Miss Goodwitch was nodding. "Very well, I'll see it done. Welcome back to Beacon and thank you for agreeing to come. Beacon may be a neutral party in this endeavour, but it's our hope – and mine personally – that this meeting ends with a strengthening of ties between Vale and the Grimmlands."

There was something so utterly bizarre about that, that Ruby spoke without thinking, "Never thought you'd say that, huh?"

Pyrrha cringed.

Miss Goodwitch, however, smiled.

"No. No, I didn't."

/-/

"They're so normal…"

"Not how I'd put it sometimes," Nicholas said, watching the young boy with the old soul carefully. "They're on their best behaviour right now, especially with what they think is a human guest here. Other times, they can flit from arguing and fighting among one another to pulling pranks on their uncles or Cinder. They can be petty, childish, argumentative and that's not even counting how loud they can be when they're in bad moods. They can be vicious."

Ozma laughed hoarsely. "As I said, perfectly normal…"

"Heh. I guess they are."

Ozma's hands clenched and unclenched. They weren't at all like his and Salem's, at least not in appearance, but there was something childlike about them that was almost identical. Not for the first time, he felt the pang for what had been lost.

"They don't recognise me," he said.

Nicholas raised an eyebrow. "Should they?"

"I don't know. It wouldn't have surprised me if they did."

"Salem and I decided it wouldn't be a good idea," Nicholas said, letting out a little sigh. "Knowing their mother once had a husband, or what happened thousands of years ago. Mistakes like that exist in the past, and there's no telling if we'd make them again. Not for her, but also not for you."

"I wish it were so easy, Nicholas."

"I didn't say it was easy. She used to have nightmares, you know. Probably had for hundreds or thousands of years. She was never impervious to what happened. But it was a different time, or so it seems from what she told me. Humanity had all but been exterminated and those that remained were helpless."

"She wanted us to rule as Gods," Ozma whispered.

"Like I said, a different time. Maybe she saw how helpless they were and thought it the only option. Maybe she was just angry and acting selfish. Either way, it's a mistake of the past. It happened, terrible things happened, and a tragedy took place."

Ozma's eyes closed. "You don't have to tell me that, Nicholas."

"Probably not, but if it helps keep my family safe, I'll do what I have to. Tell me, Ozma. You speak of mistakes. What do you think your biggest mistake really is? Was it falling in love with Salem? Was it staying with her and encouraging her to think of herself as a goddess?"

"I will never regret falling in love. I'll never regret our children. I regret leaving her, but only because of what it led to. But as for my mistake? Well, that comes in the aftermath. A moment of grief where I was cut adrift, and she was, also. A moment where both of us were hurting. The moment called for action, and I…? I did nothing." Ozma clenched his teeth. "I roamed, lost and confused, while the world brought itself back to life around me. Later, I took steps to help humanity survive and prosper, but for that critical moment where things might have been saved, I let grief overwhelm me. I ignored my problems, pretended that if I did not acknowledge them, they would go away." He laughed. "Like so many things in life, they rarely do."

Nicholas nodded glumly, "Tell me about it. If I'd spoken out about how my own parents treated me, my sister might still be alive. We're like animals in a way, always taking the easy path through the forest even if it's a trap set by a hunter."

"An interesting metaphor."

"That's all it is," Nicholas said, shrugging. "But my sister is dead, and you suffered the consequences of your mistakes. Do you know what _I_ think your big mistake is, though?"

"Leaving her?" Ozma asked.

"No. No one should stay in a marriage they no longer feel. Sure, it could have been handled better, but don't ask me how to handle a divorce like that. I've no idea." The scandalised look on Nicholas' face won a reluctant chuckle from Ozma. "I think your biggest mistake is playing the Gods' game."

"Their game…?" Ozma frowned. "How so?"

"The Gods cursed both you and Salem with immortality, albeit in different ways. They punished her for being a grieving woman, and you for… nothing. You were already dead for crying out loud. Add onto that, they wipe out most of humanity, cripple what's left, leave monsters all over the place and the God of Darkness even leaves a swamp of pure evil that warps Salem into something inhuman, and despite all of this, they act like you should _want_ to gather the Relics to bring them back so they can judge you. As if humanity should _want_ to be judged."

"Did Salem tell you that series of events? We were not without fault, Nicholas. Humanity's greed led them to rebel against the Gods…"

"People are flawed. You, me, Salem… Does that give them the right to punish everyone? We don't lock up a criminal's family if one member commits a crime. We don't execute entire families to deal with one person."

"Then the Gods are flawed also," Ozma said. "Should we not judge them by the same merit?"

"Sure. But that doesn't change my point. I'm not saying the Gods weren't in some way justified, or at least felt they were. My question is: why would we want them back if this is what they're like? Why would we want to be `judged` by them?"

Ozma considered the question. Why indeed. Certainly, he had kept the Relics apart to prevent it, but only because he knew that while Salem still lived, humanity would be judged poorly and wiped out. What fairness was there in humanity being wiped out for his and Salem's sins? What fairness was there in the Gods decreeing them `failures` when the Gods had all but created them and their world? For failures to exist, it required someone to have failed.

He did not believe it was he who had failed, nor, really, had it been Salem.

"Remnant has pulled itself out of the dark ages without the Gods' aid. It's created cities, Kingdoms, art, culture and more. We have lovers, poets, philosophers and people living their lives. If you were going to judge that, Ozma. How would you rate it?"

"Remnant has done well," he said immediately, for it had, considering its dark past. "But the Gods would not agree."

"Screw those so-called Gods," Nicholas snapped. He looked to his daughters, his children, and Ozma saw the love on the man's face, the simple adoration. "If this is failure, then I'd rather be the biggest failure on the planet than successful by their definition."

Ozma turned to follow his attention, watching as one of Salem's children, Jade he believed, panicked in the kitchen, running around wildly as smoke billowed from the oven. One of the others, a far younger child with curly hair, calmly stepped forward to deal with it. She was swiftly blasted aside by an overreacting sibling who charged forward with a fire extinguisher. The kitchen soon became a mess, and Nicholas let out a long sigh.

"Yes," Ozma said, smiling. "Perhaps you are right."

"My son wants peace between humans and Grimm. I'm proof it can happen."

"Salem once wished for us to repopulate Remnant, but with our children as the dominant species." Ozma tried to keep any suspicion from his voice. "Can you assure me that is not the case here?"

"Like I said, different time, different decision. Most of humanity was wiped out back then. I can't promise our line won't be powerful, but I think eight kids is about as many as Salem and I can manage. Even if each of mine had eight more, it would take thousands of years for them to outnumber people. Besides, isn't worrying about a species being `bred out` one of the justifications people use for discriminating against faunus?"

"It is," Ozma said. "Your children, your line, might face that same discrimination."

"I can only hope they won't or prepare them for it. I can't predict the future, Ozma. None of us can. Give humanity a little credit, though. They've made it this far. Not perfectly, I'll admit, but they managed to come back from the brink of extinction on their own. I think they can handle the future without us, especially if it's a future where Grimm and humans can live in peace."

A future without his interference? Without him having to worry about it?

It sounded perfect.

* * *

 **As I said, I got Ozma's name wrong last chapter as Ozmar – my bad. I won't go back and change it because I'm kind of busy, but just rest assured I'll be calling him Ozma in future. My thoughts on Gods, etc, is not atheism or anything similar, it's a direct reference to Remnant's Gods, not any worshipped in our world. Not discounting the work they did, etc, but the idea that humanity should `want` to summon them back and be judged after all they did is a little out there.**

 **Feels like the Gods got angry, fucked off and left all their people to suffer with a snide little comment of "You're all failures, but tell you what, if you do well, you can call us back so that WE can reap the benefit of all your hard work. But if we think you're still shit, we'll kill you. Get it? Great. Now, I bet you can't wait to collect those Relics and summon us. Huh? Huh!?"**

 **Uh… How about nooo?**

 **Honestly, that's one of the biggest things that could disappoint me, if RWBY ended with them bringing the Gods back and then being** _ **happy**_ **about it. I feel like Remnant should be content to stay its own world, its own people, etc…**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 29** **th** **November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	94. Chapter 94

**It's Thursday. It's nearly December. I've done no Christmas shopping.**

 **Hell yeah!**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 94**

* * *

Ruby pouted.

"The Ambassador to the Grimmlands does not pout."

"The Ambassador to the Grimmlands absolutely does pout," Ruby said. "She also greatly regrets ever agreeing to this or bringing you along."

Pyrrha smiled. "Does the Ambassador to the Grimmlands intend to keep referring to herself in the third person?"

"The Ambassador does!" Ruby intoned. Her face fell a second later. "I'm doomed. What am I going to do? I can't handle a press conference. I can't even handle talking to normal people my own age."

"You were always fine with Jaune."

"I said _normal people,_ Pyrrha _._ Besides, one person is a little different from ten or twenty."

Pyrrha winced.

Ruby noticed.

"It's not going to be ten or twenty, is it?"

"That's why Miss Goodwitch offered to impose limits on the format, but you told her it wouldn't be necessary…"

"Was that a bad idea?"

Pyrrha cringed. "Weeeeelll…."

"Pyrrha, you can be honest. I need honesty right now."

Her partner sighed. "Yes. Yes, it was a bad idea."

Oh…

Wow.

Honesty didn't feel as good as she'd imagined it to. Ruby swayed, and might have fallen if not for Miss Goodwitch stepping out from behind the curtain separating them from the auditorium and nearly colliding with her.

"Miss Rose. The conference is about to begin, and the media are awaiting you. I've taken the liberty of already introducing you, so you can skip directly to the question and answer phase."

Ruby's relief was palpable. Any and all memories of Miss Goodwitch were washed away by the desire to give the frightening woman a hug. She'd basically _saved_ her from having to do a big speech, and now all she had to do was field questions. Sadly, the Ambassador to the Grimmlands – and she was starting to hate that title – probably wasn't supposed to randomly hug people from other Kingdoms.

"Thank you, Miss Goodwitch," Ruby said, wishing her voice was a little deeper, a little less childlike.

"Good luck, Miss Rose."

With a nod and a smile she didn't really feel, Ruby pushed through the curtains and out onto the stage. Light washed over her face from spotlights above the auditorium's platform and she had to squint her eyes to see through it. When she did, she froze.

Ten or twenty people…

There were not ten or twenty people. There were ten _sets_ of ten or twenty people, that was to say there was around a hundred to two hundred, more likely toward the upper end of the scale. Sat on chairs that were crammed into the hall and then with more standing behind, jostling for space and holding fluffy microphones in the air. At least _thirty_ different camera crews were recording, and while it was fortunately silent in the hall, that only served to drive home how real it was.

Ruby whimpered.

Pyrrha walked by, gently touched Ruby's hips and steered her into a chair, sitting beside her. Her partner – her wonderful partner – pushed Ruby's seat under the table and poured each of them a drink of water from a flask on the table. Pyrrha bought them a few seconds while the cameras zoomed in and people looked for the best shot of the Ambassador they could get.

Miss Goodwitch was equally calm and posed, coming in to sit on Ruby's left. She shuffled some papers on the table and placed both hands atop it, calm and unmoving in the face of so many people watching her.

Ruby was not quite as composed.

 _I'm dead. I'm actually dead. I must have died ages ago and this is my punishment for all the cookies I stole when I was younger. I'm sorry, mom! I didn't listen!_

"Thank you all for coming," Pyrrha said suddenly, making Ruby flinch. "And thank you for your patience. The Ambassador-" Oh Gods, that was her, "-has agreed to come today to answer some of your questions prior to meeting with the Council of Vale later this afternoon." Pyrrha spared one final look for Ruby, one that said there was no more time she could stall for. "The Ambassador will field questions now, though we naturally ask you politely wait for each to be answered before asking more. Who would like to begin?"

M-Maybe no one would. Maybe it would be like class when a teacher asked for a volunteer and no one wanted to be the first. Ruby held on that hope.

Two hundred hands went up.

Crud.

"Ambassador," a man said as Ruby hesitantly pointed to him. He stood, letting others see him. Ruby hoped he'd ask a long question, if only so she'd have more time to mentally prepare. "What are your goals for the Council meeting later today?"

Ruby waited for the silver lining to appear and disrupt the conference. A White Fang attack would have done. When nothing happened, she swallowed and tried to speak, only for the words to catch in her throat. She thumped a hand against her chest and coughed.

The sound echoed ominously.

" _Just talk,_ " Pyrrha whispered, hiding her mouth behind one hand. _"Just say something. Anything."_

That was so easy for her to say!

Ruby took a deep breath, mentally shut her brain down and answered. "My goals are to meet with the Council and talk about the issues between our Kingdoms. My hope is that we will come to an understanding, maybe even peace."

There. That wasn't a bad answer. Could she go now? That's all, folks.

"What of the recent attacks on both Haven and Beacon?" another asked, standing. "Grimm were sighted at both locations. Does this not run counter to the idea of peace?"

"Hey, we _protected_ Haven," Ruby said crossly. It slipped out before she could help herself. "A-Ahem. I mean, the Grimm didn't actually attack any students at Haven and mostly fought the attacking White Fang. It was the same at Beacon. The Dragon attacked and killed Adam Taurus, who led the White Fang attack on Beacon."

"Causing heavy collateral damage in the process."

Miss Goodwitch quickly pulled a microphone closer to her mouth, "Of which Beacon holds no ill-will. We are, in fact, grateful for the aid in removing a dangerous terrorist from our presence and facilitating the surrender of the White Fang." Her words cowed the woman who had piped up. Miss Goodwitch had that effect. "The damage caused to Beacon was relatively minor and would have been much worse if not for their support. Beacon will not accept it any other way."

"U-Understood," the journalist said.

"Thank you," Ruby whispered. Miss Goodwitch nodded once but didn't reply. "Um. Next question? You." She pointed to a woman in a suit.

"You are human yourself and yet working alongside the Grimm," the woman said, "What do you have to say to those who consider you a traitor to our species?"

The question hurt. Ruby leaned back, shocked at the vehement tone of the woman's voice. Beside her, Pyrrha frowned, and even Miss Goodwitch looked ready to snap back a response. Was this really how some people looked at them?

Ruby smiled sadly. It was probably naïve to think anything else.

"If I were really a traitor, I'd let the Grimm destroy everyone," she answered. The hall became silent. "But I won't because I don't think like that. I came from Patch and I studied at Beacon. Vale is my home. I think the fact I'm here trying to work out _peace_ between humans and Grimm is a sign I'm not betraying my species."

A few murmurs spread from the crowd. The woman who had asked the question didn't look pleased _or_ satisfied, but she sat down nonetheless. It was hard to judge if her words had gone over well or not.

In a strange way, Ruby's nerves… they didn't calm down. It felt more like she was panicking so much that she'd transcended beyond the feeling. She wasn't calm by any means, but she'd become so nervous she'd stopped being nervous.

"Next question?"

"The Grimm have been killing people for hundreds of years. Why do they suddenly want to stop now?"

"I… I've not been alive for hundreds of years, so I wouldn't know," Ruby admitted. She knew they didn't like the answer because they began to murmur. "But I think it's because people change. Jaune, the Crown Prince, I mean, has only recently become what he is. It's _Jaune_ who wants peace, so I guess it would be down to a change in leadership."

It seemed to satisfy the one who'd asked. He nodded and sat.

Another rose without giving her any chance to catch a breath, "Why should the Kingdoms be expected to change in the face of what is clearly a threat? The Crown Prince speaks of peace but has threatened to attack Atlas. Isn't that essentially an act of aggression?"

 _You attacked us first,_ she felt like saying. _And kidnapped my sister!_

Seriously, it was like they didn't _want_ peace. Jaune and Weiss had told her everyone was likely just nervous and not sure if they could trust the Grimmlands, but it didn't feel like that. It felt like people were being deliberately stupid. The question felt even more so.

"The Grimm have attacked people for hundreds of years," Ruby said, voice a little tighter. "Jaune chose to respond to Atlas attacking us with words. He chose to go in person and _talk_ with them after they attacked him and kidnapped his fiancée. If you want to call that an act of aggression, that's fine, but it would be _Atlas_ who are the aggressors."

"Atlas was just defending itself-"

"Atlas sent a _warship_ into the Grimmlands," Ruby snapped, cutting the journalist off. "It wasn't in its territory, it wasn't under attack and there was no one from Atlas in danger. I'd like to ask you how _that_ is defending anything."

The man's mouth opened and closed. It did so for a good ten seconds.

Ruby frowned at him. "Nothing? Next question."

"You admit that the Grimm have attacked people, in your own words `for hundreds of years`, " the woman waited, as if she were expecting Ruby to take that back. When Ruby didn't, she continued, "Do you not think it unfair for people to be expected to accept the idea of peace so easily?"

Ruby's anger melted a little. The question, while still a little provocative, wasn't quite as bad as the ones before. "I think that's fine – and Jaune does, too. We know it's going to be hard to convince people to trust us, but that's something we're willing to work on. That's why I'm here talking to you and meeting with the Council."

The woman nodded. A man stood. "But do you really expect people to accept this?"

 _What are they, a hive mind? It's like they're all working together or something._

"I don't know what to expect of people. Everyone has a choice. They can either accept this and have peace, or they can reject it and not have peace."

"Is that a threat, Ambassador?"

"No. It's me pointing out what should be completely obvious." Ruby's frank statement shocked the audience. "Wait, you're actually confused?" she asked. "Jaune – we – are offering an olive branch. We're offering peace. We're not demanding it and it's your choice on whether to say yes or no. If you say yes, you get peace. If you say no, you don't. That's not _our_ fault. It's _your_ choice."

"Isn't it a little rich to ask that when the Grimm are at the gates of Atlas?"

"The Grimm have forever been at the gates of Atlas," Miss Goodwitch interrupted, silencing them once more. "The Grimm have forever been at the gates of Vale, of Mistral, or Vacuo. Nothing has changed, except that this time the Grimm have chosen to talk with us before attacking."

One of the journalists scowled. "You sound remarkably biased in this, Headmistress."

"I am a huntress before I am headmistress of Beacon. I have faced the Grimm for years and, if this peace fails, I will continue to do so. Asking me to be unbiased in a matter which affects not only me, but all my students, is ridiculous. My very job description demands I work in the interests of my students, regardless of what that entails."

"Don't you think the people of Vale deserve a say?"

Miss Goodwitch raised an eyebrow. "Does the average person in Vale have expertise in matters of the Grimm?"

The journalist's silence was telling.

"I thought not. I would not seek medical advice from random people on the street. I will not seek diplomatic advice from them, either."

Okay, Miss Goodwitch was _way_ beyond cool. Ruby's eyes shone with newfound appreciation. Uncle Qrow? Who cared about him? Miss Goodwitch was now her inspiration.

"A question for the Ambassador," someone said, obviously deciding that Ruby was the easier target at the table. At least compared to Miss Goodwitch. "Although Miss Goodwitch has made her thoughts clear, do you agree that the people should not have their say? There are those who have lost loved ones to the Grimm."

Ruby's eyes closed. Her heart ached. "There are. Those are tragedies, but they also happened in the past. We can't bring those people back, but we can try and stop more happening."

"Do you think that's enough?" someone called without standing.

"It's the best we can offer. We can't bring back the dead."

"Then who will pay for those who died?"

"No one-"

"No one," a woman shouted, standing. "No one will pay. So many people have suffered because of the Grimm and you expect them to accept that no one is going to face justice for this? How is that fair?"

"It's not fair," Ruby admitted, eyes watering under the scrutiny, "It's not perfect. But there _is no perfect peace_. There is no perfect option." Salem would never stand trial for what she'd done and Jaune wouldn't accept her doing so. Ruby gripped the table's edge so hard her knuckles turned white. "But we can offer peace. We can make sure this doesn't happen _again_. Isn't that good enough? Isn't that worth aiming for?"

"That's easy for you to say. You've never lost anyone to the Grimm! You're one of the-"

Ruby's chair clattered to the ground. The sound cut the woman off and echoed through the room. She stood, hands clenched, eyes closed, teeth gritted. Her shoulders shook. Pyrrha's hand touched her thigh under the table, but Ruby ignored it.

The cameras all focused on her. She ignored those, too.

"Have you?" she seethed, tears visible in her eyes. She _glared_ at the smug-looking woman. "Have _you_ lost anyone to the Grimm?"

The woman faltered. Her smile didn't fall, but she looked uncomfortable. "Not personally, but-"

"I have," Ruby snapped. The crowd hushed. "I've lost someone. I was six when m-my mom was taken. When she was killed." Her voice trembled. "I was six when she kissed my forehead, promised to come back and walked out the door." She took a deep breath. "Mom didn't come back. I was six years old. Six! Dad broke down, lost it." Ruby took a deep breath and forced her eyes open, regardless of the tears. She looked at the woman. "Have you ever _faced_ the Grimm?"

"N-No…"

"I have. I was six when I saw my first Grimm." Ruby's smile was bitter. "Six when it tried to kill me in a forest. I only lived because of my Uncle, a huntsman. Since then, I've faced them again and again. I've faced them over a hundred times. I've _killed_ over a hundred Grimm. I know what it's like to be out there, I know what it's like to face them, _I know what it's like to lose someone you love to them._ But I also know what it's like to know it can't continue," she screamed, slamming a hand on the table. Everyone in the audience flinched. "I know what it's like to realise there are too many, an endless flood, a never-ending tide. Have _you_ been outside the walls? Have any of you!?"

The smug journalist quailed under her teenage gaze. "No."

No one else dared answer.

"You've not lost anyone. You've not seen what we've seen." Ruby gestured to herself and Miss Goodwitch, who had remained silent even through her outburst. To Ruby it was as close to support as she knew she'd get. "You've not seen how doomed everyone is. And telling me I don't know what it's like? It's easy to get angry, easy to pick sides, when you have no idea what it's like to be out there."

"My mom is dead," she said, making many in the audience look away. "She went out and died. She died because she wanted to protect me, my sister, Dad, my Uncle and everyone else she loved. She didn't do it for pride, money or because she hated the Grimm. She did it for us." Ruby's chest rose and fell as she sought to control her breathing. "And I won't spit on her memory by throwing away a chance to make her dream a reality. One where my family – mom's family – can live without having to fear the Grimm."

Pyrrha's hand moved away. Her partner laid it atop the table and closed her eyes. She wore a small, proud smile. The audience were still shocked, however, staring at her. Ruby quailed a little and tried to sit down. It was awkward since she forgot her chair was missing. She stumbled, probably looked an idiot, but stooped to right it and sit down.

She was still shaking.

"Maybe it's not in the way mom imagined," she finished, "But I think she'd approve of me trying. I…" Her voice cracked. "I think she'd be proud of me."

Ruby's head fell, breaking eye contact with the crowd. Her heart was beating wildly, and her skin was flushed. She was angry. She'd lashed out. Ruby clenched her eyes shut and bit her lip. She'd messed this up massively. Weiss was going to kill her. Jaune was going to be so disappointed. And the people of Vale? They'd never believed her now.

They'd never believe some emotional child.

 _I knew I wasn't right for this. I-I'm sorry, guys…_

Someone began to clap.

It was slow at first, but it sped up. Became louder. Ruby dared to look up, spotting a woman in a pale grey suit, purple hair falling either side of a pale face. She had stood and was now applauding.

Someone else, further down the line, rows behind, a man, stood and did the same.

Ruby looked over them, lost and confused.

A third began. A fourth. A fifth. It spread like wildfire, people standing, others remaining seated. Soon, it became as close to unanimous as it could. The angry woman, the one who had challenged her, looked furious. She sat and made a point of crossing her arms, but it didn't matter. More were clapping than not.

Her eyes watered even more. She sniffed and wiped an arm over her eyes, breaking out in a relieved, almost desperate laugh. Ugh. Now she was looking like an even worse child, blubbering on stage like a baby.

"I think we will have to call it there for now," Miss Goodwitch said. She was smiling as she looked down on Ruby, a smile that let her know in no uncertain terms that she'd done well. Somehow. "We could all use a rest I'm sure, and there is still the Council meeting this afternoon. Thank you all for coming and thank you to Miss Rose as well for answering the questions."

Pyrrha helped Ruby up and away as the crowd clapped.

"I messed up," Ruby whispered once they were free.

"No." Pyrrha said. "You were perfect."

/-/

Mercury Black, former criminal, former subordinate of Cinder Fall and former prisoner leant against the wall, arms crossed, watching the two from the Grimmlands sit at a lonely table in the cafeteria. He recognised them both of course but made no attempt to approach.

"Interesting speech, huh?" he asked.

"That's one way to put it," Velvet replied. "You don't want to go talk to them? They're on the same side as your previous employer."

"Cinder didn't really employ me, and I'm not sure it'd be good for my parole to be seen with them. Probably not good for their side, either."

"Hm, maybe not. You _are_ still a criminal."

Mercury rolled his eyes, doubly so when Velvet shot him a teasing grin. "I'm not a criminal anymore, babe. I'm a student of Beacon."

She poked his side. "My name isn't `babe`."

"But you are one."

"Cute." It was Velvet's turn to roll her eyes, though she didn't complain when he hooked an arm around her waist. "Don't think this will get you out of your next session with Doctor Oobleck, though. If you skip, people will start to think you're going back to being a bad guy."

"But I thought you liked bad guys. You were crushing on the Crown Prince of the Grimm before you settled for a dangerous terrorist."

Velvet smiled. "Maybe I should have pushed a little harder. I could have been a princess by now."

Mercury laughed and drew her in for a quick kiss. "Sorry, you'll have to settle for me."

"Huh. I guess I will." She sighed. "I'll survive." The cheeky smile disappeared as she looked back to the two eating. "Do you think it'll work out, though? What they're looking for, I mean. Not everyone is going to accept co-existence with the Grimm."

"Not everyone accepts co-existence with the faunus."

Mercury frowned. "Those people can fuck off."

His girlfriend smiled up at him and gave him a small peck on the underside of his chin. To Mercury's horror, he actually blushed a little.

"It was never going to be perfect. I think it's the best deal we'll get, though. People will complain, but those that actually know what it's like will see it the same way we do. You've seen what it's really like out there. We all have."

"We're losing," Mercury confirmed. You didn't have to be a genius to see it. It was part of the reason why he'd been willing to work with Cinder and Emerald, because they offered him a future that wasn't quite so screwed.

"We're surviving," Velvet countered, "But yes, it's getting worse. Beacon being attacked, and then Haven. It's like people don't realise what effect that's going to have. We lost people. Mistral's huntsman population has been devastated by that traitor. There are going to be less huntsmen than ever in the future."

"People can't see what's past their own noses, Vel. That's life. They want someone to pay, someone to be punished. They'd drag us into a war we can't win just to justify their own morals."

"That's dumb."

"People are dumb."

She sighed. "Do you think it'll come to that?"

Mercury frowned. It was hard to say, it really was. That Jaune was trying showed promise, and he knew the guy wouldn't give up so easily. Little setbacks like this? He'd push on through. As the two of them stood in companionable silence, they watched as more students came into the cafeteria and saw the two. Ruby and Pyrrha sat alone, their uniforms – and their association to the Grimm – hardly helped matters.

But someone walked forward. Coco Adel grabbed her tray, click-clacked her heels across the tiled floor and sat down next to Ruby, nudging the younger girl's hips with her own. The rest of her team, Yatsuhashi and Fox, followed, sitting down opposite the two with friendly smiles.

It broke the moment, the silence. Huntsmen and huntresses in training moved, sat down at the tables and began to talk. Questions flew, and some towards Ruby Rose, Ambassador to the Grimmlands.

Judging by the surprised but pleased smile on her face, they were not condemnations.

"Guess it's up to the younger generation to show those old folks how it's done," he said, grinning.

Velvet nodded, smiling as she watched her team break the ice.

"I guess you're right."

/-/

"What are the Grimmlands like?"

"What are the _Grimm_ like?"

"What is there to eat?"

"Do you have pictures?"

"Can I take a selfie with you?"

"What's it like to ride a dragon."

Pyrrha smiled as Ruby was borne down by the questions. Normally, she'd have stepped in, but her partner was doing an excellent job as it was. Besides, if Ruby could handle antagonistic journalists, she could handle curious students her own age.

"Um. It's dark. They're not as bad as you'd think. The food is actually normal– steak and vegetables and stuff. I didn't think to take any pictures. Sure, and it's awesome! Nevermore are less awesome. They move around too much, so you feel sick."

If Ruby thought answering would bring an end to the questions, she was grossly mistaken. More came, some personal, others not so much, but all a lot more relaxed than what she'd faced before. That was typical, Pyrrha supposed. To people who had never faced the Grimm before, they were monstrous and demonic things. Nightmare fuel was a term she'd heard before. They could be just as frightening to huntsmen, but familiarity bred… not contempt, but certainly a little less awe and fear.

People could be just as dangerous, even more so. You dealt with what was before you and kept going as best you could. Losing people was hard, but huntsmen knew better than to get wrapped up in vengeance. If you lost a mother, sister or friend, then what good did getting yourself killed hunting Grimm down really do?

Kill it if it was in front of you, sure, but it was folly to seek out one's death.

Sometimes, she had to wonder if the average person understood that or not. Some equated them to soldiers, others said they were mercenaries, more claimed they were heroes. In the end, they were just people. They bled and suffered like any other, but if you wanted to find someone who knew how the Grimm worked, you went to a huntsman.

Pyrrha spared another glance to make sure Ruby was okay – she was busy chatting with three older students, none of which looked at her like she was younger or less important than they – and checked her own scroll. Connecting to the local news channels was easy, and true to form Ruby's face was everywhere.

Oh dear…

Ruby's face was the main story on just about every news site, which was to be expected, but Pyrrha didn't think her partner would appreciate the shot that had been taken. Whatever Ruby thought about her ability, she'd handled herself mostly well. For a good portion of the conference she'd been mildly nervous, but mostly calm. An expected level of nerves.

Sadly, her outburst had led to her mask cracking for a moment. The Ruby Rose on every news channel ever was a girl standing with her hands on the table, face red and with tear tracks down her face. She was angry, hurt, but also passionate in a way few politicians ever were.

The word `passion` seemed to repeat in a lot of the headlines and subtitles.

Even those who slandered her, who painted her out as evil, did so by calling her `passionate and misguided` rather than outright wrong. No one wanted to be seen as the news group to insult someone who could pull a face like that.

 _This will work in our favour,_ Pyrrha thought. _But I'd best keep it from Ruby. She'll die of embarrassment if she realises THIS is the face everyone sees her as._

Pyrrha had a feeling that had been Weiss' plan all along. A cold, calculated and calm representative talking about how the Grimm had slaughtered thousands would have sent the wrong message, that no one cared. Ruby's face, although embarrassing for her, was one that oozed sympathy.

Sadly, the online world wasn't always so disciplined… Ruby's face had started to spread, often accompanied by captions.

" _I'm a Grimm. Hear me roar!"_

" _Beowolf. Ursa. Nevermore. Waifumore."_

" _When your favourite TV series is cancelled."_

" _When your mom says it's bedtime, but it's only 9:59."_

" _Tentacle Grimm? SIGN ME UP!"_

"Huh, is something wrong?" Ruby asked, finally noticing that Pyrrha wasn't paying attention. She leaned over, but Pyrrha quickly hid her scroll, and the incriminating images.

"Nothing," she said, smiling brightly.

She didn't have the heart to tell Ruby she'd become a meme.

/-/

Winter Schnee stood at attention, flanked by fifty of her most trusted officers and colleagues, Specialists all, aligned in two columns, creating a corridor of bodies, their weapons held at their sides, ready but also in ceremonial position. She stood at the end beside Ironwood, in charge of all fifty but also adjunct to the General himself.

Such a display might normally have been reserved only for the arrival of a truly auspicious individual and would have been ceremonial at best – a way to show respect. Here, it was more literal than ever, and incredibly serious. Winter doubted she was the only one ready to not just jump at a shadow but murder it and its family.

If Jaune Salem Arc, Crown Prince of the Grimm, died on Atlas territory…

It didn't bear thinking about.

Winter did anyway, because her imagination was like that and there was nothing _else_ to think of. She could imagine Atlas in ruins, everyone dead or dying, the entire world doomed to follow. You know, everyday Thursday things.

God, Winter despised Thursdays…

"Are the snipers in position?" Ironwood asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Support teams?"

"All prepped to move at a moment's notice."

"Media?"

"I _leaked_ information that this meeting would happen on the plateau again. It'll take them hours to realise they've been duped."

Ironwood smiled. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Winter."

"Thank you, sir." Winter didn't begrudge Ironwood asking her the same questions three times over. He wanted to double and triple check everything, and quite frankly she'd gone and quintuple-checked everything beforehand as well. This was the kind of event that warranted it.

As for the media, well, it was a little undemocratic perhaps, but Winter would prefer to deal with the fallout from that, rather than the fallout from one of them insulting Jaune Arc and the Grimmlands. She had already taken the time to watch the interview with his dignitary to Vale earlier in the morning, along with Ironwood and the Council of Atlas. Once or twice, she could have sworn Ironwood was about to get up, _swim to Vale_ and punch one of those journalists in the face.

The questions were honest and warranted, yes, but did they not realise what the _impact_ of pushing the Grimmlands away from the table was? Yes, bad things had happened. Yes, they didn't trust them implicitly, but no, it was _not_ a good idea to send the message that peaceful diplomacy was the _wrong_ way for the Grimmlands to handle this.

"We're fortunate the Rose girl was so empathic," Ironwood said, "She lost her cool, but that saved the conference. It could have been much worse."

"Weiss would not have been so kind to them," Winter said.

She knew her sister well.

"Likely why she was not sent," Ironwood contemplated. "Sadly, I expect she will come here, which means we won't have the same safety net." He tapped his arm. "Are the snipers-?"

"They are in position."

"And if the order is given to fire on Jaune Arc?"

"They will ignore it," Winter said, "Knowing that it is a false order and that under no circumstances would you sign Atlas' death warrant in such a way."

Ironwood nodded. "Good, good. If there are any traitors in our midst, it would be an easy trick to pull."

"Sir, I would dive in front of the bullet myself if it means this day ends well."

"You'd have to beat me to it, Specialist."

Their smiles were wiped away as a dark shadow flew over the horizon. They knew it was no vehicle for how it moved, too low and too quickly. The soldiers readied themselves, but not for war. They prepared themselves to sell their lives in _defence_ of this Grimm if they had to. Hopefully, it would not come to that.

It would _not_ come to that. Winter would strangle anyone who so much as _looked_ at this the wrong way.

As for the Council. Well…

Winter would leave that in Ironwood's hands.

And pray.

There would be much praying.

It was not the first time she had seen the dragon, but time had a way of playing tricks on the mind. It was not quite as large as she recalled, though that was likely because it was in the air and not next to any buildings to better judge its height by. Also, it had appeared at Haven by literally storming out of the trees and roaring at them. Winter would dare anyone to objectively view such a beast at a moment like that.

It landed with surprising grace – which was to say not much at all. The pad shook violently, and metal creaked and groaned. It was still surprising, because the thing _looked_ like it might have been able to knock the school down by brushing up against it.

"I've a feeling the media will have by now realised their error," Ironwood whisper.

Winter did not snort, but rather smiled demurely.

More fool them.

A military photographer took pictures and video from behind them, ensuring that both she and Ironwood were in the shots. These would later be disseminated to the various news outlets of the Kingdom. No lies, no trickery, but angles designed to portray a meeting between equals. The photographer would also not shout out asinine questions that deserved a slap around the back of the head.

Jaune Arc had brought Weiss with him. He descended easily, stepping off the dragon's neck as it brought its head low. He then turned and offered a hand to Weiss, who took it with elegant poise and stepped onto a glyph that shimmered to life before her. One step became two and then three, as Weiss daintily stepped through the air itself.

 _Good poise, excellent control and a firm expression. Ten out of ten, sister._

Weiss then turned and patted the dragon's neck, saying something to it. The beast gurgled happily and sat back up, at _Weiss'_ command, not Jaune Arc's.

 _Eleven out of ten, Weiss. Well done._

No wait, she was supposed to be on Atlas' side. Hm, but they did look good beside one another. Had they not had confirmation of Arc's marital status, she might have thought Weiss his spouse. At the very least, she was his equal. A respected advisor. The Winter to her own Ironwood.

Winter would admit to being proud of her sister.

General Ironwood moved forward, Winter moving alongside but a step back. They travelled through the column formed by the soldiers and toward the dragon. Toward the Crown Prince and his advisor who had, against all odds, come along to meet with Atlas' council.

From anyone else, Winter might have called it arrogance.

Here, it was probably overkill.

"Jaune Arc," Ironwood said, extending a hand. "Atlas welcomes you."

"General Ironwood." Jaune took the other man's, sending a ripple of relief through those watching. "I thank you for arranging this on such short notice. You know my advisor, Weiss Schnee, of course."

Weiss stepped forward and curtsied. "General. It is good to see you again."

"You as well, Miss Schnee. You have done well for yourself. Certainly better than you were when we last met here."

"I did tell you I had plans, General."

"You did," Ironwood admitted. "I ought to have asked what those were. More fool me for remaining silent."

To be fair, Weiss _was_ a Schnee. Even if Winter was removed from the family, she still had a little of that Schnee determination in herself as well. When a Schnee wanted something, they would give everything they had to achieve it.

"You aided me at a time when I needed it, General. I won't forget that."

"Thank you." Ironwood looked to Jaune Arc and nodded. "If you would both follow me." With a turn, he led them down the column, who each stood at attention even if Winter saw them take sly peeks towards the future King of the Grimm. It was not everyday such a figure walked by you. "The Council's reaction to your decision to speak to them has been… mixed, to say the least. The overall sentiment is good. It proves that dialogue is something you seek. This has helped calm some of the more hot-headed individuals."

"But…?" Weiss asked.

"But," Ironwood admitted, "It has left some with an… arrogant state of mind."

Jaune caught on. "They think I'm showing desperation in coming to them."

"Yes." Ironwood cringed, and Winter did the same. It was absolute madness, but then people could be that stupid. Especially those who had never really set food outside of the city. It was easy to believe in the martial superiority of Atlas. The parades, shows and nationalism helped keep people calm, and when Grimm responded to negativity, that was a good thing. "Not many are like this, but there are some. I'd ask for your patience with them…"

Jaune smiled. "Believe me, General. I'm used to dealing with arrogant people. My mother and my sisters are… not always the humblest of people."

Weiss snorted, though she hid it in coughing into her fist.

"I think I'll be able to handle a few arrogant politicians."

"Without murder?" Ironwood requested.

"Without murder." Both Jaune _and_ Weiss rolled their eyes at that. "I've come to talk peace and save my fiancée. I don't intend to leave without both."

"One way or the other," Weiss grumbled.

If Ironwood was concerned, he hid it with expert grace. "The meeting will likely be broadcast across all of Atlas, perhaps even all of Remnant. While they're normally held in private, this is a little too… high profile to hope for the same. I doubt anyone missed your arrival."

Jaune Arc kept his eyes firmly ahead.

"I hope you're ready to present your case before all of Remnant."

His eyes closed.

He chuckled.

"Well, I'd better be, hadn't I?"

* * *

 **A focus on Ruby kicking butt in Vale, before switching to Atlas.**

 **No Ozpin or Ozma this chapter.**

 **Not much to say here as I'm still trying to finish up all our business work before the Christmas break-up period. It's amazing how much disruption two weeks off work provides, especially when you're trying to organise an event because your assistant quit in panic without doing any of it, despite claiming she was ahead of schedule.**

 **Yay!**

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 **Next Chapter: 6** **th** **December**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	95. Chapter 95

**Has still done no Christmas shopping. Panic time?**

 **As noted in other fics, I'll be having a week off at Christmas. This story will update on the 13** **th** **and 20** **th** **, but** _ **not**_ **on the 27** **th** **. It will continue normally from the 3** **rd** **January onwards. If in doubt, always refer to date at bottom of chapter.**

 **Troll still in reviews impersonating people. Ignore.**

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 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 95**

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"This is Lisa Lavender-"

"Political correspondents from across Remnant are tuned into-"

"Here with our resident expert to talk about-"

"-all watching the Atlas Council meeting with bated breath."

"News just in that the Crown Prince of the Grimm has arrived."

"But will it be peace, or empty words?"

"Bringing you up-to-date news-"

"Commenting live, as it happens-"

"But first, a message from our sponsors."

/-/

The Atlas Council chambers seemed designed in such a way as to intimidate anyone speaking in the centre. Rather than an open room with people at as equals, it more resembled a gladiatorial arena, circular in nature with numerous booths of varied height, an individual – sometimes two – sat in each.

The _ground floor_ was reserved for what seemed to be an equal mix of the media and Atlas soldiers, most of which stood at attention, backs against the wall. There was a small cordoned off area that news crews stood behind, filming silently. No reporters this time, likely to prevent their voices or questions speaking over the Council.

Of the Council itself, all were in attendance. There was a mixture of figures from the military, business and other backgrounds. Jaune wasn't sure which ones had voting power or how many – most had to be advisors – but there was certainly a lot of faces watching him from every conceivable angle. More than a few glared. He wasn't human to these people. Never human.

A part of him regretted coming but he steeled himself. Atlas would never make a decision otherwise, and the longer that happened without _him_ carrying through on his threat, the more people would realise he wasn't about to attack. A bluff only worked so long as it wasn't called.

Dealing with their hate would just have to be another part of that.

"Miss Schnee will have to stay here," Ironwood said once they were inside the council chambers. "She can watch and wait from the side, but if you want to address the council, then it has to be you doing so. The media… we couldn't hope to keep them out indefinitely. Better to have them here on their best behaviour. It would be worse otherwise."

"I'll be fine," Jaune lied. He shot Weiss a pleading look but there was nothing she could do. She nodded briefly back – a sign of belief, trust or just confirmation that he was totally screwed. It was hard to tell.

 _Mom never really prepared me for public speaking,_ he thought, looking out over those watching him. Conquest, parenthood, production of grandchildren, those things she put effort into, but the closest he'd ever had to formal speaking training was his dad's advice that all one needed was confidence. He couldn't tell if that fit here, but lacking anything else, he figured he could at least _pretend_ he was confident.

This was probably karma for dumping Ruby in front of everyone in Vale.

"Ahem," someone – a tall and wiry man in a fanciful uniform – coughed loudly, "Might the esteemed members of the Council of Atlas return to their seats as the session continues." He held a firm pose as the noise died down, Ironwood being the only one who had to return to his seat. Once the General was down, the man continued, "The Council of Atlas is now in session. The Council recognises Jaune Salem Arc," the man paused to wince, but through sheer force of effort managed to say, "The Crown Prince of the Grimm."

The title earned some noise, which was a little odd. Had they really not realised who he was? Jaune had assumed his face had been splashed across Remnant by now but judging from the surprise of some of the councillors, and the fear, such wasn't the case.

"General ironwood," one called, "What possessed you to bring a _monster_ into our august council chambers?"

"Diplomacy, Councillor." Ironwood's voice was stern and uncompromising.

"And since when do we negotiate with terrorists and Grimm?" The man, an overweight and red-faced figure with balding hair, slammed his fist down on the armrest of his chair. "We, the proud Kingdom of Atlas, who has stood at the forefront of the battle against the Grimm since history began, will not lower ourselves to speak to such a person as though we were equals. It is an affront against our nation, our people, our-"

"Atlas hasn't stood that long," Jaune interrupted.

The man froze. "What!? How dare you!"

"It's the truth. Atlas, if you include when you were Mantle, has only stood for a couple of hundred years. Around six or seven, I think." World history had been one of the few topics his mom taught him personally, mostly because she was old enough to remember it all. "Before then, you were called something else, and there have been _loads_ of Kingdoms before you, so it's not `since history began` but more _for a while_."

The Councillor who had spoken spluttered angrily, growing even redder in the face. He looked like he might explode from fury alone, but another interrupted in a calmer voice. The thin man's smile was neutral, his eyes lazy and his face long, like a Nucklelavee's.

"While that may technically be true, I think it misses the point of the Councillor's question. The `why` we should speak to you remains. Leaving aside the fact you are Grimm, you are also, I believe, only the _Prince_ of your so-called Kingdom."

"So-called?"

"It has hardly been officiated. The Grimmlands are considered wasteland. There is nothing of value there, let alone-"

"Actually," a new voice interrupted, "There is quite a bit of value there."

The man paused. "Jacques Schnee. You are not, I believe, a member of this Council."

"No. But Councillor Simmens asked me to stand in for him. As a good friend, I found the time to attend."

Jaune doubted very much it was a request from this Simmens person so much as one by Jacques himself, and he was sure everyone else was thinking the same. Ironwood rolled his eyes and a few others mumbled under their breath.

"Either way," Jacques continued, "The Grimmlands boasts some of the largest dust reserves in Remnant, and the SDC has already formed an agreement to help the Grimmlands mine it. As such, I'd say the Grimmlands holds much value."

"There are more important things than profit, Schnee."

"Not just profit, Councillor. You are, of course, aware that dust supplies are running out globally. It is becoming more and more difficult to extend further into territory ruled by the Grimm, and the populations of the Kingdoms are at breaking point. Dust prices have skyrocketed, and the White Fang's actions hardly helped. This is not as good for us as it sounds," Jacques explained, "After all, expensive dust is unaffordable dust."

"Agreeing to work with the Grimm," the large Councillor from before growled. "Have you no pride? Where is your patriotism? You're playing a dangerous game here, Jacques Schnee."

"I believe I will be fine, Councillor. After all, _I_ am not the one insulting the Crown Prince of the Grimm." To Jaune's surprise, Jacques nodded down towards him. "I have had the pleasure of speaking to your Uncle. Watts, I believe. An intelligent man. I believe he and I shall be working together to build a facility to mine and refine dust in your Kingdom."

No doubt thanks to Weiss. Jaune nodded back but said nothing.

"You over-extend, Mr Schnee," someone yelled, standing. "Making deals with rogue nations and unsanctioned bodies, let alone ones that threaten Atlas. That's treason!"

"My legal teams assure me it is not. If you would care to test them, however, then by all means, do so."

"This is a diversion from the main point of this meeting," the thin Councillor from before said, bringing things back in line. "We are not here to discuss the SDC's latest business dealings, whomever they might be with. We are here to discuss the aggression shown by the Grimm and how we might deal with it. And, of course, why the Council should consider giving in to the frankly _threatening demands_ of this individual."

"Threatening?" Jaune asked.

"You _have_ threatened to attack us, young man," he said condescendingly. The Councillor smiled towards the cameras, which were still running. "What would you call it?"

He was playing it up, Jaune realised. The news teams were broadcasting this all over Remnant, which meant _how_ he acted was just as important as anything he said or did. His first instinct was to shout at how unfair the Council was being, how immature after _they_ had attacked first.

But if he did, he'd look like a child.

That had to be what Weiss' stern expression was saying. _Remember what I've taught you. Be calm. Be in control. You are not Jaune Arc, student of Beacon. You are Jaune Arc, Crown Prince of the Grimm._

"I would call my response a measured and diplomatic one," Jaune said, with a calmness he didn't feel.

The Council laughed.

"Is that so?" the larger one said. "Oh my, how reasoned. Sending the Grimm, threatening us, making demands. Your words are nice and soft, but they ring hollow. You are nothing more than a bully and a brute using his strength to demand obedience. Atlas has stood against your kind since its inception. It will continue to do so."

There was a spattering of applause for the impassioned words. Jaune waited for it to die down, knowing that to try and speak now would just mean he'd be clapped over. He'd look like an idiot out of his depth.

Which he was, but still…

Once the applause was over, Jaune spoke, "I would still say that my actions were measured and diplomatic. However, that's more in context. My actions are _reactions_ , after all. Reactions to your aggressive attack on our home."

"That is not what is being discussed here," the wiry Councillor began.

"I think it is," Jaune interrupted. "You can't talk about our actions without talking about what prompted them." He kept one eye on the Councillor, the other on the newscasters, trying to judge their reactions. The cameras were all focused on him now. "We wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for Atlas sending an unmanned battleship to our home. If you hadn't attacked us, attempted to kill us, and kidnapped one of our own as a result. One that you continue to keep here as your prisoner."

The lead Councillor tugged at his collar and ran a hand over his brow. There wasn't much in the way of denying it, not without people asking just _how_ they'd come to have Yang as a prisoner if he tried.

"I think that if one Kingdom invaded another and kidnapped a family member from its leader, that the first Kingdom would go to war to win them back. I've come with words, though." Jaune let his hands fall to his side, showing that they were empty. No hidden weapons. "I think that speaks for my measured response. It's more than your own."

He doubted they'd accept that, of course. But Weiss had already told him that he didn't need to win over the council members. In fact, he probably couldn't. The trick was winning over the people watching this, who would then through weight of numbers force the hands of the Council itself. These were, for the most part, elected officials.

"We cannot have taken aggressive actions against you have, by your own admission, stayed hidden until now." The Councillor smiled cockily. "If we had known there were sentient individuals there, we would have naturally not taken such a course of action."

Sure. And the armada of AI-controlled killer robots had been a coincidence.

"Does that mean Atlas regrets the attack?" Jaune asked.

It was a challenge. If they said yes, it would imply weakness in Atlas, that they were as capable of mistakes as everyone else. On the other hand, if they said no then they'd come across as being unrepentant warmongers. The very thing they were trying to paint _him_ as.

After some near-silent deliberation, the man who Jaune had come to assume was the spokesperson for the Council answered. "The motivations for certain actions ought to be weighed on the basis of what knowledge was available. It's unfair to suggest Atlas regret the decision, when it was made – at worst – with innocence, and at best with respect and regard for all sentient life."

"But hindsight is twenty-twenty. You can comment on it now."

The man scowled, but quickly replied, "Had we known what we do now then, we would not have sanctioned the operation. I believe that is a fair and just answer."

A fair and just dodging of the question.

That was fine.

"In that case, you should be happy to release Yang Xiao-Long to me."

The man paused. "Excuse me?"

"You've said that the same decision wouldn't be made if you had the knowledge you do now, so that means that even if you don't regret it, you recognise that it was a course of action Atlas did not want to take. That's good news. It means you didn't intentionally declare war on us."

"There has been no formal declaration of war. That is true. Such an eventuality is one best avoided."

"I couldn't agree more," Jaune said. "Hence why I'm here. But now that you've basically established that this is all a huge misunderstanding, you can _prove it_ by releasing the girl that you _accidentally_ kidnapped."

"Ah." The Councillor froze, realising how he'd been trapped.

Jaune grinned viciously. That was their mistake, really. They'd probably thought he'd come here with huge aims, big dreams and all sorts of ridiculous concessions to try and force down their mouths. As such, they'd prepared for that. They'd worked to make Atlas look like the victim here, the victim of a misunderstanding, a simple mistake.

Well, that worked both ways.

"I'll be happy to call of the Grimm threatening Atlas if you do," Jaune went on breezily, talking more to the cameras and the public of Atlas than the Council. "An attack on us marks clear aggression, but I'm prepared to believe the Council if they say it was an error based on limited information. Perhaps _we're_ even to blame for staying hidden for so long. If so, I'll accept the fault for that as well. You can just hand over my wife and I'll return home. We can discuss other matters at a future date, but we can put all the current nastiness behind us."

Essentially, give him Yang and save everyone.

The Councillors would come out looking like heroes, the people would love them, Atlas would rest easy knowing that it was no longer under proverbial siege, and not a single shot would be fired.

All they had to do was give up their bargaining chip and prove to the world at large that the Crown Prince of the Grimm was a reasonable man who could be negotiated with, and who would always honour his promises.

Win-win for both sides. As long as the Council was being honest, which, obviously, they weren't.

"That is not a matter so easily covered-" the Councillor tried.

"I think it is," he interrupted, smiling pleasantly. "I mean, you just admitted that you didn't think there was any sentient life in the Grimmlands, which means you _coming back with_ someone who is sentient was a complete accident. A fluke. An unexpected result."

"Yes, but-"

"But what?" Jaune asked, feigning curiosity. "Is there a reason you _want_ to keep one of our citizens, my wife, prisoner? She's not one, is she? It would be very strange to accidentally find a person in an area you bombed and throw them in a cell. That would be… well, I'm not sure it would fit the rule of law."

"It would not," Jacques said softly. "I do not think I need to contact my solicitors to ask that."

"Mr Schnee, please be silent," the Councillor snapped. "Mr Arc, it is not quite that simple. The speci- Yang Xiao-Long is being kept not as a prisoner, but for her own protection. It is not quite as simple a matter as releasing her immediately."

"Oh?" Jaune let his left hand fall to his side, brushing away his frankly cumbersome royal cloak to reveal his sword. "And why is that? I'd have thought you'd be eager to let an innocent woman return to her family."

"That is… It is…" The man swallowed, eyes flicking between the cameras and his scroll. It seemed he was keeping up with the live news, and it presumably was turning against him. "I believe we should adjourn briefly to discuss the matter."

Jaune crossed his arms. "I don't think we should. I came here to get a decision. No more delays."

The man saw a chance to push the blame back onto him. "Is that a threat?"

"No. It's a promise. If you say my wife isn't a prisoner, then I want to see her. Now."

"That isn't-"

"If you say that isn't possible or a simple affair, I'll not be happy," Jaune said. "It's as simple as escorting her from wherever she is kept to here. We're already talking about her. I'm sure the Council – and the rest of Remnant – would like to hear _her_ words as well." He grinned and let his cloak fall back over his sword. "If you'd say no, I'd ask a specific reason why you can't. If I knew she was coming, though, I'd be happy to have a break until she's here. I won't make you all sit here while she's being escorted all this way, after all."

Time they'd use to scheme and try to find a way to turn this on him, but that was fine. Right now, he just wanted to make sure Yang was okay. Once he had her in front of him, he could try and push for more. Whatever happened, he wasn't leaving alone.

"I believe she can be brought here to speak," the Councillor finally surrendered, glowering at the thought of being made to give anything away. "General Ironwood, would you care to handle this? The Council will adjourn until she has arrived."

Ironwood nodded. He wore a small smile. "Of course, Councillor. I shall be back within the hour."

"Ahem." The one who had started it all, the crier who had remained silent, coughed once more. "By the instruction of the Council, this session is to be adjourned. Conference rooms shall be provided for those who desire them. Thank you."

Jaune nodded and stepped back towards Weiss, savouring the slow nod she gave him. He'd done well.

He knew it from how furious the Councillors were.

/-/

"Hey!"

She kept her eyes on the screen.

"Hey!"

Her teeth clenched together.

"Hey Cinder!"

Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

"Hey! Hey Cinder! Cinder, hey! Hey!"

Her patience snapped like an elastic band stretched several miles too far. Cinder whirled, eyes _quite literally aflame_ , and her fist on fire as well. "What, Tyrian?" she hissed. _Seethed_. "What could _possibly_ be bothering you so much that you must _pester_ me so!?"

Tyrian paused. He didn't flinch. The idiot wouldn't flinch if a Bullhead crashed into him.

Instead, he slowly tilted his head to the side. "Really? Well, I'm not sure I want to tell you if you're going to be this snappy."

"Snappy!?"

"Snappy, angry, pissy." Tyrian picked at his chin. "Take your pick."

Cinder drew in a deep breath in an effort to calm herself. It didn't do much of that. She let it go, deflating, cringing as Nicholas and Ozma – _bloody Ozma himself_ – looked their way. She ducked her head behind the couch, trying to avoid notice.

It was a _little_ strange being in the same house as a guy whose school you'd attacked.

Oh, and she'd murdered him.

Talk about awkward.

"Tyrian, you leapt out of a Bullhead that you were piloting, crashing it into the forest outside of Haven, robbing us of our only method of getting back to the Grimmlands," she hissed, keeping her voice low, "You left us with no way of getting back to society, seeing as we could hardly stay in Haven or go to Mistral after what happened with Lionheart!"

She fixed him with a piercing glare.

"As a result, we were forced to traipse through the wilderness for what _felt_ like weeks, cut off from hot food, running water, electricity and even Salem!"

"I am never cut off from my Goddess," Tyrian said, making a strange sign against his chest. "She is with me always."

"Well, _wonderful for you_!" she growled. "But that doesn't do much to forgive you for forcing me to go without hot water, proper food and electricity for a week and a half! And now you pester me? What do you have to say for yourself?"

Tyrian considered the question carefully.

"Is it your time of the month?"

"RARGHHHH!"

Tyrian dodged the fireball that would have killed him. It hit a potted plant instead, setting the shrub on fire.

"Cindy!" Nicholas rebuked. "Put that fire out right now, young girl."

Cinder cringed and did as asked. "My apologies."

"My apologies, what?" Nicholas prompted.

"My apologies, Nicholas."

A sigh. "You can call me father, you know. Or Dad."

No. No, she could not. Not and maintain any vestige of her pride. Tyrian, the unrepentant bastard, was grinning at her, clearly pleased to have landed her in trouble. He'd pay for that later, preferably when Nicholas wasn't looking.

"They're good kids, but so wild," he said.

"I'm not sure I would refer to them as children," Ozma said.

"It's all relative."

It really wasn't, but already being in the doghouse, Cinder wasn't about to argue.

Tyrian giggled. "I'll take that as a yes on the time of the month."

"You gods-damned idiot!" Cinder hissed. "And yes, sanitary tools were just one of the many luxuries I've had to go without thanks to your bumbling lunacy. You jumped out of a Bullhead you were piloting!"

"To be fair, you did that first," he pointed out.

"I WAS NOT THE PILOT!" Cinder winced again when Nicholas coughed. "Sorry, Nicholas."

"It's alright, sweetie."

Brr. Cinder shivered.

"And worse still, you cut me off from Salem and Jaune at a time when they needed me most," she whispered. "Now look what's happening!" She gestured to the screen. "World peace. World bloody peace. This is a travesty."

"It is," Tyrian agreed, "They should be bowing down in subservience, not thinking themselves equal."

"Not to mention I've half the maiden's powers and no idea what to do with them."

"Eh, I was never sure what we were doing with them anyway."

"W-What?" Cinder stared at him, open mouthed. "We were after the Relics, obviously!"

"Yeah, but… why? Our Goddess is already immortal. There was no one that could stop her. Literally the _only thing_ that could go wrong would be the four Relics being brought together, and only because those Gods would have come back and killed everyone." Tyrian rolled his eyes at what he considered `lesser gods` to his beloved Queen. "So, if that's the only thing that could stop her, why did _we_ want to gather them? We could have just left them where they were."

Cinder opened her mouth to immediately answer, and then closed it a second later.

"That's… well… it was more of a preventative measure," she said. "After all, we'd have been in trouble if Ozma or the humans gathered them."

"Yeah, but that would have still destroyed the world. I don't think they could call that a win. Besides, we literally only need _one_ maiden to stop that, yet you wanted go after the Spring Maiden, too. Not to mention probably the Summer and Winter ones after."

"Yes, and I'd have gotten her too if it wasn't for-" Cinder cut off quickly.

Tyrian had no mercy. "That meddling Jaune and his pet dragon?"

"I did not say that."

"You were about to."

"I can and will immolate you." She summoned a tiny flame to prove the threat, but snuffed it out when Tyrian opened his mouth, obviously about to tattle on her. "You're so immature," she hissed. "I shouldn't be here. I should be there, with him, or with Salem. I should be hunting down the maidens – and I don't care for how little that makes sense, damn it. Maybe I just want power. Maybe Salem just hates the word `maiden` and wants them all scrubbed out. Who even knows why Ozma made them in the first place. It's all nonsense!"

"I heard that," Ozma spoke up. "And I've made many mistakes." He coughed in embarrassment. "Not all were of the deep and meaningful kind. Some were just… well, mistakes…"

"You thought giving superhuman powers to four girls with the proviso that it would randomly pass on to the last person they were thinking of when they died, was a good idea?" Nicholas asked. "And you put an age limit in of thirty for some reason?"

"It made sense at the time."

"How?"

Ozma waved his hand evasively. "You really had to be there to understand."

"And what is _he_ doing here at all?" Cinder yelled, losing her patience once more. This time when Nicholas frowned at her, she shook her head. "No, I'm not being dramatic. He is the _literal_ enemy. He shouldn't be playing chess with the Queen of the Grimm's husband."

"Cinder, my son is making steps towards peace. Shouldn't we do the same?"

"NO!" She stomped a foot down. "W-What am I supposed to do? I can't just _stop_ doing what I've been doing. What would be the point of it?"

Nicholas thought for a moment. "You could become a musician?"

Cinder almost pulled her hair out in frustration.

This was a travesty. A tragedy. Their plans, her plans, Salem's plans, they were all… Jaune was killing them all. And here she was, stuck in Ansel, hundreds of miles away, unable to do a damn thing about it other than watch it on the television, pout and try to find creative ways to murder Tyrian without getting in trouble for it.

After that? She wasn't even sure. If Salem had her way, she'd no doubt be married with children before the decade was out.

Was it too late to get lost in the wilderness again?

/-/

"Be honest," Jaune requested.

"It was _okay_ ," Weiss said, being as brutal as requested. "You _did_ come across a little forward at times, and your language definitely didn't hold up to theirs, but maybe that would work in your favour. You sounded more common."

"Not fancy enough?"

"Essentially. However, that may endear you to the masses. It's hard to say. I believe you managed to get the crux of our point across, that their incarceration of Yang is unlawful. You managed to force their hand as well, which is an overall net positive."

Jaune reclined in the seat provided and sighed. "I'm sensing a but here."

"But," Weiss confirmed, "You need to be aware that this isn't over by any means. Even if they free Yang, we're still trapped in the middle of Atlas. If they decide we are war criminals, they can act to have us arrested or, if we resist, gunned down."

He gripped the armrest. "They can try…"

"They can, and they might. And we might escape, and they might suffer great losses, but all of that is going to work against you in the long run, even _if_ none of us are killed. Murdering one's way out of a Kingdom does not a family-friendly image present."

Ugh. Right. Jaune groaned and took his hand off his sword. Really, it felt like ages since he'd been able to swing it around. There was a subtle irony in him being one of the most physically powerful people around, but constantly being trapped in situations where brute strength or tentacles wouldn't _fix_ anything.

"The public opinion so far seems to be mixed – which I realise I've said a lot, but mixed is good, especially considering that the _knee-jerk_ reaction was fear, hatred and anger. There are a lot of people who still don't know whether they can trust you or not, but the comments here are… I suppose you'd say, sympathetic. Even if they don't necessarily like you, they're asking why Atlas thought it was a good idea to poke the rapier wasp's nest and draw your ire. There's also a lot of relief going on, which ought to put some pressure on the Council to play ball with Yang's freedom."

It all sounded good, but Jaune listened and didn't interrupt. Weiss was giving him the good as well as the bad, and she knew a lot more about politics than he did.

"Good is not perfect, however, and the Council is going to try and work it around. Change it to their favour. Your main goal should be to avoid them finding a case to present you as the villain, in simple terms. Continue to portray yourself – and Yang – as wholesome individuals, and they'll struggle to paint you as the bad guys."

"Even though most people hate the Grimm?"

"Neither you nor Yang have much in the way of characteristics that make you look like Grimm. If you have in with your transformed state, I imagine it would be bad. But the average person hasn't seen this, and all they can see is a young man who looks a little stupid, but nice enough, who is trying to rescue his girlfriend."

"Stupid but nice enough?"

Weiss shrugged. "You asked me to be brutally honest."

"About my speaking, Weiss. Not my face…"

"My apologies." She didn't sound sincere. "Either way, Yang is going to be an issue there. Her arm-"

"Our son."

"Your son," she amended, "Is not… subtle…"

"And Yang is?"

"No. Neither of them are. That is my concern. Well, it's not one we can plan for since they won't let us see her before she arrives. Just be prepared to step in to make sure she doesn't get angry, say anything she shouldn't or… well, act like herself."

"You're acting like she's a ticking time bomb."

Weiss raised an eyebrow.

"Okay. Point taken."

A knock on the door interrupted them. It opened a moment later, presenting a face Jaune had neither expected nor really wanted to see. Weiss neither, judging from her quickly-concealed frown.

"May I?" Jacques Schnee asked, not even waiting for a response before he let himself in and moved for a chair.

"Sure," Jaune said, equally needless. He didn't know the man but knew enough about him from Weiss. Little good. Then again, he _had_ been a help. "Thank you for your words in the council chamber," he said. Gratitude where it was due. "I didn't expect you to be there."

"You're not the only one," Jacques said with a chuckle. "I had to call in a favour to attend, and quite a costly one. Still, I would not miss this for all the dust in the Kingdom. This is a pivotal moment in Remnant's history, a defining instance. It is important we all play a part."

"To ensure the SDC and the Schnee family comes out on the _right side_ of this moment," Weiss drawled.

"Indeed." Jacques showed no shame at being called out for such self-serving aims. Perhaps he felt it was not something to _be_ ashamed of. "We are not followers, Weiss. You know this. You were the leader of your team, and now an advisor to the young prince here, as is Winter to General Ironwood. Even away from the family, a Schnee is still a Schnee."

Weiss hummed something that could have, if one were being generous, been taken as agreement. Jacques certainly took it as that, though that might have been his own particular brand of narcissism. If he truly believed he could do no wrong, then Weiss disagreeing with him must surely be a fallacy.

"Weiss has been a great aid," Jaune said diplomatically. "I wouldn't be where I am now without her."

"Good. I'm pleased you know where praise is due. It does no good to rule over those beneath you with _too_ hard an iron fist. Sometimes, the carrot is needed as much as the stick."

Jaune grimaced. "Yeah…"

"That said, I think my daughter has a lot more to offer."

Jaune paused. "She does?"

Weiss' eyes narrowed. "I do?"

"A wise leader often needs a tempering hand to stop them, someone to offer advice and caution, to help tame reckless decisions."

"That's what Weiss does already."

"I was thinking something of a more personal nature," Jacques said.

Weiss appeared to choke on her breath.

Jaune was puzzled. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"May I speak frankly?" Jacques asked.

"N-No," Weiss wheezed.

"Sure," Jaune said.

"I am suggesting a marriage proposal."

Weiss gurgled.

Ah. Jaune had been accused of being an idiot on more than one occasion – and would admit to most of those cases – but he was fairly sure he had Weiss' thoughts on _that_ proposal right. Which was to say that if he did anything other than turn it down, he'd have his spinal column replaced with a dust rapier.

"Mr Schnee, I'm already married." Or not, really, but it was something he'd considered, and he and Yang were dating. "I'm committed," he amended. "Weiss is a lovely woman. She's beautiful, graceful and-"

Weiss' expression said that if he didn't dial back the compliments, she would _eviscerate_ him.

"-but I'm taken. I'm happy with Yang."

"Yes," Weiss said, coughing. She was a little red in the face, though the smart man's lien would have been on it being anger over embarrassment. "There you have it, father. It simply wouldn't work out. A Schnee is not a homewrecker."

"Weiss need not be," Jacques said, ignoring his daughter altogether. "It's not unusual for a King to take multiple wives, or concubines. A ruler needs a wise hand at his side. Weiss can be all that and more."

"Since _when_ is it not unusual to take more wives?" Jaune asked hysterically. " _Where in Remnant_ is that a thing?"

"Menagerie."

"That's… not entirely accurate." And Blake would have clawed the man's face off for suggesting such an ignorant thing.

"It's not something unseen in history and, as you said, the Grimmlands is a very old Kingdom. No one could argue if you had certain customs that you follow, even if those may appear unusual to other people."

"I'm sorry, sir. I'm not making up a law to marry your daughter."

"Think it over," Jacques said with a little smile. "Talk about it. I'm sure Weiss will win you over in time." He let out a breath and placed his hands on the armrest. "Until then, I really must go. Know that the Schnee family supports your endeavours and will aid you as we can. In turn…"

"The Grimm will avoid your mining operations," Jaune promised.

"Thank you. It's a pleasure to do business with you."

Jacques let himself out with just a little too smug of a smile. No doubt he would boast later of how he single-handedly protected the SDC and all its assets from not only the White Fang, but the Grimm as well. The worst part was that it wouldn't necessarily be an incorrect statement, even if it was more Weiss' achievement than his.

Speaking of Weiss…

"So…"

"No," Weiss growled. "We will not speak of this."

He swallowed. "Understood."

"I will not be _winning you over_ , and you will not make mention of this to Yang, Ruby or Blake." Weiss eyes narrowed, and she rounded on him. "And _certainly_ not your mother! If she hears, she'll have the law set in place before the night is out!"

"I won't tell anyone. Promise!"

Weiss fixed him with a deadly stare to test if he'd waver. Whatever she saw in his eyes, she accepted with a grunt. "Good. Bad enough I had to pretend to be your girlfriend. I will not become your wife. Not after what it's gotten Yang."

"Hey, that's unfai-"

Another knock on the door.

"Oh, for crying out loud," Jaune groaned. "I swear, this better not be someone _else_ trying to convince me to marry their daughter."

When the door cracked open, Jaune's heart froze. "Not quite," an ominous voice said, "Though it's funny you should mention marriage and daughters. So funny. HA. HA!" Taiyang Xiao-Long _spoke_ the words. He did not laugh them. "Marriage, daughters and pregnancy. Very interesting. Very."

At Taiyang's feet, a tiny bundle of grey fur growled threateningly.

Weiss stood. "I believe I need to use the restroom. Don't let me keep the two of you."

"Weiss, no!" he hissed. "Teams stick together!"

"When nature calls, Jaune, it calls." Weiss glanced at the furious huntsman and winced. "Right now, it's calling."

She fled.

Jaune winced.

"Fuck me…"

* * *

 **So, I'm not expecting this to end before Christmas anymore. I** _ **am**_ **expecting it to end in January, so not much further on. Just me realising that there's only a few weeks left and a few threads to iron out. Still not prepared. Panic now? I think so, yes.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 13** **th** **December**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	96. Chapter 96

**Here's the chapter. Next chapter will be the last one of 2018, with a week break. As usual, consult the dates at the bottom.**

 **Really feel like I need that week off, as some of my stories are... I don't know. Maybe it's just me, but I want to take a week to look at them and make sure they're still on the right track. Either way, I'm hoping the break will let me come back refreshed and more eager, which ought to lead to some higher quality.**

 **Troll still in reviews, bla bla, ignore him.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 96**

* * *

Ruby, Pyrrha decided, was either the worst or the best manipulator she had ever seen.

She might be the worst because here they were, in front of the Council of Vale, and Ruby was chatting animatedly, waving her hands and acting every bit her age. The Council were obviously unimpressed, with some looking down their noses at her entirely. She might have been the best because she was somehow getting what she wanted despite – and, Pyrrha was beginning to suspect, _because_ – of it.

"Forgive me if I must say, but you're awfully young to be an ambassador, Miss Rose." The woman who had spoken smiled. "May I call you Ruby?"

"Sure!"

"Wonderful." Her face dripped with false sincerity. She was not an ugly woman, but rather had the beauty of a middle-aged woman who valued her looks and was trying too hard to cling into them as she aged. The make-up alone was a little too thick, and her facial expressions never quite moved far enough for fear of cracking it. "I'm sure you understand our concern, Ruby. You're so young, as is this Crown Prince. We don't want there to be any confusion, or for things to be decided too quickly. Can you really speak for him?"

The other members of the Council listened, a few whispering to one another. Pyrrha caught the gist even if she didn't get the exact words. The Council was humouring them, practically treating them like children instead of the ambassadors they were.

It was infuriating.

Ruby had to have seen it. Being younger and often underestimated, her partner was hyper-sensitive to the issue in Beacon, so she didn't believe for a second that Ruby hadn't caught on. That was what surprised her; that Ruby wasn't complaining.

Was she planning something?

"Jaune and I are best friends," Ruby cheered. "He trusts me, and whatever I say."

"Is that so…?"

"Yep!"

"That must be quite the responsibility at your age. How do you manage?"

Ruby giggled. "I drink a lot of milk."

Pyrrha's eyes narrowed. Okay, no way was Ruby acting like that. At least not normally. If it wasn't for her happy smile and cheerful demeanour, Pyrrha would have almost called that response… sarcastic.

 _Again, she's either the best or worst at this I've ever seen…_

The problem was that Pyrrha didn't know which it was.

"Jaune wants to make peace between the Grimmlands and Vale because of Yang and I, because we live here and don't want to see our home destroyed."

 _Actually, I'm pretty sure Jaune always wanted this,_ Pyrrha thought. It had nothing to do with Ruby and Yang at all, though now that Ruby had _said that_ , the Council was looking at her with more than a little awe.

Awe, and a side helping of consideration.

Two of the Councillors began to whisper to one another. The message was passed on, the second nodding quickly and typing something down on their scroll, which they showed to a third. Pyrrha kept her seat, despite wanting desperately to know what was being said.

Ruby, meanwhile, continued to act like an oblivious fifteen-year-old and smiled at the woman so obviously manipulating her.

"That's amazing, Ruby. Your father must be proud of you."

"I hope so."

"I'm sure he is." Another insincere smile. "When you say you `have his trust`, however. Do you mean that you can… ah… _influence him_ in certain directions?"

Ruby paused to touch her lips. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"Does he listen to your advice?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Often?"

"Pft. All the time. If I have an idea, Jaune always listens. Me and Yang, we're kind of his ideas people. I mean, I had this idea to take all the dust that grows in the Grimmlands and mine it, because dust is expensive, and everyone needs it."

That had been Weiss' idea, though not exactly a genius one. They'd _all_ seen the value of solid dust growing out the ground.

The Councillors, however, were suitably impressed, and intrigued. "So, if we had an idea on how Vale and the Grimmlands could have – ah – profitable interactions, you would be the one to talk to?"

Ruby nodded. "Sure."

"Interesting." The woman looked like a predator now, though thankfully not of the sexual variety. She was looking at Ruby as if she were the source of all knowledge, or at least wealth and power. "Maybe we could discuss how Vale fits into that in a little while. The Crown Prince, he studied for a while in Beacon, didn't he?"

"It's how we met," Ruby confirmed.

"Would you say he enjoyed his time in Vale?"

"Definitely! We went out all the time, shopping, walking around – he loved the stores here, and the people. I'd say Vale was his favourite place outside the Grimmlands."

The naked praise did what it had to, not only calming the Council members but also earning pleased smiles and back pats from them – as if it were _they alone_ who had presented this fantastic image of the city to the prince.

"That's good to hear. Perhaps the Prince would like some souvenirs from your time in Vale," the woman suggested, looking to her fellows. They quickly nodded. "It's not unusual for diplomats to be shown around the city. How about we go shopping and talk about a couple of ideas we had, and concerns, in a more casual setting?"

Ruby's eyes lit up. "That sounds great. I bet Jaune would just _love_ some comics – and some weapon mods. He loves weapon mods," she added in a staged whisper.

 _You're the one who likes weapon mods,_ Pyrrha thought suspiciously.

"I'm sure a few could be arranged."

Ruby smiled happily.

Pyrrha wondered if she realised what they were trying, just how much the Council was manipulating her. Fancy gifts, tours, shopping trips, all bribes to try and win Ruby over, to make it so that anything they suggested would be more likely to reach Jaune's ears.

Ruby slowly turned to Pyrrha, grinned even wider, and winked once.

Or, on the other hand… The Council thought they were manipulating her, but Ruby was letting them bribe her into doing what she already wanted. If that was true, who was manipulating whom? And where had Ruby learned to be so devious?

 _Oh wait, she's a younger sister. Maybe it comes naturally._

And, as an added benefit, if the Council were underestimating Ruby this badly, they wouldn't bother trying to be subtle about it, meaning Ruby could see every little trick coming. Pyrrha could only watch as the Council rubbed their hands together, congratulating one another at pulling one over the naïve little girl the Grimmlands had decided to send forward.

All the while, Ruby's innocent smile grew.

"You're scary when you try, Ruby."

"I've got no idea what you're talking about, Pyrrha."

/-/

Jaune stared death in the face. Death looked remarkably blond, tanned and angry. It also came with a dog instead of a scythe.

"So," Death said. "Marriage, huh? My daughter, huh?"

"Look, it's not what you think."

"You're damn right it's not," Taiyang said, closing the door none-too-gently behind him. The corgi at his feet growled threateningly. "Because I'm thinking that my daughter's boyfriend turned out to be a Grimm, dragged her off to who knows where and knocked her up, then married her without me being invited. But that would be ridiculous, right?"

"Y-You're acting like the last part is the worst."

Taiyang's hand slammed down on the table. "Start talking, kid."

"Technically, I'm the Crown Prince of the Grimm and-" Taiyang's glare intensified, "W-We're not actually married!"

The personification of fatherly rage paused. "What?"

"We're not actually married."

"Explain."

"We're dating still, nothing has been agreed yet – and she's not pregnant. Technically."

"Technically?" Taiyang sounded sceptical, but the aura of rage diminished somewhat. He drew out a chair but didn't sit down. He leaned his arms on the backrest. "I think you better tell me what you mean by `technical`, and don't miss anything out. My baby girl is trapped in the middle of some of the most complicated shit this side of the moon. I am _not_ in the mood for games."

That much was obvious. Jaune tensed, but quickly ran through the story for Taiyang's benefit, missing nothing out, including Yin. Through it, the man stood silent. The corgi less so. It had started to nip at his feet and was right now hanging from his cloak, tugging it back and forth to try and rip it.

"So, my daughter has a Grimm parasite?"

"I-It really is as good as a child. It has both our DNA and was born from us, in a sense." When Taiyang's eyes narrowed, Jaune quickly said, "I did it to help protect her! She'd lost her arm and I just _knew_ she'd come looking for us despite that. Would you have had me leave her to do so with just one arm?"

"No," Taiyang admitted with a sigh. "But I'd have had you tell me first."

"That I was part-Grimm!?"

"Okay, I can see why you wouldn't want to do that. I don't like this, kid. Not gonna lie. The arm I could get used to. So long as it's a part of her and not harming her. But everything else, I get that you said you were engaged to make Atlas let her go, but that hasn't worked."

"I know." Jaune sighed. "I really thought they would, too. I mean, they can't actually fight us…"

"It's not about what can and can't be done. It's about perception. You're dealing with politicians. If they're seen to give in to you, they lose respect and votes. Atlas has made its name on resisting the Grimm, on being the `last line of defence for humanity`." He snorted. "As if the rest of us don't even exist. For the most part, they're just arrogant. Believing their own hype."

"What does that have to do with us?"

"It matters because they genuinely believe they can fight you off."

"That's ridiculous."

"It is. But I didn't say the military thinks it can win, nor the Generals. They know the truth. It's the average person who doesn't. When negativity can summon more Grimm, it's in the Government's interest to make sure people don't dwell on it. So, they feed the lie that Atlas is invincible, that it's unbeatable. They hold parades, air shows, and make a point of how their military is the biggest and the strongest in Remnant."

"The average person buys it," he continued, "Because what do they know? Most of them haven't even _seen_ Grimm face-to-face, let alone seen what they can do. All they know is what people tell them and Saturday cartoons show them. As far as they're concerned, you're here because you're desperate. Not the other way around."

Jaune's mouth fell open. He wasn't sure for a moment whether Taiyang was joking or not, but as the seconds ticked on, he began to realise the man was being serious.

" **The arrogance of humans,"** Remy chuckled. **"It never surprises."**

There really was no other way to put it. Stupidity, maybe, but then that sounded worse. He could understand the people who never left the city not knowing what it was like for the villages that would be swallowed up by the Grimm each month, but they should have at least known their history.

" **History is made and told by people. Who do you think Atlas' historians paint as the glorious defenders?"**

"B-But the politicians have to know better. _They_ have the benefit of the military's reports – and surely they know Atlas can't stand."

"You'd hope so. Problem is, if they cave, the people will be pissed."

Jaune leaned forward. "If they don't cave, they'll be annihilated!"

"Better to die a lion than live a sheep."

"Who says that!?" Jaune cried.

"People who have never faced death and seen what it's like," Taiyang said. "Trust me, I think they're idiots, but that's life for you. The politicians only stay in power so long as they do what the people think is right. They can push their own agenda on the side, but right now they're stuck between a rock and a hard place. They know they should give in to you, but if they do so freely, the people will rebel. They'll be voted out or thrown out. Whichever comes first." He shrugged one shoulder. "Hell, I bet most of them back there _want_ to give you Yang. It's just that they can't. Their hands are tied."

"Tied by what, greed?"

"Mostly."

"And the destruction of Atlas is worth them holding their positions?"

"For some of them, they'd rather see the world end than them be kicked out. They probably think they could escape, maybe flee to Vale and hide there. They're rich and powerful, after all. Most of them have their own entourage of guards."

"They wouldn't escape if I didn't want them to," he said, thinking of Kevin.

"Probably not. But the truth is, you're not going to go ahead with the attack, are you?"

Jaune stiffened. The man opposite him looked so knowing, so confident, that it was hard to speak for a moment. "I'm not sure what you mean. I'm here, aren't I? The Grimm are waiting outside. If I wasn't going to go ahead with it, why would they be there?"

"A bluff."

"You willing to take that risk?"

"Yes."

Zwei growled angrily as the two stared silently at one another.

"I may not know you all that well, but I know Yang and Ruby," Taiyang said. "I raised them, alone for a long time, so I know what they're like. Yang wouldn't fall for someone who would do something so cruel, and Ruby sure as hell wouldn't stand by and let it happen, let alone take part. You make it look convincing, but I know they wouldn't let you start a war."

Jaune tried to maintain eye contact but was forced to look away. Taiyang had him.

"Not that it's a bad thing by any means. I think Summer would approve of you, for all that she'd kick your ass for not introducing yourself properly to us first." He laughed at some distant memory. "All things considered, I suppose I can't say Yang chose poorly. Any guy willing to take on the world and change it for my girl is one who has his priorities straight."

He was surprised to find the words meant more to him than he'd thought they would. "I… Thank you. About Yang, though. If you say the Council of Atlas _can't_ give up, then what am I supposed to do?"

"The way I see it, you've got two choices. You can either compromise, accept some defeat and let them think they've won something back from you in exchange for Yang."

" **I don't like that idea."** Remy said.

"Or you can push – show the people that they're not invincible, that they _should_ take what little you're willing to give them. That you're serious with your threats. More serious than you are now."

" **I like this idea."**

Jaune didn't like either.

The compromise was bad because he knew what they'd want – someone to blame and punish. It might be Salem, but it might be him, Yang or even all three of them. If Atlas wanted to come out as the `winners`, then that meant there had to be a loser.

On the other hand, attacking brought its own risks, not least of all was Yang, but also the fact that the other Kingdoms would see it as an aggressive move. Ruby was in Vale and they already had their deal with Menagerie, all of which might be put in peril if he made a move like that.

Still, if Taiyang was right, doing nothing was just as bad an option. It would only take time for people to realise he wasn't making good on his threat, to start to realise it _was_ just a threat. From there, they'd demand more, or deny him entirely. On the global side of things, being seen as afraid to act was probably going to be just as bad as being violent.

Jaune groaned and palmed his face. "I hate politics."

"You're not the only one, kid. There's that saying about how a mob is only as smart as its dumbest member. Politics is that except scaled up. Individuals deciding policy that affects hundreds of thousands, based on the opinions of people with no expertise or experience in said matters."

"You sound like you don't like the system."

"Do I? If so, it's only because it looks bad now." Taiyang laughed. "Don't get me wrong, democracy like this is the best way to do things. But that doesn't make it perfect. Nothing is." He winked. "Even Summer had faults that drove me up the wall at times, even if I loved her. I'm sure you'll find some for Yang in time."

"I think I already know them. Her temper for one…"

"Ah. She gets that from me."

Jaune was surprised. "Not Raven…?"

"Raven was quick to anger but tended to seethe. The whole flying out of control thing, yeah, that's mine." He laughed, embarrassed to admit it. "Anyway, I should go." Taiyang stood slowly and whistled. Zwei, who had already managed to scale up near Jaune's neck, paused before he could go for the jugular.

The dog whined.

"He passes the test, Zwei. Leave him be."

Zwei gave a forlorn look to Jaune's throat, as if to ask whether he could maybe just take a little bit – as a souvenir.

"No, Zwei. Down."

The dog murmured in obvious distress but did so, jumping off Jaune's shoulder and landing easily on the floor. It scuffed its feet three times, as if to wipe the dirt off his paws, and then trotted over to his master.

"Good luck with Yang," Taiyang said. "And with the Council. Think on what I said, yeah? It's all well and good to play niceties, but nice people get run over. It's a cruel fact of life. Those willing to get their hands a little dirty. They tend to do better."

His wisdom imparted, Taiyang left the room with a last little wave.

His head popped back in.

"Oh, and when the wedding _legitimately_ happens, make sure I'm invited. Or you die."

The door slammed shut.

 _Well, I survived that,_ he thought, rubbing his head. Of all things today, Yang's dad had actually been the easiest. Or at least the most reasonable. _If only the Council was like him. Ironwood was right to try and keep me away from here. They're idiots._

Maybe not idiots as in stupid, but idiots in that they were classing their careers as more important than their people. Sure, the public might not thank them for making a deal, but if it was for the best, then that was that, right?

" **Isn't that reasoning what you mother used? It was for the best that you never attended Beacon…"**

" _That's… not the same. Is it?"_

Remy didn't respond. He didn't have to.

It wasn't quite the same, but it was close enough that he could understand it. The people were like him when he was younger, only tangentially informed, naïve and optimistic. They wanted what was best, but not knowing all the details, that image of `best` was skewed from reality.

For all that he'd done well in Beacon, his mom hadn't been wrong. Going to where Ozpin was and living under him had been a huge risk. One mistake and he might have died. It had worked out, but that didn't mean she'd been wrong to tell him it was a bad idea.

He'd rebelled against it, though. As the public might if the Council of Atlas made that same decision.

"Shit… they really don't have a choice, do they?"

Damn it. He hadn't wanted to feel sympathy for them.

" **Might I make a suggestion?"**

"Go for it. Right now, I'm desperate."

" **You were trained by some of the most devious minds to become the ultimate ruler of the Grimm. You might have decided that you want peace, but that doesn't make those lessons worthless. Watts taught you to plan. Cinder taught you to deceive. Hazel taught you to be patient, and Tyrian… Tyrian taught you things we agreed to never speak of."**

"Never," Jaune agreed, shivering.

" **Anyway, my point is that for all their faults, those four were able to topple some of the biggest enemies they faced. Cinder alone could have taken down Beacon but for your interference."**

"She could have…"

" **And you, Jaune, were essentially tutored by her."**

"I was."

Jaune's eyes narrowed.

"I guess it's time I showed a little of that."

/-/

Yang was surprised when the soldiers came and told her to follow them. Surprised and a little pissed – though she didn't think she could be blamed for the latter. She hadn't seen proper sunlight in over a week, nor felt the fresh air, and the brief bit of both she got as she was bundled into the back of an unmarked vehicle hardly felt like enough. They slapped a pair of cuffs on her, though even then they didn't put their weapons away.

As their car pulled out onto the road, others came both in front and behind, forming a small convoy.

"So, you going to tell me where we're headed?" she said to the nearest guard.

He didn't respond.

"Tch. Silent treatment, huh? Guess that goes to show how good Atlas' hospitality is."

She hadn't expected any better, but the silent treatment chafed. They still hadn't really told her _why_ she was being kept prisoner. Well, other than being in cahoots with the Grimm. It was something worthy of being imprisoned, but they hadn't come out and said that, and from what she'd heard, they weren't about to.

So, what right did they have to keep her imprisoned?

" **I could snap these things, mom."** Yin said. She felt her right arm twitch and stiffen under his control.

Yang smiled as a rush of pride and affection came over her. _"It's fine, sweetie. You don't have to. Best not to scare them."_

" **Ugh. Okay. I don't like being trapped here, though…"**

" _Neither do I. Stay strong. It won't be for long."_

She'd be getting out one way or another. If it wasn't because Atlas was letting her go, it'd be because she was getting the hell out of that room. Only question was how many people were trying to get in her way. Would have been handy if she had a Semblance like Raven's.

The journey by car took a good twenty-five minutes, all of it spent in awkward silence as three men watched her at all times and she sat with her eyes closed, unwilling to look back. It was when muffled conversation and shouting outside grew louder that she realised she was reaching her destination, whatever it might be.

A hysterical part of her wondered if it was her execution. The people shouting certainly seemed angry enough for that.

When the door opened, Yang was hauled out by her arm – her human arm – and had a white Atlas coat thrown over her. Not _on her_ but over her head and shoulders, hiding her face from view. There were people all around her, flashes and snaps of what were probably cameras, and questions thrown her way at such speed that they all merged into one garbled mess.

A hand pushed in the middle of her back, telling her to move.

"Where?" she hissed, defiant.

"Forward." Another push. "Keep moving. Don't try anything."

"What am I going to try? Ow!" Yang stumbled a little as her foot caught the back of her heel when the man pushed her. She caught herself with her cuffed hands on the floor. "Oi, watch it. I can't see anything with this coat over my head. Don't be so pushy."

The guards, losing their patience, moved to take one of her arms each, not dragging her per se, but leading her by the elbows so that she couldn't mess up. They stepped through what had to be a large door of some kind, because she heard it close behind her and heard the voices diminish. They continued on for another minute or two while Yang tried to get a grip from where they were based on the marble floor and occasional door she glimpsed.

 _Is this a courthouse of some kind? Am I on trial?_

If so, Dad would freak, since she hadn't been provided a lawyer or anything of the sort. She didn't even know what she was going to be charged with. Treason, maybe. Could you charge someone for treason if they weren't from the country? She had no idea.

They stepped through another door – and this one led into a room that was quiet not because no one was present, but a _hushed_ kind of silence. Something that wasn't silent at all, but was rather filled with awkward shuffling, quiet coughs and the nervous creaking of chairs.

The coat was drawn back from her face.

The first thing Yang thought was, _that's a lot of people,_ as she looked out over the various important-looking people sat in a circle around her position. The second thing she noticed, because really, he was practically twenty feet away, was Jaune.

He'd changed.

Not physically, at least not much in the week or two they'd been apart, but the look of him – his outfit especially – was different. Gone was the baggy hoodie over blue jeans. Gone were the trainers, the fingerless gloves and the goofy piece of armour. In its place, tailored clothes of pure black that moulded to his body, straight-legged trousers and a buttoned-up top that looked like it was straight out of some military fantasy.

His boots were the same colour of black, shiny and reaching up to mid-shin. They were embossed with something, as was his belt, from which his sword hung in full display. Over one shoulder, pushed back to let him have a free sword arm, was a long and flowing cloak a rich maroon in colour.

Jaune's eyes met hers, dark blue and piercing. The frown was also new, though not – she thought – reserved for her, but rather the people who had taken her.

" **Dad!"** Yin cried happily.

" _Shit, I'd call him daddy."_

" **Huh? I don't understand."**

" _I-I'll explain when you're older,"_ Yang thought, stammering slightly. But still, damn. If he thought he was going back to the ripped jeans and hoodies, he was sorely mistaken. _"And I think I underestimated his mom's fashion sense. Wow."_

"Introducing, Yang Xiao-Long-Salem-Arc," a pompous individual called.

Yang tilted her head to the side. That… was new.

"The Crown Princess of the Grimmlands."

Say what now?

"And the bride of Jaune Salem Arc, Crown Prince of the Grimmlands."

"What!?" Yang cried.

Her words were quickly overwhelmed by Jaune's booming voice. "Why is my fiancée shackled?"

Yang froze. She'd never heard Jaune shout, not properly. His voice carried with a hidden anger she wasn't entirely sure was faked, and it certainly silenced the people in the room, herself included. It was so sudden that she didn't even think to question just what he'd called her.

" _Fiancée…?"_

" **You're getting married. Yes!"**

" _How do you know what a fiancée or marriage is, but not some other things!?"_

And oh Gods, she was blushing. No, no, no. Not good.

In the silence Jaune left behind, he strode forward, covering the distance between them in a few short seconds. One of his hands reached out – and she noticed he wore black gloves as well – to settle on the manacles between her hands. He gripped them tight and yanked brutally, shattering the links in one go. Yang didn't think anyone else would have seen the tentacles that crept from his sleeve to help him do it.

His other hand touched her face, resting on her cheek, cutting her face off from the cameras as he leaned in and brushed his lips against hers.

"Play along," he whispered against her lips.

"You – hm – explaining to do," she got back.

"Promise. Soon. Play along."

Yang nodded, disguising it as some pathetic moment of weakness where she pressed her forehead against his for comfort. He had a plan. Good. She wasn't going back to that fucking white room without light, air and a private bathroom to call her own. Not in a million years.

"You cannot do that!" someone shouted suddenly, standing. He was a tall and narrow man with a horse-like face and a suit that looked as dull and grey as he did. "She is a prisoner of Atlas and-"

"A prisoner of what charges?" Jaune demanded loudly, stepping back again. He kept one of his hands on hers and glared at one of the soldiers who dared approach.

The soldier stepped back.

"I was led to understand that your Kingdom charges people it intends to keep prisoner. What crime, exactly, is my fiancée guilty of?"

"Working with the Grimm," someone called.

Yang opened her mouth to tell the bastard where he could shove it, but Jaune beat her to it.

"Impossible!" The single word earned some murmurs of confusion. "After all, you've already said that you did not recognise or know we were in the Grimmlands or sentient, so arresting her on the basis of said charges is at best stupidity, and at worst a lie. Try again."

No one tried to for the longest moment. The muttering increased within the hall as people bandied ideas back and forth, and some just looked plain uncomfortable.

Eventually, a larger man answered, "We're not here to discuss the legalities of her case. This session has been called to handle matters of state between Atlas and the Grimmlands. We are _here_ to humour your attempts at negotiation, nothing more."

"Humour?"

Yang wasn't sure how, but the air around Jaune seemed to darken – or maybe it was just that his cloak was billowing out. _Tentacles,_ she realised, _He's using them to make his cloak move._ It certainly had an effect on the soldiers, who backed away, looking equal parts nervous and surprised.

Jaune's voice took on a gravellier quality. "I think you overestimate yourselves, Council members." His eyes darkened, sclera turning black as his iris turned red. The change came on suddenly, skin washing out and hair fading to white.

Gasps and cries of shock came from the crowd, and from those manning the cameras. To many, it was the first time seeing the transformation, and proof of Jaune's inhuman nature.

To Yang, it was like the changing of a shirt. He looked different, but only in superficial ways. Honestly, she was surprised it had taken them so long to realise Jaune was Hentacle. They were so very similar.

"W-What is the meaning of this!" the first Councillor screamed. "Guards, guards! Detain him!"

Another councillor suddenly screamed.

A Beowolf.

There was a Beowolf behind one of the Councillors, its hulking form having somehow worked its way into his alcove. It was not by the standard of what Yang had faced, but it was big enough for someone with no combat training to speak of.

More cries echoed out as others discovered that they, too, were equally unsafe. Not all of them, but at least fifteen or so. The Grimm had somehow made their way into the building, snuck past the security and cornered several of the council members.

Yang glanced down to Jaune's hand. The small red marks on his wrist, already healing, spoke of how.

General Ironwood stood slowly. "Crown Prince Jaune Arc," he said, voice deep and calm, especially by the standards of the other council members. "When I invited you here, you assured me there would be no harm to any members of the Council of Atlas."

"They're unharmed."

Yang thought the council members in question might disagree, except for the fact they were on the verge of pissing themselves.

"You'll have to forgive me," Jaune said. "I've lived in the Grimmlands most of my life, and then in Vale for a while. I don't know much about the customs of Atlas, but I figure that if it's fine for you to hold my loved ones hostage, it must be the same in reverse."

Ironwood glowered at the frightened looking Councillors. "Making some assumptions there…" He sighed. "Regardless, I'm going to have to ask you to release them. I think you've made your point clear."

"Have I?" Jaune raised a hand. "I don't think I have."

The Councillors screamed as his hand fell, but the Grimm did not kill their hostages. Instead, they pushed past and leapt from the alcoves, landing on all fours in the centre of the council chamber. Several people gasped and made way, though the Grimm avoided running into anyone and instead formed a circle around Jaune and Yang.

As one, they knelt low, imitating the kind of fealty a knight might pose to their monarch. The cameras continued to flash as pictures and video were taken. Meanwhile, Weiss detached herself from the wall and hurried over to make sure she was in amongst the Grimm.

"I believe there has been a misconception in this meeting," Jaune shouted. "That you have been humouring me as I strived to earn your charity in releasing my fiancée."

Several of the council members still standing shifted uncomfortably.

Ironwood held his ground.

"In truth, it is the other way around. At any moment I could have killed you all – every single person in Atlas. The Grimm do not just stand ready, they can be brought in and summoned in your very domain. Nowhere is safe! And yet despite this," he said, slashing a hand to the side, letting his cape billow, assisted by his tentacles, "I came here to you peacefully. Spoke to you. Dealt with you. Allowed you to play your petty games."

"In Menagerie, my ambassadors met in peace and worked out a deal within a day. Even now, in Vale, my ambassadors come with offers of friendship and co-operation. I can be good to those who are good in kind, but my patience has limits."

His eyes narrowed.

"That limit has been reached." His hands fell. "Until now, I have humoured you. No longer. Yang Xiao-Long leaves with me. The only thing for _you_ to decide, is whether we leave peacefully, or over the bodies of those who get in our way."

Yang stilled. He couldn't be serious.

Hell, she wanted out – was willing to fight for it – but he wasn't actually going to make Grimm attack people, was he?

" **Mom?"** Yin asked plaintively.

His voice reminded her of where she was, who she was, and who Jaune was. _"It's nothing, sweetheart,"_ she said, relaxing. He'd said to play along; she would play.

"I hope you've got a clever way out of this shitshow," Yang whispered.

"Same," Jaune replied, waiting for the shoe to drop – and for the reaction of Atlas. "Honestly, I just hope the others are having an easier time of things."

/-/

Sun Wukong barged into the room with Ren and Nora on either side of him.

"Ambassadors from the Grimmlands?" the lazy-looking faunus reclining on his chair asked. He fanned himself with one hand, the other holding a glass of cold water.

"We are. I'm Sun Wukong and this is Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie."

"Great." Another Councillor, a middle-aged human woman, brought herself back into a sitting position with the kind of extreme effort only an exhausted or extremely hung-over person could. "So, we agreed to meet with you. Anything to say?"

"The Grimmlands wants a ceasefire and end to all hostilities. Agree and the fighting stops, don't and it continues. I'd probably agree if I were you."

Ren gaped at Sun, surprised he'd just come out and _say_ it like that.

"Nice to hear what you'd do," someone said, somehow managing to _not_ sound sarcastic. "That include the Grimm attacking regular folk."

"Yep."

The man nodded. "Cool. All in favour?"

"Yeah."

"Sure."

"Might as well give it a go."

"Meh."

"Zzz…"

"Eh, there you have it," the lead faunus said, counting the hands – or those that could be bothered to raise them. "We'll have it written up by tomorrow or something. Maybe hold a party in the square."

"Alcohol?" a Councillor asked hopefully.

"Well, yeah. Obviously." He looked to Sun, Ren and Nora. "Wait, you three are still here? Go get drunk or something. We've got work to do."

"Sure." Sun grinned and turned to the other two. "Right. Job done. Let's go."

To his credit, Ren managed to wait until they were _outside_ the chamber before he threw his arms in the air. "That's it!? That was the way in which laws and matters of state are handled in Vacuo!?"

"Eh. We're pretty chill."

"Chill is staying in control. Chill is not giving in to your temper. That wasn't chill, Sun. That was comatose."

"Dude," Sun said, crossing his arms. "Have you ever _tried_ living in a desert? Burning hot in the day, freezing cold at night. Ain't no one got time to faff around, make speeches and look important. Now come on, I bet Blake I could get a deal faster than she could. I want to see the look on her face when I tell her it took three and a half minutes."

Ren sighed and looked to Nora. "You think Jaune is having as easy a time?"

"Eh. I'm sure he is."

/-/

In Ansel, Cinder Fall leapt to her feet and pointed at the screen.

"That's my little brother! I taught him that! I-" She froze, looked around, and realised that everyone in the room – from Tyrian to Nicholas, Ozma and even Jaune's other sisters – were watching her with amused grins. "N-Never mind," she said, sitting. Her face flushed with colour.

"There, there," Nicholas said. "I thought it was cute."

"Shut up, please…"

* * *

 **Jaune turns up the heat, but what is his plan, and will it work out? Find out next time.**

 **Also no, lol, I'm not – as some people have suggested – anti-democracy or anti-politician. Nor am I making political statements. I can't write anything bad about Sun without hating Sun, and now I can't point out some corruption among politicians without hating democracy. Sheesh. You'd think people would just accept it's a fanfic. xD**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 20** **th** **December**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	97. Chapter 97

**So, this is the last chapter before my break. That means no more chapters until Relic comes back on the 29th. As always, dates at bottom are accurate.**

 **This chapter is a little shorter than usual. I'm really stretched for time at the moment. Need this week off. Still, things will be rounded up.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 97**

* * *

"Yang Xiao-Long leaves with me. The only thing you get to decide is whether we leave peacefully, or over the bodies of those who get in our way."

The words were left to echo about the chamber, to reach the cameras and those outside and the many thousands more watching, to permeate into their minds and bring a chill that would root them to the ground.

It certainly did that much with the Councillors who, having just had their lives threatened by the Grimm, no longer knew what to say or do. The silence was oppressive, which was a shame since he had nothing to say that could fill it.

"What are you doing?" Weiss hissed in his ear. "This is going south faster than a conversation about grandchildren with your mother!"

Jaune grinned. "That's kinda the point."

"What!?"

"Get ready. Things are about to get worse."

"WHAT!?"

Jaune turned away from the horrified Weiss Schnee and nodded briefly to Yang, who got the message and winked back. It wasn't what he'd wanted when he first came here, but like Remy said, it was time to think like the person he'd been trained to be. Cinder had shown him time and time again that sometimes it was better to seek forgiveness than ask permission – except that you didn't care so much about the forgiveness, and `permission` meant legality.

"Order! Order!" The lead councillor slammed a hand down on his desk. "Enough! Never in our tenure has someone dared to threaten us in this very chamber. You may rule the Grimm, but you do not rule here, Crown Prince." The title was delivered mockingly.

Jaune stared them down. "Yet."

"Excuse us?"

"I do not rule here yet. That might change, if you continue to push me."

"I think you overestimate the power of your Grimm."

"I think you live in a fantasy world," Jaune returned.

"Enough of this. You have made a mockery of our Kingdom, our Council and our people. Nothing will be decided here. Leave if you wish, but _she_ remains. She is a prisoner of Atlas."

"So," he whispered under his breath, "You really want to go through with it. Fine."

Whether they believed it or not, they were sticking to the narrative of Atlas being invincible. Admirable in a way. A foolish, arrogant way.

"You are wrong that I've mocked you, Atlas. You have done a fine job of that yourselves. I came with the hand of peace for the first time in centuries. You chose to spit in my face." He paused to let the camera crews focus on him. "You may have been wrong about the mockery, but you were right about one thing. This farce ends here."

"What do you-"

"Council of Atlas!" he boomed, cutting through their angry protests and shouting in one go. "You seem to be working under the misconception that you can decide our fate in any way. This is incorrect. We are leaving."

Weiss stiffened. Yang grinned.

The head councillor slammed a hand on the table. "You fool. You're in the middle of Atlas! You can't leave without our permission."

"Since when have the Grimm needed your permission, Councillor?"

Jaune clicked his fingers loudly.

The Grimm that had been kneeling around him stiffened suddenly. As one, they turned on the audience, eyes burning.

Jaune pointed one hand to the lead Councillor. "Kill them all."

Chaos erupted.

Screams and curses echoed around the Council chamber as the Beowolves lashed out at their prey. Meanwhile, Jaune grabbed Yang by the arm and tugged her towards the corridors they'd come through, pushing a shocked Weiss in the same direction.

"W-What are you doing?" Weiss gasped. "We can't attack Atlas!"

"Trust me!"

"You're asking for that at a time like this!?"

"Oh, get a move on Weiss-cream," Yang said, shoving Weiss ahead of her. "Not like staying behind to say sorry is going to improve matters." Behind, gunfire opened up as the soldiers dealt with the Grimm. "Those Grimm aren't going to buy us much time."

"They're not the only Grimm," Jaune said.

The corridor they burst into proved that true, as two soldiers were busy wrestling with an Ursa, the large creature pinning each down and roaring angrily. It was biting at the air, roaring at the top of its lungs. Its great bulk covered their retreat as they ran by.

"Weiss, you know the way out?"

"A-Any direction is a way out," Weiss said, panting slightly. "It's a circular building. Just pick a direction!"

Good enough. The three of the sprinted down the corridor, taking a quick right as some soldiers appeared ahead and saw them. _"Remy, I need a distraction."_

" **On it."**

One of his tentacles began to thrash wildly. Two more wrapped about it and tore it off his body – the sharp tugging pain not unlike a hair being pulled from your scalp, except twenty hairs at once. The limb fell behind them, bleeding profusely. From that blood, a number of Nevermore began to form and flap about wildly.

" _Make sure they don't-"_

" **I know. I've got this."**

" _Thanks."_

"They'll keep the soldiers busy," Jaune called to the girls. "We need to get up top."

"The roof? You have a Nevermore waiting?"

"Something like that."

Weiss nodded and pointed left on the next intersection, taking them to a set of elevators and also a staircase. The former wouldn't do, but Yang darted in and slammed all the keys to go up anyway, jumping out before the doors closed. "Keep anyone following," she said.

Nodding, Jaune followed the two of them onto the staircase and ran up it, taking the steps two at a time. Down below, they could hear soldiers following – or maybe just coming to the floor they'd been on, trying to reach and protect the council chambers. As they passed a window, Jaune got a look outside, at the hordes of civilians who were being protected by armed Atlas soldiers.

The Grimm were being cut down before they could get close and cause any damage. The civilians were frightened, naturally, but they didn't run or panic. Voices over speakers demanded they stay still, stay with the soldiers who would keep them safe. Atlas discipline was in full effect.

Still, it worked as a distraction. Atlas had to look after its own people. They didn't have the time to do anything else or focus on chasing them down. Civilians came first.

Yang burst through the door out onto the rooftop – and came to a sudden, startled halt.

General Ironwood stood on the roof, arms crossed before a Bullhead that had brought him up. He had his gun in one hand, but it wasn't aimed at them, rather at the floor. His face was set in a grim expression, his eyes hardened chips of ice.

"Damn it," Weiss hissed.

Jaune stepped forward. "Leave him to me."

"What?" Yang laughed. "No way. There's three of us. We can overwhelm him."

"No." When she looked ready to argue, he nodded past Ironwood. "That's our ride out of here. You and Weiss need to capture it and convince the pilot to take us where we want to go. A Nevermore would get shot down. Even Kevin might be in trouble. If we fly out in Ironwood's Bullhead, though…"

"The automated defence systems won't target us," Weiss realised. She eyed Ironwood. "Can you take him?"

"I don't need to beat him. Just need to hold him off until you're ready."

"Got it." Weiss grabbed Yang's arm. "Come on. I'm unarmed, so I need you to help."

Yang was reluctant, but let herself be pulled away, ready to circle around and attack the Bullhead once Ironwood was engaged. "Give him hell, Jaune!" she called. "I was stuck in some stupid-ass research cell because of him."

Jaune nodded, eyes locked onto Ironwood's.

The General didn't try to stop Yang and Weiss as they went around the perimeter of the roof. He wouldn't have had much chance against the three of them anyway, and it was obvious who the biggest threat was.

"By order of Atlas, and for the crimes you have committed, you are under arrest."

Jaune shrugged and drew Crocea Mors, sweeping it left and right to loosen his muscles. "The Royal Family does now bow to the demands of rival Kingdoms." He cracked a smile. "Especially not the petty ones."

Ironwood grunted. "Cute."

There were no more words. Ironwood swept to the side, flung his coat back and opened fire.

The first shot bounced off Jaune's shoulder and knocked him back. He used the force of it to spin, planted a foot back and then pushed off in a reckless charge. He had to close the distance fast or Ironwood would never let him. He took three more shots – the first to the chest, and then both to his left knee when Ironwood realised the shots weren't breaching.

It was a clever move. A fourth shot hit him in the same leg, an extreme show of marksmanship, and aura or not – Grimm bone or not – the sheer _force_ of the hits made him buckle. He tucked his head down and rolled onto one shoulder, minimising himself as a target, not that it did much good. A shot hit his back, another his thigh.

His tentacles swept out and closed the distance.

Ironwood caught one and tugged it to the side, planted the barrel of his gun against it and pulled the trigger. Viscous blood burst and the limb was severed in one go. Despite that, it had already started to wrap its way around his right arm, the cybernetic one. He tried to tug it free, but the dying limb had wound tight and stuck fast.

The other tentacles hit him in the chest, knocking him back.

Ironwood rode it and landed a few feet back. He wiped a little grime from his chin, ignored the tentacle wrapped around his right arm, and tossed his gun over to his left. Changing his stance, left foot forward, he aimed and opened fire once more.

This time, Jaune was better prepared and brought Crocea Mors up, holding it between both hands and before his face. The impromptu shield worked for what it was, forcing Ironwood to aim lower. His legs, however, were now protected, and the shots that impacted there bit into his tentacles instead. No less painful, but far less of a problem. He caught the widening of Ironwood's eyes, and then the curse as he swung up and down with Crocea Mors.

Ironwood blocked the blow on his handgun, twisting it sideways to catch the blade between the grip and trigger-guard. His legs flexed, taking the force with an extreme show of strength. He grunted and diverted it to the side, stepped into Jaune's guard and _slammed_ his fist into his gut.

The pain was enough to make Jaune retch. It wasn't a normal blow. The cybernetic arm had something more to it, because the fist _twisted_ agonisingly, digging into his stomach like it wanted to grip his spine. Spittle flew from his mouth.

"Surrender," Ironwood said.

"Never!" He reared back and flung his head forward, cracking it into Ironwood's face. His remaining tentacles gripped the cybernetic arm and pulled it aside, while he swung Crocea Mors around in a wide sweep.

With no time t react, Ironwood took the blow on his aura, drawing a knee up so that his leg took it rather than his ribs. Aura sparked across his body nonetheless. He reacted quickly, however. With a click and a hiss, his right arm detached itself from his own body, letting him fall back a pace. The move was so sudden that Jaune hadn't expected it. As the heavy arm fell, his tentacles pulled him forward, pushing him off balance.

Rather than make distance and shoot again, Ironwood reared back with his other hand and delivered a devastating blow to Jaune's cheek.

The whole world seemed to mute for a second. He lost his eyesight entirely. When it came back a moment later, or when his eyes refocused, it was to see another fist come in and strike his nose, breaking it.

"Argh!"

His free-hand snapped out automatically, slamming into Ironwood's metallic chest and hurting his fingers even more. His sword found better purchase, aiming for Ironwood's head. It didn't hit with the blade – the man was too close – but the cross guard and hilt slapped Ironwood across the cheek, the metal digging into his skin and knocking him bodily aside.

He fell to the left, caught himself on one foot and surged back with an uppercut into Jaune's stomach.

"F-Fuck!" Jaune bent over the fist. His lungs gasped for air.

Ignoring it, he dropped Crocea Mors and gripped Ironwood's head with both hands. A brief flash of concentration was enough to grow a bone Grimm-plate on his face. He smashed it into Ironwood's with enough force to crack it.

Ironwood stumbled back, bleeding profusely from his nose and a split lip.

They traded another few blows. Crocea Mors was kicked away by Ironwood in the scuffle, but one of Jaune's tentacles knocked the gun away, too. For every blow Jaune rained on the man, he gave another back, fighting one-armed with such ferocity that Jaune wondered if it wasn't a voluntary handicap. Ironwood fought like a boxer on the defence, though he was no stranger to kidney shots when attacking. Or using his elbow.

They broke apart panting. Ironwood was bruised and battered, his shirt torn in places. Jaune was little better. He brought a hand up and wiped some blood away from his lips. Somewhere in the fight, he'd lost his royal cloak. It had been dragging him down and Ironwood had sought to use it against him. He'd had to ditch it.

"N-Not bad," Jaune gasped.

"You fight well yourself," Ironwood said. Somehow, he was less winded.

Behind them, the Bullhead's engines whirled to life. "Jaune, come on!" Yang yelled.

"Looks like my ride is ready."

Ironwood grunted. "Seems it."

The two sized one another up, their eyes narrowed.

And then Ironwood stood. He let out a sigh, brushed his shoulder free of dust and cracked his neck to the side.

Jaune did the same, stooping to pick up Crocea Mors and sheathe it. "You fight like a real bastard. You know that?"

"When you've fought in the battles I have, you learn to be brutal." Ironwood chuckled and picked up his arm, attaching it once more. He worked it in a circle to see whether he had full motion and nodded when he was happy with it. "Well, I have to go and see to affairs."

Jaune nodded. "Don't let me stop you."

The two walked past one another.

When he reached the Bullhead, Yang and Weiss were staring at him, mouths open. "What?"

"B-But he… he just…"

Weiss' eyes narrowed. "What the hell is going on here!?"

"We're escaping," he said, sitting down and strapping himself in. He let his head fall back on the seat with a groan. "God, he hits like an Ursa. I knew he was tough to be a General, but I didn't expect it to be that bad. I almost got my ass kicked."

"AHEM!" Weiss had her hands on her hips. "Explain!"

"Explain what?"

"That!" she shrieked, pointing back to where Ironwood had left him. "And that!" she added, pointing to the pilot they'd taken hostage.

"Oh no, I have been threatened," the pilot said, with a remarkable lack of concern or fear. "Guess I'd better give in to your demands and get you out of here. Woe is me." He flicked a few dials, yawned into one hand and started to pull the Bullhead up.

"He's our prisoner," Jaune said.

Yang and Weiss looked unimpressed.

Jaune laughed. "Alright, alright. Well, it all started after Yang's dad left…"

/-/

Ironwood looked up from his desk and reached for a gun.

"I pray that this is not your idea of a prank. It would be an ill-advised one."

The strange creature did not reply, its long, string-like tendrils flailing around under the door for purchase. Had it not been for the individual already in Atlas, Ironwood would have already sounded the alarm and locked down the entire building. Curiosity got the better of him, however.

The door got the better of the Grimm. With a sigh, Ironwood pushed the button to open it.

The creature was a strange thing. A floating, round orb with several long limbs that fell down like red rope. The ends were spiny, indicating weapons, while the head itself had a few armoured plates on it. Ironwood didn't feel particularly threatened, given its slow and ponderous approach. The thing almost seemed embarrassed. Or as embarrassed as a Grimm could be.

"I presume your master sent you."

The orb… bobbed. Ironwood realised that asking a yes or no question to a creature without a neck probably wasn't the best of ideas. He was about to stand and find Mr Arc himself, when the creature's head began to pulse with a red, mist-like smoke.

"Hello. Can you hear me?"

Ironwood hummed. Curious. "Yes."

"Is that Ironwood?" the Grimm asked in Arc's voice. "I hope it's Ironwood. Otherwise this is going to be really awkward conversation."

"Yes, it would be. Fortunately, you've found the right person. Might I ask what you're doing, Crown Prince? If someone were to see this, there would be much to explain." It would be seen as a conflict of interests on his part, even if he hadn't done anything. Considering how tense matters were in the chamber already, he didn't want to be asked to leave. Those idiots could drag Atlas into a war it couldn't win if he wasn't there to mediate.

"I was hoping to talk about the Council with you."

"What about them? I warned you how they might be."

"You did. I… underestimated their stubbornness."

James was not surprised. Few understood the subtle nuance of the political spectrum, which often made no sense to those not involved. It wasn't like any other job. An engineer, doctor or teacher could simply focus on doing a good job and be rewarded. Results-based work. A politician was rewarded only on perception, which meant you could single-handedly solve world hunger, but if it wasn't a vote winner, you wouldn't be thanked for it. On the other hand, do something the public didn't like, even if it was comparatively small when placed against your successes, and you'd be out faster than Peter Port at a polygraph convention.

"I'm beginning to lose hope that I'll be able to leave with Yang," Jaune said, and James' muscles tensed.

"No harm will befall her. I assure you."

"I appreciate the words, General. And I appreciate you looking after her. But I'd like to make something clear." The boy's voice hardened. "I am _not_ leaving without her."

Panic worked its way into James' body. Visceral and raw. Until now, the leader of the Grimm had been both co-operative and peaceful – adjectives he'd thought to never use – and James was grateful for that. The thought of it changing, and in the middle of Atlas no less, was not a kind one.

"Mr Arc, please. There's no need to take any reckless actions."

"I think there is. I'd like to lay my cards on the table. If you would do the same?"

"Yes." Anything to protect his people. "Please, let us both be frank."

"Thank you." The Seer floated over to the chair across from James and worked its tendrils around it, sitting atop it. It almost looked like a floating head atop an invisible body. "My Grimm surround Atlas in numbers more than capable of destroying the city. If we attack, Atlas cannot hold."

What a way to start off, James thought. He felt lightheaded. "Yes. I realise this."

"Good. What you may not realise, is that this has always been a bluff."

He stilled. "What?"

"Not the danger or the capability, but the intent. I never intended to attack Atlas and never wanted to. Didn't you find it odd I was willing to meet with you? To put up with all the delays?"

He had, but he'd assumed it was Weiss' work in calming Jaune down.

"Killing innocent people is the last thing I want, and something I was never prepared to do. I thought Atlas would surrender Yang to us. It's an easy decision, after all. She's not even one of your citizens. We thought it would be an easy trade that Atlas would like to make."

"That is…" Naïve, optimistic. "That is wonderful." All of that and more. James tried not to collapse back in his seat and show his relief. "Thank you, Mr Arc, you've no idea how much this means to me. Even if the people will not realise-"

"But I'm beginning to think I don't have a choice but to attack."

And suddenly, the tension returned.

"Not because I want to, but because Atlas is calling my bluff. I'm in a bad spot now. If I do nothing, I lose all agency. No one will take me seriously and I won't be able to make peace between the Kingdoms. Also, I won't be able to leave with Yang."

"We might yet be able to broker an exchange," James offered.

"Do you really believe that? I've asked we both lay our cards down. If you genuinely believe that, then tell me how. I am willing to listen."

The silence was telling.

"There's no way," Jaune said. "Is there? Atlas needs to be seen as the winner or, failing that, they need to be seen as the heroes. It's a part of how your Kingdom works. The military might of Atlas, the defence against the Grimm. Fight the good fight."

"Yes." James had never liked to say it like that, but it was true. "It's an arrogant approach, certainly at a time like this, but it is what the people of Atlas believe in. It's a part of our culture."

"If you'll forgive me saying, it's a stupid culture."

James shrugged. At times, he would not disagree, but there wasn't much he could do about it.

"Problem is, I can't be seen to lose either," Jaune said. "The Grimmlands is in a precarious position. I'm sure you can understand why. Everyone is watching here, waiting to see who comes out on top between us. I won't accept a loss because it would mean an alliance against us. Atlas won't accept a loss and will keep pushing until I declare war and wipe you off the map."

Ironwood wasn't sure what to make of the casual confidence there. Not `a war that will cost us both` but a war that would `wipe Atlas from the map`. No doubt. No question.

"We might be able to reach a compromise…"

"That would be ideal," Jaune said, "But the problem is that I don't think there is a middle-ground. Either Yang stays here, or she comes with us. The result is very binary. She can't even be released to another Kingdom, as she would walk away and come back to me. There isn't a middle option."

"You could stay with her," James offered.

"We both know that isn't an option, General."

Yes, they did. If Atlas held the Crown Prince and Princess of the Grimm, it would be too much political power. Too much temptation. Someone in the Council would seek to use them, and the people would call for their execution.

Salem's son was prepared to talk and deal with humans. Salem was not. If anything happened to her children, Ironwood knew her wrath would crash down on Atlas. The streets would run red with blood.

"You wouldn't have come here without an idea," James said. "I'm all ears."

"I may have a suggestion. It's a risky one, though."

James sighed. "Right now, I'm willing to consider anything."

"Anything, General?"

"Anything…"

/-/

Weiss waited for more to come. When it did not, she threw her hands in the air. "And a _war_ was what you came up with!? What were you thinking? Did your Seer infect him with idiocy?"

"The Grimmlands and Atlas were already at war," Jaune said, sitting back in the Bullhead. "It's not really starting anything if it was already in place, and didn't you notice something about all the Grimm I set loose on the Council?"

It was Yang who answered. "They weren't killing anyone. That Ursa outside had two soldiers pinned, but it was just roaring and tossing 'em around."

Weiss' eyes widened.

"Exactly," Jaune said, winking. "As of right now, the Atlas military will be dealing with the last of them, showing their `bravery and courage in the face of impossible odds`. A certain General is going to be hailed as a hero for protecting not only the Council, but all the civilians outside."

"That explains why Ironwood was willing to allow this," Weiss said, "But not what the point of it all is."

"It deals with the issue for one. Yang is free, and we're gone. We've managed to find a middle-ground where no one side loses."

"Yeah, by _both sides_ losing."

Jaune shrugged. "It still works. Ironwood and I realised that the big thing wasn't one side winning, but one side winning over the other. Atlas refuses to be seen as the loser and we can't afford to. This way, while neither of us wins per se, we get to claim success for doing what we came to do, and Atlas gets to claim success for successfully fighting us off."

"Atlas fights the good fight," Yang realised with a laugh. "The military looks like big damn heroes. Ironwood is a tactical god – not to mention he thought me one on one and forced me to retreat, or so they'll say. The people get to imagine their Kingdom fought off the Grimm, and the Council doesn't lose face by capitulating to your demands."

"Meanwhile, the Grimmlands – with its disposable and endless ranks of Grimm – gets to claim we achieved everything we cared to achieve. The Crown Prince walked into Atlas and walked out with his Princess. No one could stop them."

Politics, he'd come to realise, was not about doing what was right or wrong – or about achieving success or not. It was optics. Marketing. Perceived success. This way, the Council of Atlas got to look like they stuck to their guns and refused to deal with the Grimm. They kept their voters, if not their pride. Ironwood got to bolster the image of the military, the Grimmlands came out as co-operative to a point, but willing to push if needs be, and no one died.

Better still, if Ruby did well in Atlas and Sun in Vacuo, it would send yet _another_ message. That the Grimmlands and, by extension, Jaune Arc, was kind to his allies, co-operative to those who hadn't wronged him, and a threat to his enemies.

There was even a third benefit – that the Council of Vale would look wonderful for having prevented a repeat of the Atlas incident through their shrewd diplomacy. They'd look fantastic, which ought to not only make them more willing to deal with Ruby but trapped in a sense. Angering him or denying Ruby anything would come across as the height of folly. Political suicide.

" **Never thought those lessons from Cinder would ever pay off, did you?"**

" _Honestly… I kind of didn't. I think I owe her a fruit basket."_

Weiss and Yang were no less shocked – though that was directed at him. "That…" Weiss cut off, apparently lost on whether to tear him a new one or offer a compliment. Naturally, the latter would never happen. "That's all well and good, but how does this help us in the long run? There's going to be further conflict between our Kingdoms."

"A little," he admitted. "I've ordered some of the Grimm and a Goliath or two to make a show of approaching the walls. Ironwood has your sister there to man the defence. She's going to look very good as she drives them off."

Weiss' head spun.

"Of course, since it's now officially a war, Atlas is going to have to change the way it works."

"Yes, they'll declare martial law until the state of emergency is over."

"And who would lead Atlas at that time?"

"Ironwo-" Weiss mouth fell open. "No way." She shook her head. "No way…"

"Yes way. So, the hero who fought off the Grimm and even battled the Crown Prince of the Grimm to a standstill becomes the leader of Atlas. He can then bypass the Council entirely. And, well, if he managed to find a way to _force_ the Crown Prince into accepting a peace agreement. Say, one that meant a sizeable payment of dust to the Kingdom of Atlas as reparations for all the trouble it caused…"

"You didn't…"

Jaune shrugged apologetically. "It was the best plan I could come up with, Weiss. I only had an hour."

"You organised a Coup d'état in an hour…"

"To be fair, I was a little rushed. I know you could have done better."

"Y-Yes, of course. A-Absolutely…" Weiss' head fell into her hands. She mumbled something about unfairness, advisors and how her head was hurting.

"I'll try to do better next time," he said, causing Weiss to growl and grip her head with both hands and whine through her teeth. "I was out of ideas, though. In the end, I decided to just ask what Cinder would do in a situation like that."

"And overthrowing a government was the answer?" Yang asked.

"Well, this _is_ Cinder we're talking about…"

/-/

"WATTS!" Salem shrieked. "Watts!"

"I am here, my Queen."

"Watts, look! He organised a coup."

Watts nodded, a little proud of the young master himself. "He certainly did, my Queen."

"His first coup, Watts. His first coup! Q-Quick, fetch the scrap book. I need pictures."

"I shall collect all the newspaper clippings after the coup happens, my Queen."

"Yes, yes. Oh, he takes after his big sister so much. I knew having Cinder look after him would work out. My little boy, already overthrowing his first government. I'm so proud!"

/-/

"HA!" Cinder laughed, pointing at Tyrian. "He takes after me!"

Tyrian grumbled under his breath as the bitch, Cinder, danced on the couch, revelling in her victory.

Nicholas watched fondly, while Ozma groaned, realising what his last bit of meddling in Atlas had led to. "Technically speaking, since he got rid of Leonardo, he also staged a Coup in Haven, for all that he didn't stay behind to see a new headmaster elected."

"Didn't he technically do the same with your academy, too?" Nicholas asked casually.

Ozma's eyebrow twitched.

" **He's got you there,"** Oscar laughed.

"Everyone's a critic..."

* * *

 **And there we have it. Jaune finds the odd middle-ground where neither Atlas nor the Grimmlands technically loses, while also channelling his inner-Cinder to show the world how you** _ **really**_ **overthrow a Government. All without shedding a single drop of blood.**

 **Also, love how according to what people tell me of canon, we've already started to see some Atlas politicians making appearances and being as dickish as the ones here – or so I'm told. I could be wrong on that one. Damn it, though. White Sheep was supposed to be my most crackish story. A story that laughed at the idea of Salem just being a normal woman deprived of nookie, who has kids.**

 **Now, given the lore, it's actually quite sad in a way…**

 **Salem longs after what was lost and lives a life of despair and hatred until she finds love in the arms of another, raises a family, only to go through all the fear and panic again when her beloved son runs away to study at the school run by her ex, who was involved in the death of her first children, and who has now become her greatest enemy.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 3rd January (TWO WEEKS)**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	98. Chapter 98

**Here we are. New year, nearly ended story.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 98**

* * *

If someone had asked him a little under a year ago, he'd have said things were going poorly. Atlas was now officially at war with the Grimmlands, the secret of his identity was out, he was a feared figure and the chance of him ever being able to attend Beacon again was slim to none. Then again, times had changed. His ideals had changed.

The war with Atlas was going well, which was to say that Ironwood was pushing out and taking back territory nebulously owned by the Grimm, winning a few early skirmishes as per their agreement. Soon, he'd reach a wall of Grimm he couldn't fight through and at that point would push for peace. The treaty was all but written already, the only thing remaining being to let Atlas think they'd _earned_ it themselves.

The same for Vale.

Ruby and Pyrrha had done well, playing the easily manipulated guests and letting the Council win a peace deal, despite that it was what they'd come for in the first place. Again, the importance, at least on a political scale, seemed to be in making the politicians look and feel like they'd done all the hard work. It was petty and silly, but also undeniably human. He supposed he wasn't much different at the end of the day.

The sheets rustled behind as bare feet padded across the tiled floor. An arm was lazily slung over his shoulder and a face pressed into his neck, the chin leaning atop his shoulder blade. "What'cha looking at?" Yang asked blearily.

"Nothing. Just thinking."

"Hm." She yawned prettily, which was to say not very much at all, but it was Yang, his girlfriend, and so somehow cute nonetheless. "Was it worth it? Sneaking into Beacon, getting outed, starting a war with Atlas. You wanted to live a normal life, remember? You're not going to be able to do that anymore."

"Neither are you," he pointed out.

"Eh. I always knew I'd live a spectacular life. I mean, have you _seen_ me?"

"As royalty?"

"Hey, when I was a little girl I read stories about princes sweeping young women away. Never thought it'd be literal, but there you go." She yawned again.

"You can go back to bed if you're tired."

"It's cold now you left."

That brought a smile to his face, and a little warmth as he leaned into her. "Last night was amazing."

"You make it sound like we slept with one another."

"We did."

Yang snorted. "I meant a little more than that." She broke away, padding past him. True to her words, she still wore her pyjamas, as he did his own. "When most people talk about sleeping together, they don't literally mean falling asleep next to one another."

"It was still amazing."

"You…" Yang laughed and looked out towards the horizon, smiling brightly. More amused than anything, she leaned on the black-stone balcony, her golden hair wafting in the breeze. "I guess after being stuck in that white cell for days on end, it felt good for me as well. You never answered my question, though. Is this worth it? Is the way the world is worth losing the chance to ever be normal again?"

"Maybe. I'm not sure."

Weiss remained his eyes and ears on the goings-on across Remnant, supported by Ren and, to his surprise, Ilia. They watched the news, the newspapers and any other outlets they could get a hold of, identifying what the Kingdoms' opinions of him were and where he was seen well or poorly. Weiss would then present to him each morning over breakfast. Not an official presentation per se, but rather a lecture he paid attention to because the alternative was her batting him over the head with a rolled-up newspaper. For some reason, his mom seemed to love seeing that. He thought she just liked seeing other people, being around other people.

After so many hundreds of years in forced isolation, suddenly being surrounded by excitable children was good for her. It helped that they were all slowly getting used to her eccentricities. Nowadays, Weiss would only sign when she suggested he might need a concubine, and Ruby would smile and laugh awkwardly instead of spluttering like a tomato when Salem would make a note of how men loved twins, and how while Ruby wasn't a twin per se, it still counted.

They didn't understand her, but they'd become inured to her, and, importantly, there was no fear.

Atlas hated him. They hated him, but were convinced they could fight him, which at least meant that they didn't _fear_ him. In time, they'd lose some of that once peace was achieved. They might be arrogant in thinking they'd won against him, but if that was what it took for peace, so be it.

Vale, Vacuo and Mistral were more reasonable, along with Menagerie. Some of their people were worried about the goings on in Atlas, but he'd had his ambassadors – and the term still felt odd – assure them that the war was contained and would not spread. Being in charge of Atlas' forces, General Ironwood had also made a point of not calling for international aid, citing Atlas' superiority. It prevented any of the Kingdoms being forced to pick sides.

Some people were angry at what they saw as him breaching the democratic process to save Yang. Some were intrigued that he'd go that far for the woman he loved. Some saw it as romantic, others as arrogant or needlessly aggressive. Some even questioned why Atlas had been so defensive and unwilling to give her up.

The important part was that people were thinking. They were using their minds. That meant, as Weiss so easily put it, that people saw him as a force that was within reason. They could understand his motives, his decisions, and that made him predictable. Predictable was boring, but boring was good when the alternative was terror. It meant that they'd pause before classing him as a mindless beast that needed to be put down. The news was already portraying him as a person, something the Grimm had never before been seen as.

But… that wasn't what Yang had asked.

Did he regret it? Not the peace, no, nor the efforts they were making, but perhaps deep inside he regretted that any chance of going back to the life they'd had was lost. He was too important now, too well-known, to ever go back to those heady days sleeping in a cramped room with his team, laughing over homework or chatting in the cafeteria. Those days were over.

"But I don't regret what we've achieved," he said, am honest smile spreading across his face. He moved over to stand next to Yang, his hands on the balcony but his fingers brushing against hers. "I'll miss being just a normal person, but I don't miss the constant fear of being discovered, all those moments when I didn't know what to do and couldn't ask Ruby, Weiss or Pyrrha for advice for fear of them figuring out what I am. I don't miss the lies. And…" He paused, taking a deep breath. "I think what we've done is good for the world."

"Heh. That's undeniable. If someone like you had existed twenty years ago, Mom might not have died. I think there's plenty of people who'll feel better knowing theirs won't. Even if they never realise it."

"I'm sorry about Summer…"

"Don't be. It wasn't you that did it. Mom died doing what she believed in, fighting for me and Ruby."

"If I have my way, no one else will have to."

"It won't be that easy," Yang said. Her voice took on an annoyed quality. "Some people won't change, you know. They'll fight the Grimm even if they become peaceful, and the Grimm will defend themselves. There'll still be deaths. But I think that's not our problem. People die all the time, some hunting wild animals, others climbing trees or driving while drunk. If people want to ignore the warnings, there's not much we can do about it."

Jaune let out a sigh. "Talk about complicated…"

"You think that's bad? Things are about to get worse." Yang grinned and nodded towards the landing pads, where three large Bullheads had come down to rest. Nevermore swooped about but made no motion to attack, while the people who stepped off looking around nervously.

"Please tell me those aren't tourists."

"Okay." Yang said with a wide smile. "They're not tourists."

A moment passed, a moment in which bright flashes of light below heralded the taking of photos. Jaune groaned and brought his hands up to his face.

Yang took pity on him. "To be fair, they're _not_ tourists. We sent Ambassadors to the other Kingdoms and, well, they wanted to send some back. All except Vacuo for some reason. Sun says that's normal. Anyway, it's up to someone to welcome the first visitors to the Grimmlands in its history."

"First visitors apart from all of you, you mean."

"Semantics."

It really wasn't, he felt. Even so, he stepped forward, placing his hands on Yang's hips and feeling a warmth blossom inside of him when she allowed it, shifting her body closer to his. "Or I could stay here with you," he said. "Let someone else handle them."

"You could." Yang smiled. "But that would mean your _mother_ talks to them."

Jaune sighed.

"I'll get dressed…"

/-/

Jaune was in his royal robes – an ensemble of black cloth, silver highlights and a red cloak with a golden broach – and downstairs in less than twenty minutes. Enough time for the visitors to have been shown around, hopefully not by his mother. Not for the first time, he was grateful for Tyrian's absence. The last thing they needed was his uncle giving the guests an enthusiastic tour of the torture chambers. Not that they were used for that much anymore. _More like Mom and Dad's sex dungeon._

"There you are," Weiss hissed, trapped as always in a perpetual state of `in a rush`. She strode up to him, looking him up and down once, and then adjusted his cloak like the second mom he neither had nor needed. "You're cutting it close, dolt. Do you have any idea how bad it will look if you're late to greet the ambassadors?"

"Almost as bad as it would for them to see you calling me a dolt?"

She slapped his arm, unimpressed with his witticism. "You'll always be my idiot partner, and _no_ , I do not mean that in a romantic or affectionate manner."

"Mom been on your back?"

"When is she not?" Weiss sighed and rolled her eyes. "Regardless, Ren and Pyrrha are giving the ambassadors a tour and taking them for a late breakfast. They should be eating about now. Time enough for you to get on the throne and look busy."

"Busy doing…?"

"Handling the war for one. Do keep in mind that coup-in-the-making or not, you should at least _pretend_ this war is a real thing."

"Right. The throne, though… Mom's still the Queen."

"That may be, but she's hardly the best person to talk to the ambassadors. She agreed to let you handle that and let you use the throne for the day."

He whistled, impressed. While his mother was hardly married to the concept of being in charge, she _did_ guard her chair with the passion of someone who didn't own a lot of material comforts. It was also impressive because he'd been sure Salem would want to meet the ambassadors, if only to drive home how powerful and impressive she was. "How did you manage to get her to agree to that?"

"I got Ruby to ask her if she had any photos of you when you were younger."

"Ah." Jaune winced. "That'll do it."

"Yes. I wouldn't expect to see either of them again until this evening. Your mother looked happy if nothing else."

"I can imagine." He made his way towards the throne as they entered the main hall, now brightly lit thanks to a little interior decorating from the girls. It was a lot warmer, something he was sure Uncle Tyrian would despair about later.

" _The atmosphere. You've killed the moody and evil atmosphere!"_

More importantly, someone had snuck a cushion onto the stone seat, saving his ass and earning his unending love and gratitude. "So, these ambassadors. Are they going to be staying here? Permanently?"

"Not permanently, I'm sure, though you never know. In time, a city might even spring up around the tower. For now, I expect they'll stay here for a couple of months and then shift over with new ones. But if you're asking whether ambassadors being here is going to continue, then yes."

"Forever?"

"Unless you kick them out." Weiss paused. "Don't kick them out. I shouldn't have to tell you that is an extreme political move. Not a good one, either."

Jaune slumped in his seat. Near-permeant was close enough, and likely meant he'd never have a moment's peace to just be himself. He'd always need to keep up a mask, a visage, and to let that slip for even a moment would be to weaken the Grimmland's presence on the global scale.

Weiss noticed his expression and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It won't be quite so bad. You can act as you always do around us, and they'll be limited in where they can go. Some degree of acting will be required, but that's part and parcel of growing up. No one can stay a carefree teenager forever."

"I'm eighteen."

"Well, none of us are where we thought we'd be. At least we're doing this together." Weiss froze, face twisting as she realised what she'd just said. "Ugh. That was entirely too sentimental."

"I thought it was nice."

"You would." Weiss snorted and moved away, checking through an itinerary on her scroll. "We'll get this meeting out of the way and let them rest and talk among themselves for the day. You won't have to deal with them for more than two hours."

"Yay," he cheered, weakly.

"You wanted this, Jaune. Remember that."

"I wanted peace."

"Peace requires negotiation, negotiation requires discourse, discourse requires wasting a whole lot of time pretending to like people. Making enemies is easy; making enemies into allies is far more difficult."

That was the story of his life. Jaune sighed and leaned back, taking what time he could to be lazy before he'd need to sit ramrod straight and talk with all the pomp and regality he didn't have.

"I do have _one_ small surprise for you, though," Weiss said.

"Oh?"

"She should be arriving about-"

The door slammed open and Yang stormed through, eyes blazing. "Weiss, I know this is your fault," she hissed. "When I'm done with you no one will find your body!"

It wasn't Yang's temper that made him stare, nor her threats. Rather, it was the long, flowing black dress she wore, hugging her body, accentuating her curves. It reached up towards her shoulders but didn't make it all the way, somehow clinging to her arms, leaving her shoulders and neck bare. Split on one side to show a little leg and with heels beneath, it was something more suited to a formal dance than casual wear, but he had to admit that Yang looked gorgeous.

The anger helped somehow. It was so suitably Yang, even if Weiss was easily able to keep her distance, skipping back before Yang could catch her on her high heels.

"Who stole my clothing?" Yang snapped. "Was it Ruby? No, she wouldn't be that stupid. It was Blake, wasn't it?"

"Nora, actually," Weiss remarked.

"Damn her! What happened to teammates over everything?"

"Necessity. You're as much a public figure as your fiancé at the moment-"

"We're not actually engaged!"

"To the public, you are. I had Nora leave you a tiara. Where is it?"

"Pft. Floating in the Grimm pools at the bottom of the tower. Don't know if you figured this out or not, Weiss, but Yang Xiao-Long does _not_ wear a tiara."

Weiss sighed but didn't appear surprised. She reached into her pocket and brought out a sparkling silver object. "Fortunate I thought to have a spare made."

Yang crossed her arms. "Nuh-uh."

"Yuh-uh," Weiss mocked, "We had to stage a coup to rescue you. The least you can do is wear this."

"Jaune staged a coup. You did nothing."

Weiss' eyes narrowed. "Let me rephrase. Wear the tiara, or I will _implant_ it in your skull."

Yang raised a brow. "You and what army?"

Footsteps sounded outside the main doors, along with voices – chiefly Ren and Pyrrha's, although there were others among them. The ambassadors were approaching. Yang looked to the door, equal parts horrified and in panic.

"That army," Weiss said, holding out the tiara. "Now, you can either support your fiancé – or boyfriend, I really don't care – or you can cause a scene, weaken our cause and potentially ruin any chance of-"

Yang snatched the gaudy object before Weiss finished talking, rammed it onto her head and hoisted her flowing gown up to her knees as she raced up the three steps onto the throne that sat behind his. Tossing herself down, she worked the fabric back down around her legs, scowling the whole time.

"Soon as this is over, Weiss. I swear."

"Yes, yes, I'll fear for my life." Weiss moved over to adjust the tiara so it sat atop a crown of Yang's golden locks. As if to make matters worse, she took out her scroll and snapped a quick picture of the two of them, causing Yang to growl like a wild Beowolf.

"Delete. That."

"Are you kidding? The next time Jaune's mother asks to talk to me I'll throw her this photo and run. She'll be distracted for hours."

"Weiss, I _swear_ I will end you."

He never got the chance to see how that would come about thanks to the doors opening, Yang sitting back prim and proper, one of her hands gripping his so hard he could feel his bones grating together. Weiss was already in position, stood with her hands linked behind her, one step down and to his right, her ceremonial position as his… well, his chief of everything, really. Right-hand woman? General fixer of problems?

Basically, the Grimmlands was going to implode if Weiss ever got tired and left.

"And here, the Crown Prince of the Grimm," Pyrrha orated for the gaggle of well-dressed, but awe-stricken men and women. "And the Crown Princess," she added, as surprised to see Yang as Yang was to be present.

/-/

Somehow, he'd expected the peace process to involve less work. That was the thing about dreams. While they remained dreams, they were nice and easy, conveniently tantalising you with the promise of everything you'd ever wanted without warning you of the effort involved.

"I think that wen well," Pyrrha said as they – that was to say the core groups of Team RYBN and WJRP – sat at a more private dinner table, resting after the hard day's work. Ruby looked particularly spent, having catered to Salem's stories for over six hours straight.

He'd fight a hundred wars with Atlas over that.

"Did it?" he asked. "I feel like nothing was achieved. I sat there, they introduced themselves, they said some random things about how they hope our agreements bear fruit and then everyone chatted awkwardly."

Pyrrha laughed. "That's kind of how these things are. It was the same when I was still on the tournament circuit and talking to fans."

"Really?"

"Hm." Pyrrha bit into some of her salad, crunching it for a moment and swallowing before speaking once more. "Having fans isn't as easy as people think. You have to always be nice, always be smiling, even when things are so out of your control that you don't know what's going on anymore. It's always a mask."

That sounded so close to what he'd been through that he couldn't doubt her. "Does it get easier?"

"Sometimes. At least you won't have to visit young children dying in a hospice and be expected to be cheerful, happy and confident. And then walk away after, knowing they'll die and knowing that your Agent only arranged it because they saw some material gain in the PR." Pyrrha looked disgusted as she said it, shaking her head. "Never mind. It shouldn't be the same for you. And besides, you have everyone to help."

"And I'm grateful for that. I need to start actually paying you guys."

"Yes, you kind of do." Pyrrha flushed a little as she said it, but he didn't mind. He knew they were with him because they believed in him and his cause, but the truth at the end of the day was that Remnant ran on lien. They couldn't hope to retire, raise a family or even visit their own without money to pay for things.

"Once the dust deposits are being sold, I'll be able to."

"We know you will. It's not looking like any of us can go back to being huntresses." Pyrrha thought for a moment and then laughed. "Although, maybe huntsmen and huntresses won't be needed at all."

"Makes you wonder what everyone will do."

"People will find a way. Maybe the schools will train mercenaries or become part of a military academy. Maybe we'll repurpose huntsmen to deal with criminals. It's not like bad guys with aura and Semblances are going to disappear if the Grimm do. They might even become sporting academies. Even if they didn't, no one is going to instantly trust us and drop all weapons. Huntsmen and huntresses will keep being taught for a few more decades at least. Maybe forever, on the off-chance the Grimm ever turn on them again."

That was good. Sort of. The lack of trust not so much, but at least they could rest assured they hadn't tanked an entire industry and even if they had, it was probably one they shouldn't have felt too badly about.

"Things sure have been exciting of late," Pyrrha giggled.

"That's one way to put it."

A commotion outside the room caused a lull to fall over the dinner. Loud, boisterous and full of laughter, Jaune doubted it could be the ambassadors. For one, they'd been confined to their rooms, the floor those were on and a couple of communal rooms to decorate and use as they wished. They couldn't even go outside alone for fear of them getting lost or angering some Grimm. They certainly weren't allowed on the upper levels where they slept and were currently having dinner.

"Pizza?" Ruby asked hopefully.

"To the Grimmlands?"

"It could be…"

"It's not pizza, you idiot."

The door slammed open, a tall, grizzled man with a lightly-dusted golden beard stepping through. He wore a breastplate like Jaune once had, and the face was so similar it would have been impossible to mistake them as not being related. Older, more weathered yet sporting a wide smile, Nicholas Arc looked over the assorted people before him, before his eyes focused on Jaune's.

"Dad!"

"Jaune." Nicholas pulled him in for a one-armed hug. "There's my little conqueror."

"Daaad," Jaune whined piteously. "Not in front of my friends."

"It's a father's job to embarrass his son." Nicholas brought his other hand around, holding a few flat, rectangular boxes. "I brought pizza by the way. Know how much your mom loves it."

"Whoooo!" Ruby cheered, somehow missing the `mom` part of the sentence. She darted past with Semblance-enhanced speed, flickering back to the table to lay the boxes on them.

Sun and Nora quickly appeared at her shoulder. "You realise you're my _favourite_ non-Blake person, right?" Sun asked.

"Same," Nora added.

"You idiots," Weiss huffed. "That came all the way from Vale. It's bound to be cold."

"Cold pizza is still good pizza," Sun mumbled around a mouthful of cheese, tomato and crust. "Hm. This is good pizza. I could get use-eeeee!" Sun's words turned into a high-pitched shriek as a barbed tail stabbed over his shoulder, impaling a single slice and drawing it back up. The prehensile tail wrapped back, past a happily munching Ruby's face, to the eccentric figure behind.

"Hm. Just the right amount of venom," Tyrian said, taking a bite.

"If you poisoned the pizza, I'll poison you," Cinder snarked, appearing behind him. She helped herself to a slice and sat in the seat Jaune had abandoned. Beside her, Pyrrha looked like she wasn't sure quite what to say to the woman who had attacked, beaten and kidnapped her. Weiss was shooting Cinder evil looks as well, but having mastered those long ago, his Big Sis was unaffected.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Jaune asked, leaving them to it. "Are the girls here? Is it safe?"

"Your sisters are settling back in. They went a little wild with the shopping in Ansel and have a few souvenirs to store. Fair warning, we may have three puppies now."

"Wonderful," Blake groaned, forehead falling to the table.

"Puppies?" Weiss asked, breaking her staring match with Cinder while trying not to look _too_ excited.

"Three?" Jaune asked.

Nicholas shrugged. "They badgered me to get them one, but there was a litter of three remaining and none of them could decide which to adopt. They kept begging until we ended up taking all three."

"Did you try saying no?" Cinder drawled from the table.

"You know I can't do that," Nicholas chided. He leaned in to stage-whisper, "One of them loves Cinder by the way."

"The sentiment is not returned," she growled.

"As for it being safe, well, things were beginning to look a little un-safe in Ansel as well," Nicholas admitted. "What with the whole `Arc` name not exactly being a secret, your sisters being about as subtle as your mother, and an incident where Amber's new friend was being bullied, so she called a flock of Nevermore to scare the bullies away. You know, little things."

"Little things?" Weiss said, eyes flat. She turned to Jaune and sighed, "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but apparently your attempts to act normal in Beacon were _not_ the worst I've ever heard of. Only nearly the worst."

"Aw, thanks Weiss."

"That wasn't a compliment!"

"But escaping the media and panic mobs wasn't the only reason we came back," Nicholas went on. "There was another reason…"

Nicholas made a show of looking behind him and gesturing with one hand. He stepped aside, leaving the doorway empty as a figure far shorter stepped through, their cane tapping on the floor with each step. Coming to a halt, expression blank, Oscar faced them once more.

"Ozpin," Yang growled.

"Miss Xiao-Long," the young boy returned in a voice far too old for him. "Mr Arc. Everyone." He held up a hand to forestall Yang's rise, and the inevitably apocalyptic retribution she had in mind for the ordeal Ozpin had put her through. "I would ask you not to, Miss Xiao-Long, not for my sake but for Oscar's. He does not deserve to suffer the consequences of my mistakes."

The words were flowery and spoke of contrition, but Jaune found himself moving between Ozpin and his friends nonetheless, and not to protect the mind-hopping man. Their parting had not been on the best of terms, and while he'd been willing to let it go, Ozpin's actions after in orchestrating Atlas' attack on the tower had proved him wrong to believe their problems over. He'd made a mistake and Yang had nearly paid for it. They all had.

"What are you doing here, Ozpin? Where have you been?"

"I have spent the last few weeks with your family."

Jaune's hand moved to a sword that wasn't strapped to his side. Even so, Nicholas caught his wrist, moving far faster. "Peace, son," he whispered. "Hear him out."

"But Dad-"

"I would not have brought him here if he was a threat to you or your mother. I would not have allowed him to spend time around your sisters, let alone sleep in the same house."

"In a separate room, of course," Ozpin felt the need to add. It was probably a wise choice. "I'd remind you that while I may currently be in the body of a fifteen-year-old, my _preferences_ remain as they always have." He paused. "The same cannot be said for Oscar, however." Ozpin winced, no doubt getting a telling off for revealing that information.

Reluctantly, Jaune relaxed, taking his hand back when his father released him. He didn't trust – couldn't at the moment – but he would hear the man out.

"Fine. You get one chance, Ozpin. One chance and one only."

"That is all I ask of you." Ozpin's eyes trailed over those at the table, noting an absence. "Might I ask where Qrow is?"

"Being broken in by his girlfriend," Yang drawled.

"Ah, I see." Ozpin looked amused for a moment. "He's done well for himself, I see. You all have. Crown Prince and Princess, Ambassadors, some of the most influential people on Remnant now, and at so young an age. It is an impressive accomplishment from each of you."

"Thank you," Jaune said. The others mumbled something similar.

"Of course, some of your recent actions have been reckless. That is to be expected, I suppose. A lack of experience, the haste of youth or-"

Nicholas coughed meaningfully.

Ozpin paused. "Ahem. Yes. My apologies. What I mean to say is that despite my misgivings, you have not been a force for _complete_ evil upon Remnant."

"Complete evil?" Weiss asked, offended.

"The war in Atlas is not necessarily a good thing."

It was Jaune's turn to cough.

"And I realise I hold some responsibility for that," Ozpin allowed, "Which is why I wasn't going to bring it up. You made the best of a bad situation. Not the direction I would have taken, but one that has, for now, minimised casualties."

"Is this going somewhere, Ozpin?"

The elderly child sighed. "You are not making this easy, Mr Arc."

"Gee. I wonder why."

"Yes, I deserve some ire, I will admit. I may have been hasty myself, although I may add that your mother's history before she met your father warranted such a response. I was doing what I believed to be best for the people of Remnant."

Jaune scowled. "You're not making me like you any more here, Ozpin."

"I can see that, Mr Arc."

In the end, it was Ruby who stepped forward, placing one hand on his shoulder to hold him back. "I think what Ozpin is trying to say is that he was wrong," she said. "Isn't that right?"

"It is," Ozpin agreed.

"Then why doesn't he just say it?"

"When you get as old as me-"

"I don't think you have to explain why," Ruby rebuked, though not without a small smile. "Just a yes or a no. You got Yang arrested and put in danger. Things turned out okay, but they might not have."

Ozpin let out a heavy sigh. "You are correct. And yes, I have made mistakes. I would like to apologise for them, including inciting General Ironwood to attack the tower."

"Why _did_ you do that?" Yang asked.

"It may mean little now, and I don't expect you to understand, but I truly believed you had all been fooled. In my mind, the thought of you all being brought before Salem was something I could not countenance. I believed your lives to be in danger. Or, if not yours, those of other people back in the Kingdoms."

There were mutters of discontent and anger across the table. No one appreciated the reason, even if it was the only one Ozpin had. Even if he knew his mother _had_ been intent on world domination of a sort. Ozpin's mistakes were understandable, but the scale of them still grated.

Sadly, Ruby was giving him that look, the one that was half-smile, half-question, subtly asking whether he was going to do the right thing, convinced he was and ready to cheer when he did. The thought of not fulfilling that expectation and shaking her faith in him was too much. With a sigh, Jaune wondered if this was how his dad felt trying to say no to his sisters.

"I'll accept your apology, Ozpin." He waited for the man to begin to smile, "But, only if you stay out of our way in the future. I don't mind what you do with your life – or what Oscar does; it's his life after all – but all the games, all the schemes, they come to a stop."

"So long as you stick to your goal of peace, they shall," Ozpin promised. "I've no reason to interfere, nor a desire to. And in fact, I have brought a gift that might aid you in your goals."

Curious despite his misgivings, Jaune watched as Ozpin reached behind his back, unhooking something from his hip. It was an odd blue orb or liquid, surrounded by golden filigree in the shape of a cask with two handles. More ornamental than functional, it was a princely gift and Jaune took it carefully.

"Wow," he said, turning it over. "It's a…"

Ozpin waited.

Jaune began to sweat.

"It's a _thing_."

Ozpin sighed.

"No, it's amazing," Jaune said, trying to rescue the situation. "I've always wanted one. It'll go pride of place on my… uh… coffee table?" Ozpin looked unimpressed. "My desk." Irritated. "My kitchen counter?"

"It is the Relic of Knowledge, Mr Arc."

"Ah," Jaune said with an understanding nod. "On my bookcase, then."

"Jaune was not privy to _every_ little thing we were doing or focused on," Cinder taunted from the table, an oozing slice of pizza dangling from one hand. Her other was held out, summoning a small flame that she was using to heat it up. "He has no idea what the Relics are."

Jaune blinked and looked down at the item again. "This thing is important?"

"Yes, Mr Arc." Ozpin grumbled, "Give a man one of the most important artefacts on the planet and he wants to use it as a paperweight. I _really_ should have seen this coming." He recovered with a cough. "The Relic of Knowledge is an artefact that contains the power of the Gods. It was left behind specifically to help assist humanity in dealing with your mother and has the capacity to answer _any_ question you ask it, so long as the answer relates to something in the present and not the future. With this, you can gain an infallible answer to one question. It is my hope that it will assist you in bringing peace to the Kingdoms."

"Question!" Tyrian called, hand in the air.

"This isn't a classroom, Uncle Tyrian." When the faunus continued to hop on the spot, waving his hand, Jaune sighed. "Tyrian. Yes?"

"Isn't the Relic supposed to have _three_ answers?"

Everyone else looked back to Ozpin, who managed to look embarrassed. He brought his hand up and coughed into it, hiding his eyes. "I may have utilised two of them."

"Typical," Cinder snarked. "Even when he offers a gift, it's two thirds spent."

"I prefer to think of it as one third full. And besides, it refills."

"It does?" Jaune asked, excited. "How often?"

Ozpin coughed.

"Yes, Ozpin," Cinder simpered. "How often?"

"Once every century or so…"

Jaune's expression darkened. He looked to Ruby, who for once had an equally deadpan look on her face. For a moment, he considered slapping his forehead, before he remembered that spent or not, it was still a gift, and one of immeasurable value. More than that, it was a peace offering, and peace was something he was trying to be all about. With Ozpin on board, there would be no one left to work against them.

"Thank you, Ozpin. I appreciate the gesture, and the help this'll bring. Once we figure out what to ask it…"

"I would suggest you think carefully on the question, and how it might be subverted," Ozpin warned. "The being inside is not in herself malicious, but a foolish question begets a foolish answer. You might want to run it past me, if only so I can point out any holes. I will understand if you do not, however. Even then, I'd suggest running the question past Salem."

"We will," he said, looking back to the others at the table. They all looked incredibly interested, many of them staring at the Relic with wide eyes. "Um. Will you be staying the night?" Jaune asked Ozpin. "Do I need to find you a room?"

"Thank you, but no. I wish to meet with Salem one last time."

Jaune winced. "Is that wise?"

"Is it wise? No. Is it a conversation that needs to happen? Yes." Ozpin looked even older than he had before. "We have made many mistakes, she and I. It is about time we addressed some of them. And you are not the only ones I wished to apologise to. I must speak with Qrow as well. He deserves an explanation for my actions."

"I'll be going with him," Nicholas said. "Make sure nothing goes wrong."

Jaune nodded, relieved. "Good idea."

The two of them left, closing the doors behind them and leaving all of them in contemplative silence. Contemplative but for the sound of Sun munching away and Cinder trying not to burn her pizza. With great care and reverence, Jaune carried the Relic to the table and placed it down, careful to keep his hands nearby lest it toppled.

Everyone leaned in to take a closer look, Nora practically clambering on top of Ren, her chin on his hair, to try and see. The turquoise liquid inside the Relic remained still but glowed with an unusual intensity.

Weiss broke the silence, "So, what do we ask it?"

"I'd be open for suggestions," Jaune said.

"Hear me out. How about `How do we efficiently kill everyone in Atlas`?"

"Suggestions from other people," Jaune added, ignoring Uncle Tyrian.

"How to achieve world peace?" Ruby offered.

"Keep doing what you're doing," Cinder answered distractedly, licking some melting cheese from her fingers. She paused and raised an eyebrow when she realised everyone was watching her. "What? It's the obvious answer and likely the one it would give. You have to be more specific."

"How to earn a billion lien!" Nora crowed.

"Kill people and take their money." Cinder replied.

"How to stop all conflict." Blake tried.

"Kill everyone. No people, no conflict."

"How to end discrimination?" Ilia said.

"Genocide on the discriminated race would remove the need for it. Alternatively, kill everyone."

"World hunger?"

"Kill everyone and no one goes hungry."

"Will you stop suggesting `kill everyone` as a solution to the world's problems." Yang demanded, slamming a hand down on the table.

"Hang on," Tyrian said, "I think we should give her opinion some more weight…"

"I'm simply pointing out what answers the Relic might give," Cinder explained. "It must provide an answer, but there is no guarantee on how detailed or flippant it will or won't be. If you want a definite answer, you need to ask it a yes or no question."

"That would be limited," Ren countered.

"Indeed. Which is where the problem lays. Ozpin had access to this thing for centuries and failed to stop Salem. I doubt that was due to a lack of trying on his part. Your question must be worded perfectly."

"Didn't realise we were dealing with the douchebag genie here," Yang grumbled.

"I'm told the Relic also has some limited sentience," Cinder offered, "So good job on potentially offending it. I'm sure that won't have any ramifications. Try to use some brain cells next time, moron."

Yang bristled. "Ahem? You realise I'm technically the Crown Princess of the Grimm now, right? I kind of outrank you."

Cinder's smile fell. She scoffed. "Jaune could do better."

"Screw you," Yang growled.

"No thank you. _I_ can do better as well."

"Yang, Cinder," Jaune laughed nervously as he stepped between them. "We're all friends here, right? All friends. Why don't we put the whole wish-question thing on hold? Sleep on it. Maybe something will come to one of us overnight."

"You could always ask where Hazel is," Cinder suggested. "I've not seen him in months."

Jaune paused, surprised. That… was a surprisingly good point.

"Oh, he's out looking for unicorns to dunk in the Grimm pools," Tyrian said.

Jaune, Cinder and just about everyone else looked at him, confused.

"Why?" he dared to ask.

"Eh. We were having an argument over which Uncle Amber loved best. I said it would be whoever found her a Grimm unicorn. That was… about five months ago, I think."

Cinder groaned.

Jaune sighed. "And he's been out looking for a _unicorn_ ever since?"

"Yep." Tyrian popped the P.

"He's aware unicorns do not exist, correct?" Weiss asked.

Tyrian crossed his arms. "Do you _know_ that?"

"Yes… Yes, I do. They're fantasy."

"Sure, and a few months back you probably thought intelligent Grimm, a Grimm Queen, wizards, mind-parasites and magical artefacts were fantasy as well, right?"

Weiss floundered.

"He has a point," Ruby whispered.

"Ooh, ooh. Blakey. Let's go hunt a unicorn."

"Nora, no…"

"We can put black bows in its mane~"

"No."

"You'd escape the three new dogs in the tower."

"…" Blake's hand came up to her chin.

Jaune groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, unable to handle the smug grin on Tyrian's face. No doubt Uncle Hazel was scouring Remnant, leaving Tyrian behind to win his niece's affections the more traditional way. Traditional for Tyrian Callows, anyway.

"You're some kind of asshole," Cinder said. "You know that, right?"

Tyrian shrugged. "Sure. But the important thing is that you do what you love."

Damn it, Tyrian.

* * *

 **Some things being wrapped up, the final little things taking place. I won't say how many chapters, etc, but we're coming to the end of White Sheep. And yes, Hazel has been absent because he's just been running around doing nothing. I never really had any plans for his character as his motivations are just too vague at the moment. I know why he hates Ozpin, but nothing about anything else re him. Why `my sister was killed by Grimm` leads to `so I joined the Grimm`, etc.**

 **I'm sure there is a believable reason for it, I just haven't seen it yet and didn't feel he was particularly necessary for this story. He appeared right at the start, but that was it. He'd have also gotten in the way of Ozpin's little redemption here, as his reason to hate Ozpin is based on more than a lover's spat.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 10th January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	99. Chapter 99

**Here's the chapter.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 99**

* * *

The black stone of the corridor he walked through was broken up by a soft, red carpet, bright drapes of a cream colour, painted and photographed images on the walls and numerous torches. Despite the dark sky outside and the oppressive atmosphere, Salem's tower was bright and colourful, something one might not have guessed from the outside.

" **This place is less dreary than I imagined."**

"You and me both, Oscar," Ozpin said, "Although I'd point out that Salem was never what one might call… low maintenance. She had her creature comforts, and her needs. Goodness, she had her needs…"

" **Please don't bring up any images."**

Ozpin chuckled. "So innocent."

" **I'm not innocent so much as disturbed at the thought of someone so old doing it."**

"You'll be old yourself in time."

" **Don't you mean we?"**

Ozpin frowned. "Perhaps. If there is a way to free you…"

" **You'd take it. I know. I trust you."**

"You did not a week ago."

" **You were a different man a week ago."**

"No. I was… mistaken." Misguided, lost or just trapped on a path he felt had no escape. "This is how I've always been, but I allowed myself to change. Looking back, I cannot say I am pleased with the man I had become."

" **Well, that's why we're here. To make it better."**

In so far as it could be. Ozpin sighed and wished, not for the first time, that the Gods had left him dead the first time. Then again, he might as well have wished that he'd talked to Salem before and not tried to sneak away with their children. Had he, then this might never have happened.

 _So many regrets. So many mistakes._

" **Hey,"** Oscar interrupted, sensing his thoughts, or just his emotions. **"Enough of that. Didn't Nicholas say there's no more living in the past? You made mistakes but dwelling on them isn't going to fix anything."**

"You're correct, of course. Forgive me." Ah, to be lectured by a child. "An old man has his memories, however. I'm sure you'll understand in time."

Oscar might have responded but paused at the sight of a moustached figure at the end of the hall, stood beside a door. Arthur Watts was a known figure and a known enemy, at least as far as Ozpin had been concerned, but he was surprised to see the very dangerous and very wanted man stood with an apron on and a feather duster in his hand. He looked tired, like a househusband who had been working all day.

"Ozpin," he greeted wearily. "Or would that be Ozma?"

"Either will do."

"Hm." Watts yawned. "My queen is inside, along with the King. He wanted to go ahead and calm her down, make sure nothing untoward happens. To you," he added, somewhat needlessly. "You're free to go in, but for the sake of me not cleaning up your remains, I'd advise you to be polite."

"I've no interest in being anything else."

"Good. You can go in."

The room was that of a small and private library, one with a roaring fireplace by the back wall with a framed and painted image above it of a pale woman and a blond man, the two of them surrounded by children. In his mind's eye, Ozpin recalled a similar image with his face on and only four girls to replace the seven and one boy. The memory shattered as he looked to the man in the painting; it was not him.

Beneath it, sat in a plush chair with her legs crossed, Salem regarded him. Her face was calm, forcibly so, but what caught his breath was how clear it was. The angry veins that spanned from her eyes had receded, and although she was still unnaturally pale, she could have passed for human.

" **You left** _ **that**_ **?"** Oscar asked. **"Were you insane?"**

" _Now is not the time for your hormones to kick in, Oscar."_

" **I know, but… wow…"**

" _I thought you were more interested in Miss Rose."_

" **Yeah, but you vetoed anyone below the age of twenty-five. Ever."**

" _Indeed I did, Oscar. And for good reason."_

" **Because you're hung up…"**

" _Because despite what age the body I inhabit might be, my mind is that of a very old man. I am NOT going to touch a minor."_

The internal conversation might have only taken a moment or two, but Ozpin realised it might have been a moment too long as an impatient growl left Salem's throat. "Ozma…" She around a flute of wine so tightly that it cracked. She might have gone further if not for the man sat beside her reaching over to lay a hand on her knee. The gesture visibly calmed her, Salem sitting back and closing her eyes.

Ozpin felt a flash of jealousy at it. That had once been his position, and though that time had long since passed, the memories were still raw.

"Salem," he greeted.

Salem's crimson eyes fixed on his for a long moment, staring past the skin he wore and at the man he'd once been. There was less pain there than he'd expected. Anger, yes, but the pain was muted, or perhaps healed. She had moved on. Unlike him, she had chosen to try again, to give happiness and love another chance.

"Nicholas told me how you came upon he and our daughters. You're fortunate he waited until they were safely away to say it, or I would have personally come to Vale and laid waste to you and all those around you."

"Sweetie," Nicholas whispered.

"Do not `sweetie` me, Nicholas Arc. This man attempted to steal away my children. He is _directly_ responsible for their deaths. We will have words later, my husband. Words that will be accompanied with punishment."

Nicholas Arc bore the rebuke without reaction, a sign of either intense discipline, stupidity or just plain old masochism. Perhaps all three, Ozpin thought, for if he read the man's expression correctly, there was a tinge of excitement there.

" **I didn't need to know that…"** Oscar groaned.

" _Now Oscar, we do not kink shame."_

Ozpin coughed and gathered his thoughts. His first instinct was to lash out and say that Salem was the one that had killed their girls. It was true and the suggestion it was all his fault hurt. Of course, dragging that out would only make things worse. Such an argument would only lead to pain for the both of them.

And, at the end of the day, she had not spoken unfairly. He _was_ directly responsible, and he _had_ tried to steal his daughters away. They had been too young to know better, and even now he wondered at what he might have said once they realised they were leaving forever.

He'd never had the chance to find out.

"I have made mistakes, Salem."

"That is one way to put it," she hissed.

"My mistakes were in seeking to do things on my own," he continued. "They were in forgetting that we were, no matter what came between us, a couple, and that you were never an unreasonable woman. Bull-headed and stubborn to a fault, but always intelligent."

"Flattery will not bring back our children."

"No. No, it won't. Nothing will." He sighed and sat down on the empty seat provided, sagging back into its soft cushions. When Nicholas offered him a glass of wine, he politely refused. "Our children, our beautiful children, are dead. There is not a day that goes by where I do not regret it. At night, I dream of them and the moment they fell."

Salem's face twisted, the pain shining through. "I didn't mean to…" she whispered.

"You did not," he agreed. "And neither did I. We, I, disagreed with the path you wished to take. You wanted to destroy all of humanity. You wanted to replace them."

"They wished me dead!"

"No. The Gods wished you dead. I did not, nor did I ever intend to follow through with the Gods' deal. I informed you of it because I wanted to clear the air, tell you the secrets I had kept hidden. I had no intention of ever following through with it."

Salem looked stricken. "Then why…?"

"As I said, it was a mistake. A stupid, foolish mistake." Ozpin looked away, teeth gritted. "When I told you, you flew into anger and expressed your desires to replace humanity. Looking back, perhaps you were angry, overreacting. Rather than try to calm you down, I instead decided to take our daughters and leave. This was my mistake. I should have confronted you. Whatever argument we had, no matter how violent it became, was something we should have conducted in private. I… we," he amended, "Should not have involved them."

Perhaps that was more his mistake than hers. Salem had the excuse of anger, grief and fear, while he should have known better in every regard. The ball had been in his court. He should have spoken to her.

"I was afraid because of what the Gods suggested," she said.

"And I let their warnings cloud my mind with doubt," Ozpin admitted. "In the end, we both fell into the roles they wished of us."

Salem's eyes narrowed. "You're suggesting it is their fault?"

"I know not."

"I think I do," Nicholas interrupted, squeezing his wife's hand. "If I can, I think what happened to you both was a tragedy, but one born of misunderstanding. Neither of you wanted your children to be caught in the middle. But even from what I know of when you were first together, I'd say this is more the Gods' fault than yours."

"I am the one who made the wish and tricked the God of Darkness," Salem pointed out.

"And he was a God," Nicholas snorted. "If he let himself be tricked, that's his problem. You were a woman in love who was grieving. The Gods _literally_ let people come and make wishes by them. Sure, the God of Light had the right to refuse you, but you had just as much right to try your luck with the God of Darkness."

"As I understand it, the punishment was not for her making two requests," Ozpin said. "It was for causing the two to fight."

Nicholas raised an eyebrow. "Is she the one who made them fight? Is she the one who pitted them against one another? The God of Darkness was the one to keep reviving you, and it was the God of Light who took issue with that. She never told them to fight each other. That was all on them. And frankly, if those two had their issues, they shouldn't have let it affect other people." Nicholas leaned forward. "In a way, you were their children. What they did to you was no different than what you did to your kids. The only difference is, you both accepted it as being your fault, while the Gods were happy to pass on the blame."

"I raised the Kingdoms to attack the Brothers," Salem said.

"After they cursed you with eternal life, forever taking away your ability to pass on and be with the man you loved. Also, after they kept bringing said man back to life and killing him again in front of you. Did they _expect_ you to still see them as benevolent Gods after that?" Nicholas threw his arms in the air. "And then, after raising an army – which wouldn't have been possible if everyone loved them as much as they seemed to think – they destroy humanity, remove magic and say that they're disappointed in you all. Disappointed because you reacted badly to being emotionally tortured and then cursed by them. They sound like the kind of kid who takes his ball away in the middle of a game the moment he starts to lose."

"If you are trying to convince me that the Gods were not as perfect as they wished to believe themselves, you are preaching to the converted," Ozpin said. "Any respect I once had for them has long since departed."

"And I hate them," Salem agreed.

"Then I think it's time you both stopped dancing to their tune, hm?" Nicholas held his wife's hand tightly. "They ruined your lives once and have continued to do so for centuries. But now you've got a chance to put that behind you and move on. Isn't that worth it, Salem? If only to spit in their eyes?"

The beautiful woman sighed. "You always know what to say to me…"

Ozpin chuckled. "I would not be here were I not willing. More than that, I will begin." He stood and coughed into his fist. "Salem, I wish to apologise for how I failed you and our family. I should have spoken to you sooner, told you the truth sooner, and more than any of that I should have believed in and stood with you."

Salem tensed. Her eyes didn't quite meet his.

"Sweetie?" Nicholas hinted.

"I… I know." With a hefty sigh, Salem stood. Her cheeks coloured just a little. "I accept your apology and apologise in turn. Though it won't bring them back, I believe you mean it when you say you're sorry for what happened. And I… I shouldn't have been so angry. It was childish to suggest we get rid of and replace humanity. I've no intention of doing that anymore."

Ozpin felt a weight lift from his shoulders. It should have been metaphorical, but it didn't feel as though it was. It felt like a physical thing that had held him down. For what felt like the first time in centuries, he laughed. Not a chuckle, not a polite or friendly smile, but a full-blown bout of laughter.

"Nicholas is better in bed, though."

The laughter died. "Really? Was that necessary?"

"Don't forget, Ozma. I always get the last word."

He let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I suppose I deserved that. Where do we go from here, now that we do not need to fight one another?"

"You may go where you wish, Ozma. My son has expressed a desire to take over and I am content to let him. With the Grimmlands becoming open to the world, the work involved would be staggering. I don't have the time for that again."

"Nor I," Ozpin said quickly, just in case Salem suggested he have a hand in it. "I think Mr Arc is doing a fine enough job, and he is surrounded by those who would help him. In truth, I'm not sure what to do with my life. I'll let Oscar live it as he wishes, though with the curse still laid upon the two of us…"

"This cycle will continue. My husband will die of old age while I will not. My children will pass. People are not made to live forever, and I understand that now…" Salem's eyes narrowed. "What I do not understand is why the curse still persists. It was to last until I understood the true purpose of life and death and accepted it. Did I not do that when I tried to kill myself in the pools? Have I not done that now? I wish to grow old and pass with Nicholas."

If they'd been expecting an explosion of magical energy and the lifting of said curse, they were set for disappointment. Apart from a general sense of burden lifting, Ozpin felt no different, and considering he wasn't even technically alive at the moment, he should probably have passed away. The curse remained.

"I… do not know how it works," he admitted. "When the Gods made it, I expected it would be something that would end with the moment of your understanding."

"That's what I assumed," she said.

"Maybe there's more to it?" Nicholas offered.

"Well, yes, obviously, otherwise it would not still be present."

"Are you sure it is?"

"Testing it is not exactly a safe option," Ozpin said. "Unless you wish one of us to die here and now." For safety's sake he added, "And do think of Oscar, please."

" **Yes,"** Oscar said, **"Please do…"**

"No one is going to be killed to test this," Nicholas said. "But there _is_ one way to find out for sure."

Both Ozpin and Salem looked to him, confused.

/-/

"How typical," Cinder remarked, "Provide a gift and then ask for it back."

"Sis," Jaune said, "Be nice."

"I am not _nice_ , Jaune. I am never _nice_."

"Well maybe that's why Emerald is Weiss' minion now and not yours."

"Please don't bring me into this," Emerald called, panicked.

"And Mercury is Velvet's," Ruby added.

Actually, Jaune was sure there was a different reason for that one, though he didn't bother to correct Ruby. He'd heard what Mercury was up to from her and Pyrrha and ultimately wished the guy well.

"Mercury and Emerald will be dealt with in time," Cinder said, causing the green-haired girl to gulp and Weiss to step in front of her protectively. "As for the Relic of Knowledge…" She sighed. "The choice is yours, I suppose. I'm not even sure what my purpose here is anymore. Certainly not overthrowing the world as it used to be."

"Babysitting," Tyrian said. "When the prince and princess have brats of their own. That's your life, Cinder. The eternal babysitter."

"Choke on your tail and die."

Jaune looked to Yang, who rolled her eyes and whispered something about his Uncle somehow being more childish than her own. As to the request from Ozpin, however, she shrugged her shoulders. "Your call."

"Do we _need_ the Relic?" Jaune asked the others.

"Doesn't look like it," Sun answered. "I mean, we've got the Kingdoms on lockdown and just about everything else is on the way to sorting itself out. All we're waiting for is Atlas to war long enough for Ironwood to call peace and not have it look suspicious."

"Menagerie is on board and the White Fang are disarming and integrating back into the populace," Blake said. "Sienna is rebranding them as law enforcement. She did ask for Ren's help on that for some reason."

"Over my dead body," Nora said cheerily.

"They have a point," Pyrrha added. "We couldn't even think of anything to ask it yesterday. I'm not sure about you, but that hasn't changed on my end. At this point, the only question we have is the unicorn one."

Nora opened her mouth excitedly.

"No," Blake said. "Bad Nora."

Jaune nodded to show he hadn't thought of anything either and looked around to see if anyone had. Ruby, Ren and Blake shrugged, while Weiss was busy glaring down Cinder over Emerald. Ilia looked bored and Yang shook her head.

The Relic of Knowledge was a princely gift, but they just didn't need it. While there was a temptation to let it stand with a question remaining in case they needed it later, it would be cruel to withhold it when Ozpin and his mother needed it. If it was just Ozpin, he might have refused, but even then this was for Oscar's sake, too.

"You want to ask it how to let you and my mom die?" he asked again, just for clarity. "I'm not sure I like the `mom dying` part."

"Not how to die," Ozpin said, looking to Salem, who nodded back. "We wish to ask how to lift the curse placed upon us. This will allow us to die in the natural course of our lives but shouldn't kill us immediately."

"Shouldn't…?"

"There is an element of risk involved. Neither of us know how the curse works."

"But it's _our_ decision to make, Jaune," Salem said, not unkindly. "I lost my way and became a monster when I lost my first husband. I don't want to see that happen again, nor make it worse by watching my children grow old and die as well. I can't keep going through that over and over, and Ozma cannot keep stealing people's lives against his will. It's not fair to either of us."

Jaune felt helpless. This wasn't something he could fix with a coup or dose of honesty.

"Are you sure it's the right kind of question to ask, though?" Ruby asked. "Cinder said the genie can say things wrong."

"That's not quite accurate. Jinn is bound to speak only the truth and the problem lays more with those asking the question. A foolish or misworded question can force Jinn to give an incomplete answer despite her wishes."

"Not a douchebag genie, then?" Sun asked.

Ozpin chuckled. "I'm sure to the one robbed of a question, she may appear it. Ultimately, that would be the fault of the one asking. She is limited to three per century. Sometimes, she may even _wish_ to tell you more, but cannot because it extends past the limit of a question."

"And your question will get past that?" Jaune asked.

"We intend to ask the following; _what actions must we take to lift the curse placed by the Gods that is currently upon us_?" Ozpin explained. "If the curse has already been lifted by Salem's acceptance of the necessity of death, then Jinn should respond that there _is_ no curse currently upon us, or that there are no actions necessary. If the curse does remain, she will tell us what actions are necessary to break it. We will either get confirmation or a method, and both from one question."

"What if she just repeats that you need to accept the importance of death?"

"The question was what _actions_ , Mr Arc," Ozpin said with a smile. "By virtue of the plural, Jinn must tell us _every_ action involved in the process. If it is just to accept death, she will have to tell us the precise method of how Salem can achieve this."

"And it won't kill her outright?"

"Asking how to do something is not doing it." Ozpin said. "If the answer is that she must speak some magical words and die, for instance, she can choose to do so once she has reached what she accepts as a natural lifespan."

Salem reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, her fingers gently squeezing. Unbidden, his hand came up to squeeze back and his eyes closed. The thought of her dying hurt, but this wasn't his choice to make. It also wasn't a death sentence. They'd still have a whole life together. Yang squeezed his other hand, offering what comfort she could. In the end, there was only one decision he could make.

"Take it. Take the Relic…"

Salem smiled. "Jaune…"

"Thank you, Mr Arc." Ozpin bowed and reached out for the lantern-shaped object. If he noticed Jaune's reluctance to let go, he didn't comment on it. "In doing this, you prove, at least to me, that you will be a wonderful ruler."

The compliment didn't help as much as he wished it would. Yang's hand did, as did Ruby hugging him from behind. He let himself sag a little, taking what support he could from the two. It was the right decision, but it hurt so much.

"Should we do it here?" Nicholas asked.

"Now?" Jaune hissed, voice choked with emotion.

"Only the question, son. We're not going through with anything. Just finding out how."

Everyone backed up, making room for the summoning. Only Ozpin, Nicholas and Salem remained in the centre of the room. Ozpin made to speak, and then paused, turning to Salem. He held the Relic out towards her with Oscar's small hands.

"Me?" she asked, surprised.

"I believe it would be for the best. After keeping her locked away for centuries and only monopolising her questions, I think she's come to dislike me. I would not take the risk of her bitterness here."

Salem nodded and took the Relic. Looking around once to make sure everyone was clear, she held it out before her.

"Spirit of the Relic of Knowledge, Jinn. I summon you."

The Relic shook. It was not a violent motion, but one that seemed to scream of sudden life. A pale, blue substance began to coalesce from it, spreading out to surround Salem. Although he'd expected it, Jaune still found himself staring at the blue figure that appeared, a body much larger than his. A female figure with long, flowing hair a darker shade of blue than her body, pointed ears and golden jewellery that hunt from her ears, around her neck and across her hip. Apart from that, she was entirely naked.

"Ahem," Yang coughed, elbowing his side.

"I-I wasn't looking."

"Sure you weren't."

The being looked towards them. There was a flicker of amusement that crossed her face, no doubt at having heard their words, and Jaune looked away, flushed. Laughing softly, the being turned back towards her summoner.

"Well, well, well, for once it is not the old man that summons me. How interesting. Has the lonely girl in the tower claimed victory at last? No. There is more here than meets the eye."

"You already know what is going on, Jinn," Ozpin said. To them, he added, "Be careful not to phrase a question around her. She might answer it."

"You say it as though I would trick you. This is my function. I was created for this purpose with no input of my own. I can no more control what I am than you can yourselves. In fact, I dare say you all have more freedom of choice than I."

"Not all of us," Salem said.

Jinn matched her gaze. "No. Some of you are deprived of that right. Go on, no longer lonely woman. Ask your question and I shall answer. Though you are no longer human, you once were. I remember that and will honour it."

"Thank you," Salem said. She drew a deep breath and looked to Ozpin, Nicholas, and then finally to Jaune. With a firm nod, she turned back to the patiently waiting Jinn. "My question is thus. What actions must Ozpin and I take to lift the curse placed by the Gods that is currently upon us?"

The Jinn smiled pleasantly. "Two questions disguised as one. The old man's work, no doubt."

"If you're truly the Spirit of Knowledge, you would have known our question before we asked it. You're still bound to answer."

"I am. The curse still exists, in answer to a question implied but not asked. I can tell you this because your question necessitates both pieces of knowledge. You have not broken it through your acceptance of death."

Salem looked shocked, as did Ozpin.

"B-But you just confirmed that I have accepted it. The curse must be broken. Those were the terms set by the God of Light."

"They were, but the God of Light set those terms and could alter them as he wished. This was not a contract made between equals, nor something you had any choice in."

"You're being oddly informative," Weiss said. "I thought you only had one question."

"I may only answer three questions using by powers of Knowledge, but I can provide information without doing so freely." The spectral woman smiled. "I introduced myself as Jinn, for example, and in doing so answered the question `what is your name` freely. I can tell people how many questions remain, despite that being knowledge they should use a question for. Similarly, I can choose to speak of events that have happened in the past if I so wish. None of this is a revelation for the old man or the not-so-lonely woman. It is also my personal choice on _how much_ I wish to tell someone. Here, I know fully of Salem's intentions." Her eyes turned to Salem once more. "I know what she wishes, deep in her heart, and as a bring created to _help_ humanity, I am content to see this met as best I am able."

Salem appeared shocked, though she managed to whisper, "Thank you. Then please, how can I do this?"

"The question has been asked and I am bound to answer. The curse laid upon you by the God of Light can only be broken by the God of Light. Until it is, you and Ozma shall be cursed unto this never-ending torment."

Jinn smiled sadly, sympathetically.

"To break it, you must collect the Relics and summon the Gods once more."

"No," Ozpin whispered.

"That… That's not fair," Salem wheezed. "I did what he wanted. I've accepted it…"

"I am sorry," Jinn said. "Truly, I am."

Nicholas caught Salem as she fell, bracing her body against his. There was no one to catch Ozpin, but he landed on one knee, eyes wide and frame shaking. "Mom!" Jaune yelled, rushing around the table to Salem's side.

"I-I'm okay," she said, even though she clearly was not. "I… It…" She laughed bitterly. "It was a long shot. I thought… We thought…" She shook her head. "No, it doesn't matter. The Gods play their games. They always have. It shouldn't surprise me that the God of Light would demand I prostate myself before him. Not at all."

"The risks," Ozpin said. "They are-"

"Too much," Salem interrupted. "I agree. Not for the sake of everyone else, but for my family. I suppose we shall persist. I can… even after Nicholas and my children are gone, I can see their work continued. I will have to rely on their memory to sustain me."

Yang stepped forward. "You're giving up!?"

"You do not understand, Miss Xiao-Long," Ozpin said. "When the Gods departed, they gave us the ability to summon them again through the Relics. When they are summoned, however, they will judge humanity one last time. Should they find us lacking, they will destroy us entirely. Even if they do not, they might well eradicate all trace of Salem and I, including her children."

"W-What?" Yang looked to Jaune. "Why!?"

"Their rules were strict. Salem has the power of the God of Darkness within her and so, too, do her children to a degree. The Grimm are creations of the God of Darkness left behind. The God of Light would never allow them to roam freely."

"But he'd _kill_ them?" Ruby gasped. "That doesn't make sense. They're innocent."

"The God of Light tore me from the afterlife and set me to destroy the woman I loved. They punished hundreds of thousands of people for the fact that a select few rulers chose to join Salem and attack the Gods directly. They abandoned our world and called us failures, condemning many innocent people to death. The Gods are rarely fair."

"Ozma was an existence that did not belong, and the God of Light removed him," Jinn said. "Though I cannot know it for it lays in the future, he is not wrong to suggest the children of Salem might be similarly removed."

"But… that's not right…"

"The Gods have their vision for Remnant. Any who disagree are wrong."

"Even if it's obviously wrong for them to kill Jaune and his sisters?" Weiss demanded.

"They are Gods. If you believe differently to them, you are wrong." Jinn smiled weakly. "It does not matter the fairness, or how much you plead. They are Gods. And you are wrong. They may be disappointed, as they were in Salem, but they will do as they wish. Kill, curse, revive. Your lives are theirs to play with."

"But we made peace with the Grimm," Blake argued. "Surely, that's even _better_ than just humans living alone."

"But it is not what the Gods intended," Jinn said. "Nor, I might add, was faunus."

Blake gasped. Sun and Ilia looked worried.

"They'd erase an entire species!?" Weiss demanded furiously.

"I cannot know. Even had you a question remaining, I would be unable to answer that. I can only say that the faunus were not originally a part of the Gods' plans, and that the Grimm – appearing as a result of Salem – are also not. The Gods created humanity. Nothing more."

"Which is why they can't return," Salem decided. "Remnant has done fine without them. With peace between the Grimm and humanity, it will do even better. They'd only make things worse. It… I will be fine. Eternity…" Her eyes closed. "I will find a way to cope."

"I as well," Ozpin said, an undeniable rasp to his tone. "I am sorry, Oscar, but I cannot ask-" He paused. "You understand? Yes, I suppose you would." He stood, face shrouded with despair. "I must apologise, Mr Arc, everyone. Even you, Jinn. This question does not help us. Please… forget it ever happened. Focus on peace, focus on living full lives."

Ozpin looked to Salem, who had given up on standing and buried her face in Nicholas' shoulder.

"Salem and I… We shall endure. As we always have."

/-/

Understandably, the three adults chose to leave to get some rest after the display. Jaune waited with the others in the room until they were gone. No one, not even Tyrian, willing to break the silence at seeing both Ozpin and Salem so defeated. Jinn stood nearby, hovering an inch or more off the floor. Her face spoke of contrition, the reluctant bearer of bad news.

"We're not just going to leave it like that…" Nora suddenly said.

"What can we do?" Ren asked back. "You heard them. The Gods will judge humanity and we'll lose even if they decide everything is fine. Salem and Ozpin get erased and there's a good chance the faunus die, along with anyone even _partially_ related to the Grimm."

"That's not a certainty," Emerald said. She looked to Jinn. "Is it?"

"I cannot be certain of future events," Jinn replied. "I can only postulate, based on the past. It is why I can answer questions like this."

"Because you're not technically providing us with any answers," Pyrrha said.

"Yes. Right now, I am as blind as any of you."

"But you said your purpose was to aid humanity," Blake argued. "Are faunus really not included in that?"

"It is hard to say. Faunus did not exist when the Gods rules. It may be that upon their return they would see faunus as being essentially the same. It may be that they would welcome you and incorporate you into their plan."

"But only _may_."

"Yes."

"And you're sure they wouldn't accept me and my sisters," Jaune said.

"This I am more certain of. The God of Light was very strict on how much and in what ways the God of Darkness could interact with the world. The Grimm were never a part of the plan, and you are at part-Grimm." Jinn looked to Yang as well. "As are you."

"Yin," Yang gasped, gripping her arm.

"They'd kill Yang, too!?" Ruby wailed.

"And Cinder," Jaune said, "And Tyrian, Watts, Hazel and a whole lot of other people."

Silence reigned. No one knew what to say, or how to say it, but they each shared long looks, wondering who might be erased from existence if the Gods were brought forth. Jaune. Yang, Perhaps even Blake, Sun and Ilia.

"Perhaps Ozpin is right," Weiss said softly. "It's not something I want to admit, but perhaps we _should_ just leave this."

"And let Ozpin and Salem be stuck like this for eternity?"

"It's not an ideal solution, but the alternative might be the proverbial end of the world. Or at least as we know it."

"Won't leaving it be the same?" Ruby asked. "Maybe not in our lifetime, but sooner or later either Salem or Ozpin will snap. What if this all starts again, all the killing? What if one of them breaks and summons the Gods as a way to end it all? We can't just pretend this isn't our problem and ignore it. It's not going to go away."

"Ooh, ooh," Tyrian said. "I have an idea."

"Kill them?" Weiss asked sarcastically. "Thank you, Mr Tyrian, but I'm not sure that would be possible."

"It might be," Ren said.

Everyone froze.

Weiss' eyes narrowed. "Explain."

"According to the story told, when Salem tricked the God of Darkness into resurrecting Ozpin, the God of Light arrived and a battle almost ensued. This is correct, yes?" he asked Jinn.

"It is."

"If the two were essentially invincible, a battle would have been all but pointless. It stands to reason that if they were about to fight, then they could face the prospect of defeat. The God of Light could have been killed by the God of Darkness and vice versa."

"Though I was not provided with information on how to kill the Gods for obvious reasons, the suggestion is sound," Jinn said.

"Yeah, but it might be a God thing," Yang said. "God powers."

"Jaune has the power of the God of Darkness within him. And, if I'm not mistaken, Ozpin suggested that Ruby's silver eyes contained power granted by the God of Light. Even if they didn't, the Relics themselves were created with the God of Light's power."

"That's a lot of assumptions you're making there, team leader," Yang said. "I mean, what happens if they absorb the Relics into themselves or just blast us away with the snap of a finger?"

"Then the world is doomed and will always be. My suggestion isn't to attempt to kill them, however. That is a last resort. It might be possible to negotiate with them." Again, Ren turned to Jinn. "Ozpin and Salem said that the Gods used to grant requests."

"Petitions," Jinn agreed.

"And they were not always accepted." Ren waited for Jinn to nod. "That means the Gods, or at least the God of Light, were willing to listen to ideas. If we made a petition to them to remove the curse placed on Salem and Ozpin, they might listen."

"Might," Jaune said, "And you're suggesting that if they don't or try and destroy the world, we fight them."

"A last option."

"Last or not, it'll still mean putting people in danger for our purposes," he said. "I want to help my mom more than anyone, but it would be selfish to ask the whole world to pay the price if we fail. If it was just me, I'd be okay with it, but I've got my sisters to think about, and potentially the whole faunus race as well."

"All of which might die in time if we don't do this," Ruby argued. "Like I said, not in our lifetime, but further down the line when there'll be _no one_ like us to try and fix it. We've got a chance to make this work properly and to speak with the Gods. Jinn, would they listen?"

The spirit shook her head. "I have no idea. Basing any decision on my knowledge here would be a bad idea."

"I know. But in your opinion, based on what you know as a being who was _made_ by the God of Light. Do you think he would listen?"

Jinn let out a long sigh. "I am sure he would hear your petition. Whether he would accept or not, I cannot say."

"It's a huge risk," Jaune said.

"It sounds like the alternative is letting history repeat itself," Pyrrha said. "Like Ruby said, perhaps not in our lifetime, but Salem became this way once. It's going to happen again. Mayne one generation, maybe two, maybe three, but all we'll do by ignoring this is outsource our problems to the future generations. To our children or our children's children."

"And they won't have all the resources we do," Ren said. "Not only do we have all of us, but we have Salem and Ozpin working together and they were as strong as Gods in their own right. We also have all the Grimm, not to mention Ironwood, Cinder, Tyrian – even the maidens potentially. We'd also have the Relics, and with Vale and Vacuo essentially open to us, it would be easy to retrieve them. Tell Ironwood what's going on and he might present his willingly."

"We're never going to have a better chance to make this work," Ruby added, leaning in. "I know it's dangerous but ignoring it won't make it any less so. What if the Gods get bored and just come back on their own?"

"If they did," Jinn said, "They would consider that humanity's failure."

Jaune stilled as everyone looked to him. He had no idea why they thought it _his_ decision, but they did. Worse, Yang was squeezing his hand, smiling in a show of support. Support for what, summoning the Gods and risking the entire world?

"We're not even sure it's possible," he said.

"Neither was the Grimm being sentient, or there being peace with them," Yang said.

"And the White Fang would _never_ have agreed to stand down," Blake added. "We've already made the impossible possible before. We can do it again."

Jaune bit his lip. _"Remy?"_

" **Everything and everyone already at risk,"** Remy pointed out. **"You don't ignore a problem and hope it goes away. I'm not keen to die, but I cannot advise leaving this, either. We were close to the Relics being gathered as it stands. There is nothing to say your mother will not falter and try again in one or two hundred years' time."**

She might try, but he'd heard already what effect grief had on her. Compounded with the influence from the God of Darkness' pool, it might only be made worse. Ozpin would not be able to hold the line forever, even assuming it was not he who cracked. Knowing where each Relic was, he could summon the Gods faster than any.

"Cinder, Tyrian…"

Cinder perked up. Tyrian smiled. "Yes, my prince?"

"Travel to Vacuo and collect the Relic of Destruction. Weiss, I want you to contact Ironwood and tell him what's going on. Make sure he knows the risks and what's at stake and see if he's willing to support us and hand over the Relic of Creation."

He wasn't sure Ironwood would be, but then again, this was the strongest they'd ever be, and Ironwood knew some of the truth thanks to Ozpin. Knowing that Atlas' military was in its ascendancy, Ironwood might be willing to try it now. He wasn't short-sighted.

"And Choice?" Ruby asked.

"That's going to be a little more complicated, though maybe that's a good thing." It would offer some fresh perspective on this crazed plan of theirs and take a little of the responsibility away from him. "And you're going to help me, since this is partly your idea."

Ruby gulped.

"We're going to have to convince Ozpin to go along with this. And mom. I know we're doing it for them, but I refuse to go ahead without their permission. If the Gods do refuse us, we'll need them on our side."

It wasn't a conversation he was looking forward to.

"Focus on the other Relics for now. We'll confront Ozpin and mom when it becomes necessary. No point trying this if Ironwood won't agree or Cinder and Tyrian can't find the Summer Maiden. I'm going to talk to my sisters, too. This affects them."

* * *

 **And then we leap into a thirty chapter arc where they travelled the world to collect the Relics. No. Just no. The collection of the Relics is all but a foregone conclusion with both Salem and Ozpin's forces working together, as Ren said in the chapter.**

 **It'll mostly happen off-screen.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 17** **th** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	100. Chapter 100

**On a literary level, I made a big mistake last chapter. Not a continuity one or a plot hole, but rather an error of story structure. I'll be pushing on regardless. If I can remember to, I'll point out what that silly mistake was come the end of the story.**

 **From your point of view, it might not be a glaring issue, it's more that from the point of view of the one writing it the mistake makes my job many times harder and for no good reason.** **Don't worry, it's not really an exciting thing or anything that'll excite. Just one of those irritating errors that makes you slap your forehead. At least if you're the one writing the story. I teach people to be better than this, damn it. Need to follow my own advice sometimes.**

 **Stupid, stupid Coeur…**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 100**

* * *

"One Relic of Destruction," Sun said, gently laying the sword down on the table. "No idea what it does, but with a name like that I've not been keen to experiment. If you want to swing it, let me get a couple of miles away, yeah?"

"I don't think anyone will be swinging it," Jaune said. He didn't try to touch the sword, however. It looked innocent enough, but if the Relic of Knowledge quite literally gave knowledge, he didn't want to see what form of `destruction` the Relic of Destruction gave. "What are we even supposed to do about this?"

"Want my advice? Leave it here until we have all the others. Lock the room, too."

"Definitely keep Ruby away," Yang added, looking over his shoulder. Jaune, Sun and Blake shivered at the thought of Ruby going into another weapons frenzy with the thing in front of them.

" _Definitely_ keep her away," he agreed. "Good work Sun, Blake. I'm surprised you managed to get hold of it so quickly."

"Would you believe me if I said it was hidden in a dungeon surrounded by vicious and deadly traps?" Blake asked.

"Because it was," Sun added. "Swinging blades, spike pits, concealed rooms that spilled Grimm out. Talk about well protected; little wonder no one ever found their way through there. I'm gonna have nightmares just thinking about it."

The two faunus sounded serious, which was odd given that neither looked to have even a scratch on them. Yang raised an eyebrow towards him in question and Jaune shrugged back. She nudged him in the side, hinting that he should be the one to ask. Reluctantly, he cracked.

"So… how did you manage to get it so quickly? And without even a scratch?"

Blake shrugged. "Semblances."

"You're looking at two people with clone Semblances," Sun better explained. "Traps kinda don't mean anything when we can just feed endless clones into the meat-grinder. We sat at the entrance playing cards until the traps were all cleared."

"Ozpin's defences really aren't all that great…"

"In his defence, I'm not sure _he_ arranged them all," Yang said. "I think he sealed them away but let each Kingdom handle the vaults and how to get to them. That said, how did you get into yours? Did you find the Summer Maiden?"

Sun grinned. "Yep."

"Yep?" Jaune asked, bemused. "Just like that? Where was she?"

"In Shade."

"And she just… what, was waiting for you when you got off the Nevermore?"

"Surprisingly, yes," Blake said, shrugging. "Turns out the Summer Maiden wasn't quite as keen on travelling and roaming as the Fall or being a bitch as the Spring. No offence," she added to Yang.

"Absolutely none taken," Yang replied.

"Summer Maiden got her powers ages ago and basically decided to use them. She's the headmaster of Shade. Or is that headmistress? She was waiting for us when we arrived, asked what we were after and why, then agreed to open the vault door if we could navigate the defences."

"Think she looked a little annoyed at how easily we did that," Sun added.

Blake's smirk was just a little too smug. "Yes. Yes, she did."

Jaune wasn't sure if it was just him or not, but the Relics seemed to be a whole lot more obvious than they needed to be. According to Ozpin, the Relic of Knowledge had been hidden beneath a statue quite literally _of_ the Relic of Knowledge – or Jinn, anyway. Cinder had thought the Relic of Choice was at Beacon, which it hadn't been, but the vault _had_ , and the Relic was only missing because Ozpin hid it.

As for the maidens, they'd managed to stumble across Fall and Spring without ever asking for it, and now Summer, too. He expressed the concern to the three of them, only to have Yang laugh.

"It's not _that_ bad. Keep in mind we only found Spring because I went to her for a portal, and we'd have never seen the Fall maiden if it wasn't for Cinder hunting her for, what, a year, a year and a half? Ironwood has his hidden behind Remnant's biggest military, while the one in Vacuo would actually have been pretty safe. If anyone attacked to try and get it, the maiden-headmaster could have fought them head on. If they kill her, they lock themselves out the vault. Long as she remembers to think of someone far, far away when she dies."

"I guess…"

"And we were only let in because of the peace agreements," Blake added. "Anyone else would have had a much harder time. In the end, it would never have mattered anyway. No matter where you hid them, it would only ever take the Relic of Knowledge and enough time to use the wishes, to find out where every Relic and every maiden is hidden. In a very real sense, the only Relic that _needed_ to be hidden more than any other was the Relic of Knowledge."

"Which was why hiding it under a statue of itself was pretty dumb," Yang said, "Otherwise, the others wouldn't need the same degree of protection."

"That's true." Relaxing a little, he nodded. "Anyway. Good work you two. Guess this means we're just waiting on Weiss and Pyrrha to make a deal with General Ironwood."

"You think she'll be able to?" Yang asked as they left the room.

Jaune took his time to lock the door as they left. It was just another room in the tower, but lacking any entrances other than the main one, the Relic of Destruction would be safe. Ozpin might know how to use it, which would take the danger away once he was ready to convince the wizard this was a good idea. Which, to be fair, he wasn't looking forward to. Door locked and room secure, he turned back to answer Yang's question.

"If anyone can, it's her. She seemed really eager for some reason…"

Blake snorted. "She wants to show she's better at things like this."

"Feels threatened," Yang added with a grin.

"Threatened? Of what?"

"You organised a coup, convinced General Ironwood to get on board and hatched a plan to force peace between Atlas and the Grimmlands _and_ got everyone out of Atlas, within a space of two hours. That's given Weiss a _little bit_ of an inferiority complex."

Yang laughed. "Yeah. So now she wants to be in charge of convincing Ironwood to hand over a Relic that will help us summon a pair of Gods that may or may not destroy the world, all to prove she's still team leader."

He felt a bead of sweat run down his forehead. Really? Weiss was still team leader, even if they weren't all that much of a team anymore. The coup aside – which had been a hectic affair anyway – he was still relying on her for just about everything.

"Aw, that's so cute," Yang said, seeing his concern and pinching his cheeks. "She'll be fine. It's just up to her partner to make sure to shower her with the appropriate praise when she returns."

"Jaune, Jaune!" Ruby came rushing around the corridor, eyes wide. Blake stepped in front of the door they'd locked, ready to sell her life to prevent Ruby fangirling over the Relic of Destruction. Fortunately, Ruby didn't seem interested in it. "Jaune!" she yelled. "There's an Atlas battleship approaching!"

And all of a sudden, Jaune didn't care about the Relic of Destruction either.

/-/

"Again?" Ren asked, weapons drawn. "I thought we worked out a peace deal."

"Could Ironwood have been found out?" Pyrrha wondered. "Making a deal with the enemy would definitely be illegal. If he was discovered, they might have arrested him and placed someone else in charge."

Jaune bit his lip as he watched the giant ship approach. It had yet to open fire, but it was the exact same model as the one that had attacked the tower before. Many of the Nevermore were flying around the tower angrily, sensing his mood. His sisters were all here, many of them unable or untrained to fight.

"Jaune?" Yang asked. "Your call."

"We'll hold fire…"

"You sure that's wise?" Sun asked.

"No, not really. They've not attacked yet, however, and there's too much to lose if we do anything. Until they open fire, we don't make a move." Raising a hand, Jaune summoned several Nevermore down onto the platform. "The ship is not to be harmed. It-"

"There's a Bullhead coming off it," Nora said.

True to her words, a small vehicle had detached from the side and was now flying down towards the landing platform. The battleship itself remained in the air, anchored in position by its numerous thrusters.

"Would Atlas technically know where your landing pad is?"

"They might if they found out from the other Kingdoms who sent ambassadors."

"We still don't do anything," Jaune said. "If they want to talk, we'll talk."

The airship came down quickly, but decelerated as it approached, fighting with the wind, angle and the momentum itself to come to a land. Through the window on the front, Atlesian helmets could be seen, but the weapons did not spool nor open fire. Not that it would have been enough to kill them, but still, it was a good sign.

When the ramp on the side opened, a familiar figure spread her arms wide.

"Ta-dah!" Weiss called.

Jaune stared at her. "Um…?"

"Uh, Weiss," Pyrrha said. "A little warning next time? We nearly knocked you out the sky."

Pyrrha's words caused Weiss to stiffen a little, but she shook it off and refused to let the warning take the wind out of her sails. "What are you talking about? I sent a message ahead of time to Ruby saying I'd be coming back with company."

All eyes turned to Ruby, who hunched a little. "Forgot to put my scroll on charge," she whispered.

"You dolt…" Weiss somehow managed to sound more amused than annoyed. "Regardless, my mission was a success. I present to you, the Relic of Creation!"

Weiss' hands were empty, as was the space around her. Jaune looked her up and down just in case, to make sure it wasn't hooked onto her belt. The description was a staff, but Weiss clearly only had Myrtenaster with her.

"It's the battleship?" Pyrrha dared to guess.

"No." Weiss' hands fell, as did her smile.

"Then why is the battleship here?" Jaune asked. "And all these soldiers? Ironwood needs to keep his working with us a secret and this isn't going to help. He'll be furious."

"Actually, it was I who thought this necessary," General Ironwood said, stepping out from the confines of the Bullhead. "As for my men, rest assured the ones here know the truth of our little arrangement. It would have been impossible for them not to, given how the Grimm are sandbagging the war against us. Beowolves slashing the air above my soldiers and Nevermore `miraculously missing their dive-bomb attacks` _all the time_ would hardly go unnoticed." Ironwood nodded to Weiss and stepped down onto the tower. "May we speak inside, Mr Arc?"

/-/

"Here's some coffee, sir," Pyrrha said, handing the General a steaming mug.

"Thank you." He accepted it and took a sip. "Do not worry at the lack of hospitality. In fact, it's better this way. If anyone from Atlas asks, I'm currently engaging you in one on one mortal combat. It is the hardest fight of your life."

Yang snorted.

Jaune nodded. "I'm hard pressed and losing blood. So, did Weiss tell you our plan…?"

"Miss Schnee did. Summoning the Gods to bring an end to this once and for all. It is a dangerous gambit. If you are incorrect about them, they may take their rage out on Remnant."

"If things continue as they're set to, the cycle will continue anyway. Salem is peaceful now because she has a family and plenty of love. Falling in the Grimm pools still corrupted her, and once she's no longer surrounded by loved ones, the grief will compound with the God of Darkness' influence and send her back to square one."

"As Miss Schnee made me aware. It is tempting to let that happen, for it wouldn't in our lifetime…"

"But it might in the next," Ren warned. "We don't know if it would take all her children dying or just Nicholas. It might happen in the next eighty years or so. Not exactly so distant as to be easily ignored."

"No. No, it is not. You are convinced that this is the only way?"

"Honestly, no," Jaune said with a shrug. "We've not even talked to Ozpin about it yet, and we can't go ahead until he tells us where the Relic of Choice is. Since he knows more, he can tell us the details. We're just collecting the others ahead of time."

"That may prove a small problem on our end," Ironwood said. "We cannot exactly leave the Relic of Creation with you. The Relic is being… utilised."

"Utilised…?"

Ironwood shifted uncomfortably and coughed into his robotic hand. He sipped his coffee after and placed the mug down, seemingly trying to find the right words, the best way to explain. The time he took was enough to have them all on edge.

"Did you ever wonder just how Atlas has such a technological advantage over the rest of Remnant?"

"Well yeah, obviously." Nora shrugged her shoulders. "I think everyone has."

"The rest of Remnant has cars, Bullheads and limited communications systems," Emerald agreed. "Meanwhile, Atlas is flying around in battleships, making giant robots, fully autonomous AI systems and weaponry that might as well be something out of a sci-fi movie. I think it's safe to say everyone has been trying to find out just how you've managed that."

"Wasn't there a TV program about it?" Yang asked.

"Yes," Ironwood said with a sigh. "They claimed we found an alien ship and stole its technology."

Yang snorted. "I remember that. It was the scientist with the funny hair."

"That man is not a scientist," Ironwood growled. "He would blame aliens for his hair. No alien could be so cruel." He coughed. "Regardless, while it's not aliens, there is a little something to our… ah… sudden pace of technological development."

"The Relic," Jaune said, knowing it could be nothing else. Not with this build up.

"Indeed." Ironwood pushed a button on his wrist. "You may enter."

The doors opened not a moment later and a familiar short figure with bright orange hair entered. "Salutations!" she called. "I have come to engage in intercourse!"

Sun's head perked up. "Really?"

"Discourse," Ironwood coughed. "She means discourse…"

"Is intercourse not discourse?" Penny asked curiously, tilting her head to the side. "The definition of the word would suggest so. Jaune, Ruby and I spent many an afternoon engaging in furious intercourse. It became quite heated, and friend Ruby could be quite vocal."

`Friend Ruby` had already begun to sink under the table, hiding her bright red face from view.

Shocked, Jaune turned to Ironwood. " _Penny_ is the Relic of Creation!?"

"Yes and no," Ironwood replied. "It is complicated. You've no doubt noticed that the Relics functions are somewhat tied into their names. The Relic of Creation creates. Atlas has been using it to help create hardware to help protect us and our Kingdom. It is not entirely selfish," he added. "With the help of the Relic we made the CCT Towers, Amity, many dust-powered appliances used in everyday homes, and, importantly, we used the Relics powers to help defend the Relic from Salem and the Grimm."

"Not hiding the Relic at all, but rather using it," Pyrrha said. "That's certainly a different approach."

"It is one that has worked. Either way, the Relic is not _in_ Penny, but she was born of the Relic of Creation. The first fully artificial _life_ the Relic has created. The Relic itself is housed in a large super-computer we normally use to control Atlas and the manufacturing facilities there." Ironwood nodded back behind him. "Currently, it is stored on the battleship brought here."

"Hence the reason we needed both a large guard and a ship big enough to bring it," Weiss said, "It's not a small piece of equipment. The moment Ironwood showed it to me, I knew we'd have to have proper transport to bring it back."

Penny only existed because of the Relic? It was hard to imagine, though given what the Relics could do, it was certainly possible. _Jinn_ only existed because of the Relic of Knowledge and she acted sentient enough.

" **That explains why I always found her so appealing,"** Remy said. **"Because she's not a disgusting human."**

" _Really, Remy? Now of all times?"_

" **Just saying it how it is…"**

Whatever the case, he couldn't decide if Atlas using the Relic was genius or reckless. They were practically toying with the power of a God, the God of Light specifically. They had _no_ idea how that worked, what caveats there might be or how it could go wrong, yet they'd hooked it into their entire way of life and relied on it for decades now.

The fact it hadn't blown up in their faces didn't disprove the recklessness, it just showed that it had paid off. _On the other hand, if it wasn't for the advancements Atlas made and shared with the other Kingdoms, mom might have conquered Remnant long before dad had a chance to meet her._ Scrolls, dust systems, computers, weapons and more. It was no exaggeration to say Atlas had changed the world.

"The Relics were created to benefit humanity," Ironwood spoke into the silence. "I believe this is, to a degree, what was intended. It might also be a good sign for your goal of summoning the Gods once more."

"Really? How so?"

"If the Gods truly despaired of us as Ozpin's tales suggest, they would not have given us the means to defend ourselves. To hear the story, the God of Darkness _killed all of humanity_ , and yet in the next step Ozpin said that the God of Light created the Relics to _aid humanity_. You cannot aid what has been destroyed, meaning that the Gods never intended to destroy all of us, and in fact believed we could be redeemed."

"That _is_ a good sign," Pyrrha said, cheering up dramatically. "They _wanted_ us to prove them wrong, which means they might be more amicable than expected."

"True," Jaune said.

It didn't mean they wouldn't be angry to see him or try to kill him and his family, but it was a step in the right direction. Maybe they could be reasoned with. It sounded like it was up to the God of Darkness, since it was he – or was that she, it? Did Gods have a gender? – who destroyed the humans. Either way, that didn't change what they had to do.

"Can I assume that you bringing the Relic here means you're willing to let us use it?" he asked.

Ironwood snorted. "I did not come all this way bringing our most carefully hidden secret for a show and tell. You may use the Relic, although I would ask that Penny be allowed to hold it. We've no idea what removing the staff from the machine will do to Atlas' creations. It may be that they all cease to work for the period it is out, it may be that – bring already created – they function just fine. Either way, with Penny being the only truly sentient creation, I would not like to see her killed if it were removed."

The sobering words brought them all to a stop, Ruby especially. She glanced at Penny, concerned for her strange, but still loyal, friend.

Penny smiled back. "Mr Ironwood told me everything I needed to know. I am prepared to take the risk if it means the world can live peacefully."

"P-Penny. Are you sure…?"

"I am a huntress, Ruby. Even if I was not born as you were, I want to protect Remnant and am willing to put my life on the line to do so." Penny brought a fist down and smiled happily. "I am combat ready!"

"Nothing will happen unless we get mom and Ozpin to agree," Jaune said. "There's no need for Penny to risk her life just yet. We'll keep it in the machine until we have to. Does that mean you'll be staying here, General?"

"We shall be locked in battle for a little longer, yes."

"And Atlas is fine with you taking the machine?"

"It is not a politically known tool. I dread to imagine what a politician would do with such a thing. As for those who _do_ know, they believe I'm using it to manufacture a weapon capable of killing you. Ironically, that's not far from the truth."

Yang leaned forward. "You want to explain that one, General?"

"By all means. You are attempting to summon the Gods. Miss Schnee has told me the risks, and for what it counts, I do not believe they would eradicate the faunus." He looked to Sun, Blake and Ilia as he said that. "The faunus came about naturally in the wake of the Gods leaving Remnant. I don't think they would take issue with them. You and your family, however…" Ironwood met Jaune's eyes once more. "It is you they shall take exception to. You and the Grimm."

Jaune let out a breath he'd been holding. "Yes. I know."

"Whatever happens, Atlas is unlikely to be something the Gods take issue with. We have defended ourselves and humanity, and we have used the Relic of Creation to help humanity. The very reason I'm even considering allowing you to use the Relic is because it should not come as any risk to the people I am sworn to protect. If your plan works, the peace we've agreed on may last forever. If it does not, you and your family and _all_ the Grimm may be slain, and through that, we will have peace."

"Sheesh," Nora grumbled. "Talk about blunt honesty…"

"Is that how you really feel, General?" Ruby asked sadly.

"It is not about feeling, Miss Rose. If I had a choice, I would wish for them to spare Mr Arc and his family. I want the peace we have agreed on. But as the one in charge of Atlas at this time, I must also look at the big picture." Ironwood's eyes met Jaune's. "I hope you, as a fellow ruler, can understand."

"I… I think I can…"

Yang was aghast. "Jaune!?"

Jaune felt a gnawing in his gut. Likely fear over the unknown. And there was a whole lot of that on the horizon. That said, he appreciated Ironwood's honesty, even if it was delivered so painfully. "He has to make the decisions for his Kingdom," he said, "As I have with the Grimmlands. It's easier for me, I guess. It's just you guys and my family that are really in danger. Ironwood has hundreds of thousands of people to protect, though. He can't talk to each and every one of them like I did you. He can't make sure everyone knows the risks and is happy with it. He has to make the decision for them, no matter their will."

In a way, the thought of that was terrifying. He'd had an easier task of it, everyone being willing to go ahead with this despite the risks. If any of them died, and he'd die before he let that happen, but if it _did_ , then he could live knowing they'd known what they were getting into. It wouldn't stop the pain, but it would lead to less guilt.

Not so for Ironwood. He couldn't take the time to talk to everyone, so every decision he made carried the weight of lives. If his decisions led to poor outcomes, he would only have himself to blame.

"How do you do it?" Jaune asked hoarsely. "It sounds terrible…"

"If I do not, then who will?" Ironwood straightened, looking every part the veteran, if old beyond his years. "I have good men and women by my side who support me. But in the end, I make these decisions because someone must, and I believe myself the best available. Not perfect. Only the best of a sorry bunch."

"Speaking of decisions," Weiss said, "This means we've collected all the Relics bar the Relic of Choice. You _do_ realise what this means."

Jaune shifted nervously. He did.

"Before that, I'd just like to thank you for doing an _amazing_ job, Weiss. You truly are incredible."

"Y-Yes, well, I'm only doing what I can to help," she deflected, all the while preening. Yang was right, it seemed, and shot him a wink. "I'm only trying to help."

"I know, and I mean it. We couldn't have gotten the Relic of Creation without you."

Ironwood rolled his eyes but said nothing. Jaune had to wonder if the General hadn't acted like this around Winter once or twice, and whether the need to be recognised was something inherent in all Schnee. Or at least the good ones. Either way, Jaune poured on the praise, leaning forward.

"In fact, you're so incredible at negotiation that I think you could really excel in something else, too."

Weiss froze. Her eyes narrowed immediately.

"I am not helping you convince Salem and Ozpin to go ahead with this."

Drat.

/-/

"Absolutely not!" Salem hissed. "I will never welcome those _monsters_ back! Let alone take part in their return. I refuse!"

"Though not quite in the same vein, I _do_ agree with Salem here," Ozpin said. "This plan is folly. In fact, it was irresponsible of you to even consider it in the first place. The Relics should be safely hidden away."

"Or thrown in the ocean," Salem added. "Let the currents deal with them as they wish."

Ozpin seemed intrigued by the idea.

"You're not thinking about this properly," Jaune tried.

"We are thinking about this perfectly well, Mr Arc. It is you who are not seeing the bigger picture."

Jaune groaned. He'd known they wouldn't like the idea, but hadn't counted on the sheer resistance shown, nor the possibility the two might _team up_ against him. Weren't they supposed to hate one another still?

Not for the first time, he looked back to the door, wishing someone would have come with him for moral support. Yang's girlfriend duties didn't extend this far, she'd said, while Ruby had stammered and eventually said she needed to wash her feet in what had to be the _worst_ excuse he'd ever heard. At least Weiss had been more forthright with her refusal.

Pyrrha had simply placed a hand on his shoulder, smiled and wished him luck. She'd then gone off to play with Mannie, who had apparently adopted her. Or her him. Not even his loyal companion would come with him!

Why was his team so quick to abandon him!? At least he still had Remy.

" **If I had a choice, I'd have exited your system long ago and fled."**

At least he still had Remy…

" **I hate you."**

"Try to see things from our point of view," he said, approaching the table Salem and Ozpin sat on the other end of. They might have looked cosy were it not for the metre of so of space between their chairs, and the fact Salem was sat on Nicholas' lap. His father was remaining silent in the affair, choosing to let him and his mother speak.

"I _am_ seeing it from your point of view," she said, in the kind of voice every parent thinking they knew everything their child was saying might have used, "You want to summon the Gods to help your mommy. I love that. Really, I do. Best son ever. But have you considered that said Gods might kill _you_!? Best son, but also most foolish son."

"Also, only son," he grumbled.

"Not true. I have Qrow now. And frankly, he's showing more common sense than you."

"Qrow hasn't been seen in days," Jaune groaned. "He came out _once_ for six bottles of water, a can of whipped cream, strawberries and to tell the Seers they needed a new bed."

"As I said, more common sense than you. He's working on grandbabies so dutifully while you're thinking of dooming the entire family. At this rate, he's going to become my favourite son!"

"Sweetie," Nicholas whispered.

"Damn it, mom! Yang and I aren't rushing into anything. Sex can wait."

"You wouldn't say that if you knew what it was like."

"But the point I'm trying to make," he said, valiantly pushing on, "Is that this isn't something we can just ignore. You and Ozpin are going to keep on living forever. Sooner or later, Dad is going to die. Then me and my sisters. Then our children, and our children's children, and our children's children's children. It might take forty years, it might only take two hundred. You're going to be alone again!"

The thought scared her, he knew. It was obvious in her eyes, even the way she leaned into Nicholas. His father wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tight. Jaune knew it was something they'd both no doubt come to terms with.

"I-I will be fine," she lied. "I'll surround myself with grandchildren, great-grandchildren and more."

"That won't last, mom. You know it. Kids grow up, or maybe the family will die out – or even move out! Even if you're okay for five hundred years, what happens when a thousand comes about, or two, or three thousand years?"

Salem's eyes closed.

"And you." Jaune rounded on Ozpin. "Are you any more immune to this? Considering what happened the first time, I doubt you and mom could ever get back together." And the thought sickened him, to be honest. "Even if you did, history shows how that worked out the first time. Are you really going to make history repeat itself over and over? If mom tries to gather the Relics again, are you going to make a new Team WJRP? A new Team RYBN? More wars, more death, more suffering. When does it end?"

Ozpin stared back at him.

"You're asking me?" he asked in a boyish voice.

Jaune groaned. "Oscar, put Ozpin on the line…"

"I am here," Ozpin said, voice a little deeper. "And I have heard everything. I was simply considering in silence. I can understand your concerns, truly I can. History has an unfortunate tendency to repeat itself, and whatever Salem's wishes, the influence of the pools might force her to do something she would, at this time, never consider."

"I can resist it," Salem said.

"We both know you cannot. There is no shame in admitting that."

"That's why we have to do this," Jaune said.

"Again, Mr Arc, I can understand the reasoning, but have you considered the dangers involved?"

"Yes. My entire family could be wiped out, along with all the Grimm. I'm not prepared to let that happen."

"And how do you intend to stop it?"

"I'm going to reason with the Gods," he said. "I'm going to talk to them, explain what's changed over the course of history and how we not only didn't kill each other in our anger, but instead rose above it to join forces. In doing so, we proved that we're better than we were back in their time."

"And if they refuse and seek to kill you?"

Despite his nerves, Jaune met the man's eyes head on. "Then we'll fight them."

Ozpin looked surprised.

Salem cocked her head to the side. "Suddenly, I hate this plan less."

"And I hate it more," Ozpin groaned. "Goodness. So, your plan is to convince the Gods that we will not make the mistakes of the past and seek to kill them for our desires, and if that fails you will _absolutely_ repeat the mistakes of the past and seek to kill them?"

"It's not a mistake this time. Mom was angry, and the people she convinced to help her were greedy beyond compare. Here, we're fighting for what's right. The Gods will realise that."

"Right and wrong are human terms created to fit a system of morality expressed by laws, customs and expectations. All of those human. The Gods may not follow any of them."

"They may not," Jaune said, smiling, "But the two of you would know better than any what they do follow. You were there. You may be biased, mom especially," he added, with a silent apology sent her way. Salem, for her part, shrugged, unafraid to admit it. "But you have more knowledge on them than most. So, ask yourselves, what were they like in the past? What kinds of laws did they follow? Were they prone to ignoring human definitions of right and wrong and slaughtering people en masse? Or is that just what you remember because they did it _once_ after everyone turned on them?"

Neither Ozpin nor Salem spoke for a moment, each as shocked as the other. There was no doubting that the end of the Gods' reign had coloured their reputation, and the two of them had reason aplenty to despise the God of Light especially, but that didn't mean there hadn't been a long and peaceful reign before that time.

As he understood it, the Gods had let humans make their Kingdoms, their kings, their own governments, political systems and more. They hadn't interfered for the most part. Things only changed because of the poor decisions made on both sides, first with the Gods choosing to punish Salem for feeling human emotion, and then Salem herself in convincing the other humans to attack the Gods as retaliation.

Not enough words. Not enough intercourse, as Penny would have said.

"The Gods were not always unreasonable," Ozpin began.

Salem snorted. "Talk for yourself."

"They weren't," he insisted. "It may have seemed it at the time. To any who made the journey, rejection was painful. Emotions clouded minds, leading many to claim they were arbitrary. Salem was no better, for all that the Gods were particularly cruel with her punishment. None before had thought to petition the God of Darkness after being denied by the God of Light."

"None before had made the journey, Ozma. The God of Darkness lay beyond a perilous wasteland few could survive."

"The Grimmlands?" Jaune guessed.

"Hm. Did you think a continent shaped so obviously as a dragon would have formed naturally? The Gods could be childish at times. More often the God of Darkness than Light. That fit of pique continued when he left, eradicating civilisations and shattering the moon." Salem laughed. "As if the _moon_ had done anything to insult him. Childish."

"Childishness or not, the Gods had reason to be upset. You _did_ organise all the Kingdoms to attack them…"

"They cursed me to eternal life!"

"We're not trying to decide who was wrong or not," Jaune quickly interrupted. "Only what they were like. You know, were they reasonable? Would they talk? How often did they go about killing people?"

Salem sagged, but it was Ozpin who answered.

"Not often, on the latter. I do believe their parting was the first time they had ever intentionally killed anyone. I cannot speak for accidents but suppose they could not be held accountable on such."

"I understand they took petitions."

"Yes. You could ask them for just about anything, thought they'd often reject the request. It depended on what was asked."

"Access to them was not always freely available," Salem grumbled.

"More a fault of our own greed," Ozpin countered. To Jaune, he added, "The God of Light was the easiest to reach, but there were some in positions of power who sought to limit access to him through the use of force, boundaries or laws, demanding people petition the King first, and only the God of Light once the wish was approved."

"They claimed it was to prevent disasters, but it was always greed," Salem mocked. "They feared that someone might petition something that would not benefit them, and as such sought to control it. Those fools were ever greedy, quick to jump at the chance of immortality at the price of turning on the Gods."

He didn't doubt it, but the image presented… it wasn't bad.

"And what did the Gods do about the Kings trying to limit access?"

Ozpin shrugged. "Nothing."

"So, you're saying the Gods were willing to let humanity do something wrong because they respected humanity's free will to do so?"

"That… is a leap of logic."

"Is it wrong?"

"I do not know," Ozpin admitted. "I never thought to ask and am not omniscient. It's possible, I suppose. Still, something being possible does not justify the risks involved with summoning them now. They were furious when they left and swore devastation upon Remnant if they returned and judged us unworthy."

"Is it possible they were just angry?"

"Oh, they were angry alright," Salem said. "Vicious, furious and vengeful."

"But then they brought Ozpin back later, made the Relics to _help_ humanity and gave him a way to bring them back," Jaune said. "Don't you think that suggests they calmed down? If they really wanted out, they could have finished everyone, but they didn't. They gave us another chance."

He knew he had them. Not convinced, not even close, but curious, considering. "It was like when I ran away," he said to his mother. "I was angry. I thought you'd never understand. I thought I knew best." He stepped a little closer. "It never meant I stopped loving you, or that I couldn't admit I should have done things better."

"Jaune…" Salem crooned. If it wasn't for Nicholas holding her down, she would have crossed the distance and engulfed him into a hug, and likely smothered him at the same time. "That is… I… I am not sure. I will admit I am biased. I despise them for what they did, but… I am aware that I handled things poorly."

"As did they," Ozpin agreed. "You and I had ill experiences with them at the end, but they were not always as they were then. I cannot say for sure what decision they would make, but they _were_ fair with most people, most of the time." Ozpin hesitated, and then looked Jaune in the eye. "Just tell me, Mr Arc. Why you? Why now? The risk of Salem becoming as she was is present, but what makes you feel this must be done now and not in three hundred years' time? Most would take the period's peace for what it is and not take so great a risk, especially with their life on the line. What makes you willing to do this now?"

It was a good question. Luckily, he had his answer.

"I don't _want_ to do this. I don't _want_ to summon them, see them or ask anything of them. This is the last thing I want, but I think it's what Remnant needs, whether they come back or not. I'm not willing, but I'm also not willing to let my children later down the line deal with this. Or let my mom suffer an eternity and a half."

"And you believe yourself strong or reasonable enough to convince the Gods to lift their curse?"

"Me?" Jaune laughed. "No. But I'm not alone here. I have good friends by my side who'll support me, and I have you and mom, too. And Ironwood, and Qrow, and all the other people who will support us. Things you might not have to hand in one or two hundred years' time. But in the end, the reason we need to do this is because it _has_ to be done." He grinned. "I believe we're the best available to do it. Not perfect. Just the best of a sorry bunch."

Ozpin leaned back, while Salem sat stunned. The two shared a meaningful look, one filled with hesitation, more than a little fear – but also, he dared to think, a smidgeon of hope.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Jaune," Salem said, voice soft.

"I know, mom. But it's a game that's going to be played sooner or later no matter what we do. Might as well play it when we have a full board of pieces."

"Ha. A chess analogy. That should be up your street, Ozma."

"Yes, I suppose it should be." Ozpin smiled weakly. "He is not incorrect. We will not have an opportunity more in our favour."

Salem nodded. "Indeed."

Ozpin let out a long and heavy sigh. "Take me to Vale, Mr Arc. I will present you with the Relic of Choice. And then, I suppose, the choice on whether to use it or not will finally be yours. I hope for all our sakes that you make the right one."

"We, Ozpin." Jaune extended a hand. "There's no I here. We're all a team."

Ozpin chuckled.

"Yes. I suppose that we are."

And took his hand.

* * *

 **This chapter was irritatingly enough needed to rectify my error of the last. Ugh. Sorry for the trouble, though I suppose it still worked out as I** _ **did**_ **need to have the Relics be gathered. There isn't much left to this, to be honest. Headmaster Arc will come out after, but I'll mention more on that when the time comes.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 24** **th** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	101. Chapter 101

**Here we go.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 101**

* * *

Choice.

It was a curious concept. Jaune thought on that as he rotated the Relic of Choice in his hands, a rather simplistic looking crown of gold with a single gem in the centre. Despite its design, the artefact hummed with hidden power, warm to the touch. What power would it give? If the Relic of Knowledge gave knowledge and creation created, then what would choice do? What use would it be to people who were more than capable of making their own choices?

He placed it down on the table. Importantly, a table in a different room from each of the other Relics. There was no telling what the distance requirement for `gather all four` really was, but since a pair of Gods hadn't appeared, he felt safe saying a hundred metres or more apart was room enough.

"It was literally hidden within a piece of rock in front of the fountain," Ruby said. She'd been sent along with Pyrrha and Ozpin to find it. He might have gone himself, but his face and name were now known across all of Remnant. It would have caused a panic. "Like, built into the rock. Or the rock was built around the crown."

"It was a flagstone, Miss Rose. Not a `rock`. One of the very foundation bricks of Beacon – a fitting hiding place, I felt, what with Beacon representing humanity's choice to fight against monsters far stronger than them."

"But we'd have walked over it all the time," Jaune said.

"Yes. And you never once suspected. Would you have rather I hid it within the sealed vault with defences so obvious it might as well scream `Relic inside; help yourself`?" Ozpin chuckled at his own joke. "Some like to hide theirs behind doors, others behind traps or organised defenders. I? I liked to hide mine where no one would think to look."

He wasn't wrong there. Even after the attack and with much of Beacon in ruins, the Relic had not been found. Even if the stone itself was blasted free, it would only be discovered if someone decided to crack it in two and rummage through the remains. Cinder's attack had focused more on the school itself, leaving the courtyard outside ignored.

"Honestly, I'd have guessed it was in the tower…"

"Bait. Well, that and a nice place to look out over Beacon from. It would have been fairly foolish to hide a tool like this in the first place one might look. Either way, you have all four Relics now, Mr Arc. Have you given some thought as to where and how you will summon the Gods?"

"Here. In the Grimmlands."

"Lots of open space and no people who might be hurt if things go wrong," Ruby said. They'd discussed the location as a group, ultimately deciding to do it away from the tower and in the wastelands outside.

"A fine choice," Ozpin said. "And the time?"

"Not for another day or two. I'm all for doing it now but Sienna has decided she wants to assist." Convincing her had been easy, or so Ren said. Convincing Ironwood to accept the White Fang's assistance was less so. "I guess it's not so difficult a choice when everyone's lives might be on the line."

"Let us not be so cynical, Mr Arc. The Gods only have true reason to despise Salem and me. If the worst comes to pass, most of Remnant should be safe. It is you who convinced us of that, and of the necessity of this. Do not doubt now or you shall spread your fear to those who look up to you."

Jaune looked to Ruby, who offered a smile in return. She, at least, looked confident, but then Ruby had never been one to let fear stop her. Ozpin was correct, however. He had a responsibility to those under him, just as Ironwood had to his men or Sienna to hers.

"Right. I'll keep that in mind. Just don't sit in silence if you have something to say either."

Ozpin laughed. "Don't worry. With the fate of Remnant on the line, I'm not about to stop meddling now. But, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to allow Oscar some time with his own body. It is not fair for me to monopolise it so much."

"Sure." Jaune stood, leaving the crown on the table. "I'll leave you to it."

/-/

They met for dinner that afternoon in what Sun casually referred to as the `War Room`. In truth, it was just the large room they'd used because it had a big table they could all sit around, which now doubled as a dining room. Jaune, Yang, Ruby, Weiss, Ren, Nora, Pyrrha Blake and even Emerald, Sun and Ilia in attendance. Mannie was there too, eating titbits out of Pyrrha's hand and enjoying a head scratch from Nora.

That aside, there was little in the way of conversation between any of them. A few tried – offering little bit about the news or asking how things were in Vale – but their spirits weren't in it. Everyone knew what had been decided and, with news from Blake that Sienna would arrive tomorrow, the deadline felt like it was closer than ever.

It was easy to _talk_ about confronting two Gods. Harder to go ahead with it.

"So, it's tomorrow then," Sun said.

"Yeah."

"Guess so."

"No problems with Sienna?" Blake asked.

"None," Ren said. "I asked Jaune to order the Nevermore not to attack any Bullheads…"

"I instructed them earlier. It'll be fine."

"Good."

"Great."

The clink of knives and forks on plates overtook the room, accompanied by the very occasional scrape of wooden chairs on a stone floor or nervous cough. Jaune kept his own eyes down, unwilling to make contact lest he be drawn into something he wasn't ready for.

This was unlike Atlas, unlike even coming to the Grimmlands in the first place. There had always been fear and uncertainty, but it had been muted by the assurance that as a team they could handle everything. Arrogant, perhaps, but that camaraderie had been important in keeping them going. Jaune wondered where it had all gone.

"We don't _have_ to do this…"

The words echoed in the silence that suddenly blanketed the room. He looked for the one who had whispered them, only to find everyone staring back. The words were his. He stumbled for a moment, knowing that everyone expected more.

"I…" His words died. "It's just…"

"We have to do it, Jaune." It was Pyrrha who spoke, voice steady and calm. "What kind of people would we be if we hid from this and condemned future generations to ruin, just because we were too afraid to act?"

"Ignoring this is like someone ignoring faunus bullying in schools," Blake echoed. "It seems innocent and childlike there, but if it's not dealt with early, it grows."

"I can confirm that…" Ilia whispered.

"I think Ironwood and Sienna know that as well," Ren said. "They wouldn't be here if they didn't. Ironwood could have stopped this all happening if he just refused to bring the Relic of Creation or hid it away. He didn't. He brought it here. That says something, I think."

"Why try and stop it now?" Yang asked, touching his arm. "Are you having second thoughts?"

"Isn't everyone?"

The others looked between themselves for a few moments, no one sure who should speak or how. Despite their protests to the idea of backing out, no one looked confident enough to give powerful reasons as to why they wanted to keep going.

In the end, it was Emerald who answered, "I _am_ having third and fourth thoughts. I had my second days ago. But I think that's expected. It doesn't mean we should stop."

"Well said." Weiss patted her vassal's shoulder. "We're all of us nervous about this and that is a perfectly natural reaction. It shows we're human."

Blake coughed.

"Or faunus." Weiss rolled her eyes. "Point is, having second thoughts is fine. I'm sure Ozpin, Salem and Ironwood are the same. We still need to do this, though. Someone has to. You know this as well as anyone else, Jaune. Why back out now?"

Trapped, Jaune said the only thing he could. "Because it looked like you all wanted to…"

Weiss looked away, as did Ruby. "We kind of do," Yang admitted, "But just because we're all thinking it doesn't mean we should." She shrugged helplessly. "I want to back out every time Dad takes me to the dentist. Doesn't mean I didn't need to go."

"I think summoning the Gods is a little different to having a tooth removed."

"Is it? Between a dentist and the end of the world, I think I'd rather the apocalypse."

"At least you're allowed to fight the end of the world," Nora quipped. "I got told off for punching a dentist."

"You broke his jaw," Ren said.

"He broke my tooth!"

"As he was _supposed_ to."

"Same difference."

Nora and Ren's little tale had the others laughing. It was probably supposed to, for Nora was grinning and Ren wasn't nearly as resigned as he usually was when telling her off. It was a distraction, pure and simple, to keep their minds off what would come.

Yang tapped her leg against his to catch his attention and nodded towards the door. His meal as good as finished, he stood and followed her, their departure going unnoticed. Yang had learned to navigate the tower in the short time they'd stayed there and found a dark cranny where they could be alone.

"You're not really having seconds thoughts, are you? Not like Weiss thought you were."

"I kind of am…"

"I mean it's not _just_ that." Yang looked around to make sure they were alone and then took his hand in hers, holding it tightly. "You know, even though you're the Crown Prince of the Grimm and all, no one thinks any different of you. None of us, I mean."

"I know."

"That goes for both the good and the bad. You're still the idiot partner to Weiss, the accidental flirt to Ruby and the sweet and crazy guy who brought flowers to a video games party for me." Stepping forward, she kissed him gently. She backed away before he could deepen it. "That also means we don't see you as being in charge, either. Ren and Blake aren't following your orders when they go and do work in Menagerie for you. They're going because they believe you're making the right choice. Same goes for Weiss and Atlas. She went to prove a point, not because you asked her to."

He wasn't sure what point she was trying to make but contented himself to stand there and let her hold him.

"This thing with the Gods… it's a crazy idea," she said.

"I know. That's why I suggested-"

"Ah, ah, ah," Yang held a finger to his lips. "Let me finish. It's a crazy idea, and it may be an idea _you_ came up with. But you didn't decide on us going ahead with it. You didn't make us agree to it. If I thought it was a stupid idea, I'd have said so. If Weiss thought it stupid, she'd have smacked you upside the head. If Blake really felt like you were threatening all the faunus, she'd have stopped you herself. Same goes for Ruby and everyone else, too. We're not empty-headed idiots following our glorious leader to the ends of Remnant." She giggled. "You're not even our leader. Our boss, maybe, if you're going to start paying us, but you're _definitely_ not the brains of the operation. That would be Weiss. Sometimes Ren."

Jaune smiled. "They _are_ our team leaders…"

"Yep. Looks like Ozpin picked them well. You're more the spirit, maybe the muscle with a little bit of cunning every now and then. Ruby is the heart, Nora and Blake the arms and me…" Yang flicked her head to the side. "I'm the sex appeal."

"Modest, aren't you?"

"Tell me it's not true."

"I can't."

"Flirt." Yang punched his chest lightly. "Either way, what I'm saying is that _we_ made the choice to summon the Gods with you. We're all nervous about it, but this isn't a unilateral decision you made, so stop acting like you've got to be the one to look out for us. You don't have to make decisions for us. You don't have to save us from ourselves. And more than that, you don't have to feel responsible for anything that happens."

"Doesn't mean I won't…"

"And I'll feel terrible if anyone is hurt as well," Yang agreed. "But we're all in this together and we all know what's at risk going in. There might not be a Remnant after tomorrow. Or there might be, but it might be one where you and your family no longer exist. Or Yin," she added, stroking her arm. "I don't want that, which is why I'm gonna fight. You should focus on fighting, too. Not on blaming yourself for things that haven't happened yet. That way lays madness."

"You're right, of course." Not that it would be easy to listen and not like it made the butterflies in his stomach any less violent, but it did take a little of the pressure away. Everyone knew what they were getting into. They'd discussed it at length.

"Pft. I'm always right."

He grinned. "Sure."

"Tch. You'll learn." Yang smirked. "There is one thing, though…"

Curious, he listened. "Yeah?"

"World might end tomorrow. Or _we_ might." She meant the collective, he felt. Their relationship. "Either way, neither of us is going to be able to stop thinking about it. I never thought it would come to this, nor that I'd be the Princess of the Grimm Kingdom at the time, engaged, allegedly pregnant and also currently a mother to a Grimm child while still being a virgin."

"Um. Sorry about that. Most of those – okay, all of those – are probably my fault."

"Yep. They are. So, want to take care of the last one?"

Jaune's entire body became still. "What?"

" **No!"** Remy howled.

"Yes!" Salem cheered. She also blinked when Jaune and Yang suddenly turned to face her, neither having noticed her approach, nor her eavesdropping. Yang's face began to turn red, though it was nothing compared to his own. "Really, don't let me stop you. Would you like to borrow the dungeon? Maybe the throne. I do have an office and I can assure you the desk is the _perfect_ height for-"

"Ahem. Sweetie," Nicholas Arc coughed.

"Oh right, sorry, you can't have the office. Nicky and I are going there right now to-"

"Ahem!" Nicholas coughed again. "Not quite what I meant, dear…"

"Huh? I- oh!" Salem covered her mouth with one hand. "Oh, I'm interrupting, aren't I?"

Yang, bright red and with her face pushed into his chest to hide it from view, growled out a "Yes."

"Ruining the mood?"

"S-Somewhat…" Jaune croaked.

"Oh! Oh, I don't want that. I'll just… give the two of you some time together. Please, pretend we weren't even here." Salem backed away, winking none too subtly as she did. Yang groaned louder into his chest.

Nicholas shot them an apologetic smile as he dragged his wife away.

"And don't forget to tell me how it was later!" Salem yelled before she disappeared behind the corner.

The silence left behind was somehow twice as awkward as what had lingered in the banquet hall with all the others. The Gods still waited on the morrow, but for now, Jaune's pain was on a different level.

"I hate her," Yang whispered. "So damn much…"

He laughed nervously. "Ah. Um. So, does that mean we're not-"

"No." Yang gripped his collar and looked up, mortified, humiliated, but determined. "The world is ending, I have a child and I've never felt more humiliated in my life. You're going to take me to our room and remind me why I made the stupid decision to shack up with you in the first place."

Jaune swallowed, partly from panic, mostly from excitement.

"Yes, ma'am!"

/-/

Pyrrha opened her bedroom door to find that Ruby stood outside. Her partner's face was red, her eyes haunted, and she stood with one hand help up from where she'd been knocking on the door. Under one arm she carried her blanket and a pillow.

"Uh…?"

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Ruby asked.

"Um. Sure?"

"Thank you." Ruby plodded in, threw her blanket down on the floor and collapsed on top of it.

"Do I want to ask _why_ you're sleeping in my room?"

"My room is next to Yang and Jaune's."

"And why would that be an issue?"

There was another knock on the door. Seeing that Ruby was too exhausted to answer it, Pyrrha sighed and made her way over, opening it.

"Can I sleep with you tonight," Blake Belladonna asked, eyes bloodshot, lips downturned. "I'd ask my partner, but my partner is Nora."

Pyrrha wasn't sure `but my partner is Nora` should have been an adequate reason, but somehow – in some strange way – it was. Pyrrha stepped back and let Blake in, nodding at the muttered `thanks` she received for it. Blake's pillow and blanket went down beside Ruby's, up against the wall.

"My room is opposite Jaune's," Blake said by way of explanation.

"I don't-"

"You don't," Blake agreed, "And believe me, you don't _want_ to know. Let's just say Yang has a healthy pair of lungs." She paused as a loud, throaty moan penetrated several walls and the corridor outside. It sounded like Yang.

Heat crept up Pyrrha's neck.

Ruby clamped the pillow down over her head.

Five minutes later, Pyrrha, Blake and Ruby knocked on Ren's door. The team leader took one look at them, sighed and opened the door wider. "Don't tell me," he said, "I don't want to know."

Pyrrha nodded. "Wise choice."

/-/

The morning dawned overcast. The clouds that flew above the Grimmlands were a deep purple, a trick of the air, dust or landscape. Ruby wasn't sure which. The cloudy sky certainly reflected their mood as they arrived at what was soon to be ground zero. They'd come early and with only three of the Relics. Penny and Atlas had the fourth, kept on a different Bullhead for the sake of safety. There was no telling what would happen if all four were brought together while they were travelling, but no one wanted to risk it.

Already, Atlas' forces had begun to arrive, the battleship slowly coming to a hover some thousand feet or so in the air, Bullheads coming down to disgorge soldiers to the ground. Grimm flew in the distance and several Beowolves, Ursa and Deathstalkers hovered on the outskirts of the area, watching either out of curiosity or some desire to protect Jaune and Salem, who stood in the centre of the area.

Everyone not immediately involved had been evacuated. That included the rest of Jaune's sisters, but not Sapphire Arc, who stood armed with her mother, nor Uncle Qrow – who looked equal parts, exhausted, drained and also satisfied.

Ruby didn't need to know why. Honestly, he had the same distant smile as Jaune, which told her all too much. Yang looked better and looked to be moving a little differently. Again, while she noticed it, she tried her hardest not to think too much on the specifics.

That was surprisingly easy given what they were about to do…

She checked Crescent Rose one last time, or at least that was what she told herself. There had been many `last times` and although none of them wanted this to come to violence, she wouldn't have felt safe without her baby beside her. Pyrrha was no different, going over her weapon. Weiss was over with the Atlas contingent, talking with her sister.

They were all of them nervous. Jaune hit the nail on the head the night before when he talked about second thoughts. _But this has to be done,_ she told herself. No matter how much they all wished they could bury their heads in the sand, they couldn't.

The sounds of several engines approaching heralded the White Fang's approach even before the Bullheads became visible. Six in all and a paltry number compared to the Atlas contingent, the White Fang had still come per their request. There were probably some unaffiliated faunus huntsmen from Menagerie too, though she couldn't make out much in the detail of those who left the Bullheads.

One, a dark-skinned and tall woman with an unusual manner of dress, confidently approached their party – only to walk _past_ Jaune and speak to Ren instead. Ruby giggled as Jaune stood there, surprised, his unshaken hand extended. Nora didn't look nearly so amused, clinging onto Ren's arm as she was.

"Looks like everyone is here," Pyrrha said. "I'm surprised there aren't more."

"Miss Goodwitch has to look after Beacon, and as for everyone else… I guess the numbers don't matter all that much."

"Perhaps not. How does one fight a god, let alone two?"

"Hopefully, we won't have to. This is more a show of support. Or proof. If the White Fang and Atlas can stand side by side, along with humanity and the Grimm, then we've grown beyond the mistakes of the past. Or something like that."

Pyrrha smiled. "That was very convincing until the `something like that` part."

"Yeah, well. I'm not feeling very convinced."

"I know the feeling." Pyrrha placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it tight. "Whatever happens, I'd like you to know I was proud to be your partner, Ruby. You more than proved yourself to me."

"Yeah." Ruby returned the smile, ignoring the tears that threatened to come out. "You too, Pyrrha."

/-/

"Everything is done," Ozpin said. "All that will come are here. The Relics are collected, the Grimm are in position. Salem has said her goodbyes – just in case. As have I. We are as ready as we'll ever be. All that remains is to summon them."

Nodding, Jaune turned back to look out over the assembled people. There were easily three hundred or more, not including the Grimm. Perhaps two hundred from Atlas and a hundred from the White Fang. It wasn't many, but any more and things might only get worse. With his sisters as safe as they could be and his mother and father watching patiently, hand in hand, there really was no more stalling.

 _You wanted this, Jaune. Time to put your money where your mouth is._

Yang squeezed his hand softly and let go, nodding her head confidently when he turned towards the Atlas contingent and Penny. "Trust in us," she whispered. "It's not just you. We're all in this together."

Together.

Not just them, nor their teams, but Atlas and the White Fang, too. Making his way over to Ironwood and Penny, he held his head high. "We're ready to begin."

"As are we," Ironwood said. "My men are in position. Winter is prepared. Penny…?"

"I am combat ready, sir." To him, she said, "And I'm prepared for whatever may come, too."

"Good." Jaune sighed and turned back. "Do you want to add the Relic? You wanted to stay beside it, so…"

"Yes." Penny looked to Ironwood. "Sir?"

"Go, Penny."

"Thank you, sir."

Walking with Penny back to the summoning point, Jaune stopped at Ozpin and his mother's side as the young girl made the final few steps alone, the staff in hand. It was such a simple-looking thing. Innocuous. Laying it down by the other three Relics, Penny waited. As did they all.

There were no instructions given on how it should work, no manual. Jaune held his breath for as long as he could, only to release it when his lungs could last no longer. He wasn't the only one to do so. Nothing happened for several moments, no lightshow, no grand summoning and no thunder as the sky turned dark around them.

" **Would it be an anti-climax if nothing happened?"** Remy asked.

" _I don't think I'd complain…"_

Suddenly, the direction of the wind changed. It had been gentle a moment ago, brushing past his face but now was going in the opposite direction, pulling his bangs and Yang's hair towards the Relics themselves. Judging from everyone else, the wind wasn't going in one direction only. It was all being sucked in towards one point, the point of summoning.

"They are coming," Ozpin said, breathless and undeniably afraid. "This is the moment. There can be no turning back now."

"There never was, Ozpin." Salem said, "Not since the Gods cursed you and I."

It was less destructive than he expected, and yet somehow that didn't calm him any. Wind rushed in towards the Relics, which did not float into the air, did not glow and did not rise up and morph into one. Instead, they lay inert on a patch of ground laid out for them, Penny still standing beside them, unmoved by the sudden squall. And then, suddenly, there was a flicker. Like an inversion of light or the sun passing behind a mountain for the briefest second. As if the world itself blinked. Colour washed out and came back.

Two giant figures stood behind the relics.

"It's them," he whispered.

"They're… bigger than I thought they'd be," Yang said.

They were. Towering over the average man or woman, they were tall and appeared genderless, though their flat chests hinted at a masculine physique. Instead of skin, they were comprised of what appeared to be light itself. Or power. One was bright gold with horns like an antler, the other a deep amethyst, with curved horns like a ram's. If anything, they looked like glowing faunus. They had their hands linked behind their backs and although they lacked eyes, the definition of their brows could vaguely be made out. It seemed as though they were waiting, waiting for them to make the first move.

It occurred to him that he didn't know what their first most was supposed to be.

Salem stepped forward. Yang hissed, but Salem pulled away before Jaune could stop her, marching towards the two figures. Nicholas followed, determined to support his wife, and after a moment Ozpin did the same. Jaune felt rooted to the spot, but Yang grabbed his arm, nodded and then moved in the same direction.

That forced his feet. He wouldn't stand back and let Yang do this in his place.

The Gods watched them. Both seemed devoid of emotion – though it may have been that the light that shone from their faces concealed it. If anything, the God of Darkness looked uninterested in them. His head was tilted as though looking out over their surroundings curiously. It was the God of Light who paid them the most attention.

Coming to a stop some distance from them, but also close enough to be seen, Salem took a few steps forward and – to Jaune's surprise – slowly bent knee.

" _Curious."_ The God of Light's voice was soft, gentle. It reminded Jaune of his father's back when he'd had to explain something to a young child. _"When last we met, you did not bend knee. Quite the opposite."_ It was hard to tell if there was any condemnation there, any anger – or even disappointment. It sounded more like a statement of fact, almost nostalgic.

"That is true," Salem said. "I was… younger."

" _And Ozma,"_ the God of Light said as Ozpin stepped forward and knelt. _"When I spoke to you last, I offered you an opportunity to unite Remnant. Did I not warn you that she had changed? That she would bring you only pain?"_

The God of Darkness suddenly looked towards his brother. No words were spoken, but there was a certain degree of haste there. Almost like the God of Darkness was surprised by something.

"I remember, and you were correct. Though, I might add, the pain was of my making. I have lived with that same pain for centuries, as has Salem. But," he said, lifting his head, "the second part has been completed. Humanity has been united."

" _So I am to believe…_ "

" **This land is familiar."** the God of Darkness spoke for the first time. His voice was proud, almost arrogant. He didn't seem to care for the subservience shown by Salem or Ozpin. **"I recognise it somehow. Though it has been a long time."**

"This is where you resided," Salem said.

" **Yes. I remember. This is where I was misled, where the end began. Foolish humans…"**

" _That is not now. Time has passed. Remnant has changed, even as much remains the same. The question, of course, is whether humanity has changed."_

" **Disappointments all. How much can have changed in so short a time?"**

" _I would hold in hope."_

" **As you will, brother."**

The God of Light turned back towards them. _"When humanity betrayed us, we learned that we could be wrong. We learned from out mistakes and offered you an opportunity to learn from yours. Still, I find myself surprised by your presence, Salem. Why are you here?"_

Salem lowered her head. "I… I have come to apologise." The words sounded forced. "I've come to ask for clemency."

" _Did I not state that if you remained unchanged and continued to demand our blessings, we would wipe you from existence?"_

Jaune tensed, reaching for his sword. Everyone else did the same and for a moment it seemed battle might be joined so soon. Salem, however, was quick to speak, "Not a blessing! I don't ask for a blessing from you. Only… Only that the curse put upon me be removed. I want to be able to die. I… I understand why it's important now."

" _Is that so?"_

" **She is different now. I feel my power within her, and among others. How come you to say you do not seek our blessing when you have taken it on yourself to steal my power and command my creations?"**

"I didn't do any of that intentionally. I tried to kill myself in your pools!"

" **You sought an easy escape from problems wrought by yourself. That does not suggest change."**

"That was well over a thousand years ago," Ozpin chimed in, defending her. "Humans change on a far faster scale than yourselves. In that time, she has gone from an angry and wrathful woman to a doting mother and loving wife."

" _It was her love for you that led her to ruin."_

"No."

" _You disagree?"_

"It was grief," Ozpin said. "Grief compounded by a lack of anyone to rely on. Had she those who could have supported her after my death, this would not have happened. Much of what happened, much of what befell Remnant, was more due to the curse placed upon her."

" **You blame us then?"**

"I did not say that…"

" _Tell us then why we should consider this request. Tell us why we should lift the curse that we so rightfully bestowed upon her?"_

"Rightfully," Jaune muttered. "Rightfully? There was nothing rightful about it…"

Both Gods looked up immediately, over Ozpin and Salem's heads and directly at him. Jaune froze, rooted to the spot as he realised his words – quiet as they'd been – had not gone unnoticed. Yang tensed, as did Ozpin and Salem, looking back.

" **Not rightful?"** the God of Darkness hissed. **"Do you seek to test us?"**

" _Calm, my brother. Come forth, child. I would speak to you."_

"Please!" Salem cried. "He didn't mean anything by it. He wasn't even alive in your time. He has no part in this!"

" _He stands before us and exists on this planet. He has a part to play. Come forward."_

His legs shook under the pressure of their gaze, but Jaune forced himself to move. He was surprised to find Yang coming with him, holding onto him tightly. The Gods paid her little attention, though he noticed the God of Darkness' face regard her with that same, confused, expression.

" _You claim our punishment unjust. I would have you tell us why."_

There were many reasons, so many, but in the face of where they were and what was at stake, he hesitated to say them.

" _Speak the truth and speak your mind. I shall know if you do not."_

Well, there went that option. Ozpin didn't seem to know what to say or do, while Salem just looked terrified, like she wanted to hide him away from their gaze. Knowing what he did of how they'd vanished Ozma once, he thought he knew why. With a wave of their hand, they could erase him from existence. There wouldn't be much he could do about it.

But they'd asked for reasons – and he'd give them.

"Salem – my mother – didn't deserve the curse you put on her. Denying her the chance to ever be with the man she loved, to ever find rest, was too cruel. The punishment didn't fit the crime."

" **She led humanity against us, caused the calamity that claimed your planet."**

"With all due respect, _you_ caused the calamity that claimed our planet."

The God of Darkness recoiled.

" _Explain."_

"Mom asked you to bring back her husband and you refused. That's fine. That was your right and you didn't do anything wrong. The balance of life and death probably _is_ something the world needs."

" _I am pleased one understands."_

"But as I understand it, people had the choice to petition either of you. You said no, and mom tried your brother." Jaune looked to the God of Darkness, who nodded silently. "I'll admit that she misled him and didn't say she'd asked you, but were there rules against it? Was it ever stated that people couldn't ask both?"

" _She sought to upset a balance that kept the world together. Asking a request of us both was no issue, but in ignoring my warnings she sought to break that balance."_

Jaune shrugged. "Not really… I mean, sure it would have been one break of it, but it wasn't like she was asking for death to not exist anymore. I'll admit it would be unfair to bring her loved one back and no one else's – it would be unfair to anyone who ever lost someone – but it would have hardly been the end of the world or anything."

" **She convinced humanity to rebel against us,"** the God of Darkness snapped.

"Yeah, after you cursed her." Jaune countered. "You can't say it's all her fault when you two had a hand in that. As for the calamity, I very much doubt humanity blew up the moon or spread Grimm everywhere. Last I checked, that was all you."

" _He makes an amusing point, brother."_

" **You take their side!?"**

" _No, I do not. But the child is not incorrect. Humanity's rebellion would not have occurred had she not the immortality to act as proof and tempt the humans. I admit this freely. But at the same time, it was not just the balance that she threatened, but the stability of our world. Your mother brought my brother and I to arms. The fallout of such a battle may have destroyed this planet, and for this she needed to be punished."_

"I'm not convinced."

The God of Light paused. If he could have shown emotion, he might have been surprised. _"Explain."_

"I understand what you're saying, and I agree, a battle between you would have been bad. But, and correct me if I'm wrong, _you are the ones who chose to fight one another_. Mom didn't order you to, nor did she ask you to come flying to the God of Darkness' domain. It was the God of Darkness who attacked you – and you who responded."

" _Because she sought to control him."_

"Sure. But only to bring Ozma back. Nowhere in that did she ask him to fight you."

" **She promised to be my loyal disciple. Promised in order to win my favour…"**

"And she would have been," he pointed out, turning to his mother. "Mom, if the God of Darkness _had_ brought Ozma back, would you have served him?"

"W-Well, yes. At the time, Ozma was all I cared for. If he'd been brought back, I'd have done anything. I'd have been his most loyal disciple, his most devour worshipper."

The God of Darkness was silent.

"See?" Jaune said. "Sure, mom lied to you, but it was you two who decided to fight. Yet you punished her for that. I don't disagree she deserved some punishment, but I feel like it was uneven. I feel like you were both angry and understandably upset but shifted a little of the blame you should have held onto mom. Then, when she realised just how unfair you'd been, she went to the other kingdoms and told them, prompting the rebellion."

" **What would you know of a time before your own?"**

"I know a little about how diplomacy works, considering that right now I'm pretty much seen as the closest thing to you on Remnant. People see me as a destroyer – yet I know it's important to show I can be forgiving and kind as well."

" _Forgiveness. You believe we should have shown your mother this…"_

"Yeah. I mean, she made a mistake but… isn't that what happens? Can you say that neither of you has ever made a mistake?"

" _Perhaps…"_

Ozpin saw the opportunity to step in and did so, standing once more. "Jaune speaks the truth as he believes it and may be correct. Though there's no denying what humanity did to you, I believe the fault lies with all."

" _Hm."_

" **Get to the point, Ozma."**

"My point is that what's done is done, but we've grown and learned from our mistakes – as you wished us to. There has been much hardship, much suffering, but you can see here that faunus and human stand together along with the Grimm. We've managed to forge bonds through the darkest of times and heal rifts over a millennia old. More than that, Salem has learned the importance of the balance of life and death and wishes, of her own free will, to enter into it once more." Ozpin spread his arms. "Is that not what you wished of us?"

" **It is what my brother wished of you,"** the God of Darkness snarled. **"I cared not."**

Desperately, Ozpin turned to the God of Light.

" _It was my wish,"_ the being said, causing Jaune and many others to relax. _"Though your people disappointed us, I held out hope for them. I know of the wars that divided you. The inequality, the racism and the conflict. I knew that some of this was caused by my brother's lingering power and the effect it had on this world."_

The God of Darkness looked away.

" _These challenges were so many that I believed they might prove impossible for you, even with my gifts."_

Again, the God of Darkness shifted, crossing his arms.

" _I am pleased to see that you were able to rise to the expectations I held for you._ _You have done well, Ozma."_

"T-Thank you…"

" _And you, Salem…"_

Salem tensed. "Yes?"

" _You have caused much pain, but I will accept that this may have not always been of your own will. The pools changed you. This was… unanticipated on our part. You were to remain cursed until such a time as you came to us and admitted your error. At the time, I believed this might take only a decade or two. It was not my intention to leave you cursed for so long."_ The God of Light loosened his arms and let them fall to his sides. _"It was never my intention to torture you so."_

Salem choked. "I… I understand. I forced you to leave…"

" _No. We chose to leave. Perhaps this was our error, for children make mistakes."_

"Then you'll lift the curse? You'll let me die in time?"

" _I shall."_

Salem sagged. As did Ozpin. They weren't the only ones. Jaune wanted to laugh and fall to his knees at the same time, so powerful was the relief he felt. Yang _did_ laugh, a quiet, delighted sound, and behind him he heard Ruby cheer quietly and Sun whoop and exchange a high-five with someone. They'd done it. They'd actually done it.

" _You and Ozma shall both pass from this world. You shall find rest at last."_

Jaune's happiness faded. "What?" he cried. "Now? NO!"

"Jaune." It was Salem who interrupted him, smiling as she held onto her husband. "It's fine, Jaune. Ozpin and I talked about this, along with Nicky. We knew this was a possibility and we're prepared for it. If it means everyone else can live in peace, we will accept our time being now."

"D-Dad?"

His father smiled weakly. "I won't say I'm fine with it, but I understand. Besides, it won't be forever. I'll enter the cycle at one point or another. Until then, I promised to look after you and your sisters."

This time, his legs really did fail him. He slumped, caught only by Yang's arms. Having already lost her mother, she offered him a sympathetic smile, but it did little. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. In a way, he'd known this was a possibility as well, but he hadn't counted on it actually happening.

"That's not fair…"

" _The balance of life and death rarely is. But it is a balance. One that must be upheld."_

"We understand," Ozpin said, stepping forward. "Though if I might make one small request; this body is not my own, as well you know…"

" _Only your soul shall pass. His will remain."_

Ozpin nodded. "Thank you. If I may ask, what will happen once we are gone?"

" _As promised, we shall return to Remnant and help it become whole again. Humanity shall thrive once more – along with its… adaptations."_ The God of Light looked towards the White Fang as he said that. _"We shall undo the changes we have made to the planet and rebuild it. In time, the gift of magic may return. This is my brother's decision, not mine."_

" **We shall see…"** The God of Darkness sounded distracted. Once more, his eyes were not on Salem of the God of Light, but rather Jaune himself. He hadn't looked away since Jaune's argument on the nature of punishments. **"I sense myself within you. And within her. Tell me how this came to pass. Immediately."**

Jaune glanced to Yang. "I'm Salem's son. Yang has a Grimm parasite within her, our son."

" **My creations have joined with humanity?"**

"Um. In a manner of speaking."

"A _very_ specific manner of speaking," Yang added. "It's definitely not what you're thinking…"

The God's head tilted to the side. "I **see..."**

" _An unanticipated result of the curse that befell Salem, and her fall into the Pools of Darkness. It shall be rectified."_

Jaune's blood ran cold. "Excuse me?"

" _We have returned and will rebuild Remnant into the world it once was. A world of balance and order, a shining gem. There can be no balance in humans with the Power of Darkness within them. Such individuals would be akin to Gods. This was not part of our plan and does not represent the balance we have strived to create."_

The God of Light turned to them once more, but this time Jaune and Yang stepped back, along with Salem, Ozpin and Nicholas. Somehow, without moving, the God seemed taller, more dangerous than ever before.

" _As such, they will be removed."_

* * *

 **Welp.**

 **So, I mentioned a mistake last chapter and since it comes out here, I guess I'll just explain it. There's no spoiler anymore. Basically, my huge error was in two chapters ago basically having the party bring this exact scenario up and say, "Oh man, but what if the Gods decide to pull the pin on Jaune and his family and erase them?"**

 **I literally spoiled this moment two chapters ago – and for no good reason.**

 **Even when I looked on it the next day I was like, "Why did I do that? Wtf was I thinking?" I'd planned it in advance, but I plan scenes, not exact lines of dialogue, so it just slipped in because it was on my mind while I was writing it. But right now, this ending could – and should – have been a twist. A surprise.**

 **But nope, because I literally had everyone sit down and discuss it happening like they had bloody foresight or something. That was my big "cock up" that I mentioned. I should have caught it and likely would have if I'd had more time, but I suppose that's the risk of doing an update a day. Sooner or later, you make a silly little mistake. Hopefully, you'll forgive me it. I spotted it myself, slapped my forehead and will learn from it, lol.**

 **Like I said, it doesn't plot hole or invalidate the story; it just turns this chapter from a "holy shit, this happened" ending to a "Yeah, we kinda knew that would happen" one. Lame!**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 31** **st** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	102. Chapter 102

**Here we go.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 102**

* * *

"Removed!? Ruby cried. "But that'll kill them!"

" _They will enter the cycle of life and death, yes."_

Jaune recoiled, fear coiling up inside him like a snake. His eyes sought Yang's. She looked no less horrified and was already engaging Ember Celica on her one good hand. Yin writhed uncomfortably, the black mass reaching up Yang's shoulder, almost as if the little thing was trying to hug its mother for comfort.

"That's not fair," Weiss shouted, striding forward. "All of them are innocent. Some of them are still children. Where is the justice in such a decision?"

" _The balance of life and death is integral,"_ the God of Light said without anger or sympathy. _"Salem lived eternal in defiance of that as punishment. Had she died when it was intended, she would have had no children. The progeny she has defy the balance with their very existence."_

"An existence you perpetuated!" Salem screamed.

" _This is true. As such, their existence is our responsibility and shall be rectified by us personally."_

" **Your responsibility,"** the God of Darkness commented. **"You are the one who cursed her. I had little say in it."**

" _Very well. I shall deal with it myself."_

"Please," Ozpin said, "See reason. You granted me a task to see humanity learn to live in harmony and we have done that. What is the point of harmony if you're going to eradicate the very faction we've finally made peace with? You may as well have done that at the start."

" _It was a test of humanity's capability. A test is performed in a simulated environment. The challenges face often do not persist once the testing is complete. Humanity has passed this test of their own making. As promised, we shall return and bring the world back to order and balance. This planet will be Remnant no longer. It shall be made whole."_

"No…" Salem's eyes glowed and her clothes billowed around her. "I will not allow it. Slay me if you must, but you will never touch my children."

" _Your wishes are immaterial in this. You cannot stop us."_

"Not alone perhaps," Nicholas said, drawing his weapon. "But she won't _be_ alone."

"How strange." Ozpin agreed, twirling his cane and holding it up like a rapier. "A millennia or more has passed and yet on hearing your voice again, I am reminded of the many reasons I came to despise you."

The God of Light let out a tired sigh. _"Disappointing. Humanity showed such promise but now displays the same treacherous behaviour. This is not the balance and harmony expected of you."_

"I'd say that's the other way around, actually," Ozpin said. "We were in agreement between ourselves, at peace. You are the one bringing discord. You are the one upsetting the balance – both of our peace _and_ the balance of life and death."

" _You-"_ The God of Light reached forward but held back at the last second. It was the first sign of emotion from him, a thick, roiling anger. Visibly restraining himself, he turned to the Atlas soldiers and the White Fang. _"You have no conflict here. Leave and we shall take our place once the mistakes of the past have been reversed. There is no reason for you to fight or die here."_

Jaune and the others tensed. The Atlas and White Fang contingent wasn't the strongest, but they had numbers on their side. The battle would be impossible enough already, but if either side turned on them? All hope would be lost.

Ironwood held his ground but the conflict he was going through was obvious. He could not afford to think with his heart when the fate of Atlas rested on his shoulders. The General turned to the side and whispered something to Winter. The Specialist returned it, the two engaging in a quick, heated conversation. When Ironwood turned back to the Gods, his eyes were hard.

"You once destroyed almost all of humanity because you believed they had disappointed you. You also admitted to placing our people in constant danger, with hundreds of thousands dying as some kind of test - all because humanity failed to meet your expectations. There is no guarantee you will not do so again."

" _Humanity chose to wage war on us after our selfless work in protecting and helping them grow."_

"And despite that you could have defeated them easily and allow them to surrender and learn from their mistakes, you killed them, their families, children and all the other innocent people of the world who had _no_ control over the actions of a few greedy monarchs. Is this correct?"

The God of Light did not respond.

"It is." Ozpin gritted out.

Ironwood sighed. "I see." His eyes closed for a moment. "That is unfortunate." His hand slipped under his coat, drew forth his handgun and flicked off the safety. "I cannot countenance entrusting the lives of those I've sworn to protect in the hands of such capricious rulers. Humanity learns from its mistakes. You would destroy any who make them."

" _Actions must have consequences."_

"They do. It's just that your consequences are frankly ridiculous. A curse of immortality because you were foolish enough to be tricked? Genocide for the actions of a select few? Dragging Ozpin from the afterlife to fulfil your goals for you?" Ironwood raised one hand into the air, and every Atlas soldier drew their weapons. "It seems to me that those punishments do not fit the crime. A lack of balance, perhaps?"

" _Balance and order are integral."_

"Yeah, I don't disagree with that," Sienna yelled, spitting on the floor in front of her. "But I've got to agree with the tin-man on this one… and I never thought I'd say that. You know who else had a fetish for installing order on people without their consent? The SDC. We didn't fight to free ourselves of oppression just to let some glowstick assholes from another dimension rule over us."

The White Fang cheered and shouted, rattling their weapons and screaming obscenities and oaths. Compared to Atlas, they were a ragtag bunch, but not a single one of them disagreed with Sienna's decision. Slave to the SDC or slave to the Gods. Both were the same as far as they were concerned.

Smiling grimly, Jaune looked back to the Gods, feeling much more confident with an army behind him. Yang, Ruby and Weiss stepped up beside him – with the others doing the same, accompanied by Emerald, Ilia, Sun and Mannie.

The God of Light looked out over all of them dispassionately.

" _The mistakes of the past made anew… and I had such hopes for them."_

" **That was your mistake. You should have cut ties as I did."**

" _Perhaps. They had such promise, however…"_

"We still do," Jaune called. "But if you're unhappy with us, you don't have to stay. Life the curse on Salem and Ozpin and leave us in peace. We'll continue to look over Remnant and live in harmony, and you won't have to deal with us constantly disappointing you."

The God of Darkness shrugged one shoulder. **"I was content never to return. Such is fine with me."**

" _No."_ The God of Light moved his arms away from his body. _"We will not agree to such a proposal."_

"What? Why the hell not?"

"Yeah. It's a good deal," Sun said. "If you're so disappointed in us, then leave."

" _We created Remnant."_

"And then abandoned it," Blake pointed out. "I think you've relinquished whatever claim you feel you had on it."

"Blakey's got a point," Nora said. "Our world isn't an experiment to us. It's our home. You can't come in, say we've failed and kill us. We won't let you."

" _Your co-operation in the matter is not required."_

"What's even the point?" Yang asked, throwing her hands in the air. "It's just _more work_ for you, and even if you succeed, it's not like you'll gain anything. You're Gods. You could literally make a new planet and start anew. Why haven't you!?"

" **And see our creations do this again? I've not the desire."**

" _Remnant was our creation,"_ the God of Light repeated. _"It is our responsibility."_

"Yeah? Well you failed. Badly."

" _Humanity-"_

"Failed as well. Both sides failed – but you had the chance to be the bigger party about it. Power and responsibility. You were literally unmatched, yet you decided to fucking kill everyone and blow up the moon and peace out." Yang snorted. "Real mature, guys."

"Although I'd question her language, Miss Xiao-Long speaks the truth," Ozpin said. "My wife may have erred, but to be human is to err. If you wish us to treat you like you are above such concerns, you ought to act like it. Now is a fine chance to start. Take my life if you will, take Salem's too, but do not begrudge these people the lives they have created. This should be the very balance and order you've always wanted – Grimm and humanity living in unity."

" _It is not."_

"Then be disappointed and leave already," Qrow yelled. "Abandon us – like you did the first time."

" _No. Our departure was clearly a mistake. As was allowing this to continue. We shall start afresh if required. The slate shall be swept clean."_

"Shit." Qrow drew his weapon. "Looks like negotiations are over, Oz. Any great ideas?"

"Salem and I shall face the God of Light." Ozpin's body crackled with emerald energy. Despite standing in Oscar's body, he suddenly had the presence of a man ten feet tall. "The rest of you keep the God of Darkness busy."

"Eh. Just the two of you?"

"We are as close to Gods as any here. Trust me, Qrow."

"Do as Ozma says," Salem commanded, pushing away from Nicholas and spreading her arms. "Once upon a time, we ruled as Gods ourselves. Perhaps it's time we gave that a try once more."

Ozpin chuckled. "A fine suggestion."

The God of Light shook his head slowly. He took a step forward and immediately doubled in height, bright light shining from his eyes. _"It did not have to come to this. I hope that you remember this. Time and time again, I gave humanity a chance to redeem itself."_

"We don't need redemption from the likes of you."

" _As you wish."_

/-/

The odds were skewed. Two against the God of Light and easily five hundred against the God of Darkness. Then again, they didn't know the slightest about either of them. Jaune swallowed nervously and swung his sword left and right to loosen his muscles. Others did the same, no one knowing quite how to begin.

The God of Darkness appeared content to let them make the first move. If anything, he looked lackadaisical in comparison to his brother. Smaller, more relaxed – even arrogant. As if he didn't consider them a threat.

To be fair, he might have been right in that summation.

"Hit and run," Qrow called – and Jaune was relieved that _someone_ experienced was there to take the lead. "Don't get bogged down in a fight with him when we don't know what he's capable of. Work together and if he focuses on you, retreat instantly."

"Long range?" Ruby asked.

"If you have it. Semblances-"

"Don't work on them," Emerald interrupted. "At least… ones aimed at them don't."

"You've been trying?"

"Since they made it clear they were about to turn on us," the green-haired girl admitted. "I tried to make the God of Darkness see the other as attacking him. When that didn't work, I tried it the other way around. Nothing happened."

" **Of course it did not,"** the God said, overhearing despite Emerald's whispers. **"What you call Semblances are a remnant of the gifts I gave to you. An unanticipated side-effect. Perhaps in my anger I did not take magic away from you as thoroughly as I believed."** The God's tone was, if anything, bored. He didn't seem nearly as interested in smiting them as his brother did.

Jaune leapt on that. "Do we have to fight? You already said you wanted to leave us alone. What's the point of us fighting here?"

" **There is none. The outcome of this battle is a foregone conclusion.** _ **You**_ **cannot defeat a God."**

Statement. The God said it without mockery, fully believing it. Jaune swallowed again, suddenly a lot more worried. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Salem and Ozpin engage the God of Light. Despite their instructions, the Atlas contingent with Ironwood had decided to offer fire support. Luckily, the God of Light was too busy with the pair of them to focus on the unprotected soldiers.

Still, if they could stall for longer…

Well, there was no telling what would happen. If they stalled and the God of Light won, they were screwed. If they stalled and he lost – somehow was defeated – then they might have a chance.

"Is that why you're not interested? Because there's no challenge?"

" **In part. It is… difficult to be invested in something with no risk or challenge."**

"You could weaken yourself to make one," Blake quickly said.

The God chuckled. **"A cute attempt. I admire it. Unfortunately, I have no means of sabotaging my own chances. I could fight without my arms and annihilate you all. I could refuse to move from this spot and cause the planet to tumble into the sun. I could give you a thousand years to try and destroy me and it would be in vain."** He raised a single hand before him and summoned a purple orb into it. It flickered and shifted, burning with hidden power. **"I am a God. Neither you nor I can change this fact."**

"That doesn't mean we have to fight, though!" Ruby said. "You wanted to leave. It's your brother who wants to stay. Why not just go?"

" **Because, as much as it irritates me, there must be a balance in these matters…"**

The God of Darkness whipped his hand forward suddenly – so fast that he barely saw it. The first thing Jaune perceived was the dark orb approaching, and that it was suddenly as big as he was. Someone cried out a warning. He stepped back instinctively, but _back_ wasn't the way out of its path.

"Move!" Something hit him hard in the side and sent him tumbling out of the way. The orb hit and exploded – the additional force knocking him further, rolling over and over until he crashed in front of Ruby's feet.

"Jaune," she gasped, dragging him.

"Who-?" Jaune looked back at the person who had just taken the attack meant for him and gasped. "Uncle Tyrian!" The faunus was down. Flat on his back, charred across his entire body and unnaturally still, Tyrian Callows lay defeated in a single attack. Jaune rounded on the God, eyes flashing red. "You son of a bitch!"

" **I was born of no mother."**

"It's a saying, you bastard!" Lunging forward, Jaune ignored Ruby's shout for him to stop and charged in, Crocea Mors at the ready. The God of Darkness summoned another attack, but he was ready for it this time and ducked under it, catching a hand on the rocky floor to steady and push himself back up.

The God of Darkness took a single step back and tried to bring forth another attack. It was too late.

With an angry cry, Jaune stabbed up into the God's thigh, piercing through the God's leg in one solid attack and up into his hip.

" **Was that supposed to do something?"**

Fear overtook his rage. He looked up into a painfully neutral face. "W-What?"

The God backhanded him. Such a slow and lazy blow, it caught him in the stomach and _smashed_ his diaphragm up into his lungs. Air exploded out of him and he was sent flying back to the others. He crashed down, skidded and broke through a couple of rocks to come to a heaving, retching heap in the midst of them. Crocea Mors slid from the God's leg and tumbled down onto the floor with a clank.

" **We are not as you,"** he said, stepping over the ancestral weapon. As he did, the blade rusted unnaturally, ageing tens of thousands of years in an instant. It cracked and ground to dust. **"We are not bound by the same laws you are. This battle is pointless. The outcome is inevitable."**

"So what," Weiss said, stepping in front of Jaune's body. "We should just give up?"

" **You should do whatever you wish. I will not stop you."**

They hesitated to do anything at first, uncertain of what they could do, but when the God held up a hand and brought forth another one of his terrifying orbs, Qrow, Winter and Sapphire rushed in, knowing they couldn't afford to wait. Taking the lead of their more experienced fighters, the others joined the assault.

Sapphire struck first – scoring a line on the God's knee before sliding under and behind, hamstringing him. The God did not fall and the sparks of purple light that came from the blow, displaced by her sword, floated back onto his form. In return, he pointed his attack at the approaching members of the Beacon teams and fired.

A flock of spectral bright-white Nevermore from Winter crowded into the orb, causing it to explode almost directly in front of the God's hand. _That_ got a reaction from him – a pained hiss – and better yet, blinded him as everyone closed in.

Crescent Rose tore through the God's leg in one swing, separating it so much that he could _see_ through the gap. Weiss followed, summoning a glyph into that exact spot and trying to _push_ the God's body up. Their plan looked to be to get the piece of the God away from him and see if that led to an injury. Even if the wound did nothing, he ought to be slow and unbalanced missing a limb.

While that happened, Team RYBN assaulted his neck, face and shoulders – Nora using her grenades not to cause damage but to blind the God with pink smoke. Ren fired through it into the God's eyes, while Blake looped Gambol Shroud up and over its shoulder, to be caught by Yang on the other side.

Blake hooked her ribbon around her arm and shoulder and yelled out to Yang. "Pull!"

Yang clamped her hand around the weapon and Yin did the same, black muscles bulging as the parasite threw all its strength into dragging the weapon down, causing the ribbon wrapped up and around the God's neck to tighten. Being on one side, it couldn't choke him, but the force was enough to add extra weight to his left side – the opposite to the one Weiss and Ruby had cut through.

Slowly, the God of Darkness began to topple to the side like a felled tree. The whole time, Nora kept its head covered in smoke, while Winter's summoned Nevermore – and a few real Nevermore – dived in and out, scratching at the God's eyes. With a mighty crash, the God collapsed, kicking up a giant cloud of smoke and ash. The White Fang cheered, along with the others.

"D-Did that do it?" Jaune gasped, standing. One hand clutched his stomach which still ached.

A rich chuckle came from the smoke.

Black light exploded out in a dome – expanding suddenly and without warning. It caught Yang and Blake first, then Weiss before Ruby was able to get her away. The others fled back, but those hit _screamed_ in agony and were thrown back faster, as though electrocuted and propelled by the hit.

"Back!" Qrow yelled. "Get back!"

Jaune rushed to and caught Yang, Pyrrha doing the same for Weiss and Nora for Blake. The moment he caught her, his body stiffened, and purple lightning crackled over him, driving him down onto one knee. _That was just the aftershock. How bad was it for Yang, Weiss and Blake?_

"I-I'm okay." Yang's eyes cracked open. They were red from her Semblance, but it hadn't activated. She must have taken so much of a beating that it cut through it entirely.

"You're not okay."

"Put me down. H-Help the rest." Yang groaned as another crackle of lightning ran over her body, shocking both of them. "F-Fuck. Just, give me a second. Help them. Keep him busy."

"Right." No time to argue. Laying her against a rock so that she could still see what was going on, Jaune rushed back into the fray. The God of Darkness was standing again – and although an entire leg from the knee down was missing, he stood as though it were unnecessary. He didn't even adjust for having only one limb.

" **Interesting. Exciting. Humanity has grown so much. Were I not a God, that might have worked."** He held a hand out to the side and the purple material left from his severed leg rushed through the air, coiled into his hand, down his body and then reformed beneath him. His leg did not so much regrow as slowly return to existence, as if a curtain was drawn back and the leg revealed to have been there all along.

"That did nothing?" Sun yelled. "Shit. Does he even feel pain?"

"Not from us, but he did a moment ago when he caught himself in his own attack." Qrow said. "I'm assuming a God's attack can work on him. The God of Light and Darkness fought for eons, or so the legends go. They wouldn't have bothered if neither could hurt the other."

" **Correct. Of course, a God cannot kill a God. Not entirely. Weaken, destabilise… You might call it injure, but the analogy does not hold true. Our battles were often of ideology. He would create and I would destroy that which he created."** The God chuckled. **"Such was easier than us battling one another, though it often came to that in the end."**

They really were immortal, then. Or invincible. The two were different things and he'd hoped that Gods or not, they could be banished in some way if it came to it.

 _If we could make him launch an attack at the God of Light or vice versa, they might be able to hurt one another, but it's just as likely they wouldn't. These two fought tooth and nail for centuries. They'd have to mess up and hit each other hundreds of times to cause a defeat – and then what? If one falls, the other would have no one capable of challenging them._

The God of Darkness had been naïve in the past and tricked by Salem, but he wouldn't be so naïve as to _repeatedly_ throw attacks that they could dodge and let hit the other God. He'd catch on sooner or later and just stick to melee.

"Jaune," Ren called. "If the power of a God can hurt a God, we do have _some_ options…"

Of course. _"Remy?"_

" **On it."**

Tentacles sprouted out from his back as his skin turned ashen and hair white. The power of the God of Darkness, passed down through Salem after falling into the Pools of Darkness, washed over him. He felt stronger, more durable and filled with an aggression that had him longing to rip and tear. As he always had, he stamped down on it, enforcing control.

" **Ah."** The God of Darkness turned to him instantly, sensing the change. Even as Grimm descended on him, tearing and attacking his legs and head, he continued, ignoring all of them. **"My power left behind. You would try and use that against me? I will grant you a favour and point out that such would be unwise."**

"A favour…? Why should we believe you?"

" **You need not. Attack me and find proof in action. It is the only way your kind learns."**

"Jaune, don't!" Weiss yelled, just as he was about to lunge in. Her warning brought him to a halt and he looked over in silent question. "He's the God of Darkness; your power is his power. He might not be immune to it, but it's his to control. He might be able to suck it straight out of you."

If that happened, he might die. Nervously, he looked to the God.

" **It** _ **is**_ **my power."** The God summoned another of his orbs, but this time held a finger beneath it. The energy whisked down into his finger as if it were water swirling down a drain. In one motion, the God of Darkness had brought said power back within himself. Proof that he could do the same with the power invested in them.

 _If I'd attacked, I'd be dead right now,_ he thought, looking to Weiss and nodding in obvious relief.

"You might be able to help against the God of Light," she said. "He won't be able to do the same. We need _that_ God's power to use against this one."

Jaune's eyes flicked to the Relics. They had been created by the God of Light.

" **You may leave and join the other battle if you wish,"** the God of Darkness said, apparently misreading his focus. **"I will not stop you."**

"Is this a game to you?" Ruby yelled. "We're fighting for our lives here, our very planet, and you're mocking us. You – You're telling us what will work and what won't. It's like you're not even taking this fight seriously."

" **I'm not."** The God of Darkness turned his head slightly, letting Penny's beam attack pass through his forehead instead of his eye. The hole it caused sealed up immediately, like a hole cut in water being filled again. **"As has been said, this battle is a conclusion foregone. Whether I offer you some little assistance or not, the result will be the same. But once you are gone and once we repeat the process anew, an opportunity like this may not come again."** He let out a loud, almost hungry sound." **It has been over a thousand years since I was able to stretch my legs like this. It may be five thousand more until such happens again. Forgive me for wishing to extend the feeling just a little."**

Jaune's hands clenched. This was all they were to these two, momentary distractions. Their history, their accomplishments, their feelings; those were all fleeing moments to beings as endless as these. It would all boil down to a fight the God of Darkness couldn't even be harmed in, all because of a whim. Because he felt like it.

"Jaune, the Relics!" Weiss hissed. "Before he realises!"

He ran for them. He needn't have – the God of Darkness remained true to his word and made no effort to stop him, nor to stop the attacks bombarding him, but the God of Light's battle was far different, with Ozpin and Salem being pushed back mercilessly, batted about by an enemy who intended to kill them both quickly and efficiently. This fight with the God of Darkness would last only as long as that fight did, at which point the God of Light would end his brother's fun.

Creation, Choice, Knowledge and Destruction. His hand found the hilt of Destruction without hesitation, Crocea Mors having died. He snatched the others up regardless and rushed back, throwing the Relic of Creation to Weiss and the Relic of Choice at anyone who wanted it.

"Jinn, we need you!"

The spectral figure flowed out of the Relic and quickly took in the scene. "Oh dear," she said, biting her lip. "This was not anticipated…"

"We're in bug trouble. Can you help?"

"I am a being of knowledge. I am limited. I was created to aid humanity in-"

" **You were created to aid humanity?"** The God of Darkness boomed. His voice was deeper, more demanding. **"You are of my brother's power, designed and created to give humanity an edge they did not deserve. Foolishness I had little hand in, let alone choice. You should never have been made. If needs be, I will unmake you."**

Emotion – that was good. Maybe. If the God was worried, that meant the Relics might be able to hurt him. It also meant he'd get a lot more serious, though. Jaune shifted and tried to get a feel for a weapon he'd never used before. It felt heavy, ornamental. The balance just wasn't there.

"If I have to use the God of Light's powers, I will."

" **Is that so? Well, then, you should do it without one of mine."**

The God snapped his fingers and the Grimm diving onto and attacking him suddenly froze. Inside of him, Jaune felt Remy freeze as well, writhing and twitching silently. _"Remy? Remy!?"_

" **The Grimm followed you because of Salem's influence stolen from me. Let us see how you fare when they are removed from your control."**

Everyone looked around nervously at the words, suddenly aware that they were in the Grimmlands and surrounded by Grimm. Ruby and Pyrrha backed up so that they could cover one another, and the White Fang spread out to form a tight ball so that they could cover their flanks.

Beside Pyrrha, Mannie shook his head and scratched angrily at the ground. The large Beowolf looked confused – almost lost. Its head swung to look around it, first at the God of Darkness, then Pyrrha, before finally turning to face Jaune himself.

Jaune swallowed. "M-Mannie…?"

The Beowolf howled. The sound pierced through the combat, echoed a thousand times by more Grimm. Its hind legs tensed as it leapt forward.

It sunk its fangs into the God of Darkness' shoulder.

" **WHAT!?"** The God swung angrily, but Mannie had already let go and dashed out of reach. A horde of Nevermore descended on the God's head as he did. **"How? They are stripped from your control!"**

"And why should that change anything?" Sapphire demanded, sneering at the God. "Do you think they were slaves? I grew up with one-hundred thousand siblings. I played with Beowolves, cuddled up by Ursa through the night, rode on Deathstalkers and helped Nevermore preen those hard-to-reach spots. We all did. There wasn't a day that would go by when we wouldn't feed the Grimm, pick sharp rocks from their paws or play with them."

"You abandoned them," she hissed. "We did not. What choice did you _think_ they would make?"

" **Jaune,"** Remy hissed inside of him.

" _Yeah?"_

" **Kick his ass."**

Jaune grinned. "Already on it, pal."

While the God was distracted, Jaune charged in with the Relic at the ready, flanked by Weiss with the Relic of Creation and Sun of all people with the Relic of Choice. He was wielding the crown like a cudgel.

The God saw them coming through the mass of Grimm and lashed out with one arm towards them. Weiss and Sun split and flanked while he fell back, sliding under the arm and nearly cracking his head on the rocky floor. **"I got you!"** Remy crowed, slamming tentacles down into the ground and using them to push Jaune back up onto his feet on the other side of the God's arm.

 _Do your thing, Relic. You were made to help us – so bloody help us already!_

The sword's tip bit deep, even as Weiss stabbed the staff in from the side and Sun _chucked_ the crown up into the God's face. A bright light flashed out from the point of contact, light _pouring_ out of the wound. The God of Darkness screamed in agony.

" **RARGHHH!"** The God staggered back, dragging himself away from the Relics. **"Damn you,"** he hissed, voice grating like tombstones over gravel. **"How dare you?"** He snapped his arms open and a force picked Jaune up and hurled him back. The others were thrown away, too, sent a good fifty metres of so and sent crashing down into rock.

Jaune coughed out a little blood from the impact. Weiss groaned and tried to stand but collapsed back onto her front. She'd taken the brunt of it. The staff, the Relic of Creation, lay discarded a good ten or so feet away. Cinder rushed up to it, but even she looked badly hurt, favouring one side as a charred arm hung limp.

" **Enough. I will slaughter you insignificant wastes of-"**

"No!" Ruby yelled, using her Semblance to appear in front of the God. "Get back!"

Her eyes flickering was the only warning the God of Darkness received before a blinding silver light poured out, slamming into him and causing him to recoil, one hand over his apparently blinded eyes. Even then, his other hand snapped out, catching Ruby by her head and shoulders, his fingers blocking out the power of her silver eyes.

" **Artifacts dripping with my brother's power. Ozma reincarnated** _ **despite**_ **my earlier attempts being rebuffed."** The God of Darkness panted, smoke rising from his form. **"And now this? The Power of Light in the eyes of a child? Where is this vaunted order of yours, brother!? How much of the Power of Light exists in this blasted world!?"** He roared angrily, the sound deep as a dragon's and flung Ruby away, sending the girl rocketing back like a comet to crash into rock and carve a trench a foot deep. She didn't move. **"How is this balance!? How is this order!?"**

He could barely move. His legs felt like they might be broken and there was definitely some internal bleeding, because he hacked out another splatter of blood. Of those who had been fighting, many were down, including much of the White Fang. Even the Grimm had been knocked back, many of the Nevermore struggling to stand.

"P-Pyrrha," he choked. "T-The Maiden's powers…"

" **More!?"** the God roared, hearing him. **"This is madness!"**

"Yeah," an exhausted voice spoke. Yang staggered past Jaune's body, Yin hanging at her side and Yang's arm on Yin's elbow, supporting her child. "It kind of is."

"Yang," Jaune hissed. "Don't…"

"It's pretty fucked up," she continued, ignoring him as she walked towards the furious God. "But you know, this is just proof of how unfair things are. Not only for us, but for you as well."

The God of Darkness stilled. His eyes bore into Yang's, but seeing her unarmed and without a Relic, he allowed her approach. At any moment he might crush her, kill her. Jaune tried to force himself up, but his body just wouldn't obey.

" **Unfair? Speak your words wisely, child, or they** _ **shall**_ **be your last."**

"Hey, I'm just speaking the truth. I mean, look at the way things have worked out. You and your brother fought for millennia or something – and then he gets it into his head to strike a deal, impose balance and order between you. Makes sense, right? Lets you work together instead of against one another. It's definitely a good deal."

Yang grinned. "Or it would be if you hadn't been shafted."

"…"

"I think you can see it as well as I can. You both made Remnant, you both created the land, the seasons, night and day and all the people who lived here. He gave them some of his power and you gave them some of yours. A fair balance."

" **Yes. A balance. Order."**

"Except that it wasn't balanced, was it? He got all the followers, all the petitions, all the devotees. Meanwhile, you were stuck on your own in the middle of some blasted wasteland waiting for someone – anyone – to come by and worship you. You put in half the work and didn't get a damn thing for it."

" **Such was humanity's choice…"**

"That's bullshit and you know it. People didn't choose to go to him because they wanted to – they just couldn't make it to you because of how dangerous it was. If it were balanced, you'd have both been equally accessible. Or inaccessible. Instead, your brother made it so that anyone and everyone could get to him and no one to you, leaving him the worshipped one, the beloved one, the popular one."

"And then one day you finally _do_ get someone who comes to you." Yang came to a stop not ten feet from the God. She stared up at him defiantly, sympathetically. "A desperate woman who was spurned by the God of Light. She promises to worship you and becomes the first – only for your brother to come flying in and stop her."

" **She sought to abuse the balance of life and death."**

"A balance you obviously didn't care about since you brought Ozma back to life. And besides, didn't the God of Light bring Ozma back later anyway? What changed, huh? What made it bad for _you_ to bring him back but A-Okay for _him_ to do it? What made life and death so sacrosanct that _you_ couldn't fuck with it, but he's allowed to grant Salem immortality, breaking that same balance in the first place?"

The God was speechless.

Jaune was, too.

"Oh sure, you resurrect someone and you're the asshole, but _he_ does it and suddenly he's `giving humanity a chance` and `holding on to hope`. What bullshit. I'll tell you why he didn't let you do it – because it would have meant more followers for you. Something you brother didn't want to let happen!"

The God of Darkness shook with fury. His head twisted towards the God of Light, still fighting Salem and Ozma, but he turned back just as suddenly, a hand reaching out as if to crush Yang. **"You are seeking to trick me. Just as she did."**

"Me? I'm not telling you to do anything; I'm just calling it as it is. As for Salem, she didn't trick you. She offered to follow you if you brought Ozma back. She committed to that. Where was the trick?"

" **She did not tell me she had visited the God of Light beforehand."**

"Did you ask her?"

He didn't respond.

"Would it have bothered you if she had? Would you have turned down her wish and her offer to become your first loyal worshipper?"

" **No…"**

"Then where's the trick? Not from her." Yang grinned savagely. "But I'll tell you who did trick you; your brother. Balance? Order? Yeah, _his_ order. His balance. One where you get to sit alone on the other side of the world while he rules as a benevolent God that everyone loves and you're the boogieman people talk about in hushed whispers."

"The God of Light who only cares about the balance of life and death when he's not the one breaking it – who even after you both left Remnant went about behind your back to bring back Ozma and create the Relics, items created with _his_ power. Where's the balance in the God of Light making Relics for us but you not? Did he even tell you he was going to?"

" **No…"**

"I thought not. You looked pretty surprised by them. Not to mention my sister's eyes – which, if you didn't know, is _another_ thing your brother put down here without you knowing about it. Fair, right? Balanced, right? He gives humanity something, so you get to give humanity something." Yang held her arm out. "So, where's the boon _you_ got to give? Where are your Relics?"

The God of Darkness shook.

"I mean, if this all worked as your brother intended and humanity was remade anew, they'd all be alive knowing that it was because of _him_ that they get to live safe. Everyone would praise the God of Light for creating the Relics and giving humanity another chance. So, when things go back to how they were and you're sat here hoping for people to come and visit, how many do you think will? How many do you think will come to you when the God of Light already cheated to make it so that _he's_ seen as the good guy again. The hero, the loving God or forgiveness who broke the rules to give humanity an edge? Because I'll tell you what I think; I think there won't be a single person who would come and worship you. Just as it's always been. Just how the God of Light likes it."

"Balance and order," Yang mocked, derision dripping from every word. "Just so long as it's balanced in _his_ favour."

" **You seek to make me defeat him for you,"** the God of Darkness seethed. His body was trembling, evidence of Yang's success in raising his ire, but not in doing so without being caught. **"In the end, you're no different from Salem. You wish me to do your work for you."**

Rather than deny it, Yang nodded. "Yeah. Pretty much."

The God stared at her. As did everyone else.

"Yang, what the _fuck_?" Blake hissed.

"Nah, I'm not going to lie about it. You're not an idiot and I'm not good at sneaky stuff. More of a hit something until it stops moving kind of girl. But I am an older sister and I know what it's like to have a sibling. Mom and Dad were always careful to make sure we shared stuff and got fair presents. Didn't want any jealousy between me and Ruby. Even after mom died, Dad was the same. He got me a motorbike but made it clear Ruby could have a car or bike once she passed her license. Whatever I got, Ruby would get something equivalent."

" **You would suggest we are as children?"**

"I'm just saying I'm in a position to judge. I can look at your situation and point out when someone is taking the piss. You're putting in just as much work as him and being paid beans for it. Am I trying to trick you? I don't know. Not really. I'm being pretty up front about this. I want you to go over there and knock your brother's face in, show him why he's being a dick and drag him off. Leave us alone."

" **You… You are misleading me…"**

"Am I? What am I hiding? What motive do I have that I haven't just told you?"

The God of Darkness didn't respond for a moment. Most would have continued talking, but Yang held his gaze, waiting for him to speak again. For the first time since the night had begun, the God appeared to be completely speechless.

"What do _you_ wasn't?" Yang suddenly asked.

" **What-?"**

"What is it you want from this? I mean, we know why the God of Light wants to destroy us, but like you said before, you're not really into this. Still, you're here doing his dirty work for him like usual, so he _is_ going to reward you for this, right?"

" **I do not… No, I do know. He will not. We will create this world anew."**

"Same rules as the last time?"

"… **Yes …"**

"Then it'll be the same conclusion, I reckon. You ignored, him the God worshipped. Face it, he just doesn't want you to be on the same level as him. He never has. Makes sense, too. I mean, you spent all your time fighting him at first. He suggested peace, but that sure as hell doesn't mean he has to honour it."

" **The balance. The order…"**

"God." Yang let out a sigh. "Quit lying to yourself. What balance? The first thing he did after coming back was try and kill anyone with the Power of Darkness within them. Anyone with _your_ influence in them. My sister has _his influence,_ but she wasn't going to be killed. Face it. He doesn't want co-operation. He wants you out of the picture, or at least hidden and pushed away. You claim Salem tricked you? The way I see it, only one person tricked you…"

"And he's been doing it for thousands of years."

"S-She's right," Ruby gasped, kneeling, beaten and broken with blood dripping down her face. "Yang's right. W-We're sisters. We do everything together… as a team. I wouldn't hide her away, ignore her."

" **You are… We are nothing alike,"** he said.

"Aren't we? I've got the Power of Light and Yang has the Power of Darkness." Ruby smiled at her sister. "I still love her."

Yang looked back. "Love you too, sis."

The God stepped back.

"Fight back!" a voice yelled. To Jaune's surprise, he realised it was a figure among the White Fang. "That God's as bad as the SDC – acting like they own you. Because, what? You happen to be born different?"

" **I was not born-"**

"He's right!" another shouted. "It's oppression. Equal rights. Equal opportunities."

"Balance," Blake agreed. "Equality. A word Atlas and the SDC were keen to throw around, even when they branded us with irons and stamped their initials into our bodies. We were never equal; they jus wanted to use us for their own ends. Just like the God of Light is using you. We broke free. We fought."

"You can fight it, too," Sienna said. "Haven't got a mask big enough for you, but I wouldn't say no to a literal God in the White Fang. Or maybe you could be the God _of_ the White Fang. You're certainly going through the same shit we are."

The God of Darkness looked up. **"A God of… Worshipped?"** For a second, he hesitated. **"No. Trickery, deceit, lies."**

Slowly, Yang reached out to touch his knee.

"We're not lying about anything. We're straight up telling you we want you to help us. The only one lying is the God of Light. And maybe you."

" **I am a God. I have no need of lies."**

"Not lying to us. Lying to yourself. Don't let us decide for you; you need to make your own decisions. But just as you shouldn't let us sway you, you shouldn't let him, either. You're a God. You're his equal. Personally, I think it's about time he started to treat you like it."

" **Yes."** The God of Darkness expanded. His head grew, elongating, stretching into a serpentine shape. As it did, his voice became deeper, echoing along his neck to reach his mouth. **"Yes, I think it is."**

The transformation was slow yet undeniably impressive. The dragon shape was unlike Kevin, longer, bigger, more elegant somehow. It was as beautiful as it was terrifying and now, out of a human shape, the sheer difference between the God and them was evident. Yang stood beneath it, looking up in awe.

" **Stand aside, child of darkness,"** he boomed to her. **"Watch as** _ **your God**_ **reminds the world why He is deserving of worship."**

Yang grinned.

"You go, man. Kick his ass."

* * *

 **Are they tricking him? I don't know. Maybe. Even when I first heard the legend in the show, all I could think was how it didn't quite hold up. Not in a "RT made a mistake" kind of way and more in a "The GoL is clearly taking liberties" way. I mean, the GoL breaks all the rules he makes and waxes about "Balance" but it only ever seems to apply when it comes to keeping the GoD down.**

 **Do you disagree? I'd be interested in hearing opinions on it**

 **Honestly, I like the idea of the Gods being a little more fallible, having a little personality. I know some religious folks might prefer their idea of God as being all powerful, kind and omniscient, but since this is fiction, I don't see how it needs to apply.**

 **Plus, it always struck me as kind odd that the GoL likes to create, GoD likes to destroy, yet the GoL hashes out a co-operation deal where the GoD kind of can't even do that anymore without the GoL's permission. Doesn't that seem a little one sided?**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 7** **th** **February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	103. Chapter 103

**As a small head's up, I've added a little FAQ section to my profile here on the site. There's nothing revolutionary on there; it's just answers to a few questions I get A LOT. Like, "Can I use your story idea" or "Why do you write about Jaune all the time", etc.**

 **If you haven't been wondering about these questions, there's no real need to check it out as it's nothing special on there. It's not going to blow minds and I'm not trying to draw people to it for whatever reason. I'm just making it because I get asked these questions a couple a times a week and thought this might make it easier for people.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 103**

* * *

The God of Darkness descended on his brother with his mighty jaws open.

The God of Light didn't see it, too busy dealing with Salem and Ozpin – both battered and bruised. But they saw the other God approaching and scattered quickly, using what powers they had to fly out of the way an instance before the purple and black dragon struck.

The sound the impact made was inhuman. Being not bodies of flesh and bone, but energy and whatever godly power made them, the sound was akin to a dust explosion – all crackling lightning, loud blasts, the cracking of frost and bright, flashing lights. The dragon slammed its brother into the ground, kicking up a tidal wave of dust and soot.

Salem and Ozpin landed near to the rest of them, who had all naturally backed away from the scene. Ozpin was bleeding badly, his powers far weaker than they had been, but he still found the time to stagger over and demand answers.

"Does your ability to inspire coups know no end? This is beyond belief."

"It wasn't me," Jaune said. "This was all Yang."

"And I didn't trick him; I just pointed out a couple of flaws in the deal he and his brother worked out."

"This was your plan from the start?"

"What?" Yang laughed. "No way. It was the plan I came up with after plans one through fifty failed. We didn't stand a chance; he was killing us without breaking a sweat."

He was doing much the same to the God of Light, body coiling around the much smaller frame as he _squeezed_ the life from it. The head bit down, giant teeth latching onto the God of Light's shoulder and head. He tore his snout away and the God was torn asunder in a flash of golden light. He reformed almost immediately, the essence slipping through the God of Darkness' teeth.

The God of Light held up a hand and blasted an orb of yellow light into the dragon's face, broke free and flew up to strike the dragon's snout. The two went flying once more and crashed down into the ground. The God of Light began to grow as well, undertaking the same transformation, body elongating and face stretching out into a serpentine shape.

"Did your plan include a contingency for if the God of Darkness loses?"

"Uh. No."

"Or what we should do if he wins," Salem added. "We would still have to deal with him."

Yang winced. "Eh. I figure I already came up with this idea. Now it's your turn to come up with a plan. It' only fair." She elbowed Jaune's side. "Back me up here."

Jaune shrugged helplessly.

"Fair…" Ozpin mumbled, as if he'd never heard the word before. "Yes. Quite. Unfortunately, I am almost entirely out of energy."

"Never could keep it up," Salem muttered.

"Magical energy," Ozpin said, louder. "Creating the Maidens drained me."

"And was pointless," Salem added.

Ozpin glared at her.

"Mom. Please…"

"Thank you." Ozpin nodded to him when Salem pouted. "Regardless, I am not as much of a threat as I used to be – and I'll thank you to stop nodding at that, Salem. Whichever God emerges victorious, we may still have to deal with."

"They might be weakened, though," Ruby said.

"I hope so, Miss Rose. I hope so."

It was their only hope. That, or being able to negotiate with the victor. In which case, the God of Darkness was the preferable choice ironically. _At least we were able to hurt him a little, and the God of Light won't listen to anyone's opinion but his own._

It was hard to tell who was winning the fight.

A battle between Gods didn't necessarily work on human terms. That much was obvious in the way the God of Light _bit through_ his brother's neck and severed his head, only for it to reform a moment later and for the God of Darkness to twist under and coil around him, sinking his own teeth into the God of Light's shoulder.

" _You fool!"_ the God of Light boomed, despite his mouth being full of god-matter. _"You have been tricked once more. Do you never learn?"_

" **I have learned,** _ **brother**_ **,"** the God of Darkness sneered the term. **"And you would know of trickery, being the one to have tricked me time and time again. No longer. Existence was better when we warred eternal."**

" _But the balance-"_

" **Don't you see? This** _ **is**_ **balance. One God for the Light, one God for the Dark, locked in eternal combat. There is more balance here than in your misguided machinations."** The God pulled his head and neck back, lifting the God of Light up and over to crash down into the ground on the other side of him. **"Where are your faithful now, brother? Oh. That's right. You had me destroy them when they turned on you. The moment they upset your notions of Order and Balance."**

The God of Light roared as his brother pinned him down, teeth latching onto his neck and pushing him further into the ground. Rock cracked and gave way beneath them, creating a sinkhole that exposed row upon row of sharp dust crystals that pierced deep into the dragon's body.

" _You have none either,"_ the God of Light rasped. _"You are a means to an end. Nothing more. They will betray you as they did me."_

The dark dragon hesitated.

"Whooo! God of Darkness!" All eyes turned towards Nora, who had clambered atop a rock and cupper her hands before her mouth to shout at the top of her voice. "Kick his ass! You can do it! To hell with order; it sucks! Chaos forever!"

Beside her, Ren chuckled. "That certainly does sound like you, Nora…"

"I know, right?" Nora grinned and reached down, not for Ren, but for Blake. The faunus squawked as she was dragged up onto the rock with her partner. "Help me, Blakey. Whoo! God of Darkness. Rah! Rah! Rah!"

"Um…" Blake fidgeted under the attention – even more so when one of the God of Darkness' eyes swivelled in her direction. Blake began to sweat. "Uh. Darkness, Darkness, you're our ma- God. If you can't do it… uh. Go God of Darkness?"

"Slaughter that blonde bastard!" Ilia screamed, much more into it. "To hell with blondes!"

"Hey," Sun whined. "No need to be jealous…"

"Take that autocratic bastard down!" a White Fang grunt cheered. "Down with the oppressor!"

"He's _our_ God! The White Fang's God!"

"We don't want the other one!" An Atlas soldier shouted. Ironwood's eyes narrowed on him. "What? We don't. Why does the White Fang get the God that isn't a massive douchebag?"

Winter coughed. "He has a point, sir. We should claim a stake in the God of Darkness before the White Fang do."

General Ironwood let out a long and suffering sigh.

And then raised his hand.

"Go God of Darkness. Go, go, go."

" **Ha ha ha ha ha!"** The God of Darkness' laughter boomed across the Grimmlands. **"Yes! Is this what it feels like to be worshipped? So wonderful. So invigorating."** The dragon's snout turned down to the one beneath it. **"Little wonder you sought to keep it from me. You wished it all for yourself."**

" _They will turn on you, brother. Just as Salem did. Let us not fight but work together."_

" **Fool! You are a fool and I am fool for believing you! Salem did not turn on me. You made me turn on her!"**

" _She tricked you!"_

" **No. She made a wish by me. A wish that I granted and then allowed** _ **you**_ **to take away. The first I had granted, my first worshipper, stolen from me. No."** His eyes narrowed. **"Driven away. Cursed and punished for daring to go against** _ **your**_ **order."**

" _The balance of life and death is too important to play with."_

" **LIES! Were it so important, you would not have defied it to grant her eternal life, nor brought back the very one** _ **I**_ **resurrected before."** The God of Darkness bit down savagely and shook his head, tearing great chunks from the God of Light's side. **"You have fallen out of fashion, brother. Your followers have abandoned you. Even those you granted your powers to wish your demise."**

" _They have abandoned me as they will you. They cannot be trusted."_

"You abandoned _us_ first!" Ruby yelled, eyes flashing. "You don't get to claim we betrayed you, when you came down and tried to kill our friends and family!"

"An eternity of suffering for Salem and I. This, I might forgive, but for your machinations tearing apart what was once a happy and loving relationship. All this world's evils fall on your shoulders, God of Light. If anyone has broken the balance of this world, it has been you. I dare say that so long as the God of Darkness does not mimic your mistakes, the people of Remnant shall worship him forever."

Catching onto his plan, Jaune nodded quickly. "Yeah. I'd happily be your worshipper. You're fighting the monster trying to kill my family. You're the hero!"

" _I_ was and am his first," Salem intoned, joining in. "Nothing shall change that fact. I braved the journey across the wastes to kneel before him, and though the God of Light tested my faith, it remains true to the God of Darkness. Whose power runs both in my veins and those of my children."

The God of Darkness seemed to shiver and grow.

" **Yes. YES. My faithful. My flock. My believers."** He sneered down on his fallen brother. **"And where you failed, I shall not. Should mine seek to betray me it will not be because** _ **I**_ **invited it."**

The God of Darkness snapped down again and again, his great head rising and falling, sending golden sparks scattering left and right. The God of Light fought back as he could, trying to bite and wrestle his way to freedom, but his actions appeared sluggish and weak, as though his limbs weighed too much.

"Does the worship make him stronger?" Ren wondered out loud. "That might be the reason the God of Light's position was so commanding."

"It is possible…" Ozpin stared on, amazed. "Now that I think of it, there has to be a reason the God of Light would be willing to entertain our petitions. Why else than to ensure we considered him a benevolent God?"

"Worship him!" Jaune yelled. "Whatever side you're on, worship the God of Darkness or our entire world will be doomed!"

The words spread. Some chanted, others fell to their knees and yet more joined the White Fang and Atlas soldiers in cheering for the God of Darkness like they were watching the most brutal Vytal Festival ever created. Even the Grimm roared, screeched and stamped their feet, sounding their approval and kicking up a storm of dust and feathers.

The God of Darkness _bristled_ with power. With a final roar, he bit down, cutting off the God of Light's agonised scream with an audible _crack_ of thunder. Rearing back, the God of Darkness extended his neck into the sky and roared his victory.

All within the Grimmlands roared with him.

/-/

It was Jaune, Yang, Salem, Ozpin, Ironwood and Sienna who made their way towards the God of Darkness as he turned back into a humanoid form. As the leaders of their respective groups, they stepped forward to face the deity while all others stood and watched.

The God of Darkness was the same size as he had been before, but his body seemed more vibrant, more colourful. Even if the shades of black and purple were still there, they were brighter. Denser. Somehow more vivid.

His entire form seemed more vivid, more real. His face was still a mystery with no eyes, nose or mouth to judge, but his body radiated smugness. Jaune could feel the God's pleasure as easily as he could the ground beneath his feet.

He had no idea how to break the silence.

"Hail the conquering God!" Sienna howled, raising her hands in the air. "You showed that bastard just who rules here."

" **Yes."** The God chuckled. He looked past Sienna, to Yang. **"Your God has proven himself."**

Yang grinned back. "He certainly has. That was awesome."

"What will happen to the God of Light now?" Ozpin asked. "I was under the impression a God could not be killed, even by another God."

" **My brother has been weakened significantly. It will take a thousand years or more for him to regain his strength. I will watch over him until he does, and we shall talk much in this time. Balance and order are not in themselves wrong, but I will ensure he knows that I will not stand for his trickery again."**

"Does that mean he'll come back to Remnant?"

" **No. It is Remnant which caused such greed in him. I will not allow him to return."**

"What, then, of us?" General Ironwood asked.

" **You need not fear my wrath if that is your question. As I said, I will not make my brother's mistakes and drive loyal worshippers away. Darkness does not mean destruction any more than Light means creation."** The God raised his voice so that all could hear. **"Let it be said that Remnant stands whole in mine eyes. This experiment of ours proves an unlikely success. More than that, a learning experience for the two of us."**

The crowds cheered at the news, and Jaune's relief was so much that he thought he might collapse then and there. Yang pushed him back up with a laugh of her own.

"God of…" Salem began, and then paused. "God." The singular term fit better. "I know you've just saved us, and it may seem rude to ask, but… the curse placed upon me…" Salem glanced at Ozpin. "On us."

" **It will be removed. You shall not, for I care not for the actions of my brother. Your presence here – both of you – upsets any sense of balance or order, but with the curse gone, time alone shall take care of that. You will pass from this world when your lives come to a natural end."** He extended a hand and a wave of purple light washed over both Salem and Ozpin. They gasped but didn't appear to be in pain.

"Oscar," Ozpin rasped. "Are you-? Yes. Wonderful." Ozpin bowed slowly, falling to one knee and lowering his head. "Thank you. You have saved not only my soul, but the life of a child. You have my deepest gratitude."

"Mine as well," Salem said, kneeling beside her ex-husband. "For sparing my family."

The God of Darkness stood a little taller, preening under their naked and honest praise. **"Yes,"** he said, sounding a little too smug. **"I am a generous God. Remember this. As for your family, the lingering traces of my power remain within them, but then, so too does my brother's within the silver eyes. As far as I am concerned, this is a balanced exchange. Both shall go unharmed."**

Yang smiled happily. "My God is wise and merciful."

" **Yes."** A little more preening. **"I am, aren't I?"**

 _A little childish too,_ Jaune thought, though not with any real insult. The God of Darkness had saved their lives, which meant he could run around doing whatever he wanted as far as he was concerned. "What will you do now?" Jaune asked. "Will you stay here?"

" **If I were to stay, more would come to seek petition from me. In time, when my brother forms anew, I would need to let him return – and the cycle might repeat again. As much as it would please me to rule, it is safer for all if I do not."** He paused. **"You should all continue to worship me, however. To not forget my generosity."**

"We won't forget it, God of Darkness," Yang said, grinning.

"I suppose we can make a national holiday," General Ironwood mused. "I had some of my men record this event to prove to those in Atlas what happened. Seeing this, I'm sure we could erect a statue and declare a day in your honour."

" **God of Darkness Day?"** he asked, a little too eagerly.

"Uh." Ironwood winced. "Perhaps named something a little different…"

"Fancy holidays?" Sienna groaned. "Not for us. Drink, dance and make merry. We'll hold a festival on this day every year in Menagerie. It'll start when the sun sets – in the height of Darkness – and continue until the sun rises again and everyone passes out drunk."

"A tournament!" Ruby cheered, shouting from behind them.

Ozpin blinked. "A… tournament?"

"W-Well, with the Grimm going peaceful, huntsmen and huntresses will be out of a job. We should hold tournaments to honour the God of Darkness. Like, the fighters compete to see who is most worthy and then dedicate their victory in his honour – just like how he defeated the God of Light for us."

" **This proposal of armed combat in my honour pleases me. Make it so, silver eyed one."**

"Eeeeeeee!" Ruby shrieked happily.

Ozpin chuckled and pinched the bridge of his nose. "And just when I thought I might be able to retire. Very well. I shall inform Glynda and see about rebranding the Vytal Festival."

"Would that make us priests?" Yang asked.

"Sure. Why not." Ozpin shrugged. "At the very least, there will always be criminal elements out there, not to mention wild animals and sporting events. Huntsman academies will find a new purpose, I'm sure. Perhaps a hundred years from now, we shall all be athletes and people will talk over warm meals and warmer fires on how their ancestors had to use their skills to survive in terrible conditions. Perhaps in one thousand years, people will have forgotten that the Grimm were ever their enemies."

Honestly? That sounded amazing.

"I am just glad I will not have to survive alone to see it," Salem said. "Thank you, God of Darkness. I will never forget what you've done for us."

" **Good. It is time for me to go. I shall keep an eye on Remnant, and on these tournaments dedicated to my honour. When my brother forms once more, I shall show them to him and laugh at his jealousy."**

The God of Darkness laughed then as well, loud and long as his body began to become incorporeal, more and more spectral, until he could be seen only as a purple mist that soon twisted up and into the air, away.

The skies above cleared, the bright – well, red – sunlight piercing down once more.

"Is that it?" Jaune asked. "Did we…?"

"I think we did." Ozpin sounded just as bemused as he. "Or rather, He did. We were quite useless."

"Speak for yourself," Yang teased. "I convinced a God to fight another God. I'm retiring right here and now. Nothing tops this."

Ironwood laughed. "Atlas will be sure to send you a fruit basket as thanks, your majesty. Winter," he barked, turning around. The Specialist rushed forward. "What of the injured? What are out losses?"

"None, sir. A few broken bones, concussions and minor injuries when people were knocked down or thrown around, but our armour prevented any serious injuries. The God of Darkness… he was playing with us. I don't think he killed anyone, not even in the White Fang."

"We didn't mean a damn thing to someone like him," Sienna said. "But he wasn't bothered about killing us, either. His heart wasn't in it."

"A literal God of Destruction who didn't want to destroy."

"A God of Destruction chained," Ozpin said. "The God of Light had determined who he could destroy and not for thousands of years. Considering the God of Light commanded him to destroy us, it is perhaps not a surprise that he would hold back. A subtle rebellion, but rebellion nonetheless."

A rebellion that wouldn't have been necessary if the God of Light hadn't been so controlling. In a way, it wasn't so different to what he'd done in running away from his mother. She'd had reason to try and hold him back, genuine concern for his safety, but he'd rebelled against what felt like a lack of options.

And now, the God of Darkness had as well.

Fitting.

"What happens now?" Sienna asked.

"Now? Should anything happen?" Ozpin chuckled, and then burst into laughter. It was loud and light, childish thanks to Oscar's body but undeniably _free_. "Anything you wish will happen. Go home, eat and drink, or do whatever you want to do. The Gods have freed us from their curse – not only Salem and I, but Remnant as well."

"The Grimm will honour the deals of peace forged by my son," Salem said, smiling fit to burst. She had taken to leaning on Nicholas, resting her head on his shoulder and winding an arm around his waist.

Jaune tried hard not to notice her hand disappearing into the back of his pants.

"Atlas will honour our own," Ironwood said. "I will return and tell the Council that our battle had to be postponed as Atlas, the White Fang and the Grimm joined forces to face a threat far greater, one that threatened to destroy all of Remnant. Let us see those fools try and stand in the way of a peace agreement now. The people will eat them alive if they try!"

"We expect change from Atlas if you wish us to honour your peace," Sienna threatened.

"You will have it. All I ask is some time to implement changes. Laws cannot be changed overnight, nor can minds. It will take time."

"You'll have your time, Ironwood. But remember, the White Fang will be watching." The woman's face shifted into a wide grin. "But for now, we should celebrate." Her voice raised as she addressed her people. "Tonight marks the first night of the Festival of Darkness! Dance, drink and make merry!"

The White Fang cheered.

"If you'll excuse me," Sienna said. "There is a certain sloth faunus I need to corner."

"Over my dead body!" Nora cried.

"That can be arranged. Pardon me." Sienna slipped away with a predatory smile.

Jaune laughed. "I wonder what it's like to have more than one woman after you. I can't imagine ever being in that spot."

Yang sighed, but it was _Ozpin_ who placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "With all due respect, Mr Arc. You are still an idiot." Turning to Salem, he said, "I think we should all retire. Does your tower have the facilities to hold everyone here?"

"Of course. I have plenty of spare rooms. I've been prepping for grandchildren for years."

Ironwood raised an eyebrow. "There are almost four hundred of us."

Salem looked confused.

"And…?"

/-/

They'd done it.

They'd actually done it.

Jaune watched as everyone celebrated – some louder than others. Nora and Sienna were the loudest, still fighting over Ren as he sat and talked with Weiss, ignoring the envious looks from Sun as he tried to chat with Blake, only to butt heads with Ilia. Yang was laughing behind them, poking Blake's cheek and teasing her, while Pyrrha and Ruby laughed at some small joke and Emerald sat in the corner, just relaxing after so much drama.

He didn't know _what_ the White Fang and Atlas soldiers were doing – though the booming music coming up through several floors hinted at it. So far, no one had come to blows, not between those two contingents or with the Grimm. There was bound to be accidents in time. Like Ironwood said, change wouldn't come instantly, but they'd deal with those as and when they came up.

"I can't believe we'll actually have a _chance_ to deal with them…"

" **You didn't think it would happen?"** Remy asked.

"No. I dreamed it would, but I always thought it would remain just that. A dream."

"Talking to Remy?" a voice asked.

"Ruby?" Jaune turned to find his teammate standing behind him, hands linked behind her back and a small smile on her face. There was a dark mark under her left eye, a bruise from where she'd fallen in the fight that was sure to blossom into a lovely black eye.

It didn't make her look any less cheerful. This was Ruby Rose, after all. She'd probably given herself worse unlocking and learning to use her Semblance.

She waved. "Hey."

"Hey yourself." Despite it being silly, he waved back. "You're not going to party inside?"

"Aren't you?"

"Just wanted some fresh air."

"Mhm. Me too. Let's go hunt fresh air together. It won't escape our combined strength."

"Dork." He playfully swatted her head and laughed when she ducked under it and stuck her tongue out. He chased after her as she ran down the hall. If she'd wanted to escape, her Semblance would have let her, but she kept her pace down to the kind of level a simple Grimm-human hybrid like him could be expected to match.

She brought him out onto one of the balconies surrounding the edge of the tower. There were plenty of them, but this one had numerous Nevermore roosting on it. They opened their eyes to look at Ruby, then huffed and went back to sleep.

"Is it weird that I used to think all Grimm were evil? I mean, most of the time they were just flying or walking around. _We_ were the ones launched into the Emerald Forest. They were minding their business."

"I don't know. Maybe. I was taught that you humans are all murderous psychopaths."

Ruby huffed at him. "By your Uncle!?"

"Hey. Uncle Tyrian is… unique."

"I'll say." Ruby giggled. "Is he okay? He took that big hit for you."

"He's fine. Better than fine. As thanks for saving me, mom looked after him personally."

"Does she even know first aid?"

"No, but it didn't stop Uncle Tyrian declaring that he would _never_ remove the bandage she placed on him. Wouldn't surprise me if he declares it a holy relic or something. He's been showing it off to anyone who will listen to him. I think he cornered Weiss' sister earlier."

"I feel sorry for her already."

The two of them shared a laugh, leaning against the balcony as they looked out over the Grimmlands. Despite the purple and black scorched ground and hellish landscape, it looked peaceful and calm.

At least compared to the ruckus going on downstairs.

The giant hole that the God of Darkness had created when he brought the God of Light down was just about visible, and only because the light reflected off the dust crystals that lay within. Weiss had already told him just how valuable those could be – especially if he used them to build up trust and faith in the Grimmlands.

He'd have to contact the SDC and see if they wanted to come and mine it – provided they didn't use any faunus workers unfairly. Better yet, he could ask _for_ faunus workers, and then enforce fair payment and better conditions on them. Perhaps a village could spring up around the tower, a city to exist within the Kingdom itself. It was a plan that might take decades, but it would make the Grimmlands less lonely and also prove once and for all that peace was at hand.

They could call it… Grimmtopia.

" **Might want to leave the naming to the professionals. Just saying."**

" _You don't like it?"_

" **No comment."**

"You never thought this would actually happen, did you?" Ruby asked. "I heard what you said before. You thought this would just be a dream."

"I did. People talk about dreams all the time. Everyone has them. But… I guess that even if we do, we always kind of know that they're not possible. If you want to be a famous hero, you're more likely to end up dying somewhere fighting unbeatable odds. People who want to be professional singers or actors rarely make it."

"I don't think that's a bad thing."

Surprised, he looked down at her. "How so?"

"Well, if dreams were so easy to accomplish then we'd have nothing to work towards. Can you imagine living in a world where you didn't have to struggle to achieve anything? There would be no point. Nothing to work towards."

"I never thought about it like that…"

"And sometimes, dreams can be achieved, even if they are unlikely." Ruby grinned his way. "For every hundred actors who don't make it, one or two will. Maybe they tried harder, worked harder or just got lucky, but sooner or later someone will manage it."

"You think I got lucky?"

"You think this was all due to your incredible skill and ability?" she countered.

"No. I was an idiot. A complete moron. I only made it this far because everyone bent over backwards to help me. Weiss with training. Pyrrha with schoolwork. You in making me a normal, functioning member of society."

"Yeaaah, I think I failed there."

He ignored the teasing. This time. "What I'm saying is that I only made it this far because of everyone helping me. In the end, it was Weiss who helped organise the Grimmland's negotiation efforts and you and Pyrrha who got Vale on board. Ren and Blake handled Menagerie; Sun and Ilia with Vacuo. It was Yang who convinced the God of Darkness to turn on his brother."

"Praise be unto him," Ruby said quickly.

"Praise be," Jaune echoed, making a vague sign into the dark. Better safe than sorry. "But no, I don't think I singlehandedly did this, luck or otherwise."

"That's because you didn't, silly. This wasn't just your dream; it was everyone's dream."

"Was it?"

"Sure. Ozpin was brought back from the dead to defeat Salem, but that wasn't what he wanted. Salem was driven mad by the Pools of Darkness and cursed to eternal life, but that wasn't what _she_ wanted. General Ironwood and Atlas didn't want to live in fear of the Grimm, and the White Fang didn't want to hurt people for the sake of hurting people. They wanted justice. Fairness."

"Heck, even the rest of our teams were the same," she said. "Look at Blake wanting to fix things, or Weiss wanting to redeem the SDC. Pyrrha wanted to escape a life of competitive fighting and you wanted to get out of here and see the world."

"And you?" he asked.

"I…" Ruby looked out over the horizon. "I wanted to make mom proud. Which was stupid…"

Stepping forward, he placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "I don't think it is. And I think she'd be incredibly proud of you."

"Yeah. I hope so." Ruby wiped her arm over her face. Jaune pretended not to see it. "But it was still a stupid dream. Mom loved me and Yang. Why would she need me to _prove_ myself to her? I bet she's going to be really angry when I see her again."

"When…?"

"When," Ruby confirmed. "Because, you know, the Gods basically _confirmed_ that there's an afterlife if they could bring Ozpin back from it."

Jaune thought for a second and then laughed. "I guess they did!"

"Yep. So, I'm going to see mom again when I grow old and die. I'll introduce you to her – it'll be awesome. She's, like, the best mom ever."

"Not too soon, I hope."

"No way." Ruby shook her head quickly. "Do you think she'd like it if I got myself killed? I'm going to live a really long life and tell her all about it. But that's my point. I had a dream to make mom proud by being a big hero and doing what she did – but she'd have hated that. What if I died just like her? What if I left behind two children as well, and she felt it was all because of her? That wouldn't have been fair."

"Maybe not. How does this fit into everyone else sharing the dream of peace, though?"

"Because that's what it is. We all had the same dream deep inside – we just forgot about it. Or confused it. If you asked anyone what they wanted in life, they'd say to be rich or popular, but really, everyone was terrified of the Grimm. Atlas fought to protect its borders because it thought it was the only option. The White Fang fought because they thought it was the only option. I fought because I thought it was the only option. We all did."

Pushing off the balcony, Ruby turned to face him with a wide smile.

"You reminded us there was another option. You reminded us we could actually try something else instead, actually try for peace. Sure, you might have been an idiot and a clutz-"

"Hey…"

"And you might have been really, really weird, too. I mean, knees?"

"You _do_ have nice knees, though."

Ruby covered her legs with both hands and flushed bright red. "Stooop!"

"Those torn leggings really help, too."

"Stop, stop, stop!" Ruby hit him with her hand, pushing him around so that he had his back to her. "You're not allowed to look. Face away from now on! Forever!"

"That doesn't sound very reasonable…"

It was even less fair when Ruby's hands wrapped around him and her face pressed into his back. Hugging from behind, it was all he could do to stand there and hold his hands out awkwardly.

"Thanks for convincing us to give peace a shot," she whispered. "Even if it sounded crazy and stupid. If we hadn't, if we'd just followed Ozpin's plan and collected the Relics to use against Salem… I don't want to imagine what would have happened."

"Neither do I. But I didn't do anything. This only succeeded because everyone else worked so hard."

"And they only worked so hard because you made them believe it possible. Without you, we wouldn't have tried. Everyone would have been too cynical, too pessimistic. Atlas would still be closed off, Mistral might be in ruins and Vacuo…" Ruby paused. "Well, I've no idea what Vacuo would have been. They never seem to do anything."

"I'm beginning to think that's their charm. Mom didn't even have a _plan_ for conquering Vacuo." His hands came down to rest atop hers. "But I get what you're saying, I think. Thanks, Ruby. That means a lot to me."

Even if all he'd ended up being was a figurehead, in the end… well, it didn't matter, did it? Mom was free. Ozpin would be able to die in peace. Oscar could have his life back. The Grimm would live in peace, the Kingdoms could focus on rebuilding and he was probably going to be an uncle. After all, there was no way Coral wasn't going to be pregnant with how much her and Qrow were going at it.

Things were looking up. Looking good.

Ruby's hands tightened on his midriff. "Jaune, I…"

"Yeah?"

"I…"

"What is it?"

"I…"

"Hey, you two." Yang stepped out onto the balcony with a wide smile that hinted at just a little too much to drink. "Not hiding from me, are ya?"

"No. Ruby was just about to tell me something. Right?"

Ruby pressed her face into his back, mumbled something under her breath and pushed past him. Red-faced, she darted for the exit without looking back. Yang snatched an arm out and caught her halfway, pulling her sister in for a hug.

"Hey," she whispered, not so quietly that he couldn't hear. "If I was going to share with anyone, I'd want it to be my little sister." Yang laughed as Ruby turned even redder. "Keep that in mind, sis."

"Y-You're drunk, Yang…"

"Doesn't mean I don't mean it. Just means I'm feelin' honest enough to say it."

"I… ah… I…" Ruby swallowed and looked back to him briefly. "I have to go see the others. Bye!"

This time, Ruby kept her hood held tight to her as she fled, preventing Yang from grabbing hold.

"What did you mean by sharing?" he asked.

"You're adorable," Yang said, ironically in unison with Remy calling him an idiot. "I'll tell you when you're older. Or Ruby will. Depends if she works up the courage. Now, what's our guest of honour doing moping out here when the party is going on inside? It's the Festival of Darkness. Don't want the big guy upstairs to be unhappy that a worshipper is skipping out now, do we?"

"Yang. You can't use your newly found religion as an excuse to party."

"Can and will. I mean, hey, he said he'd be watching." Grinning suddenly, Yang rushed to the balcony and yelled out, "Oi, God of Darkness! I'm going to dedicate some kinky times to you later! How about that!?"

"Yang!" Jaune yelped, embarrassed. He pulled her back before she could drunkenly fall off.

"Oh, come on. It's not like he'll-"

A star flashed by overhead. A shooting star.

Jaune gaped.

Yang hesitated. A spot of colour appeared on her cheeks. "Uh. Maybe that was a coincidence?"

"You really think so?"

"I dunno. Do I really want to do it with a voyeur God watching?"

"You want to risk angering him?"

"Um…" Yang didn't look quite so confident now that it wasn't a joke at his expense. "Maybe I could ask for another sigh? You know, for clarification?"

Another star sped across the sky.

"Son of a bitch…"

With a heavy sigh, Jaune turned back to the tower.

"I'll ask mom if we can borrow the dungeon."

* * *

 **I think there's only the one chapter remaining after this. Story ends have always been a difficult thing for me – probably just experience, since I've naturally started more stories than I have finished them. next chapter will probably be the last, though. While I often advocate for stories to not delve into epilogue territory in most cases, I think this needs a look at how the world will react to discovering that a) Gods are real and b) there was a battle to stop them ending the world.**

 **On the God fight itself, it was surprisingly hard to decide just how drawn out – if at all – the fight between the Gods should have been. In my plan, it was listed just as "the Gods fight". It's not a long fight here by any means, but I wanted them to feel completely beyond all of the characters (as a God really ought to), so it was hard to plan a longer confrontation in because it would have just been a full chapter of two entities who are not main characters slapping one another back in forth.**

 **Perfectly fine to watch as a visual spectacle if RT did something similar, but a little boring to read about. Or so I felt. People may well have wanted more, however.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 14** **th** **February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	104. Chapter 104

**Final chapters. The bane of my existence.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Kegi Springfield

 **Chapter 104**

* * *

Peace at last?

Ironwood signs treaty with Grimm.

Gods among us; time to find religion?

White Fang fights beside Atlas.

Councillor says no to Grimmigrants!

Mercury let his scroll fall and leaned back in his seat. The headlines were going wild and had been ever since General Ironwood returned from his `crusade` with a fanciful tale of Gods, Grimm and the end of the world, along with the evidence to back it up.

It was probably supposed to be kept secret but had been leaked in less than twelve hours. Personally, Mercury thought Ironwood was the one to leak it – or he'd let someone else do it. This benefitted him after all and seemed like something Cinder would have done. Either way, the world had gone wild with the news. Oh sure, there were people claiming it was a hoax, a forgery or the lizard people taking their rightful place at last, but those in power – those who mattered for making such decisions – couldn't afford to ignore what they'd seen and heard.

"Did you read the news!?" Velvet asked, appearing behind him.

"Sure did."

"Amazing, isn't it?"

"Hm." Mercury sipped some soda. "Can't believe he want to call them `Grimmigrants` though."

"Not that!"

He laughed as Velvet slapped on his shoulder, upset with his teasing. "I know, I know." Hooking an arm around her waist, he brought her in to sit on his lap.

Velvet didn't resist, but she made a show of crossing her arms and looking away to make it clear what she thought of his sense of humour.

"I read the news, Velvet. Not like I could ignore it. Did you hear that Oobleck has turned _all_ his lessons into watching the recording? He says that we're living in a moment that will go down in history, so it still counts as a lesson."

"Grimm, humans and faunus at peace. What do you think we'll do now? We're out of a job."

"You could become a stripper."

"That's not funny!"

"Ow! Ow!" Mercury shielded his head from her blows, though he couldn't quite hide is grin. It was always fun to get her riled up. Velvet became so much more assertive. "You know I didn't mean it like that. The only one I want you taking your clothes off in front of is me."

"MERCURY!"

"Smooth, man. Smooth." Coco swept in with her usual flair and ignored Velvet's flustered beating of her boyfriend, sitting down across the table. "Nice to see you two already starting your daily BDSM session."

"I can't help it!" Velvet wailed, red-faced. "He always says stuff to embarrass me."

"Heh. I think he gets off on it."

Catching Velvet's arms and wrapping them around her stomach, Mercury manoeuvred the irate faunus into a more comfortable position on his legs. When she growled his name, he silenced her with a quick peck on the lips. It always worked to calm her down.

"If you're done talking about my fetishes, Coco, we were discussing the recent news."

Coco rolled her eyes. "Who isn't? So, Vel, how does it feel to know you could have been princess of the Grimm if you hadn't settled for this bum?"

"Hey!"

"Oh, I've made mistakes."

"Hey!" Mercury said again. "I'll have you know I'm King of my own domain."

"The domain of half-robotic people?" Fox asked. "Because I think Ironwood pulls rank on you there."

"At least I have depth perception."

"Children." Yatsuhashi warded off another squabble with a wide smile. "We should not be fighting here. Today is a day for celebration; a day where the battles of the past become just that and we have a chance to look forward, towards a better future."

"Yeah. Councillors whining about Grimm immigration."

"I said better," Yatsu pointed out. "Not perfect."

"They'll get over it," Coco said, "Once they realise that they can now expand, like, anywhere they want. Need more room? Let's just double the size of Vale. The only thing stopping us now is building materials and labour."

"More jobs as a result," Yatsu said. "More industry. Cheaper homes. Cheaper insurance. Not only in Vale but across all the Kingdoms. There will be an economic boom from this, not to mention a population boom."

"I think the _real_ question," Velvet said softly, "Is whether I can get a Beowolf puppy."

Coco perked up. "Now _that_ 's not a bad idea!"

"No," Mercury said. "I'm fairly sure it's a _terrible_ idea. Think of the poo. Think how big it'll grow. Think of how big the _poo_ will grow when it does!"

Velvet squirmed and turned to face him, biting her lower lip, eyes watery.

"Velvet, no. Come on. How about a normal puppy? How about a cat?"

Her long ears drooped down on either side of her head.

Fuck.

"I-I'll get you a Beowolf puppy…"

The one-eighty was all the more jarring _because_ he knew he'd been played. Velvet squealed happily and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him so tight that he couldn't help but find the concept of calling up Jaune for a favour perhaps worth it.

"Whipped," Coco said, making a cracking sound.

He couldn't really deny it.

/-/

"The kid actually managed it." Roman shook his head, amazed. "He actually pulled it off."

Neo, sat beside him on the sofa in their warehouse, nodded her head. Her eyes were fixed on the TV, which was showing, for what felt like the fiftieth time, the final fight once more. Showing people being knocked around like they didn't matter as two beings who had come close to destroying the world duked it out.

"You know, this could have blown up in their faces. They technically put all of Remnant at risk. If it failed, we'd have all been wiped out."

Annoyingly, Neo seemed happy with the idea.

In the end, it wouldn't matter. Roman could read the tides of public opinion better than most; it was important in his line of work. People would point out what he had, but those that did would be shouted down. What really mattered was that the three biggest factions who hated one another – humanity represented by Atlas, faunus by the White Fang and Grimm by… well, the Grimm – had all fought together against a _bigger_ threat.

If there was one way to unite people, it was by making them hate someone else more.

The God of Light would become that someone. Ironically, the God of Darkness would become beloved by all, along with the Grimm – who were technically his creatures. That alone would go a long way to preventing people speaking bad of them.

Who wanted to piss off the God of Dark by killing _his_ creations?

Not Roman.

"Things are going to change around here, Neo. Mark my words. The city is going to grow, get richer, and the police will be a whole lot less busy now that the Grimm are gone. Huntsmen will be tasked to dealing with people like us."

Neo looked intrigued.

The goons behind Roman looked confused. "Boss, are you saying…?"

"I'm afraid I am, Perry."

The man shook. "But thievery is all we've ever known. What will we do?"

"What?" Roman looked back, hooking an arm over the back of the sofa. "We're not giving up the game, you numbskull."

"We're not? But I thought you were saying it would be harder than ever."

"It will be. The risks will be greater, our enemies more united." Roman grinned maniacally. "But doesn't that just mean the rewards will be greater, too? More wealth and power than ever for the taking. We'll make new names for ourselves, a new empire." Standing, Roman pointed at a random goon. "You."

"Yes sir?"

"I want a miniature state of the God of Darkness in every room. White Fang want to claim him, do they? The dark has ever been the domain of thieves like us, boys. If anyone is taking him as their patron God, it's us!"

Some of the boys stood a little taller.

"There are new opportunities everywhere, boys! New homes, new neighbourhoods, people who need protection. More population, money, even more space the coppers will have to patrol. There's a whole new world of profit out there just waiting for someone to reach out and take it."

The men looked excited. Neo was standing on the back of the sofa, gripping her weapon with a manic grin. This was what they lived for; not for peace, but for the thrill of the moment. Maybe it would be a short life, maybe not, but whatever the case, it would be glorious.

"Who's with me!?"

Every single one of them cheered.

/-/

Jacques Schnee sat and stared out of his office window.

The winds of change were coming.

At the SDC, things would need to change as well. It was inevitable. The pursuit of profit was something he did not regret, even if many hated him for it, but the truth was that the old ways would not work again now. With the Grimm turned peaceful, expansions towards dust would not need armed security. Competition would rise and they would offer better wages and care packages for workers.

The SDC's miners would leave in droves.

Even were he to pre-empt it and raise wages now, they still might, if only on principle. Not raising wages, however, would be a disaster. If the White Fang didn't lash out at him, Atlas would for endangering the peace deal Ironwood had made, and there was always the chance the Grimmlands might come for him directly.

Or Weiss.

Profit was one thing, but survival was another.

Like it or not, the SDC's reputation had been badly tarnished. It had never mattered before because Jacques knew the world needed them. Needed their dust, their commitment to mine it cheaply in a hostile environment, and even those who hated what they did to the faunus didn't quite hate it enough to go without heating, electricity or the other conveniences of life.

Now, they would.

His time was over.

"Klein."

"Yes, Mr Schnee?"

"Contact the press associations and schedule a press release to run tomorrow. I believe it is time I tendered my resignation."

Klein, the insufferable man, did not quite hide his smile well enough. "If I might ask, sir, who will take over in your place?"

"I am sure you know the answer to that already."

"As you will." The man bowed. "Please excuse me, sir. I shall have the PR department make arrangements. In the meantime, I should Grimm Dragon-proof the manor."

"Yes," Jacques said, closing his eyes. "That might not be a bad idea…"

Perhaps as part of the rebranding process, he should suggest Weiss change their family symbol from a snowflake to a dragon. No. The decision was no longer his to make. Whitley would be furious, but there was little he could do. The boy's reputation was as bad as his own, while Weiss had essentially made herself one of the most powerful people in the world right under his nose. Her connections included General Ironwood and the future King of the Grimmlands.

She had even faced down a God.

A strange, uncertain feeling welled up inside of him.

Was this pride?

He thought it might be.

"Well played, Weiss. Well played."

/-/

"The news just came in, boss. Your dau-" Vernal winced. "Yang and her group defeated the God of Light. People are talking about peace between human and Grimm. Not to mention the White Fang calming down."

Raven stared out over the camp. "I see. Thank you, Vernal. Go about your business."

It looked like Vernal wanted to say more but, knowing she was dismissed, the girl nodded and hurried away. It was a starry night, one fit for memories and reflection. Something Raven usually hated. Something she hated now as well.

"I guess you were right in the end, Summer. If I'd kept fighting…"

Her eyes closed.

If, if, if. She'd thought on that simple word a lot in the last sixteen or so years. Hard not to.

It didn't matter.

She'd burned her bridges, made her mistakes and chosen to live with them. Going back to Taiyang now, if the love even existed anymore, would only bring pain to everyone. They couldn't pretend to be what they once had been, and Raven wouldn't insult Yang by trying to become her mother once more.

Life was living with the consequences of one's actions, for better or for worse.

 _Things will change in Mistral. The huntsmen population is down, but with the threat of the Grimm gone, it won't matter. The authorities will finally be able to turn their attention on the criminal families that rule the city. There will be a reckoning for sure._

None of that was her business. Not much was. The tribe, Vernal, herself. Those were the only things she could hold claim to, and with Salem having given up her hunt on the maidens, even that small responsibility was no more.

Life would continue.

It always did.

She would have to find her own way in it.

"Good luck, Yang," she said, raising a toast. "Not that you'll need it. You're a smarter girl than me. You'll hold on to what makes you happy… and not run away like a coward."

Her daughter would do better.

/-/

In Vacuo, a member of the Council spoke up.

"Looks like the Grimm have made peace."

"Cool." another said.

"And Gods exist."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Cool. Drink?"

"Please."

Not much happened in Vacuo.

Not much ever did.

/-/

"I can't believe it's actually over."

Nicholas shifted slightly, looking down to his wife, who was laid against his side, one hand thrown over his chest and her legs against his. One of his arms was under her head, already going numb. With a great force of effort, he forced it up and around her shoulders.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Salem said. As pale as snow to some and inhuman, but to him the most beautiful woman ever in the world. "I just… I'm not sure I believe it. My whole life, my whole existence, feels like something I never had a choice in. First the tower, then Ozma's death and finally my curse. What few moments I did have to myself… I made such mistakes."

"Mistakes I'm thankful for."

"How can you say that?"

"Because those mistakes let me find you."

Salem's head came down on the crook of his shoulder. Her hair tickled the skin of his arm.

"We've got our lives ahead of us, Salem. Our _human_ lives. Not forever. Not eternity. Maybe thirty – forty years, and that's it. We're not going to live forever. Neither of us."

"I know…"

"Do you regret it?"

"No. Of course not. I… I could not see you die and not be able to follow. The first time that happened, it broke me. If the same happened here and then I was forced to watch everyone else die, as well? All our girls. Jaune. I would not have come out the same. I'd have been driven mad."

He held her close. "Don't think of it. That's not what happened. That's not what will ever happen now."

"You're right. I just…" Salem laughed softly. "I suppose I can't stop thinking about it. The possibility, what nearly happened, what could have happened. My mind hasn't caught on to the fact that it never will. Maybe it just hasn't sunken in yet."

"Give it time," he said. "We have plenty of it now."

"Yes." Salem's eyes drifted shut. "Yes, we do. All our lives ahead of us."

Satisfied that he'd calmed her down, or that she'd feel better when she woke up in the morning and realised this was all real, Nicholas leaned back and closed his own eyes as well. "Didn't expect it would be Jaune of all people to manage this, though."

"Oh. I had an idea," Salem giggled.

"That, my dear, is a lie. You tried to drag him back from Beacon."

"To motivate him."

"Sure. I'll pretend I believe that." He couldn't say he knew what it was, really. Cinder? He doubted it. Cinder was lovely, sweet and kind, but she wasn't the type to teach Jaune how to save the world. Even he had to accept that.

Maybe it was just Jaune himself.

Maybe it was pure luck.

In the end, it didn't really matter.

"I can't help but think I'm forgetting something, though," Salem whispered.

/-/

He'd done it.

After so many months, he'd done it!

Hazel Rainart threw back his head and laughed towards the heavens, arms held out wide and his eyes wide. Gripped in one hand was a lead rope, which trailed along the floor towards a black equine Grimm with armoured plates on its chest and flank.

And, most importantly, a jagged horn on its forehead.

"I HAVE FOUND THE GRIMM UNICORN!" Hazel roared. "THE TITLE OF BEST UNCLE WILL FINALLY BE MINE!"

The unicorn neighed.

Hazel coughed.

"Ahem. Yes. Well, it's time for us to make our way back to the Grimmlands." He tugged on the Unicorn Grimm's rope and it calmly walked behind him. "I wonder what everyone has gotten up to in my absence?"

Probably nothing important.

/-/

 **Twenty Years Later**

/-/

"I'm fully aware, Councillor, and the Festival of Darkness will continue as it always has. Yes, I'm aware of the tight deadline. Yes, I… Yes, well. No, I haven't invited them yet. Yes, of course I'll invite his majesty and his family. Yes." Oscar pinched the bridge of his nose. "I will discuss an extension on our trade agreement. Please, Councillor, leave it all with me."

The person on the other end of the line did no such thing and continued to rabbit into Oscar's ear, leaving him to slump against the wall of the elevator and hope for it to crash. That or break down so he'd have an excuse to accidentally drop the scroll and break it.

"Hm? Yes, yes, of course I'm listening to you. It would be rude of me not to."

Oscar ignored the laughter in the back of his head.

"I'm afraid I'm about to enter a meeting at the moment, though, so I shall have to cut you off. First day of Beacon. Very busy. You know how it is." He sighed and listened. "Yes, I'm aware this is important, but I also have several VIP students this year, so it's important we make a good showing."

The Councillor challenged him on who.

"Well, there is the young Mr Ironwood for one."

The Councillor choked.

"And then there are the Crown Princes of the Grimmlands, both of whom-" Oscar grinned. "Oh, you think I should spend time planning for them? I'm glad you agree. Thank you for understanding, Councillor. I'll talk to you at a later time."

The call ended. The elevator door opened as he reached the top of the tower and stepped out into his office.

"To hell with politics. I've no idea how Jaune dealt with it for so long." No, he did. He had Weiss do a whole load of planning, and then fumbled his way through the rest of it on instinct alone. Oscar wished he could manage the same, but alas, despite spending so much time with them, he hadn't picked up their habits.

 _Well, their good habits anyway_ , he thought, reaching for a cup of coffee with an almost reverent smile. He'd never really understood why Ozpin constantly yearned for it and hadn't until he'd gone and gotten himself a job.

Oh God, after working for a couple of years, he'd learned the necessity of the wonderful drink.

" **You know, I had to do this for hundreds of years."**

"No one asked you, Ozpin."

" **I'm just saying."**

Oscar rolled his eyes. Ozpin had a habit of `just saying` whenever Oscar did something that the much older man deemed `not quite good enough`. The term backseat driving had never described his situation better.

" **Don't be like that. You're Oscar Pine, the youngest headmaster of Beacon for generations. What would your students think if they heard you talking to yourself?"**

"Being an eccentric old coot worked for you, I'm told. I'll be fine."

Ozpin chuckled inside his head.

Twenty years.

It had been twenty years, give or take a year or two, that they'd been together. Twenty years since the treaty between the Grimmlands and the other Kingdoms. Twenty years since Grimm and humans had truly fought as enemies.

It had been a good twenty years, Oscar reflected. Not the easiest; for every person happy with the new way, there was someone who wasn't. People who had lost loved ones to the Grimm and still wanted revenge. Old huntsmen and huntresses who couldn't lose the thrill of hunting large beasts. Accidents continued to happen, even now.

" **You cannot save every person, Oscar. We must look at the bigger picture."**

"I know. I'm not fifteen anymore, Oz."

The boy he'd once been was long gone. After the fall of the God of Light and the battle that brought all the different sides together, he'd been lost on what to do with his life. Ozpin's quest, his journey, was over. With the threat of them merging gone and Ozpin choosing to fade into the background and let Oscar live his own life, the world had suddenly been very open and very frightening.

The first thing had been going back to talk to his parents.

" **And wasn't** _ **that**_ **a fun conversation…"**

"Not my fault. You literally used my body to fight the God of Light, something that was shown across all the Kingdoms. Mom freaked when she saw it!"

" **Don't act like it didn't benefit you as well…"**

Oscar's cheeks flushed. Well, the attention had been nice, especially from all the women who fought he was `just dreamy` and `so brave`. He'd been fifteen, turning sixteen, alright? The world could forgive him for being hormonal.

"Someone has to forgive me, since a certain _someone_ wouldn't let me have a chance with any woman under the age of twenty-one."

" **I am over two thousand years old, Oscar. I** _ **refuse**_ **to sleep with a teenager. Even as a passenger. Besides, I still say you should have tried your luck with Glynda."**

"Glynda scares the ever-loving crap out of me."

" **It's a part of her charm."**

"Enough about women," Oscar said, coughing. "If Melanie hears me talking about other girls, she'll kill me. If her _sister_ finds out, she'll castrate me first. Besides, you're hardly one to talk about women, Ozpin. We all know what a travesty your love life was."

" **I have made many mistakes…"**

"Yes. Yes. We all know. You _still_ need to respond to that invitation from Salem."

" **Do we? Do we really?"**

"Ozpin, she's getting married. That's not a small thing."

" **She gets married every two years."**

"They're re-affirming their vows."

" **They're making not-so-veiled hints at their oblivious children, you mean. Most people get married once in their life, maybe twice. Salem has married me once and Nicholas what feels like twelve times."**

"Fourteen," Oscar corrected.

" **You're sure?"**

"There was the issue with the false priest, remember? She was afraid it wouldn't stick, so she had it twice that year."

" **Ah. Of course. Fourteen it is."** Ozpin sighed dramatically. **"Let me have control later and I'll sign it. I suppose it's not so bad to spend a little time with everyone. Diplomacy is important, and it** _ **would**_ **be nice to see how Qrow is doing. Whether having six children hasn't killed him already."**

"Coral hasn't broken him yet."

" **Give her time…"**

Oscar laughed to himself and thumbed through the documents on his desk. Over the years he'd become a master of working and talking in his head at the same time. Ozpin helped, adding his vast experience in paperwork to Oscar's own understanding. The true path to enlightenment, he'd learned, was in having a very good personal assistant.

He'd wanted Weiss Schnee for it, but, well, she was busy reforming the SDC and also Atlas at the same time. A worthy task on both ends, and one more important than keeping Beacon up and running. He'd settled for Nora instead.

" **I still cannot believe she became a teacher, let alone took Glynda's position…"** Ozpin made a coughing sound. **"On the other hand, I can** _ **fully believe**_ **that she took over Fort Port and issued a challenge to all students to storm and conquer it for extra credit."**

"The world works in mysterious ways. When it comes to Nora, I don't ask questions. I think Ren is a calming influence." Oscar personally wondered if that was due to his Semblance, but it felt rude to ask. Either way, Ren was the perfect history teacher – though Oobleck was still kicking around and often came in to guest teach, when he wasn't busy exploring and cataloguing the world now that the Grimm weren't stopping people.

So much to discover, Oobleck would say. So many ruins and sites to explore.

The friends he'd made were still kicking around – life expectancy being as high as it was now, they'd still be around for another forty or fifty years probably. Weiss and Emerald had taken over the SDC, and Blake had worked there for a while as well just to make sure the faunus were fairly treated. When her parents retired, however, she'd returned to Menagerie and taken over. Last he heard, she lived with Sun and Ilia, and while no one seemed to know what was going on with that, everyone agreed that Blake's love life was way too complicated to try and understand.

Pyrrha was the headmistress of Haven, and likely to come and visit during the upcoming festival. She'd done well with the place, fixing the wholes Leonardo left and turning Haven into a powerhouse when it came to international competitions. Most huntsmen now didn't fight to survive, so much as compete for entertainment.

And the glory of the God of Darkness, of course.

" **Praise be unto He,"** Ozpin added.

Jaune and Yang were busy ruling over the Grimmlands, making the occasional public visit for the sake of diplomacy or otherwise working on the army of grandchildren Salem demanded. They'd come and visited every now and then, but mostly kept to themselves.

Ruby?

He hadn't seen Ruby for a long time. He had no idea where she was. The occasional message, the occasional scroll call. She would show up for important events, but otherwise do her own thing. Yang had told him not to worry, and that Ruby was fine. He was sure she was still alive out there. Hard to imagine anything could bring her down.

"The world sure has changed…"

" **For the better, perhaps. The White Fang have finally disbanded; the battles are over. Vale's walls have been repurposed for building materials and thanks to the trade agreements with the Grimmlands, the dust crisis is a thing of the past. Life is easier."**

"It's Beacon's turn to host the Tournament of Darkness this year."

" **Life is harder,"** Ozpin moaned.

"Ironwood wants to come and discuss the security.

" **Does it get any worse?"**

"He's bringing his wife."

Ozpin's groan echoed through his skull.

"Cinder isn't _that_ bad."

" **She really is. I shouldn't have been surprised that she would marry into power, even if Mr Arc was off the table. Still, I can't believe those two joined forces – or how problematic they are."**

"Their son is among out students sleeping downstairs."

" **Don't remind me. I fully expect him to somehow take over the school within the next four years. That or turn it into a military dictatorship."**

Laughing, Oscar worked through the student dossiers on the desk in front of him. It was the first day of Beacon, which was to say not the classes but the day before, the day when everyone would sleep in the main hall in preparation for the initiation.

"There are a lot of promising students this year and we need a decent initiation for them."

" **Catapult them into a forest. Worked for me."**

"Yes, but you had Grimm who would fight them in the forest. I'd have to put traps everywhere to get the same effect, and even then, I'd feel bad for any wild animals or Grimm caught in them." It really was difficult to keep it new every year – but if he didn't, then students would sell information on what the initiation was to prospective students.

Cheeky bastards.

" **How about,"** Ozpin said, **"And hear me out here. We declare a** _ **war**_ **in the middle of Beacon. A fake war. Two sides – or maybe four sides. It'll teach them the importance of strategy, intelligence, teamwork and even diplomacy."**

Shrugging, Oscar wrote the idea down. "Works for me. You think Nora will accept-" Oscar paused as he realised what he'd just been asking. "Man, I _must_ be tired. Of course Nora will accept; she'll probably declare herself a fifth side along with Ren."

" **Make it an instant pass if one side can take those two out."**

"Way ahead of you, Oz. We'll need to balance the teams."

" **Ironwood and Cinder's spawn is on a team on his own."**

"Balance them _fairly_ , Ozpin."

" **Qrow's second daughter gets an automatic pass."**

"Fairly! Just because she calls you Uncle Ozma is no reason for favouritism."

" **It's every reason, Oscar. Young Sparrow is the definition of adorable."**

"Sure. But you don't see me letting students cheat because I like them. Anyway, we'll split the teams up fairly. You think we should make it so the losing team doesn't get in? Or should we assess individual performance and judge that way?"

" **Individual performance. Even the losing side may show valour. We'll get rid of those either unwilling, unable to work together or too lazy to put the effort in. There's always some."**

True. That would require them to go through all the footage, but it shouldn't be too hard. He had a good team. As Oscar pushed through the applications describing each student, he found himself pausing on a pair. Two brothers; both similar, and yet somehow different. Both blonde, but one tall and one short.

" **The Arc brothers,"** Ozpin chuckled. **"Twins as I understand it, though you wouldn't know it to look at them. They're both seventeen, however, and came quite recommended. Studied at Atlas under Winter Schnee herself."**

Jaune and Yang's kids, or two of them, anyway. They had some younger ones running around already, but these had been the first, born only a few years after the two had tied the knot and the world settled down and began to accept the Grimm. The two boys had high scores from what he could see, and considering who their parents were, Oscar was sure they'd perform well.

"The first case of human-Grimm hybrids openly coming into Vale. It's bound to cause a stir. People will be watching and looking for them to act out of line."

 **"They did well for themselves in Atlas. I'm sure they will be no more difficult than any students."**

"An absolute nightmare, them." Oscar sighed. "I'll have to have a meeting with them, impress how important it is they don't use their abilities for harm or personal benefit. Not unless it's sanctioned combat."

 **"Let them use them for entertainment. Students seeing them act like children would will help calm them down. People fear that which they do not understand."**

"Fair point."

They'd make it work however they had to; it was just that he'd have to keep an eye out for any bigots who wanted to make an issue of their presence here. If they couldn't deal with it themselves. Luckily, Beacon already had a no-tolerance policy on discrimination against faunus, so it wouldn't be hard to extend that to Grimm hybrids. He was about to put the documents away when something caught his eye.

"Ozpin…"

" **Hm?"**

"The smaller one. Notice anything unusual about him?"

" **I don't- Oh!"** Ozpin laughed. **"Well, I suppose that explains where she has been. My, my. I did not expect that of her."**

Oscar laughed too. It really did explain a lot. A lot, and also too much. There were certain things you didn't need to know. Somehow, it still wasn't as complicated as Blake's love life. "I'll have to send them a fruit basket," Oscar said. "Congratulate them. See how Ruby reacts."

" **A hundred lien says she goes bright red and tries to deny it."**

"That's a fool's bet, Ozpin, and you know it."

The smaller boy in the picture was smiling at the camera. He had Jaune's nose and hair, as did his older brother beside him, but that wasn't what Oscar and Ozpin paid attention to, or what amused them so much.

The boy had bright silver eyes.

* * *

 **And Ruby stakes her own claim.**

 **I really wasn't sure how to do the wind-down chapter here. Full confession; when I plan a story, I plan the main plot points of it, so I plan from the beginning to the end, but the "end" is usually the final climax and its resolution.**

 **I don't plan the "climbing down" section – which I probably should!**

 **As such, chapters like this, the "after the adventure" chapter, are pretty much made up on the spot. With this one, I wasn't sure what to do. Zoom in on the characters themselves? Their battle is over and I wasn't sure what they would say other than to** _ **reiterate**_ **all the things they already did. I just wasn't sure what they would say other than "We did it" and "Great job" and such. Felt like it was said enough at the end of last chapter.**

 **In the end, I decided to look at the situation from the point of view of minor characters. See the world, show what the effect is in the respective Kingdoms, and leave the immediate actions of the core cast to people's imaginations.**

* * *

 **Well, that's it for White Sheep. It was a fun story and although I made some mistakes in it, I also learned some valuable lessons. One was to not play catch-up to canon as it happens. Despite that some of the canon lore ended up being hilariously similar to White Sheep (Salem being an ex-wife, having children, etc), I should have stuck to my plan and NOT tried to incorporate it.**

 **It's not to say RT's ideas were bad, but trying to fit them into a story which already has a plan? That was bad.**

 **If I went back in time, I'd also likely cut down on the dance drama (as was mentioned at the time) and maybe even change Volumes 4-5 section. With the story diverging, there was no technical need to follow canon at that point. I could have had things change. I think I will keep that in mind for Headmaster Arc.**

 **In conclusion? Probably not my best work, but a fun one nonetheless. I can see places it could be improved even as I can see places it did well. Am I happy with it? Eh. I'd say I'm content with it. Satisfied. It could have held onto the slapstick better than it did, especially looking back on early chapters like Jaune being de-pantsed in Forever Fall, or the comedy of Cardin-Chan and his attraction to the oblivious hero.**

* * *

 **Story FINISHED.**

* * *

 **Next Story: Professor Arc Two: Headmaster Arc**

 **Release Date: 28** **th** **February (TWO WEEKS)**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


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